1. Moses and Aaron went to the king of Egypt and told him, “The Lord God says, ‘Let my people go into the desert, so they can honour me with a celebration there.’ ”
2. “Who is this Lord and why should I obey him?” the king replied. “I refuse to let you and your people go!”
3. They answered, “The Lord God of the Hebrews has appeared to us. Please let us walk three days into the desert where we can offer sacrifices to him. If you don't, he may strike us down with terrible troubles or with war.”
4-5. The king said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping these people from working? Look how many you are keeping from doing their work. Now everyone get back to work!”
6. That same day the king gave orders to his slave bosses and to the men directly in charge of the Israelite slaves. He told them:
7. Don't give the slaves any more straw to put in their bricks. Force them to find their own straw wherever they can,
8. but they must make the same number of bricks as before. They are lazy, or else they would not beg me to let them go and sacrifice to their God.
9. Make them work so hard that they won't have time to listen to these lies.
10. The slave bosses and the men in charge of the slaves went out and told them, “The king says he will not give you any more straw.
11. Go and find your own straw wherever you can, but you must still make as many bricks as before.”
12. The slaves went all over Egypt, looking for straw.