Exodus 5:6–14

⁶That same day Pharaoh gave orders to the slave drivers and the others who were in charge of the people. ⁷He said, “Don’t give the people any more straw to make bricks. Let them go and get their own straw. ⁸But require them to make the same number of bricks as before. Don’t lower the number they have to make. They don’t want to work. That’s why they are crying out, ‘Let us go. We want to offer sacrifices to our God.’ ⁹Make them work harder. Then they will be too busy to pay attention to lies.”

¹⁰The slave drivers and the others who were in charge left. They said to the people, “Pharaoh says, ‘I won’t give you any more straw. ¹¹Go and get your own straw anywhere you can find it. But you still have to make the same number of bricks.’ ”

¹²So the people scattered all over Egypt. They went to gather any pieces of straw that were left in the fields.

¹³The slave drivers kept making the people work hard. They said, “Finish the work you are required to do each day. Make the same number of bricks you made when you had straw.” ¹⁴They whipped the Israelites who were in charge of the people. Those Israelites had been appointed by Pharaoh’s slave drivers. The slave drivers asked, “Why didn’t you make the same number of bricks yesterday or today, just as before?”