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.

²⁰ And they came face to face with Moses and Aaron, who were in their way when they came out from Pharaoh:

^{21 Ref} And they said to them, May the Lord take note of you and be your judge; for you have given Pharaoh and his servants a bad opinion of us, putting a sword in their hands for our destruction.