Pharaoh’s First Refusal

1Afterwarde wente Moses & Aaron, & spake vnto Pharao: Thus sayeth the LORDE the God of Israel: let my people go, yt they maye kepe holy daye vnto me in the wildernes. 2Pharao answered: What felowe is the LORDE, that I must heare his voyce, and let Israel go? 3I knowe not the LORDE, nether wil I let Israel go.They sayde: The God of the Hebrues hath called vs. Let vs go now therfore thre dayes iourney in the wildernes, & do sacrifice vnto the LORDE or God, yt there happen not vnto vs pestilece or swerde. 4The sayde ye kynge of Egipte vnto the: Why make ye ye people (thou Moses & Aaron) to leaue their worke? Get you hece to yor laboure. 5Pharao saide morouer: Beholde, ye people are to many in ye lande, and yet wil ye byd them ceasse from their laboure.

Bricks and Straw

6The same daye therfore dyd Pharao comaunde the workmasters of the people, and their officers, and sayde: 7Ye shal not gather and geue the people eny more strawe, to burne bryck, as yesterdaye and yeryesterdaye. Let them go, and gather them strawe them selues. 8And the nombre of the brycke which they made yesterdaye & yeryesterdaye, shall ye laye vpon them neuertheles, and mynish nothinge therof: for they are ydle. Therfore crye they and saye: We wil go, and do sacrifice vnto oure God. 9Let the men be kepte downe wt laboure, yt they maye haue to do, & not to turne them selues to false wordes.

10Then wente the workmasters of the people & their officers out, & spake vnto the people: Thus sayeth Pharao: There shall no strawe be geuen you, 11go youre waye youre selues, and get you strawe, where ye can fynde it. But of youre labor there shall nothinge be mynished. 12Then were the people scatred in all ye lande of Egipte, to gather stubble, that they might haue strawe. 13And the workmasters haistied them forwarde, & sayde: Fulfill yor daye worke, like as whan ye had strawe. 14And the officers of ye children of Israel, whom Pharaos worckmasters had set ouer them, were beaten, & it was saide vnto them: Wherfore haue ye not fulfilled yor appoynted daye worke to daye and yesterdaye, like as in tymes past?

The Cry of the Israelites

15Than wente the officers of the children of Israel, & coplayned vnto Pharao: Wherfore wilt thou deale thus wt thy seruauntes? 16Thy seruauntes haue no strawe geuen the, & yet must we make the brycke that are appoynted vs. And beholde, thy seruauntes are beaten, & thy people are euell intreated. 17Pharao sayde: Ye are ydle, ydle are ye, therfore saye ye: we will go, and do sacrifice vnto the LORDE. 18Go now yor waye therfore, & worke: there shall no strawe be geuen you, but the nombre of brycke shal ye delyuer. 19Then sawe the officers of the children of Israel, yt it was not amended, for it was sayde: ye shal mynish nothinge of the daye worke of the brycke. 20And whan Moses & Aaron wente from Pharao, they came forth to mete them, 21& sayde vnto them: The LORDE loke vpon you, & iudge it, for ye haue made the sauoure of vs to stynke before Pharao and his seruauntes, and haue geuen them a swerde in their handes, to slaye vs.

22But Moses came agayne vnto the LORDE, and sayde: LORDE, wherfore dealest thou so euell wt this people? Wherfore hast thou sent me? 23For sence the tyme that I wente in vnto Pharao, to speake vnto him in thy name, he hath dealt euell with this people, and thou hast not delyuered yi people.