Israel’s Suffering in Egypt

Now (A)these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All those [a]who were descendants of Jacob were (B)seventy[b] persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already). And (C)Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. (D)But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and [c]grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, (E)who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and (F)mightier than we; 10 (G)come, let us (H)deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them (I)to afflict them with their (J)burdens. And they built for Pharaoh (K)supply cities, Pithom (L)and Raamses. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. 13 So the Egyptians made the children of Israel (M)serve with [d]rigor. 14 And they (N)made their lives bitter with hard bondage—(O)in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.

15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the (P)Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; 16 and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a (Q)son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17 But the midwives (R)feared God, and did not do (S)as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?”

19 And (T)the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they [e]are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.”

20 (U)Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and [f]grew very mighty. 21 And so it was, because the midwives feared God, (V)that He [g]provided households for them.

22 So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, (W)“Every son who is [h]born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”

Moses Is Born(X)

And (Y)a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. So the woman conceived and bore a son. And (Z)when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of (AA)bulrushes for him, daubed it with (AB)asphalt and (AC)pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds (AD)by the river’s bank. (AE)And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.

Then the (AF)daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?”

And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became (AG)her son. So she called his name [i]Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

Moses Flees to Midian(AH)

11 Now it came to pass in those days, (AI)when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12 So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he (AJ)killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 And (AK)when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men (AL)were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, “Why are you striking your companion?”

14 Then he said, (AM)“Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”

So Moses (AN)feared and said, “Surely this thing is known!” 15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But (AO)Moses fled from [j]the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of (AP)Midian; and he sat down by (AQ)a well.

16 (AR)Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. (AS)And they came and drew water, and they filled the (AT)troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 Then the (AU)shepherds came and (AV)drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and (AW)watered their flock.

18 When they came to (AX)Reuel[k] their father, (AY)he said, “How is it that you have come so soon today?”

19 And they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock.”

20 So he said to his daughters, “And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may (AZ)eat bread.”

21 Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave (BA)Zipporah his daughter to Moses. 22 And she bore him a son. He called his name (BB)Gershom,[l] for he said, “I have been (BC)a [m]stranger in a foreign land.”

23 Now it happened (BD)in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel (BE)groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and (BF)their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24 So God (BG)heard their groaning, and God (BH)remembered His (BI)covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God (BJ)looked upon the children of Israel, and God (BK)acknowledged them.

Moses at the Burning Bush(BL)

Now Moses was tending the flock of (BM)Jethro his father-in-law, (BN)the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to (BO)Horeb, (BP)the mountain of God. And (BQ)the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this (BR)great sight, why the bush does not burn.”

So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called (BS)to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!”

And he said, “Here I am.”

Then He said, “Do not draw near this place. (BT)Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.” Moreover He said, (BU)“I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for (BV)he was afraid to look upon God.

And the Lord said: (BW)“I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry (BX)because of their taskmasters, (BY)for I know their [n]sorrows. So (BZ)I have come down to (CA)deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land (CB)to a good and large land, to a land (CC)flowing with milk and honey, to the place of (CD)the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, (CE)the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the (CF)oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 (CG)Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses said to God, (CH)“Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

12 So He said, (CI)“I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a (CJ)sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”

13 Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?”

14 And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, (CK)‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 15 Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is (CL)My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ 16 Go and (CM)gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, (CN)“I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; 17 and I have said (CO)I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’ 18 Then (CP)they will heed your voice; and (CQ)you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has (CR)met with us; and now, please, let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I am sure that the king of Egypt (CS)will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. 20 So I will (CT)stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with (CU)all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and (CV)after that he will let you go. 21 And (CW)I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed. 22 (CX)But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, (CY)articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So (CZ)you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

Miraculous Signs for Pharaoh

Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ”

So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

He said, “A rod.”

And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), “that they may (DA)believe that the (DB)Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

Furthermore the Lord said to him, “Now put your hand in your bosom.” And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, (DC)like snow. And He said, “Put your hand in your bosom again.” So he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, (DD)it was restored like his other flesh. “Then it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the (DE)first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign. And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, that you shall take water from [o]the river and pour it on the dry land. (DF)The water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land.

