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¹ Moyses and Aaron went in afterward and told Pharao, Thus sayeth the Lorde God of Israel: let my people go, that they maye holde a feast vnto me in the wyldernesse.² And Pharao sayde: who is the Lorde that I shoulde heare his voyce, and let Israel go? I knowe not the Lorde, neyther wyll I let Israel go.

³ And they sayde, The God of the Hebrewes is called ouer vs: let vs go we pray thee three dayes iourney into the desert, and do sacrifice vnto the Lorde our God: lest he smyte vs with pestilence or with the sworde.⁴ Then saide the kyng of Egypt vnto them: wherfore do ye, Moyses and Aaron let the people from their workes? get you vnto your burthens.⁵ And Pharao sayde furthermore: beholde, there is much people nowe in the lande, and you make them leaue theyr burthens.⁶ And Pharao comaunded the same day, ye taskmaisters which were amongest the people and the officers, saying:⁷ Ye shall geue the people no more strawe to make brycke withal, as ye did in tyme passed: let them go and gather them strawe them selues.⁸ And the number of bricke which they were wont to make in tyme passed, lay vnto their charges also, and minishe nothing therof: for they be idell, and therfore crye, saying: we wyll go, and do sacrifice vnto our God.⁹ They must haue more worke layed vpon them, that they may labour therin, and not regarde vayne wordes.

¹⁰ Then went the taskemaisters of the people, and the officers out, and tolde the people, saying: Thus sayeth Pharao, I wyll geue you no more strawe.¹¹ Go your selues and gather you straw where ye can finde it: yet shall none of your labour be minished.¹² And so were the people scattered abrode throughout all ye land of Egypt, for to gather stubble in steade of strawe.¹³ And the taskemaisters hasted them forwarde, saying: fulfyll your worke, your dayly taskes in their due tyme, as if you had strawe.¹⁴ And the officers of the children of Israel which Pharaos taskemasters had set ouer them, were beaten. And they sayde vnto them: wherfore haue ye not fulfilled your taske in makyng of brycke both yesterday and to day, as well as in tymes past?

¹⁵ The officers also of the children of Israel, came & complayned vnto Pharao, saying: Wherfore dealest thou thus with thy seruauntes?¹⁶ There is no strawe geuen vnto thy seruauntes, and they say vnto vs, make brycke: and thy seruauntes are beaten, and the fault is thyne owne people.¹⁷ He sayde: you are idle, idle are you: and therfore you say, we will go, and do sacrifice vnto the Lorde.¹⁸ Go therfore nowe, & worke, and there shall no strawe be geuen you, & yet shall ye deliuer the whole tale of bricke.¹⁹ And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in worse case, after it was sayde, ye shall minishe nothyng of your brycke, of your dayly taske in due tyme:²⁰ And they met Moyses and Aaron, which stoode in their way as they came out from Pharao.²¹ And saide vnto them: The Lorde looke vpon you & iudge you, which hath made the sauour of vs to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharao, and in the eyes of his seruauntes, and haue put a sworde in their hande to slay vs.²² Moyses returned vnto the Lorde, and sayd: Lorde, wherfore hast thou so euyll intreated this people? And wherfore hast thou sent me?²³ For since I came to Pharao to speake in thy name, he hath fared foule with this folke, and yet thou hast not deliuered thy people at all.