¹⁴ he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged^(A) you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.”

¹⁰ The young men who had grown up with him replied, “These people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. ¹¹ My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”

¹⁶ Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”

¹⁷ Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy!^(A) That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ ¹⁸ Now get to work.^(B) You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”

⁵ Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous,^(A) and you are stopping them from working.”

⁶ That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers^(B) and overseers in charge of the people: ⁷ “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks;^(C) let them go and gather their own straw. ⁸ But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota.^(D) They are lazy;^(E) that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’^{(F) 9} Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”

¹⁴ But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition^(A) in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.^{(B) 15} Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven^(C) but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.^{(D) 16} For where you have envy and selfish ambition,^(E) there you find disorder and every evil practice.

¹⁷ But the wisdom that comes from heaven^(F) is first of all pure; then peace-loving,^(G) considerate, submissive, full of mercy^(H) and good fruit, impartial and sincere.^{(I) 18} Peacemakers^(J) who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.^(K)

Submit Yourselves to God

4 What causes fights and quarrels^(L) among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle^(M) within you? ² You desire but do not have, so you kill.^(N) You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God.

⁷ The royal administrators, prefects, satraps, advisers and governors^(A) have all agreed that the king should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or human being during the next thirty days, except to you, Your Majesty, shall be thrown into the lions’ den.^(B)