Study Desk

But still require them to make the same number of bricks as before. Don't reduce the quota. They are lazy. That's why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to our God.'

And God said to Moses, "I am Yahweh—‘the Lord .'

I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as El-Shaddai—‘God Almighty'—but I did not reveal my name, Yahweh, to them.

I will claim you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God who has freed you from your oppression in Egypt.

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet.

Then announce to him, ‘The Lord , the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you, "Let my people go, so they can worship me in the wilderness." Until now, you have refused to listen to him.

"Do it tomorrow," Pharaoh said. "All right," Moses replied, "it will be as you have said. Then you will know that there is no one like the Lord our God.

"This is the finger of God!" the magicians exclaimed to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh's heart remained hard. He wouldn't listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron. "All right! Go ahead and offer sacrifices to your God," he said. "But do it here in this land."

But Moses replied, "That wouldn't be right. The Egyptians detest the sacrifices that we offer to the Lord our God. Look, if we offer our sacrifices here where the Egyptians can see us, they will stone us.

We must take a three-day trip into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, just as he has commanded us."

"All right, go ahead," Pharaoh replied. "I will let you go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God. But don't go too far away. Now hurry and pray for me."

"Go back to Pharaoh," the Lord commanded Moses. "Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord , the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me.

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord , the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me.

But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the Lord God."

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the Lord , the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people go, so they can worship me.

Pharaoh's officials now came to Pharaoh and appealed to him. "How long will you let this man hold us hostage? Let the men go to worship the Lord their God! Don't you realize that Egypt lies in ruins?"

So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. "All right," he told them, "go and worship the Lord your God. But who exactly will be going with you?"

Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. "I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you," he confessed.

"Forgive my sin, just this once, and plead with the Lord your God to take away this death from me."