1
And afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go that they may celebrate a feast unto me in the wilderness.
2
And Pharaoh said, Who
is the LORD, that I should hearken to his voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
3
And they said, The God of the Hebrews has found us; therefore we shall go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice unto the LORD our God lest he encounter us with pestilence or with the sword.
4
Then the king of Egypt said unto them, Why do ye, Moses and Aaron, keep the people from their works? Go unto your burdens.
5
Pharaoh also said, Behold, the people of the land now
are many, and ye make them cease from their burdens.
6
And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying,
7
Ye shall no longer give the people firewood to make brick as until now; let them go and gather firewood for themselves.
8
And the tally of the bricks which they made before, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish any of it; for they
are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go
and sacrifice to our God.
9
Let more work be laid upon them that they may occupy themselves with it; and let them not regard words of deception.
10
And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you firewood.