⁹ “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous^(A) for us.^{(B) 10} Come, we must deal shrewdly^(C) with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”^(D)

¹¹ So they put slave masters^(E) over them to oppress them with forced labor,^(F) and they built Pithom and Rameses^(G) as store cities^(H) for Pharaoh.