10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but (DG)I am slow of speech and [p]slow of tongue.”

11 So the Lord said to him, (DH)“Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore, go, and I will be (DI)with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”

13 But he said, “O my Lord, (DJ)please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”

14 So (DK)the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your (DL)brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, (DM)he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 Now (DN)you shall speak to him and (DO)put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and (DP)I will teach you what you shall do. 16 So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and (DQ)you shall be to him as God. 17 And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”

Moses Goes to Egypt

18 So Moses went and returned to (DR)Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.”

And Jethro said to Moses, (DS)“Go in peace.”

19 Now the Lord said to Moses in (DT)Midian, “Go, return to (DU)Egypt; for all the men who (DV)sought your life are dead.” 20 Then Moses (DW)took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took (DX)the rod of God in his hand.

21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those (DY)wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But (DZ)I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall (EA)say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: (EB)“Israel is My son, (EC)My firstborn. 23 So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed (ED)I will kill your son, your firstborn.” ’ ”

24 And it came to pass on the way, at the (EE)encampment, that the Lord (EF)met him and sought to (EG)kill him. 25 Then (EH)Zipporah took (EI)a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and [q]cast it at [r]Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” 26 So He let him go. Then she said, “You are a [s]husband of blood!”—because of the circumcision.

27 And the Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness (EJ)to meet Moses.” So he went and met him on (EK)the mountain of God, and kissed him. 28 So Moses (EL)told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him, and all the (EM)signs which He had commanded him. 29 Then Moses and Aaron (EN)went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. 30 (EO)And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 So the people (EP)believed; and when they heard that the Lord had (EQ)visited the children of Israel and that He (ER)had looked on their affliction, then (ES)they bowed their heads and worshiped.

First Encounter with Pharaoh

Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may [t]hold (ET)a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ ”

And Pharaoh said, (EU)“Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, (EV)nor will I let Israel go.”

So they said, (EW)“The God of the Hebrews has (EX)met with us. Please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest He fall upon us with (EY)pestilence or with the sword.”

Then the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your (EZ)labor.” And Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are (FA)many now, and you make them rest from their labor!”

So the same day Pharaoh commanded the (FB)taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, “You shall no longer give the people straw to make (FC)brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.”

10 And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I will not give you straw. 11 Go, get yourselves straw where you can find it; yet none of your work will be reduced.’ ” 12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. 13 And the taskmasters forced them to hurry, saying, “Fulfill your work, your daily quota, as when there was straw.” 14 Also the (FD)officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were (FE)beaten and were asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as before?”

15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why are you dealing thus with your servants? 16 There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, ‘Make brick!’ And indeed your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people.”

17 But he said, “You are idle! Idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Therefore go now and work; for no straw shall be given you, yet you shall deliver the quota of bricks.” 19 And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble after it was said, “You shall not reduce any bricks from your daily quota.”

20 Then, as they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who stood there to meet them. 21 (FF)And they said to them, “Let the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made [u]us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

Israel’s Deliverance Assured(FG)

22 So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.”

God Renews His Promise to Israel

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For (FH)with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand (FI)he will drive them out of his land.”

And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am [v]the Lord. (FJ)I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as (FK)God Almighty, but by My name (FL)Lord[w] I was not known to them. (FM)I have also [x]established My covenant with them, (FN)to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their [y]pilgrimage, (FO)in which they were [z]strangers. And (FP)I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. Therefore say to the children of Israel: (FQ)‘I am the Lord; (FR)I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will (FS)rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with [aa]an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will (FT)take you as My people, and (FU)I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out (FV)from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land which I (FW)swore[ab] to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the Lord.’ ” So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; (FX)but they did not heed Moses, because of (FY)anguish[ac] of spirit and cruel bondage.

10 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 11 “Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go out of his land.”

12 And Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, “The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for (FZ)I am [ad]of uncircumcised lips?”

13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and gave them a (GA)command[ae] for the children of Israel and for Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

The Family of Moses and Aaron(GB)

14 These are the heads of their fathers’ houses: (GC)The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. These are the families of Reuben. 15 (GD)And the sons of Simeon were [af]Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These are the families of Simeon. 16 These are the names of (GE)the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were one hundred and thirty-seven. 17 (GF)The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimi according to their families. 18 And (GG)the sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. And the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred and thirty-three. 19 (GH)The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of Levi according to their generations.

