¹³ The Egyptians subjected the Israelites to hard servitude

¹⁴ and made their lives bitter with hard servitude in mortar and bricks and in every kind of field labor. They were ruthless in all the tasks that they imposed on them.^(A)

⁵ Pharaoh continued, “Now they are more numerous than the people of the land^[a] and yet you want them to stop laboring!”^{(A) 6} That same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, as well as their supervisors,^{(B) 7} “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as before; let them go and gather straw for themselves. ⁸ But you shall require of them the same quantity of bricks as they have made previously; do not diminish it, for they are lazy; that is why they cry, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’^{(C) 9} Let heavier work be laid on them; then they will pay attention to^[b] it and not to deceptive words.”

¹⁶ No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ Look how your servants are beaten! But the fault is with you.”^{[a] 17} He said, “You are lazy, lazy; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’^{(A) 18} Go now and work, for no straw shall be given you, but you shall still deliver the same number of bricks.”