Pharaoh's First Refusal

1And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus said 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 on us with pestilence, or with the sword. 4And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do you, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you to your burdens. 5And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and you make them rest from their burdens.

Bricks and Straw

6And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, 7You shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, you shall lay on them; you shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. 9Let there more work be laid on 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 said Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. 11Go you, get you straw where you can find it: yet not ought of your 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 hurried them, saying, Fulfill your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw. 14And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?

The Israelites' Cry

15Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Why 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 are idle, you are idle: therefore you say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD. 18Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall you 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 shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task. 20And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: 21And they said to them, The LORD look on you, and judge; because you have made our smell 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.

22And Moses returned to the LORD, and said, LORD, why have you so evil entreated this people? why is it that you have sent me? 23For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have you delivered your people at all.