³ Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey^(A) into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues^(B) or with the sword.”

⁴ But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor?^(C) Get back to your work!” ⁵ Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous,^(D) and you are stopping them from working.”

⁶ That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers^(E) and overseers in charge of the people: ⁷ “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks;^(F) let them go and gather their own straw. ⁸ But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota.^(G) They are lazy;^(H) that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’^{(I) 9} Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”

¹⁰ Then the slave drivers^(J) and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. ¹¹ Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced^(K) at all.’” ¹² So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. ¹³ The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” ¹⁴ And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed,^(L) demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”

¹⁵ Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? ¹⁶ Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”

¹⁷ Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy!^(M) That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’