11. Go and get the straw on your own, wherever you can find it. But your work won’t be reduced at all.’"
12. So the people spread out all through the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13. The slave masters drove them hard and said, "Make sure you make the same daily quota as when you had the straw."
14. The Israelite supervisors, whom Pharaoh’s slave masters had set over them, were also beaten and asked, "Why didn’t you produce the same number of bricks yesterday and today as you did before?"
15. Then the Israelite supervisors came and pleaded to Pharaoh, "Why do you treat your servants like this?
16. No straw is supplied to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ Look at how your servants are being beaten! Your own people are to blame!"
17. Pharaoh replied, "You are lazy bums, nothing but lazy bums. That’s why you say, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifices to the Lord.’
18. Go and get back to work! No straw will be given to you, but you still need to make the same number of bricks."