Side by side
Exodus 5
Our retelling next to the Bible text it comes from. Each row lines up one scene with the verses it retells.
Scene 1: "Who Is the LORD?"Verses 1 to 5
Moses and Aaron stood in front of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. They gave him a message from the LORD, the God of Israel. "Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness" (5:1).
Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go" (5:2).
Moses and Aaron asked again. They wanted to take a three-day trip into the desert to worship God.
Pharaoh said they were keeping the people from their work. "Get back to your labor," he told them.
1After that, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” 2But Pharaoh replied, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.” 3“The God of the Hebrews has met with us,” they answered. “Please let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or He may strike us with plagues or with the sword.” 4But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you draw the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!” 5Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous, and you would be stopping them from their labor.”
Scene 2: Bricks Without StrawVerses 6 to 21
That same day, Pharaoh gave new orders to the slave drivers. The slaves made bricks from mud and straw. Until now, the Egyptians had given them the straw.
Now the slaves had to find their own straw. And they still had to make the same number of bricks. Pharaoh said the people were lazy. That was why they wanted to go and worship.
The people spread out all over Egypt, looking for straw. The slave drivers kept pushing them. The Israelite foremen, the slaves who led the work crews, were beaten.
The foremen went to Pharaoh. They said it was not their fault. Pharaoh called them lazy again and sent them back to work.
When they came out, they met Moses and Aaron. The foremen were angry. They said Moses and Aaron had made Pharaoh hate them. They asked God to judge Moses and Aaron.
6That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen: 7“You shall no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks. They must go and gather their own straw. 8But require of them the same quota of bricks as before; do not reduce it. For they are lazy; that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9Make the work harder on the men so they will be occupied and pay no attention to these lies.” 10So the taskmasters and foremen of the people went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am no longer giving you straw. 11Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it; but your workload will in no way be reduced.’” 12So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13The taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your quota each day, just as you did when straw was provided.” 14Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?” 15So the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way? 16No straw has been given to your servants, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.” 17“You are slackers!” Pharaoh replied. “Slackers! That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ 18Now get to work. You will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the full quota of bricks.” 19The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks.” 20When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them. 21“May the LORD look upon you and judge you,” the foremen said, “for you have made us a stench before Pharaoh and his officials; you have placed in their hand a sword to kill us!”
Scene 3: God Promises AgainVerses 22 to the end
Moses brought his complaint to God. "Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me?" (5:22). God had not rescued them yet. Things had only gotten worse.
God answered, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh" (6:1).
God gave Moses a promise for the people. "I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians" (6:6). A yoke is a heavy wooden bar put on animals to make them work. This is a comparison for slavery. God said, "I will take you as My own people, and I will be your God" (6:7).
Moses told the people. But they did not listen. Their spirit was broken, and their work was too cruel.
God sent Moses and Aaron back to Pharaoh. Aaron threw down his staff, and it became a snake. Pharaoh's magicians did the same thing with their magic. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. Still, Pharaoh would not listen.
22So Moses returned to the LORD and asked, “Lord, why have You brought trouble upon this people? Is this why You sent me? 23Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and You have not delivered Your people in any way.”
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