1Pharaoh chideth Moses and Aaron for their message: 6he increaseth the task of the Israelites. 10The people have no straw allowed them. 15Pharaoh checketh their complaints. 20They cry out upon Moses and Aaron. 22Moses complaineth to God.
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1And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and 1told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a 2feast unto me in the wilderness.
2And Pharaoh said, 1Who 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, 1The 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 2fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
4And the king of Egypt said unto them, 1Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your 2burdens.
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 1taskmasters of the people, and their 2officers, 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.
9aLet there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard 1vain words.
10¶ And 1the 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, ayour 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?
15¶ Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, 1Wherefore 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 1evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.
20¶ And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
21And they said unto them, The Lord1look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour ato 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 1returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
23For 1since I came to Pharaoh to speak 2in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; 3neither ahast thou delivered thy people at all.