Pharaoh’s First Refusal

1Then Moses ad Aaro wet and told Pharao, thus sayth the Lorde God of Israel. Let my people goo, that they may kepe holye daye vnto me in the wildernesse. 2And Pharao answered: what felowe is the Lord, that I shulde heare his voyce for to let Israel goo? 3I knowe not the Lorde, nether will let Israel goo.And they sayde: the God of the Ebrues hath mett with vs: let vs goo (we praye the) iij. dayes iourney in to the deserte, that we maye sacrifice vnto the Lorde oure God: lest he smyte vs ether with pestilence or with swerde. 4Then sayde the kinge of Egipte vnto them: wherfore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people fro their worke, gett you vnto youre laboure. 5And Pharao sayde further more: beholde, there is moch people in the londe, and ye make them playe and let their worke stonde.

Bricks and Straw

6And Pharao commaunded the same daye vnto the taskemasters ouer the people and vnto the officers saynge: 7se that ye geue the people no moare strawe to make brycke with all as ye dyd in tyme passed: let them goo and gather them strawe them selues, 8and the nombre of bricke which they were wont to make in tyme passed, laye vnto their charges also, and minysh nothinge therof. For they be ydill ad therfore crye saynge: let vs goo and do sacrifice vnto oure God. 9They must haue more worke layed vpon them, that they maye laboure theryn, and than will they not turne them selues to false wordes.

10Than went the taskemasters of the people and the officers out and tolde the people saynge: thus sayeth Pharao: I will geue you no moare strawe, 11but goo youre selues ad gather you strawe where ye can fynde it, yet shall none of youre laboure be minyshed. 12Than the people scatered abrode thorowe out all the lande of Egipte for to gather them stubyll to be in stead of strawe. 13And the taskemasters hastied the forward sayng: fulfill youre werke daye by daye, eue as when strawe was geuen you. 14And the officers of the childern of Israel which Pharaos taskmasters had sett ouer them, were beaten. And it was sayde vnto them: wherfore haue ye not fulfilled youre taske in makinge brycke, both yesterdaye and to daye, as well as in tymes past.

The Cry of the Israelites

15Than went the officers of the childern of Israel ad complayned vnto Pharao saynge: wherfore dealest thou thus with thy servauntes? 16there is no strawe geuen vnto thy servauntes, and yet they saye vnto vs: make brycke. And loo, thy servauntes ar beaten, and thy people is foule intreated. 17And he answered: ydill are ye ydill and therfore ye saye: let vs goo ad do sacrifice vnto the Lorde. 18Goo therfore and worke, for there shall no strawe be geuen you, and yet see that ye delyuer the hole tale of brycke. 19when the officers of the childern of Israel sawe them silfe in shrode case (in that he sayde ye shall minysh nothinge of youre dalye makige of brycke) 20than they mett Moses and Aaro stondinge in there waye as they came out fro Pharao, 21and sayde vnto them: The Lorde loke vnto you and iudge, for ye haue made the sauoure of vs stincke in the sighte of Pharao and of his servauntes, and haue put a swerde in to their handes to slee vs.

22Moses returned vnto the Lorde and sayde: Lorde wherfore dealest thou cruelly with this people: and wherfore hast thou sent me? 23For sence I came to Pharao to speke in thy name, he hath fared foull with this folke, ad yet thou hast not delyuered thy people at all.