Exodus 5:1-9 ▼

1 AND afterward Moses and Aaron went into the palace and told Pharaoh, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.

2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

3 And they said, The LORD God of the Hebrews has appeared to us; now let us go three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with the sword or with pestilence.

4 And the king of Egypt said to them, Wherefore do you, Moses and Aaron, cause the people to stop from their work? Go back to your tasks.

5 And Pharaoh said to them, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and you cause them to stop from their work.

6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people and their scribes, saying,

7 You shall no more give the people straw to make bricks, as heretofore; let them go and gather straw for themselves.

8 But the number of bricks which they did make heretofore, you shall lay upon them; you shall not reduce the number thereof; for they are idle; that is why they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

9 Let more work be assigned to the men, that they may be occupied, so that they may not think to engage in vain conversations.