1
After that Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh. They said, "God, the God of Israel, says, 'Free my people so that they can hold a festival for me in the wilderness.'"
2
Pharaoh said, "And who is God that I should listen to him and send Israel off? I know nothing of this so-called 'God' and I'm certainly not going to send Israel off."
3
They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness so we can worship our God lest he strike us with either disease or death."
4
But the king of Egypt said, "Why on earth, Moses and Aaron, would you suggest the people be given a holiday? Back to work!"
5
Pharaoh went on, "Look, I've got all these people bumming around, and now you want to reward them with time off?"
6
Pharaoh took immediate action. He sent down orders to the slave-drivers and their underlings:
7
"Don't provide straw for the people for making bricks as you have been doing. Make them get their own straw.
8
And make them produce the same number of bricks - no reduction in their daily quotas! They're getting lazy. They're going around saying, 'Give us time off so we can worship our God.'
9
Crack down on them. That'll cure them of their whining, their god-fantasies."
10
The slave-drivers and their underlings went out to the people with their new instructions. "Pharaoh's orders: No more straw provided.
11
Get your own straw wherever you can find it. And not one brick less in your daily work quota!"