Making Bricks Without Straw 5 Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh , “ Thus says the Lord , the God of Israel , ‘ Let my people go , that they may hold t a feast to me in the wilderness . ’ ” 2 But Pharaoh said , u “ Who is the Lord , that I should obey his voice and let Israel go ? I do not know the Lord , and moreover , v I will not let Israel go . ” 3 Then they said , “ The w God of the Hebrews has met with us . Please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God , lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword . ” 4 But the king of Egypt said to them , “ Moses and Aaron , why do you take the people away from their work ? Get back to your x burdens . ” 5 And Pharaoh said , “ Behold , y the people of the land are now many , and you make them rest from their burdens ! ” 6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the z taskmasters of the people and their a foremen , 7 “ You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks , as in the past ; let them go and gather straw for themselves . 8 But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them , you shall by no means reduce it , for they are idle . Therefore they cry , ‘ Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God . ’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words . ” 10 So the b taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people , “ Thus says Pharaoh , ‘ I will not give you straw . 11 Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it , but your work will not be reduced in the least . ’ ” 12 So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw . 13 The c taskmasters were urgent , saying , “ Complete your work , your daily task each day , as when there was straw . ” 14 And the foremen of the people of Israel , whom Pharaoh’s c taskmasters had set over them , were beaten and were asked , “ Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday , as in the past ? ” 15 Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh , “ Why do you treat your servants like this ? 16 No straw is given to your servants , yet they say to us , ‘ Make bricks ! ’ And behold , your servants are beaten ; but the fault is in your own people . ” 17 But he said , “ You are idle , you are idle ; that is why you say , ‘ Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord . ’ 18 Go now and work . No straw will be given you , but you must still deliver the same number of bricks . ” 19 The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said , “ You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks , your daily task each day . ” 20 They met Moses and Aaron , who were waiting for them , as they came out from Pharaoh ; 21 and d they said to them , “ The Lord look on you and judge , because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants , and have put a sword in their hand to kill us . ” 22 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said , “ O Lord , why have you done evil to this people ? Why did you ever send me ? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name , he has done evil to this people , and you have not delivered your people at all . ”

God Promises Deliverance 6 But the Lord said to Moses , “ Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh ; for with a strong hand he will send them out , and with e a strong hand he will f drive them out of his land . ” 2 God spoke to Moses and said to him , g “ I am the Lord . 3 I appeared to Abraham , to Isaac , and to Jacob , as h God Almighty , but by my name the i Lord I did not make myself known to them . 4 j I also established my covenant with them k to give them the land of Canaan , the land in which they lived as sojourners . 5 Moreover , l I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves , and I have remembered my covenant . 6 Say therefore to the people of Israel , m ‘ I am the Lord , and n I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians , and I will deliver you from slavery to them , and o I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment . 7 I p will take you to be my people , and q I will be your God , and you shall know that m I am the Lord your God , who has brought you out n from under the burdens of the Egyptians . 8 I will bring you into r the land that I s swore to give to Abraham , to Isaac , and to Jacob . I will give it to you for a possession . m I am the Lord . ’ ” 9 Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel , but they t did not listen to Moses , because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery . 10 So the Lord said to Moses , 11 “ Go in , tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land . ” 12 But Moses said to the Lord , “ Behold , the people of Israel have t not listened to me . How then shall Pharaoh listen to me , for u I am of uncircumcised lips ? ” 13 But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt : to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt . The Genealogy of Moses and Aaron 14 These are the heads of their fathers’ houses : the v sons of Reuben , the firstborn of Israel : Hanoch , Pallu , Hezron , and Carmi ; these are the clans of Reuben . 15 The w sons of Simeon : Jemuel , Jamin , Ohad , Jachin , Zohar , and Shaul , the son of a Canaanite woman ; these are the clans of Simeon . 16 These are the names of the x sons of Levi according to their generations : Gershon , Kohath , and Merari , the years of the life of Levi being 137 years . 17 The y sons of Gershon : Libni and Shimei , by their clans . 18 The z sons of Kohath : Amram , Izhar , Hebron , and Uzziel , the years of the life of Kohath being 133 years . 19 The a sons of Merari : Mahli and Mushi . These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations . 20 b Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father’s sister , and she bore him Aaron and Moses , the years of the life of Amram being 137 years . 21 c The sons of Izhar : Korah , Nepheg , and Zichri . 22 The d sons of Uzziel : Mishael , Elzaphan , and Sithri . 23 Aaron took as his wife Elisheba , the daughter of e Amminadab and the sister of f Nahshon , and she bore him g Nadab , Abihu , Eleazar , and Ithamar . 24 The h sons of Korah : Assir , Elkanah , and Abiasaph ; these are the clans of the Korahites . 25 Eleazar , Aaron’s son , took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel , and i she bore him Phinehas . These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites by their clans . 26 These are the Aaron and Moses j to whom the Lord said : “ Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt k by their hosts . ” 27 It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt , this Moses and this Aaron . 28 On the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt , 29 the Lord said to Moses , l “ I am the Lord ; m tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you . ” 30 But Moses said to the Lord , “ Behold , n I am of uncircumcised lips . How will Pharaoh listen to me ? ”

Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh 7 And the Lord said to Moses , “ See , I have made you like o God to Pharaoh , and your brother Aaron shall be your p prophet . 2 q You shall speak all that I command you , and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land . 3 But r I will harden Pharaoh’s heart , and though I s multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt , 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you . Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts , my people the children of Israel , out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment . 5 The Egyptians t shall know that I am the Lord , when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them . ” 6 Moses and Aaron did so ; they did just as the Lord commanded them . 7 Now Moses was u eighty years old , and Aaron eighty-three years old , when they spoke to Pharaoh . 8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron , 9 “ When Pharaoh says to you , v ‘ Prove yourselves by working a miracle , ’ then you shall say to Aaron , ‘ Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh , that it may become a serpent . ’ ” 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded . Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants , and it became a serpent . 11 Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers , and they , the w magicians of Egypt , also x did the same by their secret arts . 12 For each man cast down his staff , and they became serpents . But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs . 13 Still r Pharaoh’s heart was hardened , and he would not listen to them , r as the Lord had said . The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood 14 Then the Lord said to Moses , “ Pharaoh’s heart is hardened ; he refuses to let the people go . 15 y Go to Pharaoh in the morning , as he is going out to the water . Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him , and take in your hand z the staff that turned into a a serpent . 16 And you shall say to him , ‘ The b Lord , the God of the Hebrews , sent me to you , saying , “ Let my people go , c that they may serve me in the wilderness . ” But so far , you have not obeyed . 17 Thus says the Lord , “ By this d you shall know that I am the Lord : behold , with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile , and e it shall turn into blood . 18 The fish in the Nile shall die , and the Nile will stink , and the Egyptians will f grow weary of drinking water from the Nile . ” ’ ” 19 And the Lord said to Moses , “ Say to Aaron , ‘ Take your staff and g stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt , over their rivers , their canals , and their ponds , and all their pools of water , so that they may become blood , and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt , even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone . ’ ” 20 Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded . In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he h lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile , and all the i water in the Nile turned into blood . 21 And the fish in the Nile died , and the Nile stank , so that the Egyptians j could not drink water from the Nile . There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt . 22 But k the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts . So l Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened , and he would not listen to them , as m the Lord had said . 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house , and he did not take even this to heart . 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink , for they could not drink the water of the Nile . 25 Seven full days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile .

The Second Plague: Frogs 8 Then the Lord said to Moses , “ Go in to Pharaoh and say to him , ‘ Thus says the Lord , “ Let my people go , that n they may serve me . 2 But if you o refuse to let them go , behold , I will plague all your country with p frogs . 3 The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into q your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people , and into your ovens and your kneading bowls . 4 The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants . ” ’ ” 5 And the Lord said to Moses , “ Say to Aaron , r ‘ Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers , over the canals and over the pools , and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt ! ’ ” 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt , and s the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt . 7 But t the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt . 8 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said , u “ Plead with the Lord to take away the frogs from me and from my people , and v I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord . ” 9 Moses said to Pharaoh , “ Be pleased to command me when u I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people , that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile . ” 10 And he said , “ Tomorrow . ” Moses said , “ Be it as you say , so w that you may know that x there is no one like the Lord our God . 11 The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people . They shall be left only in the Nile . ” 12 So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh , and Moses cried to the Lord about the frogs , as he had agreed with Pharaoh . 13 And the Lord did according to the word of Moses . The frogs died out in the houses , the courtyards , and the fields . 14 And they gathered them together in heaps , and the land stank . 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was a y respite , he z hardened his heart and would not listen to them , as the Lord had said . The Third Plague: Gnats 16 Then the Lord said to Moses , “ Say to Aaron , a ‘ Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth , so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt . ’ ” 17 And they did so . Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth , and b there were gnats on man and beast . All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt . 18 The c magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats , but they could not . So there were gnats on man and beast . 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh , “ This is d the finger of God . ” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened , and he would not listen to them , as the Lord had said . The Fourth Plague: Flies 20 Then the Lord said to Moses , e “ Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh , as he goes out to the water , and say to him , ‘ Thus says the Lord , f “ Let my people go , that they may serve me . 21 Or else , if you will not let my people go , behold , I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people , and into your houses . And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies , and also the ground on which they stand . 22 But on that day g I will set apart the land of Goshen , where my people dwell , so that no swarms of flies shall be there , h that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth . 23 Thus I will put a division between my people and your people . Tomorrow this sign shall happen . ” ’ ” 24 And the Lord did so . i There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants’ houses . Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies . 25 Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said , “ Go , sacrifice to your God within the land . ” 26 But Moses said , “ It would not be right to do so , for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the Lord our God are an j abomination to the Egyptians . If we sacrifice offerings j abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes , will they not stone us ? 27 We must go k three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God l as he tells us . ” 28 So Pharaoh said , “ I will let you go to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness ; only you must not go very far away . m Plead for me . ” 29 Then Moses said , “ Behold , I am going out from you and I will plead with the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh , from his servants , and from his people , tomorrow . Only let not Pharaoh n cheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord . ” 30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord . 31 And the Lord did as Moses asked , and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh , from his servants , and from his people ; not one remained . 32 But Pharaoh o hardened his heart this time also , and did not let the people go .