Exodus 05

1 Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and
said to Pharaoh, “This is what Yahweh,
the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go,
that they may hold a feast to me in the
wilderness.’ ”

2 Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh, that I
should listen to his voice to let Israel go?
I don’t know Yahweh, and moreover I will
not let Israel go.”

3 They said, “The God ofthe Hebrews has
met with us. Please let us go three days’
journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice
to Yahweh, our God, lest he fall on us with
pestilence, or with the sword.”

4 The king of Egypt said to them, “Why
do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people
from their work? Get back to your burdens!”

5 Pharaohsaid, “Behold,thepeople ofthe
land are now many, and you make them
rest from their burdens.”

6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the
taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying,

7 “You shall no longer give the people
straw to make brick, as before. Let them
go and gather straw for themselves.

8 You shall require from them the number of the bricks which they made before.
You shall not diminish anything of it, for
they are idle. Therefore they cry, saying,
‘Let’s go and sacrifice to our God.’

9 Let heavier work be laid on the men,
thattheymay labor init. Don’tletthempay
any attention to lying words.”

10 The taskmasters of the people went
out with their officers, and they spoke to
the people, saying, “This is what Pharaoh
says: ‘I will not give you straw.

11 Go yourselves, get straw where you
can find it, for nothing of your work shall
be diminished.’ ”

12 So the people were scattered abroad
throughout all the land of Egypt to gather
stubble for straw.