Exodus 5:1-9 ▼

1 Later, Moses and Aaron went in and said to Pharaoh, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: Let My people go, so that they may hold a festival for Me in the wilderness.”

2 But Pharaoh responded, “Who is Yahweh that I should obey Him by letting Israel go? I do not know anything about Yahweh, and besides, I will not let Israel go.”

3 Then they answered, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God, or else He may strike us with plague or sword.”

4 The king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you causing the people to neglect their work? Get to your work!”

5 Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are so numerous, and you would stop them from working.”

6 That day Pharaoh commanded the overseers of the people as well as their foremen: “

7 Don’t continue to supply the people with straw for making bricks, as before. They must go and gather straw for themselves.

8 But require the same quota of bricks from them as they were making before; do not reduce it. For they are slackers—that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’

9 Impose heavier work on the men. Then they will be occupied with it and not pay attention to deceptive words.”