Pharaoh's First Refusal

1And afterwards Moses and Aaron went in, and said to Pharaoh, Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Let my people go that they may celebrate a feast to me in the wilderness. 2And Pharaoh said, Who is Jehovah, to whose voice I am to hearken to let Israel go? I do not know Jehovah, neither will I let Israel go. 3And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Jehovah our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with sword. 4And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do ye, Moses and Aaron, wish to have the people go off from their works? Away, to your burdens! 5And Pharaoh said, Behold the people of the land are now many, and ye wish to make them rest from their burdens.

Bricks and Straw

6And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, 7Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8And the number of the bricks they have made heretofore shall ye lay upon them: ye shall not diminish any of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go [and] sacrifice to our God. 9Let them put heavier labour on the men, that they may be taken up with it, and not regard vain words.

10And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, Thus says Pharaoh: I will not give you straw: 11go ye, get yourselves straw where ye may find it; but none of your work shall be diminished. 12And the people were scattered abroad throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13And the taskmasters urged [them], saying, Fulfil your labours, the daily work, as when there was straw. 14And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, [and] it was said, Why have ye 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 dost thou deal thus with thy bondmen? 16There is no straw given to thy bondmen, and they say to us, Make brick; and behold, thy bondmen are beaten, but it is the fault of thy people. 17And he said, Ye are idle, idle! therefore ye say, Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah. 18And now go -- work! and straw shall not be given you, and ye shall deliver the measure of bricks. 19And the officers of the children of Israel saw [that] it stood ill with them, because it was said, Ye shall not diminish anything from your bricks, the daily work. 20And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood there to meet them, as they came out from Pharaoh. 21And they said to them, Jehovah look upon you and judge, that ye have made our odour to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his bondmen, putting a sword into their hand to kill us!

22And Moses returned to Jehovah, and said, Lord, why hast thou done evil to this people? why now hast thou sent me? 23For ever 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!