“1 And afterward Moses and
Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let
my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. 2
And Pharaoh said, Who [is] the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let
Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.”
“3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go,
we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto
the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the
sword. 4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses
and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. 5
And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now [are] many, and ye
make them rest from their burdens. 6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day
the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, 7 Ye shall no
more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and
gather straw for themselves. 8 And the tale of the bricks, which they
did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish
[ought] thereof: for they [be] idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us
go [and] sacrifice to our God. 9 Let there more work be laid upon the
men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.”
“10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers,
and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not
give you straw. 11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not
ought of your work shall be diminished. 12 So the people were scattered
abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of
straw. 13 And the taskmasters hasted [them], saying, Fulfil your works,
[your] daily tasks, as when there was straw. 14 And the officers of the
children of Israel, which Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were
beaten, [and] demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in
making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?”
“15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto
Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? 16 There
is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick:
and, behold, thy servants [are] beaten; but the fault [is] in thine own
people. 17 But he said, Ye [are] idle, [ye are] idle: therefore ye say,
Let us go [and] do sacrifice to the LORD. 18 Go therefore now, [and]
work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the
tale of bricks. 19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see
[that] they [were] in evil [case], after it was said, Ye shall not
minish [ought] from your bricks of your daily task. 20 And they met
Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
21 And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because
ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in
the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us. 22
And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou
[so] evil entreated this people? why [is] it [that] thou hast sent me?
23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil
to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.” (Ex
5:1-23 AV)
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