¹⁵ Then the responsible men of the children of Israel came to Pharaoh, protesting and saying, Why are you acting in this way to your servants?

¹⁶ They give us no dry stems and they say to us, Make bricks: and they give your servants blows; but it is your people who are in the wrong.

^{17 Ref} But he said, You have no love for work: that is why you say, Let us go and make an offering to the Lord.

^{18 Ref} Go now, get back to your work; no dry stems will be given to you, but you are to make the full number of bricks.

^{19 Ref} Then the responsible men of the children of Israel saw that they were purposing evil when they said, The number of bricks which you have to make every day will be no less than before.