The people suffered because of their hard labor. The slave drivers forced them to work with bricks and mud. And they made them do all kinds of work in the fields. The Egyptians didn’t show them any pity at all. They made them work very hard.

使他们因做苦工觉得命苦；无论是和泥，是做砖，是做田间各样的工，在一切的工上都严严地待他们。

使他们因苦工而生活痛苦；无论是和泥，是做砖，是做田间各样的工，一切的工埃及人都严厉地对待他们。

使他们因苦工而生活痛苦；无论是和泥，是做砖，是做田间各样的工，一切的工埃及人都严厉地对待他们。

强迫他们和泥造砖，并做田间一切的苦工，使他们痛苦不堪。

埃及人使他们因作苦工而觉得命苦，他们要和泥、做砖、作田间各样的工；这一切苦工，埃及人都严严地驱使以色列人去作。

使他們因做苦工覺得命苦；無論是和泥，是做磚，是做田間各樣的工，在一切的工上都嚴嚴地待他們。

使他們因苦工而生活痛苦；無論是和泥，是做磚，是做田間各樣的工，一切的工埃及人都嚴厲地對待他們。

使他們因苦工而生活痛苦；無論是和泥，是做磚，是做田間各樣的工，一切的工埃及人都嚴厲地對待他們。

強迫他們和泥造磚，並做田間一切的苦工，使他們痛苦不堪。

埃及人使他們因作苦工而覺得命苦，他們要和泥、做磚、作田間各樣的工；這一切苦工，埃及人都嚴嚴地驅使以色列人去作。

用很難作的苦工：像和灰泥、作磚，作田間各樣的工：就是埃及人嚴嚴叫他們去作的各樣苦工，使他們的生活逕是苦味。

使之作苦、以勞其生、和泥、陶瓦、力田、所服之役、無不以嚴、○

畀以重任、艱苦其身、陶瓦、擣土、力田、所服之役、無不以嚴。○

使之辛勞工作、合土陶瓦、力田劬勞、艱苦其生、凡所使之役、無不以嚴、○

They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.

and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

They made their lives bitter, forcing them to mix mortar and make bricks and do all the work in the fields. They were ruthless in all their demands.

and made their lives bitter with difficult labor in brick and mortar and in all kinds of fieldwork. They ruthlessly imposed all this work on them.

and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they violently had them perform as slaves.

And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage— in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.

and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigor.

and made their lives bitter with difficult labor in brick and mortar and in all kinds of fieldwork. They ruthlessly imposed all this work on them.

And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve,[ was] with rigour.

They made their lives bitter by hard service with mortar and bricks and by all kinds of service in the fields. Every kind of service the Israelites were required to give was rigorous.

and they made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.

Moses reported these things to the Israelites. But they didn’t listen to him. That’s because they had lost all hope and had to work very hard.

Long ago our people went down into Egypt. We lived there for many years. The Egyptians treated us and our people badly.

After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The people of Israel groaned because they were slaves. They also cried out to God. Their cry for help went up to him.

The king was very evil and dishonest with our people. He treated them badly. He forced them to throw out their newborn babies to die.

The voice said,“ I removed the load from your shoulders. I set your hands free from carrying heavy baskets.

I have seen my people beaten down in Egypt. I have heard their groans. I have come down to set them free. Now come. I will send you back to Egypt.’( Exodus 3:5, 7, 8, 10)

“ Here is the way I want you to fast.“ Set free those who are held by chains without any reason. Untie the ropes that hold people as slaves. Set free those who are crushed. Break every evil chain.

He said,“ Don’t give the people any more straw to make bricks. Let them go and get their own straw.But require them to make the same number of bricks as before. Don’t lower the number they have to make. They are lazy. That’s why they are crying out,‘ Let us go. We want to offer sacrifices to our God.’Make them work harder. Then they will be too busy to pay attention to lies.”The slave drivers and the overseers left. They said to the people,“ Pharaoh says,‘ I won’t give you any more straw.Go and get your own straw anywhere you can find it. But you still have to make the same number of bricks.’ ”So the people scattered all over Egypt. They went to gather any pieces of straw left in the fields.Pharaoh’s slave drivers kept making the people work hard. They said,“ Finish the work you are required to do each day. Make the same number of bricks you made when you had straw.”The slave drivers whipped the Israelite overseers they had appointed. The slave drivers asked,“ Why haven’t you made the same number of bricks yesterday or today, just as before?”Then the Israelite overseers appealed to Pharaoh. They asked,“ Why have you treated us like this?You didn’t give us any straw. But you told us,‘ Make bricks!’ We are being whipped. But it’s the fault of your own people.”Pharaoh said,“ You are lazy! That’s why you keep saying,‘ Let us go. We want to offer sacrifices to the Lord.’Now get to work. We won’t give you any straw. But you still have to make the same number of bricks.”The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble. They knew it when they were told,“ Don’t reduce the number of bricks you are required to make each day.”When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them.They said to Moses and Aaron,“ We want the Lord to look at what you have done! We want him to judge you for it! We are like a very bad smell to Pharaoh and his officials. You have given them an excuse to kill us with their swords.”

Instead, I will give it to those who made you suffer. They said to you,‘ Fall down flat on the ground. Then we can walk all over you.’ And that is exactly what you did. You made your back like a street to be walked on.”

“ Don’t call me Naomi,” she told them.“ Call me Mara. The Mighty One has made my life very bitter.

You can leave them to your children as their share of your property. You can make them slaves for life. But when you rule over your own people, you must be kind to them.

“ I am the Lord your God. I brought you out of Egypt. That is the land where you were slaves.

But the people of Egypt treated us badly. They made us suffer. They made us work very hard.

“ Now look at what has happened to them,” announces the Lord.“ Once again my people have been taken away. And no one paid anything for them. Those who rule over them brag about it,” announces the Lord.“ All day long without stopping, people speak evil things against my name.

Then the Lord said to him,“ You can be sure of what I am about to tell you. For 400 years, your family who comes after you will be strangers in another country. They will become slaves there and will be treated badly.

When they became angry, they struck down nations. Their blows never stopped. In their anger they brought nations under their control. They attacked them again and again.

Even while the soldiers sleep near the sheep pens, God wins the battle for them. He gives the enemy’s silver and gold to Israel, his dove.”

Prepare for the attack by storing up water! Make your walls as strong as you can! Make some bricks out of clay! Mix the mud to hold them together! Use them to repair the walls!

The Lord who rules over all says,“ The people of Israel are being treated badly. So are the people of Judah. Those who have captured them are holding them. They refuse to let them go.But I am strong and will save them. My name is the Lord Who Rules Over All. I will stand up for them. I will bring peace and rest to their land. But I will bring trouble to those who live in Babylon.

They must be treated as workers hired from year to year. You must make sure that those they must work for are kind to them when they rule over them.

Show them pity when you rule over them. Have respect for God.

Egypt was like a furnace that melts iron down and makes it pure. But the Lord took you and brought you out of Egypt. He wanted you to be his very own people. And that’s exactly what you are.

You eat my people’s bodies. You strip off their skin. You break their bones in pieces. You chop them up like meat. You put them in a cooking pot.”

They made them work hard. They didn’t show them any pity.