The Price of Moses’ Obedience

The king of Egypt said to them, “Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!” . . . The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle . . .

The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, “Why haven’t you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?” ” . . .

They met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came out from Pharaoh: and they said to them, “May the Lord look at you, and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

Moses returned to the Lord, and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people; and you have not rescued your people at all.”