1And afterward Moshe and Aharon went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith Hashem Elohei Yisroel, Let My people go, that they may hold a chag (feast) unto Me in the midbar.

2And Pharaoh said, Who is Hashem, that I should obey His voice to let Yisroel go? I know not Hashem, neither will I let Yisroel go.

3And they said, Elohei HaIvrim hath met with us; let us go, now, derech shloshet yamim into the midbar, and sacrifice unto Hashem Eloheinu; lest He fall upon us with dever (cattle disease), or with the cherev.

4And Melech Mitzrayim said unto them, Why do ye, Moshe and Aharon, disturb the people from their works? Get you back unto your own sevalot (burdens).

5And Pharaoh said, Hinei, the Am HaAretz now are many, and ye make them rest from their sevalot.

6And Pharaoh commanded the same day the nogesim of the people, and their foremen, saying,

7Ye shall no more give HaAm straw to make brick, as heretofore; let them go and gather straw for themselves.

8And the matkonet (quota) of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof; for they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to Eloheinu.

9Let there more avodah be laid upon the anashim, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard divrei sheker.

10And the nogesim of HaAm went out, and their foremen; they spoke to HaAm, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.

11Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it; yet not ought of your avodah shall be diminished.

12So HaAm were scattered abroad throughout kol Eretz Mitzrayim to gather stubble instead of straw.

13And the nogesim pressed them, saying, Fulfil your ma'asim, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

14And the foremen of the Bnei Yisroel, which Pharaohʼs nogesim had set over them, were beaten, and were asked, Why have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as heretofore?

15Then the foremen of the Bnei Yisroel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Why dealest thou thus with thy avadim?

16There is no straw given unto thy avadim, and they say to us, Make brick. And, hinei, thy avadim are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.

17But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to Hashem.

18Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tokhen (full measure) of bricks.

19And the foremen of the Bnei Yisroel did see that they were in rah (trouble), after it was said, Ye shall not reduce ought from your bricks of your daily task.

20And they went to meet Moshe and Aharon, who stood waiting to meet them, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

21And they said unto them, Hashem look upon you, and judge; because ye have made us stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his avadim, to put a cherev in their yad to slay us.

22And Moshe returned unto Hashem, and said, Adonoi, why hast Thou brought evil upon this people? why is it that Thou hast sent me?

23For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy Shem, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast Thou delivered Thy people at all. ³