1. After Moses and Aaron talked to the people, they went to Pharaoh and said, “The Lord, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go into the desert so that they can have a festival to honor me.’”
2. But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord? Why should I obey him? Why should I let Israel go? I don’t even know who this Lord is, so I refuse to let Israel go.”
3. Then Aaron and Moses said, “The God of the Hebrews has talked with us. So we beg you to let us travel three days into the desert. There we will offer a sacrifice to the Lord our God. If we don’t do this, he might become angry and destroy us. He might make us die from sickness or war.”
4. But Pharaoh said to them, “Moses and Aaron, you are bothering the workers. Let them do their work. Go back to your own work!
5. There are very many workers, and you are keeping them from doing their jobs.”
6. That same day Pharaoh gave a command to the slave masters and Hebrew foremen.
7. He said, “You have always given the people straw to use to make bricks. But now, tell them they have to go and find their own straw to make bricks.