When the king of Egypt was told that the people had escaped, he and his officials changed their minds and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites escape, and we have lost them as our slaves!"

Why do people commit crimes so readily? Because crime is not punished quickly enough.

Even though you are kind to the wicked, they never learn to do what is right. Even here in a land of righteous people they still do wrong; they refuse to recognize your greatness.

while the army of the king of Babylonia was attacking the city. The army was also attacking Lachish and Azekah, the only other fortified cities left in Judah.

their Hebrew slaves, both male and female, so that no one would have an Israelite as a slave.

but later they changed their minds, took them back, and forced them to become slaves again.

But the LORD says, "Israel and Judah, what am I going to do with you? Your love for me disappears as quickly as morning mist; it is like dew, that vanishes early in the day.

Again the LORD said to Moses, "Now that you are going back to Egypt, be sure to perform before the king all the miracles which I have given you the power to do. But I will make the king stubborn, and he will not let the people go.

(SEE 7:3)

The king, however, remained stubborn and, just as the LORD had said, the king would not listen to Moses and Aaron.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "The king is very stubborn and refuses to let the people go.

If you get more stubborn every time you are corrected, one day you will be crushed and never recover.

"But my people stubbornly refused to listen. They closed their minds

and made their hearts as hard as rock. Because they would not listen to the teaching which I sent through the prophets who lived long ago, I became very angry.

do not be stubborn, as your ancestors were when they rebelled against God, as they were that day in the desert when they put him to the test.

This is what the scripture says: "If you hear God's voice today, do not be stubborn, as your ancestors were when they rebelled against God."

They were burned by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God, who has authority over these plagues. But they would not turn from their sins and praise his greatness.