Exodus 5:1-9 ▼

1 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in and they said to Pharaoh, “Thus says YHWH, God of Israel: ‘Send out My people, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”

2 And Pharaoh said, “Who is YHWH, that I should listen to His voice to send out Israel? I do not know YHWH, and moreover Israel I will not send out.”

3 And they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go, please, a journey of three days into the wilderness, and let us sacrifice to YHWH our God, lest He meet us with the pestilence or with the sword.”

4 And the king of Egypt said to them, “Why, Moses and Aaron, do you? loosen the people from their works? Go to your? burdens.”

5 And Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are many now, and you? make them rest from their burdens.”

6 And that day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

7 “You? shall not continue to give straw to the people for the making of the bricks as yesterday and the day before yesterday. They shall go and gather straw for themselves.

8 And the quota of bricks that they were making yesterday and the day before yesterday you? shall set on them. You? shall not diminish from it, for they are idle. Upon thus, they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go, let us sacrifice to our God.’

9 Let the service be heavy on the men, and let them be occupied with it. And let them not pay attention to lying words.”