10. The taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you straw.
11. Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished.’”
12. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13. The taskmasters were urgent saying, “Fulfill your work quota daily, as when there was straw!”
14. The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, “Why haven’t you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?”
15. Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants?
16. No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us, ‘Make brick!’ and behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.”
17. But he said, “You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’
18. Go therefore now, and work, for no straw shall be given to you, yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks!”
19. The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble, when it was said, “You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!”
20. They met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came out from Pharaoh:
21. and they said to them, “May Yahweh look at you, and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
22. Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, “Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me?