naught of your work shall be diminished."

So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt
to gather stubble for straw. And the taskmasters were urgent, saying,
"Fulfill your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw."

And the officers of the children of Israel, which {151} Pharaoh's
taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, "Wherefore
have ye not fulfilled your task both yesterday and to-day, in making
brick as heretofore?"

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh,
saying, "Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? There is no
straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, 'Make brick': and,
behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own
people."

But he said, "Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, 'Let us go
and sacrifice to the Lord.' Go therefore now, and work; for there
shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the number of
bricks."

And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in deep
trouble when it was said, "Ye shall not diminish aught from your
bricks, your daily tasks."

And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth
from Pharaoh: and they said to them, "The Lord look upon you, and
judge; because ye have made us to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh,
and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay
us."

And the Lord said unto Moses, "Now shalt thou see what I will do to
Pharaoh: for by a strong hand shall he let them go, and by a strong
hand shall he drive them out of his land."

And it came to pass on the day when the Lord spoke unto Moses in the
land of Egypt, that the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "I am the Lord:
speak thou to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak to thee."

{152}

And Moses said before the Lord, "Behold, I am slow of speech and of a
slow tongue, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?"

And the Lord said unto Moses, "See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh:
and Aaron thy brother shall be thy spokesman. Thou shalt speak all
that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh,
that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. And I will
harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the
land of Egypt. But Pharaoh will not hearken unto you, and I will lay
my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth my hosts, my people the children
of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by gre