10. So the Egyptian slave masters and the Hebrew foremen went to the Israelites and said, “Pharaoh has decided that he will not give you straw for your bricks.
11. You must go and get the straw for yourselves. So go and find straw, but you must still make as many bricks as you made before.”
12. So the people went everywhere in Egypt looking for straw.
13. The slave masters forced the people to work even harder. They forced the people to make as many bricks as before.
14. The Egyptian slave masters had chosen the Hebrew foremen and had made them responsible for the work the people did. The Egyptian slave masters beat these foremen and said to them, “Why aren’t you making as many bricks as you made in the past? If you could do it then, you can do it now!”
15. Then the Hebrew foremen went to Pharaoh. They complained and said, “We are your servants. Why are you treating us like this?
16. You give us no straw, but you tell us to make as many bricks as before. And now our masters are beating us. Your people are wrong for doing this.”
17. Pharaoh answered, “You are lazy, and you don’t want to work! That is why you ask me to let you go. And that is why you want to leave here and make sacrifices to the Lord.
18. Now, go back to work! We will not give you any straw. And you must still make as many bricks as you did before.”