20 Now (GI)Amram took for himself (GJ)Jochebed, his father’s sister, as wife; and she bore him (GK)Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were one hundred and thirty-seven. 21 (GL)The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 And (GM)the sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Zithri. 23 Aaron took to himself Elisheba, daughter of (GN)Amminadab, sister of Nahshon, as wife; and she bore him (GO)Nadab, Abihu, (GP)Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24 And (GQ)the sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the families of the Korahites. 25 Eleazar, Aaron’s son, took for himself one of the daughters of Putiel as wife; and (GR)she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites according to their families.

26 These are the same Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their (GS)armies.”[ag] 27 These are the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, (GT)to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are the same Moses and Aaron.

Aaron Is Moses’ Spokesman

28 And it came to pass, on the day the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 that the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “I am the Lord. (GU)Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.”

30 But Moses said before the Lord, “Behold, (GV)I am [ah]of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh heed me?”

Moses Before Pharaoh

So the Lord said to Moses: “See, I have made you (GW)as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be (GX)your prophet. You (GY)shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. And (GZ)I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and (HA)multiply My (HB)signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. But (HC)Pharaoh will not heed you, so (HD)that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My [ai]armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt (HE)by great judgments. And the Egyptians (HF)shall know that I am the Lord, when I (HG)stretch out My hand on Egypt and (HH)bring out the children of Israel from among them.”

Then Moses and Aaron (HI)did so; just as the Lord commanded them, so they did. And Moses was (HJ)eighty years old and (HK)Aaron eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Miraculous Rod(HL)

Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, (HM)‘Show a miracle for yourselves,’ then you shall say to Aaron, (HN)‘Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.’ ” 10 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just (HO)as the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it (HP)became a serpent.

11 But Pharaoh also (HQ)called the wise men and (HR)the [aj]sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also (HS)did in like manner with their [ak]enchantments. 12 For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. 13 And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.

The First Plague: Waters Become Blood

14 So the Lord said to Moses: (HT)“Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, when he goes out to the (HU)water, and you shall stand by the river’s bank to meet him; and (HV)the rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand. 16 And you shall say to him, (HW)‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, “Let My people go, (HX)that they may [al]serve Me in the wilderness”; but indeed, until now you would not hear! 17 Thus says the Lord: “By this (HY)you shall know that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and (HZ)they shall be turned (IA)to blood. 18 And the fish that are in the river shall die, the river shall stink, and the Egyptians will (IB)loathe[am] to drink the water of the river.” ’ ”

19 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and (IC)stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they may become blood. And there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone.’ ” 20 And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the Lord commanded. So he (ID)lifted up the rod and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. And all the (IE)waters that were in the river were turned to blood. 21 The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians (IF)could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

22 (IG)Then the magicians of Egypt did (IH)so with their [an]enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, (II)as the Lord had said. 23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this. 24 So all the Egyptians dug all around the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the river. 25 And seven days passed after the Lord had struck the river.

The Second Plague: Frogs

And the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let My people go, (IJ)that they may serve Me. But if you (IK)refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with (IL)frogs. So the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into your house, into your (IM)bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your servants, on your people, into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls. And the frogs shall come up on you, on your people, and on all your servants.” ’ ”

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, (IN)‘Stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.’ ” So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and (IO)the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. (IP)And the magicians did so with their [ao]enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt.

Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, (IQ)“Entreat[ap] the Lord that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people (IR)go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord.”

And Moses said to Pharaoh, “Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only.”

10 So he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “Let it be according to your word, that you may know that (IS)there is no one like the Lord our God. 11 And the frogs shall depart from you, from your houses, from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only.”

12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. And Moses (IT)cried out to the Lord concerning the frogs which He had brought against Pharaoh. 13 So the Lord did according to the word of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields. 14 They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was (IU)relief, (IV)he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said.

The Third Plague: Lice

16 So the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it may become [aq]lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’ ” 17 And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and (IW)it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

18 Now (IX)the magicians so worked with their [ar]enchantments to bring forth lice, but they (IY)could not. So there were lice on man and beast. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is (IZ)the[as] finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s (JA)heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.

