Exodus 5:1-9

New American Standard Bible

Israel’s Labor Increased

5 And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “^(A)This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘^(B)Let My people go so that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” ² But Pharaoh said, “^(C)Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and besides, ^(D)I will not let Israel go.” ³ Then they said, “^(E)The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, otherwise He will strike us with plague or with the sword.” ⁴ But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you let the people neglect their ^[a]work? Get back to your ^(F)labors!” ⁵ Again Pharaoh said, “Look, ^(G)the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!” ⁶ So the same day Pharaoh commanded ^(H)the taskmasters over the people and their ^(I)foremen, saying, ⁷ “You are no longer to give the people straw to make bricks as previously; have them go and gather straw for themselves. ⁸ But you shall impose on them the quota of bricks which they were making before; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are ^(J)lazy, for that reason they cry ^[b]out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ ⁹ Let the labor be heavier on the men, and have them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words.”