After that Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh. They said, "GOD, the God of Israel, says, 'Free my people so that they can hold a festival for me in the wilderness.'"
Pharaoh said, "And who is GOD that I should listen to him and send Israel off? I know nothing of this so-called 'GOD' and I'm certainly not going to send Israel off."
They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness so we can worship our GOD lest he strike us with either disease or death."
And make them produce the same number of bricks--no reduction in their daily quotas! They're getting lazy. They're going around saying, 'Give us time off so we can worship our God.'
The Israelite foremen whom the slave-drivers had appointed were beaten and badgered. "Why didn't you finish your quota of bricks yesterday or the day before--and now again today!"
The foremen said to them, "May GOD see what you've done and judge you--you've made us stink before Pharaoh and his servants! You've put a weapon in his hand that's going to kill us!"
From the moment I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, things have only gotten worse for this people. And rescue? Does this look like rescue to you?"