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Israel's Labor Increased

¹ And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, "^(C1)Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, '^(C2)Let My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.'"² But Pharaoh said, "^(C1)Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, ^(C2)I will not let Israel go."³ Then they said, "^(C1)The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword."⁴ But the king of Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why do you ^(F1)draw the people away from their ^(F2)work? Get back to your ^(F3)(C1)labors!"⁵ Again Pharaoh said, "Look, ^(C1)the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!"⁶ So the same day Pharaoh commanded ^(C1)the taskmasters over the people and their ^(C2)foremen, 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 impose on them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are ^(C1)lazy, therefore they cry out, '^(F1)Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'⁹ "Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words."

¹⁰ So ^(C1)the 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 none of your labor will be reduced.'"¹² So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.¹³ The taskmasters pressed them, saying, "Complete your ^(F1)work quota, ^(F2)your daily amount, just as when ^(F3)you had straw."¹⁴ Moreover, ^(C1)the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, ^(C2)were beaten ^(F1)and were asked, "Why have you not completed your required amount either yesterday or today in making brick as previously?"

¹⁵ Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, "Why do you deal this way with your servants?¹⁶ "There is no straw given to your servants, yet they keep saying to us, 'Make bricks!' And behold, your servants are being beaten; but it is the fault of your own people."¹⁷ But he said, "You are ^(C1)lazy, very lazy; therefore you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.'¹⁸ "So go now and work; for you will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the quota of bricks."¹⁹ The foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble ^(F1)because they were told, "You must not reduce ^(F2)your daily amount of bricks."²⁰ When they left Pharaoh's presence, they met Moses and Aaron as they were ^(F1)waiting for them.^21 (C1)They said to them, "^(C2)May the LORD look upon you and judge you, for you have ^(C3)made ^(F1)us odious in Pharaoh's sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us."

²² Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, "^(C1)O Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me?²³ "Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, ^(C1)and You have not delivered Your people at all."