5After that Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh. They said, "GOD, the God of Israel, says, 'Free my people so that they can hold a festival for me in the wilderness.'"H310H4872H175H935H559H6547H559H3068H430H3478H5971H7971H2287H40572Pharaoh said, "And who is GOD that I should listen to him and send Israel off? I know nothing of this so-called 'GOD' and I'm certainly not going to send Israel off."H6547H559H3068H8085H6963H3478H7971H3045H3068H3478H79713They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness so we can worship our GOD lest he strike us with either disease or death."H559H430H5680H7122H3212H7969H3117H1870H4057H2076H3068H430H6293H1698H27194But the king of Egypt said, "Why on earth, Moses and Aaron, would you suggest the people be given a holiday? Back to work!"H4428H4714H559H4872H175H6544H5971H4639H3212H54505Pharaoh went on, "Look, I've got all these people bumming around, and now you want to reward them with time off?"H6547H559H5971H776H7227H7673H54506Pharaoh took immediate action. He sent down orders to the slave-drivers and their underlings:H6547H6680H3117H5065H5971H7860H5597"Don't provide straw for the people for making bricks as you have been doing. Make them get their own straw.H3254H5414H5971H8401H3835H3843H8032H8543H3212H7197H84018And make them produce the same number of bricks—no reduction in their daily quotas! They're getting lazy. They're going around saying, 'Give us time off so we can worship our God.'H4971H3843H6213H8032H8543H7760H1639H7503H6817H559H3212H2076H4309Crack down on them. That'll cure them of their whining, their god-fantasies."H5656H3513H582H6213H8159H8267H169710The slave-drivers and their underlings went out to the people with their new instructions. "Pharaoh's orders: No more straw provided.H5065H5971H3318H7860H559H5971H559H559H6547H5414H840111Get your own straw wherever you can find it. And not one brick less in your daily work quota!"H3212H3947H8401H834H4672H3588H1697H5656H163912The people scattered all over Egypt scrabbling for straw.H5971H6327H776H4714H7197H7179H840113The slave-drivers were merciless, saying, "Complete your daily quota of bricks—the same number as when you were given straw."H5065H213H559H3615H4639H3117H1697H1961H840114The Israelite foremen whom the slave-drivers had appointed were beaten and badgered. "Why didn't you finish your quota of bricks yesterday or the day before—and now again today!"H7860H1121H3478H6547H5065H7760H5221H559H3615H2706H3835H8543H3117H8032H854315The Israelite foremen came to Pharaoh and cried out for relief: "Why are you treating your servants like this?H7860H1121H3478H935H6817H6547H559H6213H565016Nobody gives us any straw and they tell us, 'Make bricks!' Look at us—we're being beaten. And it's not our fault."H8401H5414H5650H559H6213H3843H5650H5221H2398H597117But Pharaoh said, "Lazy! That's what you are! Lazy! That's why you whine, 'Let us go so we can worship GOD.'H559H7503H7503H559H3212H2076H306818Well then, go—go back to work. Nobody's going to give you straw, and at the end of the day you better bring in your full quota of bricks."H3212H5647H8401H5414H5414H8506H384319The Israelite foremen saw that they were in a bad way, having to go back and tell their workers, "Not one brick short in your daily quota."H7860H1121H3478H7200H7451H559H1639H3843H3117H3117H169720As they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them.H6293H4872H175H5324H7125H3318H654721The foremen said to them, "May GOD see what you've done and judge you—you've made us stink before Pharaoh and his servants! You've put a weapon in his hand that's going to kill us!"H559H3068H7200H8199H7381H887H5869H6547H5869H5650H5414H2719H3027H202622Moses went back to GOD and said, "My Master, why are you treating this people so badly? And why did you ever send me?H4872H7725H3068H559H136H7489H5971H797123From the moment I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, things have only gotten worse for this people. And rescue? Does this look like rescue to you?"H935H6547H1696H8034H7489H5971H5337H5971H5337
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