Midrash

Here is a Jewish midrash about the Israelites taking silver and gold from the Egyptians. "Midrash" means commentary or interpretation of the Hebrew bible, sometimes in story form.

BELATED WAGES
Nine plagues had come and gone, but Pharaoh learnt no lesson.

"One more plague will I bring upon Pharaoh and his people," said G-d unto Moses, "and then he shall send you out of here, and shall no longer mock you. Now, go and speak to the children of Israel that they borrow from the Egyptians silver and golden ware, so that they leave Egypt loaded with wealth. I shall make them find favor in the eyes of the Egyptians and their requests shall not be refused."

Thereupon Moses went to his brethren and told them what G-d had said.

The children of Israel went out to borrow silver and golden vessels from their masters.

"But I have no such vessels," the Egyptian would say.

"Oh yes, you have," back came the reply. "I'll even tell you where you keep it."

"But how on earth do you know?" the Egyptian would ask in amazement.

"Well, you see," the Israelite would explain, "when G-d brought darkness over Egypt for a few days, I visited you to see how you were faring. I could not help seeing all those precious things."

The Egyptian was very impressed by the honesty of the Jew who would not steal or kill even when it was so easy. So he gladly gave him whatever he asked for.

The Israelites thus received quite a good deal of precious valuables, but even so it was only a very small compensation for the hard labor that they had rendered to the Egyptians for many generations without getting paid for it.