Exodus
Exodus 5 ©
1 Pharaoh chideth Moses and Aaron for their message: 6 he increaseth the task of the Israelites. 10 The people have no straw allowed them. 15 Pharaoh checketh their complaints. 20 They cry out upon Moses and Aaron. 22 Moses complaineth to God.
And they said, dThe 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 efall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as *heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
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.
Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
So the people were scattered *abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, 2your daily tasks, as when there was straw.
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?
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.
But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.
Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the *tale of bricks.
¶And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
And they said unto them, The LORD nlook upon you, and judge; because ye have made our *savour 3to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.