The king refused to pay attention to the complaints of the Israelis

15 Then the Israeli supervisors went to the king and complained, saying “Your Majesty, why are you treating us this way? 16 Now they are not giving us any straw for making bricks, but they keep commanding us to make bricks. And now sometimes they beat us. But it is the fault of your own slave bosses that we cannot make as many bricks as before!” 17 But the king said, “You are lazy and do not want to work! That is why you keep saying, ‘Allow us to go to the desert and offer sacrifices to Yahweh.’ 18 So go and get back to work! We are not going to give you any straw, but you must keep making the same number of bricks!”

19 The Israeli supervisors realized that they were in a difficult situation, because they had been told, “We are not going to decrease the number of bricks you must make each day.” 20 As they left the king’s palace, they met Aaron and Moses/me, who were waiting for them there. 21 They said to Aaron and Moses/me, “Yahweh has seen what you two have done He will punish you [MTY], because you have caused the king and his officials to despise us! You have given them an excuse [MTY] to kill us!”

22 Moses/I left them and prayed to Yahweh again, saying, “O Yahweh, why have you caused all these evil things to happen to your people [RHQ]? And why did you send me here [RHQ]? 23 Ever since I went to the king and told him what you told me to say [MTY], he has treated your people very cruelly, and you have not done anything to help/rescue them!”