Pharaoh Will Not Let the People Go

1And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” 2But Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh that I should listen to His voice to let Israel go? I do not know Yahweh, and also, I will not let Israel go.” 3Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God, lest He confront us with pestilence or with the sword.” 4But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you [†]draw the people away from their [†]work? Get back to your [†]hard labors!” 5And Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their hard labors!” 6So on that day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters over the people and their foremen, saying, 7“You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall set upon them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are lazy, therefore they are crying out, ‘[†]Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9Let their slavery be hard on the men, and let them work at it so that they will have no regard for false words.”

10So the taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I am not going to give you any straw. 11You go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but no amount of your slave labor will be reduced.’” 12So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13And the taskmasters were pressing them, saying, “Complete your [†]work quota, [†]the daily amount, just as when there was straw.” 14Moreover, the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten [†]and were asked, “Why have you not completed your required amount either yesterday or today in making brick as previously?”

15Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your slaves? 16There is no straw given to your slaves, yet they keep saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your slaves are being beaten; but it is the [†]sin of your own people.” 17But he said, “You are lazy—lazy! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’ 18So now, go and labor; but straw will not be given to you, yet you must deliver the quota of bricks.” 19Then the foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble [†]because they were told, “You must not reduce [†]your daily amount of bricks.” 20When they left Pharaoh’s presence, they confronted Moses and Aaron, [†]standing there to meet them. 21And they said to them, “May Yahweh look upon you and judge, for you have made [†]us a foul smell in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

22Then Moses returned to Yahweh and said, “O Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me? 23Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, and You have not delivered Your people at all.”