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Exodus 5-6
New Life Version
Exodus 5-6
New Life Version
Moses and Aaron Talk to Pharaoh
5 After this, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says this: ‘Let My people go, that they may have a special supper to honor Me in the desert.’” 2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord. And I will not let Israel go.” 3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. We ask of you, let us travel into the desert three days, to give a gift on an altar in worship to the Lord our God. Or He may send death to us by disease or by the sword.” 4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Return to your work!” 5 Then Pharaoh said, “See, the people of the land are now many. And you would have them stop working!”
6 That same day Pharaoh told the men who made the people work, 7 “Do not give the people straw for making clay blocks any more. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But have them make the same number of clay blocks as before, and no less. They are crying, ‘Let us go and give a gift in worship to our God,’ because they are lazy. 9 Let more work be given to the men so they will not have time to listen to lies.”
10 So the men who made the people work went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you straw. 11 You go and get straw for yourselves where you can find it. But you will not work any less than before.’” 12 So the people went out through all the land of Egypt to gather what they could use for straw. 13 The men who made them work made them hurry, saying, “Finish your full day’s work as you did when there was straw.” 14 And the Hebrew men who had been made to rule over the people by Pharaoh’s work-leaders were beaten. They were asked, “Why have you not made as many clay blocks yesterday or today as you made before?”
15 Then the Hebrew men who made the people work went to Pharaoh and cried, “Why do you act this way toward your servants? 16 There is no straw given to your servants. Yet they still say to us, ‘Make clay blocks!’ See, your servants are being beaten. But your own people are to blame.” 17 But Pharaoh said, “You are lazy, very lazy. So you say, ‘Let us go and give a gift on an altar in worship to the Lord.’ 18 Go now and work. You will be given no straw. Yet you must make the same number of clay blocks.” 19 The Hebrew men who made the people work knew that they were in trouble because they were told, “You must make the same number of clay blocks each day.” 20 When they came from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who were waiting for them. 21 They said to Moses and Aaron, “May the Lord look upon you and judge you. For you have caused us to be hated by Pharaoh and his servants. You have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
God’s Promise to Israel
22 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have You hurt these people? Why did you ever send me? 23 For since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has hurt these people. You have not set Your people free at all.”
6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. For he will be made to let them go because of My strong hand. By My strong hand, he will make them go out of his land.”
God Calls Moses
2 God said to Moses, “I am the Lord. 3 I showed Myself as God All-powerful to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But I did not make Myself known to them by My name, the Lord. 4 I also made My agreement with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they were strangers. 5 I have heard the crying of the people of Israel, because they are being held by the Egyptians. And I have remembered My agreement. 6 So say to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord. I will take you away from the hard work and suffering in Egypt. I will take you away from being their servants. I will make you free by the strength of My arm and by the great things I will do to punish the guilty. 7 Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God. And you will know that I am the Lord your God. I will bring you out from under the heavy loads of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you to the land I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I will give it to you for your own. I am the Lord.’” 9 So Moses said this to the people of Israel. But they did not listen to Moses because of their broken spirit and how hard they were made to work.
10 Then the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land.” 12 But Moses said to the Lord, “See, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then will Pharaoh listen to me? I am not able to speak well.” 13 But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He told them to tell the people of Israel and Pharaoh king of Egypt that they were to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
The Family of Moses and Aaron
14 These are the leaders of their fathers’ families. The sons of Reuben, Israel’s first-born: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. These are the families of Reuben. 15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These are the families of Simeon. 16 These are the names of Levi’s sons by their family groups: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. Levi lived 137 years. 17 The sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei. 18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years. 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites by their family groups. 20 Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed. She gave birth to his sons, Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years. 21 The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg and Zichri. 22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan and Sithri.
23 Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon. She gave birth to his sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24 The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. These are the families of the Korahites. 25 Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel. She gave birth to his son Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites by their families.
26 It was the same Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their family groups.” 27 They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt. It was the same Moses and Aaron.
28 On the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 the Lord said to Moses, “I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.” 30 But Moses said to the Lord, “See, I am not able to speak well. How then will Pharaoh listen to me?”
Exodus 5-6
New International Version
Exodus 5-6
New International Version
Bricks Without Straw
5 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go,(A) so that they may hold a festival(B) to me in the wilderness.’”
2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord,(C) that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”(D)
3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey(E) into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues(F) or with the sword.”
4 But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor?(G) Get back to your work!” 5 Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous,(H) and you are stopping them from working.”
6 That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers(I) and overseers in charge of the people: 7 “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks;(J) let them go and gather their own straw. 8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota.(K) They are lazy;(L) that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’(M) 9 Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”
10 Then the slave drivers(N) and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. 11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced(O) at all.’” 12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” 14 And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed,(P) demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”
15 Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? 16 Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”
17 Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy!(Q) That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Now get to work.(R) You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”
19 The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.” 20 When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, 21 and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge(S) you! You have made us obnoxious(T) to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword(U) in their hand to kill us.”(V)
God Promises Deliverance
22 Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people?(W) Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued(X) your people at all.”
6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand(Y) he will let them go;(Z) because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”(AA)
2 God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord.(AB) 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty,[a](AC) but by my name(AD) the Lord[b](AE) I did not make myself fully known to them. 4 I also established my covenant(AF) with them to give them the land(AG) of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners.(AH) 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning(AI) of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.(AJ)
6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.(AK) I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem(AL) you with an outstretched arm(AM) and with mighty acts of judgment.(AN) 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.(AO) Then you will know(AP) that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land(AQ) I swore(AR) with uplifted hand(AS) to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.(AT) I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”(AU)
9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.(AV)
10 Then the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Go, tell(AW) Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.”(AX)
12 But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listen(AY) to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips[c]?”(AZ)
Family Record of Moses and Aaron
13 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.(BA)
14 These were the heads of their families[d]:(BB)
The sons of Reuben(BC) the firstborn son of Israel were Hanok and Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. These were the clans of Reuben.
15 The sons of Simeon(BD) were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon.
16 These were the names of the sons of Levi(BE) according to their records: Gershon,(BF) Kohath and Merari.(BG) Levi lived 137 years.
17 The sons of Gershon, by clans, were Libni and Shimei.(BH)
18 The sons of Kohath(BI) were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.(BJ) Kohath lived 133 years.
19 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi.(BK)
These were the clans of Levi according to their records.
20 Amram(BL) married his father’s sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses.(BM) Amram lived 137 years.
21 The sons of Izhar(BN) were Korah, Nepheg and Zikri.
22 The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan(BO) and Sithri.
23 Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab(BP) and sister of Nahshon,(BQ) and she bore him Nadab and Abihu,(BR) Eleazar(BS) and Ithamar.(BT)
24 The sons of Korah(BU) were Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. These were the Korahite clans.
25 Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas.(BV)
These were the heads of the Levite families, clan by clan.
26 It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypt(BW) by their divisions.”(BX) 27 They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh(BY) king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt—this same Moses and Aaron.(BZ)
Aaron to Speak for Moses
28 Now when the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt, 29 he said to him, “I am the Lord.(CA) Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.”
30 But Moses said to the Lord, “Since I speak with faltering lips,(CB) why would Pharaoh listen to me?”
Footnotes
- Exodus 6:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai
- Exodus 6:3 See note at 3:15.
- Exodus 6:12 Hebrew I am uncircumcised of lips; also in verse 30
- Exodus 6:14 The Hebrew for families here and in verse 25 refers to units larger than clans.
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