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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

So Moses told the people of Israel what the Lord had said, but they refused to listen anymore. They had become too discouraged by the brutality of their slavery.

Our ancestors went down to Egypt, and we lived there a long time, and we and our ancestors were brutally mistreated by the Egyptians.

Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God.

This king exploited our people and oppressed them, forcing parents to abandon their newborn babies so they would die.

“ Now I will take the load from your shoulders; I will free your hands from their heavy tasks.

I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt.’

“ No, this is the kind of fasting I want: Free those who are wrongly imprisoned; lighten the burden of those who work for you. Let the oppressed go free, and remove the chains that bind people.

“ Do not supply any more straw for making bricks. Make the people get it themselves!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.’Load them down with more work. Make them sweat! That will teach them to listen to lies!”So the slave drivers and foremen went out and told the people:“ This is what Pharaoh says: I will not provide any more straw for you.Go and get it yourselves. Find it wherever you can. But you must produce just as many bricks as before!”So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt in search of stubble to use as straw.Meanwhile, the Egyptian slave drivers continued to push hard.“ Meet your daily quota of bricks, just as you did when we provided you with straw!” they demanded.Then they whipped the Israelite foremen they had put in charge of the work crews.“ Why haven’t you met your quotas either yesterday or today?” they demanded.So the Israelite foremen went to Pharaoh and pleaded with him.“ Please don’t treat your servants like this,” they begged.“ We are given no straw, but the slave drivers still demand,‘ Make bricks!’ We are being beaten, but it isn’t our fault! Your own people are to blame!”But Pharaoh shouted,“ You’re just lazy! Lazy! That’s why you’re saying,‘ Let us go and offer sacrifices to the Lord.’Now get back to work! No straw will be given to you, but you must still produce the full quota of bricks.”The Israelite foremen could see that they were in serious trouble when they were told,“ You must not reduce the number of bricks you make each day.”As they left Pharaoh’s court, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who were waiting outside for them.The foremen said to them,“ May the Lord judge and punish you for making us stink before Pharaoh and his officials. You have put a sword into their hands, an excuse to kill us!”

Instead, I will hand that cup to your tormentors, those who said,‘ We will trample you into the dust and walk on your backs.’”

“ Don’t call me Naomi,” she responded.“ Instead, call me Mara, for the Almighty has made life very bitter for me.

passing them on to your children as a permanent inheritance. You may treat them as slaves, but you must never treat your fellow Israelites this way.

“ I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt, the place of your slavery.

When the Egyptians oppressed and humiliated us by making us their slaves,

What is this?” asks the Lord.“ Why are my people enslaved again? Those who rule them shout in exultation. My name is blasphemed all day long.

Then the Lord said to Abram,“ You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years.

You struck the people with endless blows of rage and held the nations in your angry grip with unrelenting tyranny.

Even those who lived among the sheepfolds found treasures— doves with wings of silver and feathers of gold.

Get ready for the siege! Store up water! Strengthen the defenses! Go into the pits to trample clay, and pack it into molds, making bricks to repair the walls.

This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says:“ The people of Israel and Judah have been wronged. Their captors hold them and refuse to let them go.But the one who redeems them is strong. His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He will defend them and give them rest again in Israel. But for the people of Babylon there will be no rest!

The foreigner must treat them as workers hired on a yearly basis. You must not allow a foreigner to treat any of your fellow Israelites harshly.

Show your fear of God by not treating them harshly.

Remember that the Lord rescued you from the iron smelting furnace of Egypt in order to make you his very own people and his special possession, which is what you are today.

Yes, you eat my people’s flesh, strip off their skin, and break their bones. You chop them up like meat for the cooking pot.

So the Egyptians worked the people of Israel without mercy.