7 Give no more straw to the people to make bricks, as yesterday and the third day, let them go and gather up stubble for themselves,

8 And the bricks shall put upon them the same number of bricks as they did yesterday and the third day, and shall not diminish them. they are idle, therefore they cry out: "Come, let us offer sacrifice to our God;

9 To give them more work to do, that they may work, and not be occupied with vain speech.

10 And the officers of the people and their overseers went out, and said to the people, 'Thus says Pharaoh, I do not give you stubble;

11 Go yourselves, and take stubble for yourselves wherever you find, and nothing is diminished from your work.

12 And the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt, gathering stubble instead of stubble.

13 And the stewards urged them, saying, 'Do your work every day, as when you had stubble.'

14 And they smote the overseers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's officers had set over them, saying, 'Why do you not make the number of bricks yesterday and today, as you have hitherto?'

15 And the overseers of the children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, 'Why do you do this to your servants?'

16 Stubble is not given to thy servants, but bricks, they say to us, make them. And behold, thy servants are beaten; Sin unto thy people.

17 But he said, 'You are idle, you are idle, therefore you say, 'Come, let us offer sacrifice to the Lord.'

18 Go and work; Straw will not be given to you, but give the prescribed number of bricks.

19 And the overseers of the children of Israel saw their trouble in the words, 'Do not diminish the number of bricks, which is prescribed for every day.'

20 And when they went out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron, who were standing waiting for them,