Exodus 5:7–19

⁷“You must no longer give straw to the people to make the bricks like before.^d Let them go and gather straw for themselves. ⁸But the quota of the bricks that they were making before^e you must require of them.^f You must not reduce from it, because they are lazy. Therefore they are crying out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ ⁹Let the work be heavier on the men so that they will do it and not pay attention to words of deception.”

¹⁰And the slave drivers of the people and their foremen went out, and they spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I am not giving you straw. ¹¹You go, get straw for yourselves from whatever you find because not a thing is being reduced from your work.’ ” ¹²And the people spread out in all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for the straw. ¹³And the slave drivers were insisting, saying, “Finish your work for each day^g on its day, as when there was straw.”^{h 14}And the foremen of the Israelites,ⁱ whom Pharaoh’s slave drivers had appointed over them, were beaten by men who were saying, “Why have you not completed your portion of brickmaking as before, both yesterday and today?”^j

The Foremen Complain to Pharaoh and Moses, and Moses Complains to Yahweh

¹⁵And the foremen of the Israelites^k came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you treat your servants like this? ¹⁶Straw is not being given to your servants, but they are saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ and, look, your servants are being beaten, but it is the fault of^l your people.” ¹⁷And he said, “You are lazy, lazy! Therefore you are saying, ‘Let us go; let us sacrifice to Yahweh.’ ¹⁸And now go, work, but straw will not be given to you, and you must give the full quota of bricks.”

¹⁹And the foremen of the Israelites^m saw they were in trouble with the saying,ⁿ “You will not reduce from your bricks for each day^o on its day.”