Exodus 5

1 After that [following these events], Moses [the Israelite leader] and Aaron [the first high priest] went to Pharaoh [the king of Egypt] and said, “This is what the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God], the God of Israel, says: ‘Let My people [the nation of Israel] go, so that they may hold [celebrate, observe] a feast [a religious festival] to Me in the wilderness [the desert, a place of testing].’” word study 2 But Pharaoh [the king of Egypt] replied, “Who is the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] that I should obey [hearken unto, listen to] His voice [sound, spoken words] and let Israel [the descendants of Jacob] go? I do not know [am unaware of, have no knowledge of] the LORD, and I will not let Israel go [release, set free].” word study 3 “The God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] of the Hebrews [descendants of Eber] has met [encountered, come to] with us,” they answered. “Please [we pray, I ask] let us go on a three-day [thrice, a period of] journey into the wilderness [desert, open field] to sacrifice [offer, slaughter an animal] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] our God [Elohim, the one supreme God], or He may strike us with plagues [pestilence, disease] or with the sword [cutting instrument, weapon].” word study 4 But the king [ruler, monarch] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] said to them, “Moses [the Israelite leader] and Aaron [the first high priest], why do you [Moses and Aaron] draw [loose, take away] the people [a nation, a group of individuals] away from their work [deeds, actions, labor]? Get back to your [compulsory] labor [burdens, forced service]!” word study 5 Pharaoh [the king of Egypt] also said, “Look [behold, see], the people [a nation, a multitude] of the land [the earth, the territory] are now [at this time, currently] numerous [many, a large number], and you would be stopping [causing to cease, making to rest] them from their labor [burdens, forced work].” word study 6 That same [very] day [period of time, 24-hour cycle] Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] commanded [gave orders, appointed] the taskmasters [overseers, those who exact or harass] of the people [a nation, Israel] and their foremen [officials, high-ranking officers]: word study 7 “You shall no longer [cease to, stop] supply the people [a nation, Israel] with straw [stubble, dry stems] for making [to construct, build] bricks [small, whitish blocks]. They must go [walk, proceed] and gather [collect, assemble] their own straw [for themselves, personally]. word study 8 But require of them the same quota [number, tally] of bricks [small, whitish blocks made of clay] as before; do not reduce [diminish, decrease] it. For they are lazy [idle, slackening their efforts]; that is why they are crying out [to cry, expressing distress], ‘Let us go [to walk, to move] and sacrifice [to slaughter, offer] to our God [Elohim, the supreme deity].’ word study 9 Make the work [heavier, more burdensome] harder on the men [individuals, male persons] so they will be occupied [fully engaged, laboring] and pay no attention [not regard, gaze at] to these lies [deceptive words, falsehoods].” word study 10 So the taskmasters [overseers, slave drivers] and foremen [officials, officers] of the people [nation, Israel] went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh [the king of Egypt] says: ‘I am no longer [will not] giving you straw [dry stems, stubble]. word study 11 Go [to walk, move from one place to another] and get [take, acquire] your own straw [stubble, dry stems] wherever you can find [discover, attain] it; but your workload [service, labor] will in no way [nothing, not at all] be reduced [diminished, made smaller].’” word study 12 So the people scattered [were scattered abroad, dispersed] all over the land [territory, region] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] to gather [assemble, collect] stubble [dry straw, worthless material] for [instead of, in place of] straw [stubble, fodder for animals]. word study 13 The taskmasters [slave drivers, overseers] kept pressing [hastening, urging] them, saying, “Fulfill [complete, finish] your quota [daily tasks, works] each day, just as you did when straw [dry stems, stubble] was provided [given to you, available].” word study 14 Then the Israelite [officers, overseers] foremen, whom Pharaoh’s [rulers] taskmasters had set [appointed, placed] over the people, were beaten [struck, smitten] and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled [completed, finished] your quota [statute, decree] of bricks [made from clay, mud] yesterday [the previous day] or today [this day], as you did [previously] before?” word study 15 So the Israelite [officers, overseers] foremen [leaders, officials] went and appealed [cried out, protested] to Pharaoh [the king of Egypt]: “Why [what reason] are you treating [dealing with, making] your servants [slaves, bondmen] this way [thus, in this manner]? word study 16 No [dry] straw [stubble or fodder] has been given [provided, supplied] to your servants [slaves, bondsmen], yet we are told [commanded, ordered], ‘Make [construct, build] bricks [small blocks of clay]!’ Look [behold, see], your servants [slaves, laborers] are being beaten [struck, smitten] [hit or punished], but the fault [sin, wrongdoing] [missing the mark] is with [among, within] your own people [nation, community].” word study 17 “You are [idle, remiss, or slack] slackers [not wanting to work, feeling disheartened]!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers [abandoning your duties, relaxing]! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go [to walk, to move, to live] and sacrifice [to slaughter an animal, to offer a gift] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God, The covenant Name of God].’ word study 18 Now [at this time] get to work [to serve, to labor]. You will be given [provided] no [none] straw [dry stems], yet you must deliver [produce, give] the full [complete] quota [number, amount] of bricks [small blocks of clay].” word study 19 The Israelite [sons of Jacob, God’s chosen people] foremen [officials, overseers] realized they were in trouble [evil case, distress] when they were told, “You must not [by no means] reduce [diminish, decrease] your daily [every day, each day] quota [task, amount] of bricks [clay blocks, building materials].” word study 20 When they left [came out from, departed] Pharaoh [the king of Egypt], they confronted [met, encountered] Moses [the Israelite leader] and Aaron [the first high priest], who stood [stationed themselves, were waiting] waiting to meet them [in their way, as they came forth]. word study 21 “May the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] look upon you and judge [vindicate or punish] you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench [a bad smell, morally offensive] before Pharaoh [the king of Egypt] and his officials; you have placed in their hand [given them the power] a sword [a cutting instrument] to kill [slay with intent] us!” word study 22 So Moses [the Israelite leader] returned to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] and asked, “Lord [Adonay, a title of reverence], why [what is the reason] have You brought trouble [evil, affliction] upon this people [nation, community]? Is this [the purpose] why [for what reason] You sent me [as Your messenger]? word study 23 Ever since I went [came, approached] to Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] to speak [communicate, proclaim] in Your name [Your identity, honor, and character], he has brought trouble [done evil, afflicted] on this people [nation, community], and You have not delivered [rescued, saved] Your people [nation, community] in any way [at all, completely].” word study