Exodus 5:7-13

⁷“You are no longer to give the people straw to make bricks as previously; have them go and gather straw for themselves. ⁸But 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 lazy, for that reason they cry out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ ⁹Let the labor be heavier on the men, and have them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words.”

¹⁰So the 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. ¹¹You go, get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it; but none of your labor will be reduced.’ ” ¹²So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. ¹³And the taskmasters pressed them, saying, “Complete your work quota, your daily amount, just as when you had straw.”