Exodus 5:1-14

Afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let My people go, so that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ ” But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go.” Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go on a three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God, so that He does not discipline us with pestilence or with the sword.” But the king of Egypt said to Moses and Aaron, “Why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your burdens!” Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now many, and you would have them stop their work!” The very same day Pharaoh gave orders to the [Egyptian] taskmasters in charge of the people and their [Hebrew] foremen, saying, “You will no longer give the people straw to make brick as before; let them go and gather straw for themselves. But the number of bricks which they were making before, you shall [still] require of them; you are not to reduce it in the least. For they are idle and lazy; that is why they cry, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Let labor be heavier on the men, and let them work [hard] at it so that they will pay no attention to [their God’s] lying words.” Then the [Egyptian] taskmasters [in charge] of the people and their [Hebrew] foremen went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you any straw. Go, get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work [quota] will not be reduced in the least.’ ” So the people were scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. And the taskmasters pressured them, saying, “Finish your work, [fulfill] your daily quotas, just as when there was straw [given to you].” And the Hebrew foremen, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your required quota of making bricks yesterday and today, as before?”