9. Impose heavier work on the men. Then they will be occupied with it and not pay attention to deceptive words.”
10. So the overseers and foremen of the people went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am not giving you straw.
11. Go get straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but there will be no reduction at all in your workload.’ ”
12. So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.
13. The overseers insisted, “Finish your assigned work each day, just as you did when straw was provided.”
14. Then 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? ”
15. So the Israelite foremen went in and cried for help to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way?
16. No 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.”
17. But he said, “You are slackers. Slackers! That is why you are saying, ‘Let us go sacrifice to the Lord.’
18. Now get to work. No straw will be given to you, but you must produce the same quantity of bricks.”
19. The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble when they were told, “You cannot reduce your daily quota of bricks.”
20. When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them.