1AND afterward Moses and Aaron went into the palace 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 do not know the LORD, neither will I let Israel go. 3And they said, The LORD God of the Hebrews has appeared to us; now let us go three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with the sword or with pestilence. 4And the king of Egypt said to them, Wherefore do you, Moses and Aaron, cause the people to stop from their work? Go back to your tasks. 5And Pharaoh said to them, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and you cause them to stop from their work.

6And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people and their scribes, saying, 7You shall no more give the people straw to make bricks, as heretofore; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8But the number of bricks which they did make heretofore, you shall lay upon them; you shall not reduce the number thereof; for they are idle; that is why they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. 9Let more work be assigned to the men, that they may be occupied, so that they may not think to engage in vain conversations.

10And the taskmasters of the people and their scribes went out and said to the people, Thus says Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. 11Go, get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it; but your work shall not be reduced. 12So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather the stubble. 13And the taskmasters pressed them, saying, Complete your work as you have always done, as when straw was given to you. 14And the scribes of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had appointed over them, were beaten, and demanded, Why have you not completed your quota of bricks both yesterday and today, as heretofore?

15Then the scribes of the children of Israel came and complained to Pharaoh, saying, Why are your servants treated in this manner? 16There is no straw given to your servants, and yet they say to us, Make bricks: and, behold, your servants are beaten; and you sin against your people. 17But Pharaoh said to them, You are surely idle; therefore you say, Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD. 18Go therefore now and work; and straw shall not be given you, yet you shall deliver the number of bricks. 19And the scribes of the children of Israel saw that they were in a bad situation, for it was said to them, You must not reduce the number of your bricks, of your daily task. 20And they met Moses and Aaron standing opposite them, as they came out from the presence of Pharaoh; 21And they said to them, May the LORD look upon you and judge; because you have made us to be in disfavor in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hands to kill us.

22And Moses returned to the LORD and said, O my LORD, Why hast thou caused this people to be ill-treated? And why didst thou send me here? 23For since the hour I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he has ill-treated this people; and thou hast not delivered thy people at all.