KJV ORIGINAL
And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
So the slave drivers and their assistants went out to the people and said, 'This is what Pharaoh says: I will not give you straw anymore.'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The Egyptian officials announced that Pharaoh was cutting off the supply of straw that the Israelite slaves needed to make bricks, making their work much harder.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred during the Israelites' slavery in Egypt, after Moses had asked Pharaoh to let the people go worship God in the wilderness. Pharaoh responded by making their labor conditions harsher - they still had to produce the same number of bricks but now had to gather their own straw, which was essential for binding the clay.
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