1
And afterwardMoses and Aaron went in, and toldPharaoh, Thus saith the LORDGod of Israel, Let my peoplego, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
2
And Pharaohsaid, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israelgo? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israelgo.
3
And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, threedays'journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
4
And the king of Egyptsaid unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron,let the people from their works?get you unto your burdens.
5
And Pharaohsaid, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
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And Pharaohcommanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
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Ye shall no moregive the peoplestraw to makebrick, as heretofore*: let them go and gatherstraw for themselves.
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And the tale of the bricks, which they did makeheretofore*, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
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Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regardvainwords.
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And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people,saying, Thus saithPharaoh, I will not give you straw.
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Go ye, get you strawwhere ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
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So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gatherstubble instead of straw.
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And the taskmastershasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your dailytasks, as when there wasstraw.
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And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh'staskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore*?
15
Then the officers of the children of Israelcame and cried unto Pharaoh,saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
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There is no strawgiven unto thy servants, and they say to us, Makebrick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.
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But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.
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Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.
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And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily*task.
20
And they metMoses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
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And they said unto them, The LORDlook upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.