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 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 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 ought thereof: for they be idle;
therefore they cry, saying, Let us go 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 them, saying, Fulfil your works, 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, 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 are beaten; but the fault is in
thine own people.
17 But
he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle:
therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.
18 Go
therefore now, 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 that they were in
evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish 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 so evil
entreated this people? why is it 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.
