Let My People Go
1After this, Moses and Aaron went in and said to Pharaoh, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: Let my people go, so they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.” 2But Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh, that I should heed his voice and let Israel go? I do not know Yahweh, and I will not let Israel go.” 3They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to Yahweh our God, or he may strike us with plague or with the sword.” 4But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you drawing the people away from their work? Get back to your labor.” 5Pharaoh also said, “Look how numerous the people of the land have become, and you would have them rest from their labor!” 6That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters and the foremen of the people: 7“You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks, as before — let them go and gather their own straw. 8But require of them the same quota of bricks as before — do not reduce it. They are lazy — that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9Let the work be heavier on the men, so they stay at it and pay no attention to lying words.” 10So the taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: I will no longer give you straw. 11Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it — but not one bit of your work will be reduced.” 12So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13The taskmasters kept driving them, saying, “Finish your work — each day’s quota — just as when there was straw.” 14And the Israelite foremen whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them were beaten and asked, “Why haven’t you finished your assigned quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”
Moses Cries Out to Yahweh
15So the Israelite foremen went and cried out to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants this way? 16No straw is given to your servants, yet they tell us, ‘Make bricks!’ Look — your own servants are being beaten, and the fault is your people’s.” 17“You are lazy — lazy!” he said. “That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’ 18Now get to work. No straw will be given to you, but you must still deliver the full quota of bricks.” 19The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks.” 20As they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, 21and they said to them, “May Yahweh look at you and judge — you have made us reek in the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants, putting a sword in their hand to kill us.” 22Then Moses turned back to Yahweh and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why did you ever send me? 23Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have done nothing at all to rescue them.”