The Fourth Plague: Flies

20 And the Lord said to Moses, (JB)“Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Then say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: (JC)“Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 21 Or else, if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. 22 And in that day (JD)I will set apart the land of (JE)Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may (JF)know that I am the Lord in the midst of the (JG)land. 23 I will [at]make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this (JH)sign shall be.” ’ ” 24 And the Lord did so. (JI)Thick swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh, into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt. The land was corrupted because of the swarms of flies.

25 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.”

26 And Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we would be sacrificing (JJ)the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God. If we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, then will they not [au]stone us? 27 We will go (JK)three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as (JL)He will command us.”

28 So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. (JM)Intercede for me.”

29 Then Moses said, “Indeed I am going out from you, and I will entreat the Lord, that the swarms of flies may depart tomorrow from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. But let Pharaoh not (JN)deal deceitfully anymore in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.”

30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and (JO)entreated the Lord. 31 And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained. 32 But Pharaoh (JP)hardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go.

The Fifth Plague: Livestock Diseased

Then the Lord said to Moses, (JQ)“Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: “Let My people go, that they may (JR)serve Me. For if you (JS)refuse to let them go, and still hold them, behold, the (JT)hand of the Lord will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep—a very severe pestilence. And (JU)the Lord will make a difference between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. So nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel.” ’ ” Then the Lord appointed a set time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.”

So the Lord did this thing on the next day, and (JV)all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died. Then Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the (JW)heart of Pharaoh became hard, and he did not let the people go.

The Sixth Plague: Boils(JX)

So the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses scatter it toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh. And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause (JY)boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.” 10 Then they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses scattered them toward heaven. And they caused (JZ)boils that break out in sores on man and beast. 11 And the (KA)magicians could not stand before Moses because of the (KB)boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he (KC)did not heed them, just (KD)as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

The Seventh Plague: Hail

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, (KE)“Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: “Let My people go, that they may (KF)serve Me, 14 for at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart, and on your servants and on your people, (KG)that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth. 15 Now if I had (KH)stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with (KI)pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth. 16 But indeed for (KJ)this purpose I have raised you up, that I may (KK)show My power in you, and that My (KL)name may be declared in all the earth. 17 As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go. 18 Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause very heavy hail to rain down, such as has not been in Egypt since its founding until now. 19 Therefore send now and gather your livestock and all that you have in the field, for the hail shall come down on every man and every animal which is found in the field and is not brought home; and they shall die.” ’ ”

20 He who (KM)feared the word of the Lord among the (KN)servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his livestock flee to the houses. 21 But he who did not regard the word of the Lord left his servants and his livestock in the field.

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be (KO)hail in all the land of Egypt—on man, on beast, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.” 23 And Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven; and (KP)the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire darted to the ground. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. 24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, so very heavy that there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 And the (KQ)hail struck throughout the whole land of Egypt, all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail struck every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field. 26 (KR)Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.

27 And Pharaoh sent and (KS)called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, (KT)“I have sinned this time. (KU)The Lord is righteous, and my people and I are wicked. 28 (KV)Entreat[av] the Lord, that there may be no more [aw]mighty thundering and hail, for it is enough. I will let you (KW)go, and you shall stay no longer.”

29 So Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will (KX)spread out my hands to the Lord; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, that you may know that the (KY)earth is the Lord’s. 30 But as for you and your servants, (KZ)I know that you will not yet fear the Lord God.”

31 Now the flax and the barley were struck, (LA)for the barley was in the head and the flax was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they are [ax]late crops.

33 So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and (LB)spread out his hands to the Lord; then the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth. 34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 So (LC)the heart of Pharaoh was hard; neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the Lord had spoken by Moses.

The Eighth Plague: Locusts(LD)

10 Now the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh; (LE)for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, (LF)that I may show these signs of Mine before him, and that (LG)you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may (LH)know that I am the Lord.”

So Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: ‘How long will you refuse to (LI)humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may (LJ)serve Me. Or else, if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring (LK)locusts into your territory. And they shall cover the face of the earth, so that no one will be able to see the earth; and (LL)they shall eat the residue of what is left, which remains to you from the hail, and they shall eat every tree which grows up for you out of the field. They shall (LM)fill your houses, the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians—which neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.’ ” And he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

Then Pharaoh’s (LN)servants said to him, “How long shall this man be (LO)a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?”

So Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve the Lord your God. Who are the ones that are going?”

And Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds we will go, for (LP)we must hold a feast to the Lord.”

10 Then he said to them, “The Lord had better be with you when I let you and your little ones go! Beware, for evil is ahead of you. 11 Not so! Go now, you who are men, and serve the Lord, for that is what you desired.” And they were driven (LQ)out from Pharaoh’s presence.

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, (LR)“Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come upon the land of Egypt, and (LS)eat every herb of the land—all that the hail has left.” 13 So Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. 14 And (LT)the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and rested on all the territory of Egypt. They were very severe; (LU)previously there had been no such locusts as they, nor shall there be such after them. 15 For they (LV)covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they (LW)ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. So there remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt.

16 Then Pharaoh called (LX)for Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, (LY)“I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. 17 Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once, and (LZ)entreat[ay] the Lord your God, that He may take away from me this death only.” 18 So he (MA)went out from Pharaoh and entreated the Lord. 19 And the Lord turned a very strong west wind, which took the locusts away and blew them (MB)into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the territory of Egypt. 20 But the Lord (MC)hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.

The Ninth Plague: Darkness

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, (MD)“Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, [az]darkness which may even be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was (ME)thick darkness in all the land of Egypt (MF)three days. 23 They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. (MG)But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

24 Then Pharaoh called to Moses and (MH)said, “Go, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be kept back. Let your (MI)little ones also go with you.”

25 But Moses said, “You must also give [ba]us sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. 26 Our (MJ)livestock also shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind. For we must take some of them to serve the Lord our God, and even we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there.”

27 But the Lord (MK)hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. 28 Then Pharaoh said to him, (ML)“Get away from me! Take heed to yourself and see my face no more! For in the day you see my face you shall die!”

29 So Moses said, “You have spoken well. (MM)I will never see your face again.”

Death of the Firstborn Announced(MN)

11 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. (MO)Afterward he will let you go from here. (MP)When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether. Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, (MQ)articles of silver and articles of gold.” (MR)And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man (MS)Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.

Then Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: (MT)‘About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; and (MU)all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals. (MV)Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, (MW)such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again. (MX)But against none of the children of Israel (MY)shall a dog [bb]move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the Lord does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.’ And (MZ)all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will go out.” (NA)Then he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.

But the Lord said to Moses, (NB)“Pharaoh will not heed you, so that (NC)My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10 So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; (ND)and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.

The Passover Instituted(NE)

12 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, (NF)“This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the (NG)tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be (NH)without[bc] blemish, a male [bd]of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the (NI)fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. Then they shall eat the flesh on that (NJ)night; (NK)roasted in fire, with (NL)unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but (NM)roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. 10 (NN)You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. 11 And thus you shall eat it: [be]with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. (NO)It is the Lord’s Passover.

12 ‘For I (NP)will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and (NQ)against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: (NR)I am the Lord. 13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

14 ‘So this day shall be to you (NS)a memorial; and you shall keep it as a (NT)feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast (NU)by an everlasting ordinance. 15 (NV)Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, (NW)that [bf]person shall be [bg]cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day there shall be (NX)a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. 17 So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for (NY)on this same day I will have brought your [bh]armies (NZ)out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. 18 (OA)In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For (OB)seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’ ”

21 Then (OC)Moses called for all the (OD)elders of Israel and said to them, (OE)“Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. 22 (OF)And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and (OG)strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. 23 (OH)For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the (OI)blood on the [bi]lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and (OJ)not allow (OK)the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. 24 And you shall (OL)observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. 25 It will come to pass when you come to the land which the Lord will give you, (OM)just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. 26 (ON)And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 that you shall say, (OO)‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ ” So the people (OP)bowed their heads and worshiped. 28 Then the children of Israel went away and (OQ)did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn(OR)

29 (OS)And it came to pass at midnight that (OT)the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was [bj]in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of (OU)livestock. 30 So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

The Exodus

31 Then he (OV)called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, (OW)both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have (OX)said. 32 (OY)Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.”

