Exodus 5:19 - Prayer Tents

Pharaoh Refuses to Let the People Go

5After Moses and Aaron arrived, they said to Pharaoh, "This is what the Lord God of Israel says: 'Let my people go so they may make a pilgrimage for me in the desert."H310H4872H175H935H559H6547H559H3068H430H3478H5971H7971H2287H4057

2Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord that I should listen to him and let Israel go - I don't know about the Lord, nor will I let Israel go!"H6547H559H3068H8085H6963H3478H7971H3045H3068H3478H7971

3Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God so he does not strike us with pestilence or sword.H559H430H5680H7122H3212H7969H3117H1870H4057H2076H3068H430H6293H1698H2719

4The king of Egypt replied to them, "Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping the people from their labor - Go back to your work!"H4428H4714H559H4872H175H6544H5971H4639H3212H5450

5Then Pharaoh said, "Look, the people in the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working."H6547H559H5971H776H7227H7673H5450

Pharaoh Increases the Israelis’ Work

6That day Pharaoh ordered the taskmasters of the people and their officials,H6547H6680H3117H5065H5971H7860H559

7"You're no longer to give the people straw for making bricks, as in the past. They must gather straw for themselves.H3254H5414H5971H8401H3835H3843H8032H8543H3212H7197H8401

8But you're to impose the previous quota of bricks that they're making. You're not to reduce it! It is because they're lazy that they're crying out, 'Let's go offer sacrifices to our God.'H4971H3843H6213H8032H8543H7760H1639H7503H6817H559H3212H2076H430

9So increase the work load on the people, and let them do it so they don't pay attention to deceptive speeches."8H5656H3513H582H6213H8159H8267H1697

10Then the taskmasters of the people and their officials went out and said to the people, "This is Pharaoh's response: 'I'll no longer give you any straw.H5065H5971H3318H7860H559H5971H559H559H6547H5414H8401

11Go get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work quotas won't be reduced at all.'"H3212H3947H8401H834H4672H3588H1697H5656H1639

12So the people scattered throughout the entire land of Egypt to collect stubble for straw.H5971H6327H776H4714H7197H7179H8401

13The taskmasters pressured them by saying, "Finish your work - each day's quota - just as when you were given straw."H5065H213H559H3615H4639H3117H1697H1961H8401

14The Israelite supervisors whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had appointed over them were beaten and told, "Why didn't you, both yesterday and today, fulfill your quota for making bricks as before?"H7860H1121H3478H6547H5065H7760H5221H559H3615H2706H3835H8543H3117H8032H8543

The Israelis’ Appeal Rejected by Pharaoh

15The Israelite supervisors came and cried out to Pharaoh, "Why are you doing this to us -H7860H1121H3478H935H6817H6547H559H6213H5650

16No straw is being given to us, yet they're saying to us, 'Make bricks!' Look, we are being beaten. It's wrong how you are treating your people!"H8401H5414H5650H559H6213H3843H5650H5221H2398H5971

17Then Pharaoh said, "You are lazy, lazy! That's why you're saying, 'Let's go offer sacrifices to the Lord.'H559H7503H7503H559H3212H2076H3068

18Now, go! Work! And straw won't be given to you, but you will deliver the same number of bricks!"H3212H5647H8401H5414H5414H8506H3843

19The Israelite supervisors realized they were in trouble when he said, "You won't reduce each day's quota of bricks!"H7860H1121H3478H7200H7451H559H1639H3843H3117H3117H1697

The Israelis Blame Moses and Moses Complains to God

20As they left Pharaoh's presence, they met Moses and Aaron standing there.H6293H4872H175H5324H7125H3318H6547

21The supervisors said to them, "May the Lord look on you and judge you! You have made us repulsive in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants. You have put a sword in their hands to kill us."H559H3068H7200H8199H7381H887H5869H6547H5869H5650H5414H2719H3027H2026

22So Moses returned to the Lord and asked him, "Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people - Why have you sent me here -H4872H7725H3068H559H136H7489H5971H7971

23Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has caused trouble for this people, and you have done nothing to deliver your people."H935H6547H1696H8034H7489H5971H5337H5971H5337