of Pharaoh built with Israel, then they withdrew themselves
gradually, while the children of Israel continued to work,
receiving their daily wages, for some men of Egypt were
still carrying on the work with them. After a time all the
Egyptians had withdrawn, and they had turned to become
the officers and taskmasters of the Israelites. Then they
refrained from giving them any pay, and when some of the
Hebrews refused to work without wages, their taskmasters
smote them, and made them return by force to labor with
their brethren. And the children of Israel were greatly
afraid of the Egyptians, and they came again and worked
without pay, all except the tribe of Levi, who were not
employed in the work with their brethren. The children of
Levi knew that the proclamation of the king was made to
deceive Israel, therefore they refrained from listening to it,