[1] Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "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 heed his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and
moreover I will not let Israel go." [3] Then they said, "The God of the
Hebrews has met with us; let us go, we pray, a three days' journey into the
wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest he fall upon us with
pestilence or with the sword." [4] But the king of Egypt said to them,
"Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get to
your burdens." [5] And Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land are
now many and you make them rest from their burdens!" [6] The same day
Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their foremen, [7] "You
shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as heretofore; let
them go and gather straw for themselves. [8] But the number of bricks which
they made heretofore you shall lay upon them, you shall by no means lessen
it; for they are idle; therefore they cry, `Let us go and offer sacrifice
to our God.' [9] Let heavier work be laid upon the men that they may labor
at it and pay no regard to lying words." [10] So the taskmasters and the
foremen of the people went out and said to the people, "Thus says Pharaoh,
`I will not give you straw. [11] Go yourselves, get your straw wherever you
can find it; but your work will not be lessened in the least.'" [12] So the
people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt, to gather
stubble for straw. [13] The taskmasters were urgent, saying, "Complete your
work, your daily task, as when there was straw." [14] And the foremen of
the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were
beaten, and were asked, "Why have you not done all your task of making
bricks today, as hitherto?" [15] Then the foremen of the people of Israel
came and cried to Pharaoh, "Why do you deal thus 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."
[17] But he said, "You are idle, you are idle; therefore you say, `Let us
go and sacrifice to the LORD.' [18] Go now, and work; for no straw shall be
given you, yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks." [19] The
foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in evil plight, when
they said, "You shall by no means lessen your daily number of bricks." [20]
They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came forth
from Pharaoh; [21] and they said to them, "The LORD look upon you and
judge, because you have made us offensive in the sight of Pharaoh and his
servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us." [22] Then Moses
turned again to the LORD and said, "O LORD, why hast thou done evil to this
people? Why didst thou ever send me? [23] For since I came to Pharaoh to
speak in thy name, he has done evil to this people, and thou hast not
delivered thy people at all."
