Después Moisés y Aarón fueron y dijeron a Faraón: Así dice el SEÑOR, Dios de Israel^a: «Deja ir a mi pueblo para que me celebre fiesta en el desierto^b». 2 Pero Faraón dijo: ¿Quién es el SEÑOR^a para que yo escuche su voz y deje ir a Israel? No conozco al SEÑOR, y además, no dejaré ir a Israel^b. 3 Entonces ellos dijeron: El Dios de los hebreos nos ha salido al encuentro. Déjanos ir, te rogamos, camino de tres días al desierto para ofrecer sacrificios al SEÑOR nuestro Dios^a, no sea que venga sobre nosotros con pestilencia o con espada. 4 Pero el rey de Egipto les dijo: Moisés y Aarón, ¿por qué apartáis¹ al pueblo de sus trabajos? Volved² a vuestras labores^3a. 5 Y añadió Faraón: Mirad, el pueblo de la tierra es ahora mucho^a, ¡y vosotros queréis que ellos cesen en sus labores¹!

6 Aquel mismo día, dio órdenes Faraón a los capataces¹ que estaban sobre el pueblo^a, y a sus jefes^b, diciendo: 7 Ya no daréis, como antes, paja al pueblo para hacer ladrillos; que vayan ellos y recojan paja por sí mismos. 8 Pero exigiréis de¹ ellos la misma cantidad de ladrillos que hacían antes; no la disminuyáis en lo más mínimo. Porque son perezosos², por eso claman, diciendo: «Déjanos ir a ofrecer sacrificios a nuestro Dios^a». 9 Recárguese el trabajo sobre estos¹ hombres, para que estén ocupados en él y no presten atención a palabras falsas.

10 Salieron, pues, los capataces del pueblo y sus jefes y hablaron al pueblo^a, diciendo: Así dice Faraón: «No os daré paja. 11 Id vosotros mismos y recoged paja donde la halléis; pero vuestra tarea no será disminuida en lo más mínimo». 12 Entonces el pueblo se dispersó por toda la tierra de Egipto para recoger rastrojos en lugar de paja. 13 Y los capataces los apremiaban, diciendo: Acabad vuestras tareas, vuestra tarea diaria¹, como cuando teníais² paja. 14 Y azotaban a los jefes de los hijos de Israel que los capataces de Faraón habían puesto sobre ellos^a, diciéndoles^b: ¿Por qué no habéis terminado, ni ayer ni hoy, la cantidad de ladrillos requerida como antes?

15 Entonces los jefes de los hijos de Israel fueron y clamaron a Faraón, diciendo: ¿Por qué tratas así a tus siervos? 16 No se da paja a tus siervos, sin embargo siguen diciéndonos: «Haced ladrillos». Y he aquí, tus siervos son azotados; pero la culpa es de tu pueblo. 17 Mas él dijo: Sois perezosos¹, muy perezosos^a; por eso decís: «Déjanos ir a ofrecer sacrificios al SEÑOR». 18 Ahora pues, id y trabajad; pero no se os dará paja, sin embargo, debéis entregar la misma cantidad de ladrillos. 19 Los jefes de los hijos de Israel se dieron cuenta de que estaban en dificultades, cuando les dijeron¹: No debéis disminuir vuestra cantidad diaria de ladrillos². 20 Y al salir de la presencia de Faraón, se encontraron con Moisés y Aarón, que los estaban esperando¹. 21 Y les dijeron^a: Mire el SEÑOR sobre vosotros y os juzgue^b, pues nos habéis hecho odiosos¹ ante los ojos de Faraón y ante los ojos de sus siervos^c, poniéndoles una espada en la mano para que nos maten.

22 Entonces se volvió Moisés al SEÑOR, y dijo: Oh Señor, ¿por qué has hecho mal a este pueblo? ¿Por qué me enviaste^a? 23 Pues desde que vine a Faraón a hablar en tu nombre, él ha hecho mal a este pueblo, y tú no has hecho nada por librar a tu pueblo^a.

And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “^aThis is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘^bLet My people go so that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” 2 But Pharaoh said, “^aWho is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, ^bI will not let Israel go.” 3 Then they said, “^aThe God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, otherwise He will strike us with plague or with the sword.” 4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you let the people neglect their ¹work? Get back to your ^alabors!” 5 Again Pharaoh said, “Look, ^athe people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!” 6 So the same day Pharaoh commanded ^athe taskmasters over the people and their ^bforemen, saying, 7 “You are no longer to give the people straw to make bricks as previously; have them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But you shall impose on them the quota of bricks which they were making before; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are ^alazy, for that reason they cry ¹out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let the labor be heavier on the men, and have them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words.”

10 So ^athe taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am not going to give you any straw. 11 You go, get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it; but none of your labor will be reduced.’” 12 So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 And the taskmasters pressed them, saying, “Complete your ¹work quota, ²your daily amount, just as when ³you had straw.” 14 Moreover, ^athe foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, ^bwere beaten ¹and asked, “Why have you not completed your required task of making bricks either yesterday or today, as before?”

15 Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants? 16 There is no straw given to your servants, yet they keep saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are being beaten; but it is the fault of your own people.” 17 But he said, “You are ^alazy, very lazy; for that reason you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ 18 So go now and work; for you will be given no straw, but you must deliver the quota of bricks.” 19 The foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble, ¹since they were told, “You must not reduce ²your daily amount of bricks.” 20 When they left Pharaoh’s presence, they met Moses and Aaron as they were ¹waiting for them. 21 And ^athey said to them, “^bMay the LORD look upon you and judge you, because you have ^cmade ¹us repulsive in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us!”

22 Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “^aLord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me? 23 Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, ^aand You have not rescued Your people at all.”

And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “^aThus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘^bLet My people go that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” 2 But Pharaoh said, “^aWho is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, ^bI will not let Israel go.” 3 Then they said, “^aThe God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, otherwise He will fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” 4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you ¹draw the people away from their ²work? Get back to your ^3alabors!” 5 Again Pharaoh said, “Look, ^athe people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!” 6 So the same day Pharaoh commanded ^athe taskmasters over the people and their ^bforemen, saying, 7 “You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But the quota of bricks which they were making previously, you shall impose on them; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are ^alazy, therefore they cry out, ‘¹Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let the labor be heavier on the men, and let them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words.”

10 So ^athe taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I am not going to give you any straw. 11 You go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but none of your labor will be reduced.’” 12 So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 The taskmasters pressed them, saying, “Complete your ¹work quota, ²your daily amount, just as when ³you had straw.” 14 Moreover, ^athe foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, ^bwere beaten ¹and were asked, “Why have you not completed your required amount either yesterday or today in making brick as previously?”

15 Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants? 16 There is no straw given to your servants, yet they keep saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are being beaten; but it is the fault of your own people.” 17 But he said, “You are ^alazy, very lazy; therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ 18 So go now and work; for you will be given no straw, yet you must deliver the quota of bricks.” 19 The foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble ¹because they were told, “You must not reduce ²your daily amount of bricks.” 20 When they left Pharaoh’s presence, they met Moses and Aaron as they were ¹waiting for them. 21 ^aThey said to them, “^bMay the LORD look upon you and judge you, for you have ^cmade ¹us odious in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

22 Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, “^aO Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me? 23 Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, ^aand You have not delivered Your people at all.”