¹ A posle izađoše Mojsije i Aron pred Faraona, i rekoše mu: Ovako veli Gospod Bog Izrailjev: Pusti narod moj da mi praznuju praznik u pustinji.

² Ali Faraon reče: Ko je Gospod da poslušam glas njegov i pustim Izrailja? Ne znam Gospoda, niti ću pustiti Izrailja.

³ A oni rekoše: Bog jevrejski srete nas; molimo ti se da otidemo tri dana hoda u pustinju da prinesemo žrtvu Gospodu Bogu svom, da ne pošalje na nas pomor ili mač.

⁴ A car misirski reče im: Mojsije i Arone, zašto odvlačite narod od rada njegovog? Idite na svoj posao.

⁵ Još reče Faraon: Eto, naroda je mnogo u zemlji; a vi još hoćete da ostavlja svoje poslove.

⁶ I u isti dan zapovedi Faraon nastojnicima nad narodom i upraviteljima njegovim, i reče:

⁷ Od sad nemojte davati narodu plevu za opeke kao do sada, neka idu sami i kupe sebi plevu.

⁸ A koliko su opeka do sad načinjali toliko izgonite i od sad, niti šta smanjite; jer besposliče, i zato viču govoreći: Da idemo da prinesemo žrtvu Bogu svom.

⁹ Valja navaliti poslove na te ljude, pa će raditi i neće slušati lažljive reči.

¹⁰ I izašavši nastojnici narodni i upravitelji rekoše narodu govoreći: Tako veli Faraon: Ja vam neću davati plevu.

¹¹ Idite sami i kupite sebi plevu gde nađete, a od posla vam se neće popustiti ništa.

¹² I raziđe se narod po svoj zemlji misirskoj da čupa strnjiku mesto pleve.

¹³ A nastojnici navaljivahu govoreći: Svršujte poslove svoje koliko dolazi na dan, kao kad je bilo pleve.

¹⁴ I upravitelji sinova Izrailjevih, koje postaviše nad njima nastojnici Faraonovi, dopadahu boja, i govoraše im se: Zašto ni juče ni danas ne načiniste onoliko opeka koliko vam je određeno, kao pre?

¹⁵ I otidoše upravitelji sinova Izrailjevih, i povikaše k Faraonu govoreći: Zašto činiš tako slugama svojim?

¹⁶ Pleva se ne daje slugama tvojim, pa opet kažu nam: Gradite opeke. I evo biju sluge tvoje, a kriv je tvoj narod.

¹⁷ A on reče: Besposličite, besposličite, i zato govorite: Da idemo da prinesemo žrtvu Gospodu.

¹⁸ Nego idite, radite; pleva vam se neće davati, a opeke da dajete na broj.

¹⁹ I upravitelji sinova Izrailjevih videše da je zlo po njih što im se kaza: Da ne bude opeka manje na dan.

²⁰ I otišavši od Faraona sretoše Mojsija i Arona, koji iziđoše pred njih.

²¹ Pa im rekoše: Gospod neka vas vidi i sudi, što nas omraziste Faraonu i slugama njegovim, i dadoste im mač u ruku da nas pobiju.

²² I Mojsije se vrati ka Gospodu i reče: Gospode, zašto si navukao to zlo na narod? Zašto si me poslao?

²³ Jer otkako iziđoh pred Faraona i progovorih u tvoje ime, još gore postupa s narodom ovim, a Ti ne izbavi narod svoj.

¹ Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, "This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says, 'Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.'"

² Pharaoh said, "Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don't know Yahweh, and moreover I will not let Israel go."

³ They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yahweh, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword."

⁴ The king of Egypt said to them, "Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!"

⁵ Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens."

⁶ The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

⁷ "You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

⁸ The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'

⁹ Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor therein; and don't let them pay any attention to lying words."

¹⁰ The taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, "This is what Pharaoh says: 'I will not give you straw.

¹¹ Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished.'"

¹² So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

¹³ The taskmasters were urgent saying, "Fulfill your work quota daily, as when there was straw!"

¹⁴ The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, "Why haven't you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?"

¹⁵ Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, "Why do you deal this way with your servants?

¹⁶ No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us, 'Make brick!' and behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people."

¹⁷ But he said, "You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.'

¹⁸ Go therefore now, and work, for no straw shall be given to you, yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks!"

¹⁹ The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble, when it was said, "You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!"

²⁰ They met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

²¹ and they said to them, "May Yahweh look at you, and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us."

²² Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, "Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? why is it that you have sent me?

²³ For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people; neither have you delivered your people at all."