33 (OZ)And the Egyptians (PA)urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. 35 Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians (PB)articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. 36 (PC)And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus (PD)they plundered the Egyptians.

37 Then (PE)the children of Israel journeyed from (PF)Rameses to Succoth, about (PG)six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. 38 A (PH)mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of (PI)livestock. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because (PJ)they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.

40 Now the [bk]sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in [bl]Egypt was (PK)four hundred and thirty years. 41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that (PL)all the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It is (PM)a [bm]night of solemn observance to the Lord for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This is that night of the Lord, a solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations.

Passover Regulations(PN)

43 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is (PO)the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. 44 But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have (PP)circumcised him, then he may eat it. 45 (PQ)A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it. 46 In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, (PR)nor shall you break one of its bones. 47 (PS)All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 And (PT)when a stranger [bn]dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. 49 (PU)One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.”

50 Thus all the children of Israel did; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. 51 (PV)And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt (PW)according to their armies.

The Firstborn Consecrated

13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, (PX)“Consecrate[bo] to Me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and beast; it is Mine.”

The Feast of Unleavened Bread(PY)

And Moses said to the people: (PZ)“Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of [bp]bondage; for (QA)by strength of hand the Lord brought you out of this place. (QB)No leavened bread shall be eaten. (QC)On this day you are going out, in the month Abib. And it shall be, when the Lord (QD)brings you into the (QE)land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He (QF)swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, (QG)that you shall keep this service in this month. (QH)Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And (QI)no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters. And you shall (QJ)tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.’ It shall be as (QK)a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. 10 (QL)You shall therefore keep this [bq]ordinance in its season from year to year.

The Law of the Firstborn

11 “And it shall be, when the Lord (QM)brings you into the land of the (QN)Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 (QO)that you shall [br]set apart to the Lord all that open the womb, that is, every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have; the males shall be the Lord’s. 13 But (QP)every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And all the firstborn of man among your sons (QQ)you shall redeem. 14 (QR)So it shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall say to him, (QS)‘By strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that (QT)the Lord killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all males that open the womb, but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 It shall be as (QU)a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”

The Wilderness Way(QV)

17 Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people (QW)change their minds when they see war, and (QX)return to Egypt.” 18 So God (QY)led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt.

19 And Moses took the (QZ)bones of (RA)Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, (RB)“God will surely [bs]visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here with you.”

20 So (RC)they took their journey from (RD)Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the wilderness. 21 And (RE)the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. 22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.

The Red Sea Crossing

14 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the children of Israel, (RF)that they turn and camp before (RG)Pi Hahiroth, between (RH)Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, (RI)‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ Then (RJ)I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I (RK)will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, (RL)that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and (RM)the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” So he [bt]made ready his chariot and took his people with him. Also, he took (RN)six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them. And the Lord (RO)hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and (RP)the children of Israel went out with boldness. So the (RQ)Egyptians pursued them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and overtook them camping by the sea beside Pi Hahiroth, before Baal Zephon.

10 And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel (RR)cried out to the Lord. 11 (RS)Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 (RT)Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

13 And Moses said to the people, (RU)“Do not be afraid. (RV)Stand still, and see the (RW)salvation[bu] of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall (RX)see again no more forever. 14 (RY)The Lord will fight for you, and you shall (RZ)hold[bv] your peace.”

15 And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. 16 But (SA)lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17 And I indeed will (SB)harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will (SC)gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

19 And the Angel of God, (SD)who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and (SE)made the sea into dry land, and the waters were (SF)divided. 22 So (SG)the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were (SH)a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

24 Now it came to pass, in the morning (SI)watch, that (SJ)the Lord looked down upon the army of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He [bw]troubled the army of the Egyptians. 25 And He [bx]took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord (SK)fights for them against the Egyptians.”

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” 27 And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea (SL)returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So the Lord (SM)overthrew[by] the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 Then (SN)the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. 29 But (SO)the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30 So the Lord (SP)saved[bz] Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel (SQ)saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Thus Israel saw the great [ca]work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord, and (SR)believed the Lord and His servant Moses.

