3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews has met with us: let us go, we pray you, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? get you unto your burdens.
5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and you make them rest from their burdens.
6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
7 You shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as before: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 And the number of the bricks, which they did make before, you shall lay upon them; you shall not diminish any of them: for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labor in it; and let them not give regard to vain words.