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.