Exodus 5:1-10

1And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “1This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘2Let My people go so that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” 2But Pharaoh said, “3Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and besides, 4I will not let Israel go.” 3Then they said, “5The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, otherwise He will strike us with plague or with the sword.” 4But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you let the people neglect their 6work? Get back to your 7labors!” 5Again Pharaoh said, “Look, 8the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!” 6So the same day Pharaoh commanded 9the taskmasters over the people and their 10foremen, saying, 7“You are no longer to give the people straw to make bricks as previously; have them go and gather straw for themselves. 8But you shall impose on them the quota of bricks which they were making before; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are 11lazy, for that reason they cry 12out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9Let the labor be heavier on the men, and have them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words.”

10So 13the taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am not going to give you any straw.