5:1 | Moses and Aaron went to the king of Egypt and told him, " The LORD God says, Let my people go into the desert, so they can honor me with a celebration there. "

5:2 | " Who is this LORD and why should I obey him?" the king replied. " I refuse to let you and your people go!"

5:4 | The king said, " Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping these people from working? Look how many you are keeping from doing their work. Now everyone get back to work!"

5:6 | That same day the king gave orders to his slave bosses and to the men directly in charge of the Israelite slaves. He told them:

5:8 | but they must make the same number of bricks as before. They are lazy, or else they would not beg me to let them go and sacrifice to their God.

5:10 | The slave bosses and the men in charge of the slaves went out and told them, " The king says he will not give you any more straw.

5:11 | Go and find your own straw wherever you can, but you must still make as many bricks as before."

5:12 | The slaves went all over Egypt, looking for straw.

5:13 | But the slave bosses were hard on them and kept saying, " Each day you have to make as many bricks as you did when you were given straw."

5:15 | Finally, the men in charge of the slaves went to the king and said, " Why are you treating us like this?

5:16 | No one brings us any straw, but we are still ordered to make the same number of bricks. We are beaten with whips, and your own people are to blame."

5:19 | The men knew they were in deep trouble when they were ordered to make the same number of bricks each day.

5:20 | After they left the king, they went to see Moses and Aaron, who had been waiting for them.

5:22 | Moses left them and prayed, " Our LORD, why have you brought so much trouble on your people? Is that why you sent me here?