Pharaoh's First Refusal

1And 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 to me in the wilderness. 2And 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. 3And 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 to the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. 4And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do ye, Moses and Aaron, hinder the people from their works; go you to your burdens. 5And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

Bricks and Straw

6And Pharaoh commanded the same day the task-masters of the people, and their officers, saying, 7Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8And the number of the bricks which they made heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof; for they are idle: therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. 9Let more work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein: and let them not regard vain words.

10And the task-masters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. 11Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not aught of your work shall be diminished. 12So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble instead of straw. 13And the task-masters hastened them, saying, Fulfill your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw. 14And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's task-masters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Why have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick, both yesterday and to-day, as heretofore?

The Israelites' Cry

15Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Why dealest thou thus with thy servants? 16There is no straw given to thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thy own people. 17But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go, and do sacrifice to the LORD. 18Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the number of bricks. 19And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not diminish aught from your bricks of your daily task. 20And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: 21And they said to them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye 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 hands to slay us.

22And Moses returned to the LORD, and said, Lord, why hast thou so ill treated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? 23For 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.