1And afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, Thus says Yehovah, the God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness. 2And Pharaoh said, Who is Yehovah, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I do not know Yehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go. 3And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us: please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yehovah our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. 4And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do you, Moses and Aaron, release the people from their works? Get to your burdens. 5And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens. 6And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, 7You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before: let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8And the number of the bricks, which they made before, you shall lay upon them; you shall not diminish any of it: for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. 9Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labor at it; and let them pay no regard to lying words. 10And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, Thus says Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. 11Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it: for none of your work shall be diminished. 12So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13And the taskmasters were urgent saying, Fulfill your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw. 14And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Why have you not fulfilled your task both yesterday and today, in making brick as before? 15Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Why do you deal this way 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 sacrifice to Yehovah. 18Go therefore now, and work; for no straw shall be given you, yet you shall deliver the number of bricks. 19And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble, when it was said, You shall not diminish anything from your bricks, your daily tasks. 20And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came out from Pharaoh: 21and they said to them, Yehovah look upon you, and judge: because you have made our savor 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 Yehovah, and said, Lord, why have you dealt ill with this people? why is it that you have sent me? 23For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has dealt ill with this people; neither have you delivered your people at all.