3 Then they answered, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God, or else He may strike us with plague or sword.”
4 The king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you causing the people to neglect their work? Get to your work! ”
5 Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are so numerous, and you would stop them from working.”
6 That day Pharaoh commanded the overseers of the people as well as their foremen:
7 “Don’t continue to supply the people with straw for making bricks, as before. They must go and gather straw for themselves.
8 But require the same quota of bricks from them as they were making before; do not reduce it. For they are slackers — that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’
9 Impose heavier work on the men. Then they will be occupied with it and not pay attention to deceptive words.”