Exodus 5:1-14 - Pharaoh Rejects Yahweh's Authority
1 After Moses and Aaron arrived, they told Pharaoh, "This is what the LORD God of Israel says: "Let my people go so they may make a pilgrimage for me in the desert.'"
2 Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD that I should listen to him and let Israel go? I don't know about the LORD, nor will I let Israel go!"
3 Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God so he does not strike us with pestilence or sword." 4 The king of Egypt replied to them, "Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping the people from their labor? Go back to your work!" 5 Then Pharaoh said, "Look, the people in the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working."
6 That day Pharaoh ordered the taskmasters of the people and their officials, 7 "You're no longer to give the people straw for making bricks, as in the past. They must gather straw for themselves. 8 But you're to impose the previous quota of bricks that they're making. You're not to reduce it! It is because they're lazy that they're crying out, "Let's go offer sacrifices to our God.' 9 So increase the work load on the people, and let them do it so they don't pay attention to deceptive speeches."
10 Then the taskmasters of the people and their officials went out and told the people, "This is Pharaoh's response: "I'll no longer give you any straw. 11 Go get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work quotas won't be reduced at all.'" 12 So the people scattered throughout the entire land of Egypt to collect stubble for straw. 13 The taskmasters pressured them by saying, "Finish your work each day's quota just as when you were given straw." 14 The Israeli supervisors whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had appointed over them were beaten and told, "Why didn't you, both yesterday and today, fulfill your quota for making bricks as before?"