NET Bible
"But you must require of them the same quota of bricks that they were making before. Do not reduce it, for they are slackers. That is why they are crying,‘Let us go sacrifice to our God.’"
— Exodus 5:8, NET Bible
“And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.”
“And the number of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof: for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. ”
“The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'”
“And you shall lay upon them the task of bricks, which they did before; neither shall you diminish any thing thereof, for they are idle, and therefore they cry. saying: Let us go and sacrifice to our God.”
“But see that they make the same number of bricks as before, and no less: for they have no love for work; and so they are crying out and saying, Let us go and make an offering to our God.”
“And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.”
Pharaoh was thinking,“The people of the land are now many, and you are giving them rest from their labor.”
That same day Pharaoh commanded the slave masters and foremen who were over the people:
“You must no longer give straw to the people for making bricks as before. Let them go and collect straw for themselves.
But you must require of them the same quota of bricks that they were making before. Do not reduce it, for they are slackers. That is why they are crying,‘Let us go sacrifice to our God.’
Make the work harder for the men so they will keep at it and pay no attention to lying words!”
So the slave masters of the people and their foremen went to the Israelites and said,“Thus says Pharaoh:‘I am not giving you straw.
You go get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, because there will be no reduction at all in your workload.’”