3 And they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go a three-day journey into the desert so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, so that he does not strike us with plague or the sword.”
4 The king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you cause the people to refrain from their work? Return to your labor!”
5 Pharaoh was thinking, “The people of the land are now many, and you are giving them rest from their labor.”
6 That same day Pharaoh commanded the slave masters and foremen who were over the people:
7 “You must no longer give straw to the people for making bricks as before. Let them go and collect straw for themselves.
8 But you must require of them the same quota of bricks that they were making before. Do not reduce it, for they are slackers. That is why they are crying, ‘Let us go sacrifice to our God.’
9 Make the work harder for the men so they will keep at it and pay no attention to lying words!”