But he said, "Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.' Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the number of bricks." And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in deep trouble when it was said, "Ye shall not diminish aught from your bricks, your daily tasks." And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: and they said to them, "The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made us to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us." And the Lord said unto Moses, "Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for by a strong hand shall he let them go, and by a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land." And it came to pass on the day when the Lord spoke unto Moses in the land of Egypt, that the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "I am the Lord: speak thou to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak to thee." {152} And Moses said before the Lord, "Behold, I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?" And the Lord said unto Moses, "See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy spokesman. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh will not hearken unto you, and I will lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them." And Moses and Aaron did so; as the Lord commanded them, so did they. And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, "When Pharaoh shall speak to you, saying, 'Show a wonder for you:' then thou shalt say unto Aaron, 'Take thy rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent.'" And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so, as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the magicians: and they also did in like manner with their enchantments. {153}{154} [Illustration] THE RIVER NILE From a photograph belonging to Miss Clara L. Bodman and used by her kind permission. "And all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood." This picture shows the broad Nile with one of the boats now in use called a "dahabiyeh." There has been built recently on the upper Nile an immense dam which will be used to regulate the flow of water and bring great agricultural prosperity to Egypt [End illustration] {155}