Exodus 5:6-18

6On that day, Pharaoh gave a command to the masters of the slaves, and to the leaders of the work.

7This was the command: ‘Do not give the people any more straw to make bricks. Now they must go and find their own straw.

8But they must still make the same number of bricks as they did before. Do not let them make fewer bricks. These people are lazy. That is why they are complaining. They say, “We want to go and offer sacrifices to our God.”

9Make the work more difficult for them to do. They will have to do very hard work. They will be too busy to listen to the lies of their leaders.’

10So the slaves' masters and the leaders of the work went to the Israelite people. They said to them, ‘Pharaoh says, “Now I will not give you straw.

11You must try to find straw for yourselves. But you will still have to make the same number of bricks.” ’

12So the people went everywhere in the land of Egypt, to get straw from the fields.

13The slaves' masters made the Israelites work quickly. They said, ‘Finish all your work for each day, as much as when we gave straw to you.’

14Pharaoh's slave masters hit the Israelite leaders who had authority over the people. They said to them, ‘Why have you not made the complete number of bricks today, as you did before?’

15Then the Israelite leaders of the work went to Pharaoh. They asked him, ‘Please sir, why do you do these things to us, your servants?

16Our masters no longer give us any straw. But they say “Make bricks!” Then they hit us. But it is your people who are doing wrong things, not us.’

17But Pharaoh said, ‘You Israelites are just lazy people! That is why you say, “Let us go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

18Now go back and do your work. Nobody will give you any straw. But you must make the complete number of bricks.’