Exodus 5:3-5

New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised Catholic Edition

³ Then they said, ‘The God of the Hebrews has revealed himself to us; let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness to sacrifice to the Lord our God, or he will fall upon us with pestilence or sword.’ ⁴ But the king of Egypt said to them, ‘Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Get to your labours!’ ⁵ Pharaoh continued, ‘Now they are more numerous than the people of the land^[a] and yet you want them to stop working!’