The Song of Moses(SS)

15 Then (ST)Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying:

“I will (SU)sing to the Lord,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea!
The Lord is my strength and (SV)song,
And He has become my salvation;
He is my God, and (SW)I will praise Him;
My (SX)father’s God, and I (SY)will exalt Him.
The Lord is a man of (SZ)war;
The Lord is His (TA)name.
(TB)Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has cast into the sea;
(TC)His chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea.
The depths have covered them;
(TD)They sank to the bottom like a stone.

“Your (TE)right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power;
Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces.
And in the greatness of Your (TF)excellence
You have overthrown those who rose against You;
You sent forth (TG)Your wrath;
It (TH)consumed them (TI)like stubble.
And (TJ)with the blast of Your nostrils
The waters were gathered together;
(TK)The floods stood upright like a heap;
The depths [cb]congealed in the heart of the sea.
(TL)The enemy said, ‘I will pursue,
I will overtake,
I will (TM)divide the spoil;
My desire shall be satisfied on them.
I will draw my sword,
My hand shall destroy them.’
10 You blew with Your wind,
The sea covered them;
They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

11 “Who(TN) is like You, O Lord, among the [cc]gods?
Who is like You, (TO)glorious in holiness,
Fearful in (TP)praises, (TQ)doing wonders?
12 You stretched out Your right hand;
The earth swallowed them.
13 You in Your mercy have (TR)led forth
The people whom You have redeemed;
You have guided them in Your strength
To (TS)Your holy habitation.

14 “The (TT)people will hear and be afraid;
(TU)Sorrow[cd] will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 (TV)Then (TW)the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed;
(TX)The mighty men of Moab,
Trembling will take hold of them;
(TY)All the inhabitants of Canaan will (TZ)melt away.
16 (UA)Fear and dread will fall on them;
By the greatness of Your arm
They will be (UB)as still as a stone,
Till Your people pass over, O Lord,
Till the people pass over
(UC)Whom You have purchased.
17 You will bring them in and (UD)plant them
In the (UE)mountain of Your inheritance,
In the place, O Lord, which You have made
For Your own dwelling,
The (UF)sanctuary, O Lord, which Your hands have established.

18 “The(UG) Lord shall reign forever and ever.”

19 For the (UH)horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, and (UI)the Lord brought back the waters of the sea upon them. But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.

The Song of Miriam(UJ)

20 Then Miriam (UK)the prophetess, (UL)the sister of Aaron, (UM)took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her (UN)with timbrels and with dances. 21 And Miriam (UO)answered them:

(UP)“Sing to the Lord,
For He has triumphed gloriously!
The horse and its rider
He has thrown into the sea!”

Bitter Waters Made Sweet

22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea; then they went out into the Wilderness of (UQ)Shur. And they went three days in the wilderness and found no (UR)water. 23 Now when they came to (US)Marah, they could not drink the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called [ce]Marah. 24 And the people (UT)complained against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25 So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. (UU)When he cast it into the waters, the waters were made sweet.

There He (UV)made a statute and an [cf]ordinance for them, and there (UW)He tested them, 26 and said, (UX)“If you diligently heed the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the (UY)diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the Lord (UZ)who heals you.”

27 (VA)Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees; so they camped there by the waters.

Bread from Heaven

16 And they (VB)journeyed from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and (VC)Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they departed from the land of Egypt. Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel (VD)complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, (VE)“Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, (VF)when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain (VG)bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather [cg]a certain quota every day, that I may (VH)test them, whether they will (VI)walk in My law or not. And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and (VJ)it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”

Then Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, (VK)“At evening you shall know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt. And in the morning you shall see (VL)the glory of the Lord; for He (VM)hears your complaints against the Lord. But (VN)what are we, that you complain against us?” Also Moses said, “This shall be seen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and in the morning bread to the full; for the Lord hears your complaints which you make against Him. And what are we? Your complaints are not against us but (VO)against the Lord.”

Then Moses spoke to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, (VP)‘Come near before the Lord, for He has heard your complaints.’ ” 10 Now it came to pass, as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the Lord (VQ)appeared in the cloud.

