Bricks without Straw

⁵Afterwards Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, ‘Thus says the ^Lord, the God of Israel, “Let my people go, so that they may celebrate a festival to me in the wilderness.” ’²But Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the ^Lord, that I should heed him and let Israel go? I do not know the ^Lord, and I will not let Israel go.’³Then they said, ‘The God of the Hebrews has revealed himself to us; let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the ^Lord our God, or he will fall upon us with pestilence or sword.’⁴But the king of Egypt said to them, ‘Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Get to your labours!’⁵Pharaoh continued, ‘Now they are more numerous than the people of the land and yet you want them to stop working!’⁶That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, as well as their supervisors,⁷‘You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as before; let them go and gather straw for themselves.⁸But you shall require of them the same quantity of bricks as they have made previously; do not diminish it, for they are lazy; that is why they cry, “Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.”⁹Let heavier work be laid on them; then they will labour at it and pay no attention to deceptive words.’

Love for Enemies

⁴³ ‘You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbour and hate your enemy.”⁴⁴But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,⁴⁵so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.⁴⁶For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax-collectors do the same?⁴⁷And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?⁴⁸Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.