And Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers the same day, saying, You shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. And you shall lay upon them the number of bricks which they have made before now. You shall not take away from it. For they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go sacrifice to our God. read more.
Let more work be laid upon the men, and let them labor in it. And do not let them regard vain words. And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out. And they spoke to the people, saying, So says Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. Go and get straw where you can find it, yet not any of your work shall be taken away. So the people were scattered through all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw. And the taskmasters hurried them, saying, Finish your works, the thing of a day, just as when there was straw. And the taskmasters of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten. And they demanded, Why have you not completed your task in making brick, both yesterday and today, as you did before? And the overseers of the sons of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, Why do you deal so with your servants? There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, Make bricks! And behold, your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people. But he said, You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, Let us go, let us sacrifice to Jehovah. Therefore go now and work, for there shall be no straw given to you; yet you shall deliver the number of bricks.