¹⁷ The king answered, “You are lazy and don't want to work, and that is why you ask me to let you go and offer sacrifices to the Lord. ¹⁸ Now get back to work! You will not be given any straw, but you must still make the same number of bricks.” ¹⁹ The foremen realized that they were in trouble when they were told that they had to make the same number of bricks every day as they had made before.