# made their lives bitter

The difficult lives of the Israelites are spoken of as if they were bitter food that was difficult to eat. (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-metaphor]])

# mortar

This was a wet glue or mud put between bricks or stones that held them together when it dried.

# All their required work was severe

"The Egyptians made them work very hard" or "The Egyptians forced them to work very hard"