1 A fter this, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says this: ‘Let My people go, that they may have a special supper to honor Me in the desert.’”

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 B ut Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey Him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord. And I will not let Israel go.”

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 T hen they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. We ask of you, let us travel into the desert three days, to give a gift on an altar in worship to the Lord our God. Or He may send death to us by disease or by the sword.”

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 B ut the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Return to your work!”

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 T hen Pharaoh said, “See, the people of the land are now many. And you would have them stop working!”

And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

6 T hat same day Pharaoh told the men who made the people work,

And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

7 “ Do not give the people straw for making clay blocks any more. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

8 B ut have them make the same number of clay blocks as before, and no less. They are crying, ‘Let us go and give a gift in worship to our God,’ because they are lazy.

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 L et more work be given to the men so they will not have time to listen to lies.”

Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

10 S o the men who made the people work went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you straw.

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 Y ou go and get straw for yourselves where you can find it. But you will not work any less than before.’”

Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.

12 S o the people went out through all the land of Egypt to gather what they could use for straw.

So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

13 T he men who made them work made them hurry, saying, “Finish your full day’s work as you did when there was straw.”

And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

14 A nd the Hebrew men who had been made to rule over the people by Pharaoh’s work-leaders were beaten. They were asked, “Why have you not made as many clay blocks yesterday or today as you made before?”

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 T hen the Hebrew men who made the people work went to Pharaoh and cried, “Why do you act this way toward your servants?

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

16 T here is no straw given to your servants. Yet they still say to us, ‘Make clay blocks!’ See, your servants are being beaten. But your own people are to blame.”

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 B ut Pharaoh said, “You are lazy, very lazy. So you say, ‘Let us go and give a gift on an altar in worship to the Lord.’

But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord.

18 G o now and work. You will be given no straw. Yet you must make the same number of clay blocks.”

Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.

19 T he Hebrew men who made the people work knew that they were in trouble because they were told, “You must make the same number of clay blocks each day.”

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 W hen they came from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who were waiting for them.

And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

21 T hey said to Moses and Aaron, “May the Lord look upon you and judge you. For you have caused us to be hated by Pharaoh and his servants. You have put a sword in their hand to kill us.” God’s Promise to Israel

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 T hen Moses returned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have You hurt these people? Why did you ever send me?

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 F or since I went to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has hurt these people. You have not set Your people free at all.”

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.