¹ και μετα ταυτα εισηλθεν μωυσης και ααρων προς φαραω και ειπαν αυτω ταδε λεγει κυριος ο θεος ισραηλ εξαποστειλον τον λαον μου ινα μοι εορτασωσιν εν τη ερημω

² και ειπεν φαραω τις εστιν ου εισακουσομαι της φωνης αυτου ωστε εξαποστειλαι τους υιους ισραηλ ουκ οιδα τον κυριον και τον ισραηλ ουκ εξαποστελλω

³ και λεγουσιν αυτω ο θεος των εβραιων προσκεκληται ημας πορευσομεθα ουν οδον τριων ημερων εις την ερημον οπως θυσωμεν τω θεω ημων μηποτε συναντηση ημιν θανατος η φονος

⁴ και ειπεν αυτοις ο βασιλευς αιγυπτου ινα τι μωυση και ααρων διαστρεφετε τον λαον μου απο των εργων απελθατε εκαστος υμων προς τα εργα αυτου

⁵ και ειπεν φαραω ιδου νυν πολυπληθει ο λαος μη ουν καταπαυσωμεν αυτους απο των εργων

⁶ συνεταξεν δε φαραω τοις εργοδιωκταις του λαου και τοις γραμματευσιν λεγων

⁷ ουκετι προστεθησεται διδοναι αχυρον τω λαω εις την πλινθουργιαν καθαπερ εχθες και τριτην ημεραν αυτοι πορευεσθωσαν και συναγαγετωσαν εαυτοις αχυρα

⁸ και την συνταξιν της πλινθειας ης αυτοι ποιουσιν καθ' εκαστην ημεραν επιβαλεις αυτοις ουκ αφελεις ουδεν σχολαζουσιν γαρ δια τουτο κεκραγασιν λεγοντες πορευθωμεν και θυσωμεν τω θεω ημων

⁹ βαρυνεσθω τα εργα των ανθρωπων τουτων και μεριμνατωσαν ταυτα και μη μεριμνατωσαν εν λογοις κενοις

¹⁰ κατεσπευδον δε αυτους οι εργοδιωκται και οι γραμματεις και ελεγον προς τον λαον λεγοντες ταδε λεγει φαραω ουκετι διδωμι υμιν αχυρα

¹¹ αυτοι υμεις πορευομενοι συλλεγετε εαυτοις αχυρα οθεν εαν ευρητε ου γαρ αφαιρειται απο της συνταξεως υμων ουθεν

¹² και διεσπαρη ο λαος εν ολη αιγυπτω συναγαγειν καλαμην εις αχυρα

¹³ οι δε εργοδιωκται κατεσπευδον αυτους λεγοντες συντελειτε τα εργα τα καθηκοντα καθ' ημεραν καθαπερ και οτε το αχυρον εδιδοτο υμιν

¹⁴ και εμαστιγωθησαν οι γραμματεις του γενους των υιων ισραηλ οι κατασταθεντες επ' αυτους υπο των επιστατων του φαραω λεγοντες δια τι ου συνετελεσατε τας συνταξεις υμων της πλινθειας καθαπερ εχθες και τριτην ημεραν και το της σημερον

¹⁵ εισελθοντες δε οι γραμματεις των υιων ισραηλ κατεβοησαν προς φαραω λεγοντες ινα τι ουτως ποιεις τοις σοις οικεταις

¹⁶ αχυρον ου διδοται τοις οικεταις σου και την πλινθον ημιν λεγουσιν ποιειν και ιδου οι παιδες σου μεμαστιγωνται αδικησεις ουν τον λαον σου

¹⁷ και ειπεν αυτοις σχολαζετε σχολασται εστε δια τουτο λεγετε πορευθωμεν θυσωμεν τω θεω ημων

¹⁸ νυν ουν πορευθεντες εργαζεσθε το γαρ αχυρον ου δοθησεται υμιν και την συνταξιν της πλινθειας αποδωσετε

¹⁹ εωρων δε οι γραμματεις των υιων ισραηλ εαυτους εν κακοις λεγοντες ουκ απολειψετε της πλινθειας το καθηκον τη ημερα

²⁰ συνηντησαν δε μωυση και ααρων ερχομενοις εις συναντησιν αυτοις εκπορευομενων αυτων απο φαραω

²¹ και ειπαν αυτοις ιδοι ο θεος υμας και κριναι οτι εβδελυξατε την οσμην ημων εναντιον φαραω και εναντιον των θεραποντων αυτου δουναι ρομφαιαν εις τας χειρας αυτου αποκτειναι ημας

²² επεστρεψεν δε μωυσης προς κυριον και ειπεν κυριε δια τι εκακωσας τον λαον τουτον και ινα τι απεσταλκας με

²³ και αφ' ου πεπορευμαι προς φαραω λαλησαι επι τω σω ονοματι εκακωσεν τον λαον τουτον και ουκ ερρυσω τον λαον σου

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."