Exodus 5:1-14 - Pharaoh Rejects Yahweh's Authority
1 And afterwards, Moses and Aaron went in and said unto Pharaoh, - Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a festival to me in the desert.
2 Then said Pharaoh, Who is Yahweh that I should hearken to his voice, to let Israel go? I know not Yahweh, and certainly. Israel, will I not let go!
3 And they said, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us, - let us go, we pray thee, a journey of three days into the desert and sacrifice to Yahweh our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with sword. 4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore O Moses and Aaron should ye loose the people from their works? Get you to your burdens. 5 And Pharaoh said, Lo! many - now, are the people of the land, - and are ye to make them rest from their burdens?
6 So then Pharaoh gave command on that day, unto the taskmasters over the people and unto their overseers - saying: 7 Ye shall no more give straw unto the people, for making the bricks as heretofore: Let them, go, themselves, so shall they gather for themselves straw: 8 Nevertheless, the fixed number of bricks, which they have been making heretofore, shall ye lay upon them, ye shall not diminish therefrom, - for idle, they are, on this account, it is that they are making an outcry, saying, We must go our way, we must sacrifice to our God. 9 The service must be made heavy on the men that they may labour on it, - and let them not pay regard to words of falsehood.
10 Then went forth the taskmasters of the people and their overseers, and spake unto the people, - saying, - Thus, saith Pharaoh, I am not going to give you straw, 11 Ye yourselves go fetch you straw, of any ye can find, - yet hath there not been diminished from your service a single thing. 12 So the people dispersed themselves throughout all the land of Egypt, - to gather stubble for straw: 13 the taskmasters, meanwhile, being urgent saying, - Complete your works, The task of a day, in its day, as when the straw was provided. 14 Then were beaten the overseers of the sons of Israel, whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had set over them saying: Wherefore have ye not completed your task for making bricks, as heretofore, so also, yesterday and, to-day?