He then focused on Moses and Aaron. “All of your talk about worship is keeping my slaves from doing their work. Stop all this talk and get back to work!” 

He then called for his slave drivers. “My slaves are lazy! They have so much time on their hands that they’re talking about going out into the wilderness and worshipping God. 

“Well, I’ll fix that. From now on, stop giving them straw for the bricks. Let them go get it themselves. Still, they’re to make just as many bricks as before. That’ll teach them not to stand around and listen to these fools!” 

The slave drivers went and told the Israelite foremen what the Pharaoh said. “We’re not going to give you any more straw. You have to get it yourselves. Still you’re to produce just as many bricks as before.” 

So the people immediately went throughout Egypt gathering straw. Because of this, they weren’t able to fulfill their allotted quota for making bricks. Therefore the slave drivers beat the foremen. They said, “You aren’t doing your job. You aren’t making enough bricks.” 

The foremen went to Pharaoh. “Why are you treating your slaves this way? If we don’t have the straw, we can’t make the same amount of bricks as before.” 

Pharaoh yelled at them. “You’re lazy—Lazy, I say! You’ve got time to stand around and say, ‘we want to go worship the Lord.’ So now it’s time to work. Go get your own straw, and I want the same amount of bricks as before.” 

Moses was waiting for the foremen when they left Pharaoh. They said to him, “You have made us stink before Pharaoh. You put a sword in his hand, and he’s going to kill us with it.” 

Moses went to the Lord and said, “Why did you send me here? You haven’t delivered the people. You’ve only caused them more trouble.” 

The Lord said, “Oh Moses. You’re about to see what I’m going to do with Pharaoh. When I’m done, he’ll beg you to take these people away. 

“Go tell the people that I am the Lord. I have heard their groaning, and I’m about to take them back to the land I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 

Moses went to the people and gave them this message, but they wouldn’t listen to him. They were defeated and discouraged. 

Then the Lord told Moses to go and talk to Pharaoh again. “Tell him to let my people leave this land.” 

Moses said, “I’m not any good at this. If the people of Israel won’t listen to me, why would Pharaoh?” 

The Lord said, “Moses, I have made you like a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron your prophet. Go and I’ll give you the words to say.” 

So Moses and his brother Aaron stood before Pharaoh and asked him to allow the people of Israel to go into the desert and worship. Pharaoh asked for a sign, so Aaron threw his staff on the ground and it became a snake. The court magicians and sorcerers threw their sticks on the ground and they also turned into snakes. Suddenly Aaron’s snake ate the rest of the snakes! Still, Pharaoh wouldn’t listen to them.