1
And afterwards Moses and Aaron went in, and said to Pharaoh , Thus saith Jehovah , the God of Israel , Let my people go that they may celebrate a feast to me in the wilderness .
2
And Pharaoh said , Who is Jehovah , to whose voice I am to hearken to let Israel go ? I do not know Jehovah , neither will I let Israel go .
3
And they said , The God of the Hebrews has met with us : let us go , we pray thee, three days ' journey into the wilderness , and sacrifice to Jehovah our God ; lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with sword .
4
And the king of Egypt said to them, Why do ye, Moses and Aaron , wish to have the people go off from their works ? Away, to your burdens!
5
And Pharaoh said , Behold the people of the land are now many , and ye wish to make them rest from their burdens.
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And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
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Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
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And the number of the bricks they have made heretofore shall ye lay upon them: ye shall not diminish any of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go [and] sacrifice to our God .
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Let them put heavier labour on the men, that they may be taken up with it, and not regard vain words .
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And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, Thus says Pharaoh : I will not give you straw :
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go ye, get yourselves straw where ye may find it; but none of your work shall be diminished.
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And the people were scattered abroad throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw .
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And the taskmasters urged [them], saying, Fulfil your labours, the daily work , as when there was straw .
14
And the officers of the children of Israel , whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, [and] it was said , Why have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick, both yesterday and to-day , as heretofore?
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Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh , saying, Why dost thou deal thus with thy bondmen?
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There is no straw given to thy bondmen, and they say to us , Make brick; and behold, thy bondmen are beaten, but it is the fault of thy people.
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And he said , Ye are idle, idle! therefore ye say , Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah .
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And now go -- work! and straw shall not be given you, and ye shall deliver the measure of bricks.
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And the officers of the children of Israel saw [that] it stood ill with them, because it was said , Ye shall not diminish anything from your bricks, the daily work.
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And they met Moses and Aaron , who stood there to meet them, as they came out from Pharaoh .
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And they said to them, Jehovah look upon you and judge , that ye have made our odour to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh , and in the eyes of his bondmen, putting a sword into their hand to kill us !
22
And Moses returned to Jehovah , and said , Lord , why hast thou done evil to this people? why now hast thou sent me?
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For ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name , he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all!