⁶ So on that day Pharaoh commanded ^(A)the taskmasters over the people and their ^(B)foremen, saying, ⁷ “You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves. ⁸ But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall set upon them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are ^(C)lazy, therefore they are crying out, ‘^[a]Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ ⁹ Let their slavery be hard on the men, and let them work at it so that they will have no regard for false words.”

¹⁰ So ^(D)the taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I am not going to give you any straw. ¹¹ You go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but no amount of your slave labor will be reduced.’” ¹² So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. ¹³ And the taskmasters were pressing them, saying, “Complete your ^[b]work quota, ^[c]the daily amount, just as when there was straw.” ¹⁴ Moreover, ^(E)the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, ^(F)were beaten ^[d]and were asked, “Why have you not completed your required amount either yesterday or today in making brick as previously?”

¹⁵ Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your slaves? ¹⁶ There is no straw given to your slaves, yet they keep saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your slaves are being beaten; but it is the ^[e]sin of your own people.” ¹⁷ But he said, “You are ^(G)lazy—lazy! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’ ¹⁸ So now, go and labor; but straw will not be given to you, yet you must deliver the quota of bricks.” ¹⁹ Then the foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble ^[f]because they were told, “You must not reduce ^[g]your daily amount of bricks.” ²⁰ When they left Pharaoh’s presence, they confronted Moses and Aaron, ^[h]standing there to meet them. ^21 (H)And they said to them, “^(I)May Yahweh look upon you and judge, for you have ^(J)made ^[i]us a foul smell in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”