Then Moses &abar;d Aar&obar; w&ebar;t and told Pharao, thus sayth the Lorde God of Israel. Let my people goo, that they may kepe holye

daye vnto me in the wildernesse. And Pharao answered: what felowe is the Lord, that I shulde heare his voyce for to let Israel goo? I knowe not the Lorde, nether will let Israel goo.

And they sayde: the God of the Ebrues hath mett with vs: let vs goo (we praye the) iij. dayes iourney in to the deserte, that we maye sacrifice vnto the Lorde oure God: lest he smyte vs ether with pestilence or with swerde. Then sayde the kinge of Egipte vnto them: wherfore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people fr&obar; their worke, gett you vnto youre laboure. And Pharao sayde further more: beholde, there is moch people in the londe, and ye make them playe and let their worke stonde.

And Pharao commaunded the same daye vnto the taskemasters ouer the people and vnto the officers saynge: se that ye geue the people no moare strawe to make brycke with all as ye dyd in tyme passed: let them goo and gather them strawe them selues, and the nombre of bricke which they were wont to make in tyme passed, laye vnto their charges also, and minysh nothinge therof. For they be ydill &abar;d therfore crye saynge: let vs goo and do sacrifice vnto oure God. They must haue more worke layed vpon them, that they maye laboure theryn, and than will they not turne them selues to false

wordes.

Than went the taskemasters of the people and the officers out and tolde the people saynge: thus sayeth Pharao: I will geue you no moare strawe, but goo youre selues &abar;d gather you strawe where ye can fynde it, yet shall none of youre laboure be minyshed. Than the people scatered abrode thorowe out all the lande of Egipte for to gather them stubyll to be in stead of strawe.

And the taskemasters hastied th&ebar; forward sayng: fulfill youre werke daye by daye, eu&ebar; as when strawe was geuen you. And the officers of the childern of Israel which Pharaos taskmasters had sett ouer them, were beaten. And it was sayde vnto them: wherfore haue ye not fulfilled youre taske in makinge brycke, both yesterdaye and to daye, as well as in tymes past.

Than went the officers of the childern of Israel &abar;d complayned vnto Pharao saynge: wherfore dealest thou thus with thy servauntes? there is no strawe geuen vnto thy servauntes, and yet they saye vnto vs: make brycke. And loo, thy servauntes ar beaten, and thy people is foule intreated. And he answered: ydill are ye ydill and therfore ye saye: let vs goo &abar;d do sacrifice vnto the Lorde. Goo therfore and worke, for

there shall no strawe be geuen you, and yet see that ye delyuer the hole tale of brycke.

when the officers of the childern of Israel sawe them silfe in shrode case (in that he sayde ye shall minysh nothinge of youre dalye mak&ibar;ge of brycke) than they mett Moses and Aar&obar; stondinge in there waye as they came out fr&obar; Pharao, and sayde vnto them: The Lorde loke vnto you and iudge, for ye haue made the sauoure of vs stincke in the sighte of Pharao and of his servauntes, and haue put a swerde in to their handes to slee vs.

Moses returned vnto the Lorde and sayde: Lorde wherfore dealest thou cruelly with this people: and wherfore hast thou sent me? For sence I came to Pharao to speke in thy name, he hath fared foull with this folke, &abar;d yet thou hast not delyuered thy people at all. Then the Lorde sayde vnto Moses: Now shalt thou see what I will doo vnto Pharao, for with a myghtie hande shall he let them goo, and with a mightye hande shall he dryue them out of hys lande.

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