Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh with a message from the God of Israel, requesting that he release the Israelite people so they may travel into the wilderness to hold a feast to God. Pharaoh responded with contempt, declaring that he had no knowledge of or obligation to the God of Israel, and he flatly refused to let the people go.
Moses and Aaron pressed the request further, warning that God might strike the Israelites with a plague or the sword if they were not permitted to make the journey and offer sacrifices. Pharaoh dismissed this and accused Moses and Aaron of distracting the people from their work. He ordered them to return to their work and stop interfering.
That very same day, Pharaoh issued a harsh new decree targeting the Israelite workers. Previously, the Egyptian taskmasters had supplied the Israelites with straw to make bricks. Now Pharaoh ordered that no straw be provided — the people had to gather their own straw — while the daily quota of bricks remained unchanged. He characterized the Israelites as lazy and suggested that their desire to worship was simply an excuse for idleness.
The Egyptian taskmasters carried out Pharaoh's orders, and the Israelite foremen were beaten when their workers inevitably failed to meet the unchanged brick quota. The foremen went directly to Pharaoh to plead their case, explaining that it was impossible to meet the quota without straw being provided. Pharaoh was unmoved, repeating his accusation of laziness and holding firm to his demand.
Leaving Pharaoh's presence, the Israelite foremen encountered Moses and Aaron and turned on them in frustration and anger. They accused Moses and Aaron of making their situation far worse and of handing Pharaoh a reason to oppress and even kill them. The mission that was meant to bring relief had instead brought greater suffering.
The chapter closes with Moses turning to God in anguish and confusion. He cried out, asking why God sent him in the first place, since his appearance before Pharaoh had resulted only in greater hardship for the people — and it seemed that God had done nothing yet to rescue them.
