Exodus 5:1-9 ▼

1 Afterwards, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: Let my people go, that they may hold a feast for me in the wilderness.”

2 Pharaoh answered, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go.”

3 They replied, “The God of the Hebrews has come to meet us. Let us go a three days’ journey in the wilderness, that we may offer sacrifice to the LORD, our God, so that he does not strike us with the plague or the sword.”

4 The king of Egypt answered them, “Why, Moses and Aaron, do you make the people neglect their work? Off to your labors!”

5 Pharaoh continued, “Look how they are already more numerous than the people of the land, and yet you would give them rest from their labors!”

6 That very day Pharaoh gave the taskmasters of the people and their foremen this order:

7 “You shall no longer supply the people with straw for their brickmaking as before. Let them go and gather their own straw!

8 Yet you shall levy upon them the same quota of bricks as they made previously. Do not reduce it. They are lazy; that is why they are crying, ‘Let us go to offer sacrifice to our God.’

9 Increase the work for the men, so that they attend to it and not to deceitful words.”