Exodus 5:6–14

⁶So on that day Pharaoh commanded ^athe taskmasters over the people and their ^bforemen, saying,

⁷“You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves.

⁸“But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall set upon them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are ^alazy, therefore they are crying out, ‘¹Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’

⁹“Let their slavery be hard on the men, and let them work at it so that they will have no regard for false words.”

¹⁰So ^athe taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I am not going to give you any straw.

¹¹‘You go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but no amount of your slave labor will be reduced.’”

¹²So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

¹³And the taskmasters were pressing them, saying, “Complete your ¹work quota, ²the daily amount, just as when there was straw.”

¹⁴Moreover, ^athe foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, ^bwere beaten ¹and were asked, “Why have you not completed your required amount either yesterday or today in making brick as previously?”