First Encounter with Pharaoh

1And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord God of Israel, Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.

2And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

3And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us: let us go, we pray you, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice to the Lord our God; lest He fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

4And the king of Egypt said to them, Wherefore do you^p, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you^p to your^p burdens.   why; hinder; labors

5And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and you^p make them rest from their burdens.

6And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

7You^p shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.   previously

8And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, you^p shall lay upon them; you^p shall not diminish any thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.   number

9Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard vain words.

10And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, Thus says Pharaoh, I will not give you^p straw.

11Go you^p, get your^p straw where you^p can find it: yet not any of your^p work shall be diminished.

12So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

13And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfill your^p works, your^p daily tasks, as when there was straw.   hurried

14And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have you^p not fulfilled your^p task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?

15Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore deal you thus with your servants?

16There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.

17But he said, You^p are idle, you^p are idle: therefore you^p say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord.

18Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you^p, yet shall you^p deliver the tale of bricks.

19And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, You^p shall not diminish any from your^p bricks of your^p daily task.

20And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:   road

21And they said to them, The Lord look upon you^p, and judge; because you^p have made our savor 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.   us offensive