1. And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
2. And Pharaoh said, Who {cf15I 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 hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
4. And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
5. And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now {cf15I are} many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
6. And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
7. Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8. And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish {cf15I ought} thereof: for they {cf15I be} idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go {cf15I and} sacrifice to our God.
9. Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
10. And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
11. Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
12. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
13. And the taskmasters hasted {cf15I them}, saying, Fulfil your works, {cf15I your} daily tasks, as when there was straw.
14. And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, {cf15I and} demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?
15. Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
16. There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants {cf15I are} beaten; but the fault {cf15I is} in thine own people.
17. But he said, Ye {cf15I are} idle, {cf15I ye are} idle: therefore ye say, Let us go {cf15I and} do sacrifice to the LORD.
18. Go therefore now, {cf15I and} work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.
19. And the officers of the children of Israel did see {cf15I that} they {cf15I were} in evil {cf15I case}, after it was said, Ye shall not minish {cf15I ought} from your bricks of your daily task.
20. And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
21. And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
22. And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou {cf15I so} evil entreated this people? why {cf15I is} it {cf15I that} thou hast sent me?
23. For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.