Pharaoh’s First Refusal

1Then afterwarde Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lorde God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may celebrate a feast vnto me in the wildernesse. 2And Pharaoh saide, Who is the Lorde, that I should heare his voyce, & let Israel go? I knowe not the Lord, neither will I let Israel goe. 3And they saide, We worship the God of the Ebrewes: we pray thee, let vs goe three daies iourney in the desert, and sacrifice vnto the Lord our God, least he bring vpon vs the pestilence or sword. 4Then saide the King of Egypt vnto them, Moses & Aaron, why cause ye the people to cease from their workes? get you to your burdens. 5Pharaoh saide furthermore, Behold, much people is nowe in the lande, and ye make them leaue their burdens.

Bricks and Straw

6Therefore Pharaoh gaue commandement the same day vnto the taskemasters of the people, and to their officers, saying, 7Ye shall giue the people no more strawe, to make bricke ( as in time past) but let them goe and gather them strawe them selues: 8Notwithstanding lay vpon them the nober of bricke, which they made in time past, diminish nothing thereof: for they be idle, therefore they crie, saying, Let vs go to offer sacrifice vnto our God. 9Lay more worke vpon the men, & cause them to do it, & let the not regard vaine words.

10Then went the taskemasters of the people and their officers out, and tolde the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will giue you no more strawe. 11Goe your selues, get you strawe where yee can finde it, yet shall nothing of your labour bee diminished. 12Then were the people scattered abroade throughout all the land of Egypt, for to gather stubble in steade of strawe. 13And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Finish your dayes worke euery dayes taske, as ye did when ye had strawe. 14And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaohs taskemasters had set ouer them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore haue ye not fulfilled your taske in making bricke yesterday and to daye, as in times past?

The Cry of the Israelites

15Then the officers of the children of Israel came, & cryed vnto Pharaoh, saying, Wherfore dealest thou thus with thy seruants? 16There is no strawe giuen to thy seruantes, and they say vnto vs, Make bricke: and loe, thy seruants are beaten, and thy people is blamed. 17But he said, Ye are to much idle: therfore ye say, Let vs goe to offer sacrifice to the Lord. 18Goe therefore nowe and worke: for there shall no strawe be giuen you, yet shall yee deliuer the whole tale of bricke. 19Then the officers of the children of Israel sawe them selues in an euill case, because it was saide, Ye shall diminish nothing of your bricke, nor of euery dayes taske. 20And they met Moses and Aaron, which stood in their way as they came out fro Pharaoh, 21To whom they said, The Lord looke vpon you and iudge: for yee haue made our sauour to stinke before Pharaoh and before his seruants, in that ye haue put a sword in their hand to slay vs.

22Wherefore Moses returned to the Lorde, and saide, Lorde, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore hast thou thus sent me? 23For since I came to Pharaoh to speake in thy Name, he hath vexed this people, and yet thou hast not deliuered thy people.