1. AFTERWARD MOSES and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.
2. But Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.
3. And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us; let us go, we pray you, three days' journey into the desert and sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.
4. The king of Egypt said to Moses and Aaron, Why do you take the people from their jobs? Get to your burdens!
5. Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and you make them rest from their burdens!
6. The very same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers,
7. You shall no more give the people straw to make brick; let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8. But the number of the bricks which they made before you shall still require of them; you shall not diminish it in the least. For they are idle; that is why they cry, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
9. Let heavier work be laid upon the men that they may labor at it and pay no attention to lying words.
10. The taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they said to the people, Thus says Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
11. Go, get straw where you can find it; but your work shall not be diminished in the least.
12. So the people were scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather the short stubble instead of straw.
13. And the taskmasters were urgent, saying, Finish your work, your daily quotas, as when there was straw.
14. And the Hebrew foremen, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, Why have you not fulfilled all your quota of making bricks yesterday and today, as before?
15. Then the Hebrew foremen came to Pharaoh and cried, Why do you deal like this with your servants?
16. No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, Make bricks! And behold, your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people.