Pharaoh’s First Refusal

1And afterward Moses and Aaron went in and they said to Pharaoh, “Thus says YHWH, God of Israel: ‘Send out My people, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”

2And Pharaoh said, “Who is YHWH, that I should listen to His voice to send out Israel? I do not know YHWH, and moreover Israel I will not send out.”

3And they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go, please, a journey of three days into the wilderness, and let us sacrifice to YHWH our God, lest He meet us with the pestilence or with the sword.”

4And the king of Egypt said to them, “Why, Moses and Aaron, do you⁺ loosen the people from their works? Go to your⁺ burdens.” 5And Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are many now, and you⁺ make them rest from their burdens.”

Bricks and Straw

6And that day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, 7“You⁺ shall not continue to give straw to the people for the making of the bricks as yesterday and the day before yesterday. They shall go and gather straw for themselves. 8And the quota of bricks that they were making yesterday and the day before yesterday you⁺ shall set on them. You⁺ shall not diminish from it, for they are idle. Upon thus, they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go, let us sacrifice to our God.’ 9Let the service be heavy on the men, and let them be occupied with it. and let them not pay attention to lying words.”

10And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out, and they spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I am not giving straw to you⁺. 11You⁺ go, get straw for yourselves from wherever you⁺ can find it; for nothing is diminishing from your⁺ service.’”

12And the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13And the taskmasters kept pressing them, saying, “Fulfill your⁺ works, the matter of a day in its day, as when there was the straw.”

14And the officers of the sons of Israel, whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had set over them, were beaten saying, “Why have you⁺ not fulfilled your⁺ quota for making bricks as yesterday and the day before yesterday, both yesterday and today?”

The Cry of the Israelites

15And the officers of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why are you doing this to your servants? 16Straw is not being given to your servants, and they are saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are beaten, and the fault is in your people.”

17And he said, “You⁺ are idle—idle! Upon thus you⁺ are saying, ‘Let us go, let us sacrifice to YHWH.’ 18And now, go—work! And straw shall not be given to you⁺, and the quota of bricks you⁺ shall deliver.”

19And the officers of the sons of Israel saw themselves in trouble, in saying, “You⁺ shall not diminish from your⁺ bricks, the matter of a day in its day.” 20And they met Moses and Aaron, who were standing to meet them as they came out from Pharaoh.

21And they said to them, “May YHWH look on you⁺ and judge, because you⁺ have made our scent stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

22And Moses returned to YHWH and said, “My Lord, why have You done evil to this people? Is this why You have sent me? 23And since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; and deliver—You have not delivered—Your people.”