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 unto 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 unto the LORD
our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or
with the sword.
4And the king of Egypt said unto them,
Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people
from their works? get you unto your burdens.
5And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the
land now are many,
and ye make them rest from their burdens.
6And Pharaoh commanded the same day the
taskmasters 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 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.
9Let there more work be laid upon the men,
that they may labour therein; and let them not
regard vain words.
10And 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.
11Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it:
yet not ought 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 taskmasters hasted them,
saying, Fulfil your works, your daily
tasks, as when there was straw.
14And 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?
15Then the officers of the children of Israel
came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore
dealest thou thus with thy servants?
16There 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.
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 tale of bricks.
19And 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.
20And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in
the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
21And 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.
22And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said,
Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil
entreated 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.
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