Exodus 5:4-17

4The king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you causing the people to neglect their work? Get to your labor!”

5Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are so numerous, and you would stop them from their labor.”

6That day Pharaoh commanded the overseers of the people as well as their foremen,

7“Don’t continue to supply the people with straw for making bricks, as before. They must go and gather straw for themselves.

8But require the same quota of bricks from them as they were making before; do not reduce it. For they are slackers — that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’

9Impose heavier work on the men. Then they will be occupied with it and not pay attention to deceptive words.”

10So the overseers and foremen of the people went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am not giving you straw.

11Go get straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but there will be no reduction at all in your workload.’”

12So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

13The overseers insisted, “Finish your assigned work each day, just as you did when straw was provided.”

14Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s slave drivers had set over the people, were beaten and asked, “Why haven’t you finished making your prescribed number of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?”

15So the Israelite foremen went in and cried for help to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way?

16No straw has been given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but it is your own people who are at fault.”

17But he said, “You are slackers. Slackers! That is why you are saying, ‘Let us go sacrifice to the Lord.’