Exodus 5:3-5

Expanded Bible

³ Then Aaron and Moses said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us travel three days into the ·desert [wilderness] to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don’t do this, he may kill us with a ·disease [pestilence; plague] or in war.”

⁴ But the king [^Lof Egypt] said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Go back to your ·jobs [labor]! ⁵ ·There are very many Hebrews [^LThey are more numerous than the people of the land], and now you want them to quit working!”