'Straw' in the Bible

“Don’t continue to supply the people with straw for making bricks, as before. They must go and gather straw for themselves.

So the overseers and foremen of the people went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am not giving you straw.

Go get straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but there will be no reduction at all in your workload.’”

So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

The overseers insisted, “Finish your assigned work each day, just as you did when straw was provided.”

No straw has been given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but it is your own people who are at fault.”

Now get to work. No straw will be given to you, but you must produce the same quantity of bricks.”