Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, “This is what יהוה, the God of Israel, says, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.’ ” Pharaoh said, “Who is יהוה, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know יהוה, and moreover I will not let Israel go.” They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to יהוה, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword.” The king of Egypt said to them, “Why do you, Moses and Aaron, take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!” Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens.” The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, “You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. You shall require from them the number of the bricks which they made before. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, saying, ‘Let’s go and sacrifice to our God.’ Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it. Don’t let them pay any attention to lying words.”