11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 (VR)“I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, (VS)‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and (VT)in the morning you shall be filled with bread. And you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”

13 So it was that (VU)quail came up at evening and covered the camp, and in the morning (VV)the dew lay all around the camp. 14 And when the layer of dew lifted, there, on the surface of the wilderness, was (VW)a small round (VX)substance, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 So when the children of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was.

And Moses said to them, (VY)“This is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ‘Let every man gather it (VZ)according to each one’s need, one (WA)omer for each person, according to the number of persons; let every man take for those who are in his tent.’ ”

17 Then the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less. 18 So when they measured it by omers, (WB)he who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little had no lack. Every man had gathered according to each one’s need. 19 And Moses said, “Let no one (WC)leave any of it till morning.” 20 Notwithstanding they did not [ch]heed Moses. But some of them left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21 So they gathered it every morning, every man according to his need. And when the sun became hot, it melted.

22 And so it was, on the sixth day, that they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. And all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses. 23 Then he said to them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is (WD)a Sabbath rest, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake today, and boil what you will boil; and lay up for yourselves all that remains, to be kept until morning.’ ” 24 So they laid it up till morning, as Moses commanded; and it did not (WE)stink, nor were there any worms in it. 25 Then Moses said, “Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 (WF)Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”

27 Now it happened that some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather, but they found none. 28 And the Lord said to Moses, “How long (WG)do you refuse to keep My commandments and My laws? 29 See! For the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you on the sixth day bread for two days. Let every man remain in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 And the house of Israel called its name [ci]Manna. And (WH)it was like white coriander seed, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

32 Then Moses said, “This is the thing which the Lord has commanded: ‘Fill an omer with it, to be kept for your generations, that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’ ” 33 And Moses said to Aaron, (WI)“Take a pot and put an omer of manna in it, and lay it up before the Lord, to be kept for your generations.” 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up (WJ)before the Testimony, to be kept. 35 And the children of Israel (WK)ate manna (WL)forty years, (WM)until they came to an inhabited land; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36 Now an omer is one-tenth of an ephah.

Water from the Rock(WN)

17 Then (WO)all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of (WP)Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to (WQ)drink. (WR)Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.”

So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you (WS)tempt the Lord?”

And the people thirsted there for water, and the people (WT)complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our (WU)livestock with thirst?”

So Moses (WV)cried out to the Lord, saying, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready to (WW)stone[cj] me!”

And the Lord said to Moses, (WX)“Go on before the people, and take with you some of the elders of Israel. Also take in your hand your rod with which (WY)you struck the river, and go. (WZ)Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock in Horeb; and you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, that the people may drink.”

And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. So he called the name of the place (XA)Massah[ck] and [cl]Meribah, because of the contention of the children of Israel, and because they [cm]tempted the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

Victory over the Amalekites(XB)

(XC)Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with (XD)the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses (XE)held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became [cn]heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, (XF)“Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that (XG)I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, [co]The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; 16 for he said, “Because [cp]the Lord has (XH)sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Jethro’s Advice(XI)

18 And (XJ)Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that (XK)God had done for Moses and for Israel His people—that the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took (XL)Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, with her (XM)two sons, of whom the name of one was [cq]Gershom (for he said, (XN)“I have been a [cr]stranger in a foreign land”) and the name of the other was [cs]Eliezer (for he said, “The God of my father was my (XO)help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”); and Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was encamped at (XP)the mountain of God. Now he had said to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.”

So Moses (XQ)went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and (XR)kissed him. And they asked each other about their well-being, and they went into the tent. And Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the Lord had (XS)delivered them. Then Jethro rejoiced for all the (XT)good which the Lord had done for Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians. 10 And Jethro said, (XU)“Blessed be the Lord, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, and who has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that the Lord is (XV)greater than all the gods; (XW)for in the very thing in which they [ct]behaved (XX)proudly, He was above them.” 12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, [cu]took a burnt (XY)offering and other sacrifices to offer to God. And Aaron came with all the elders of Israel (XZ)to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

13 And so it was, on the next day, that Moses (YA)sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. 14 So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone [cv]sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?”

15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because (YB)the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 When they have (YC)a [cw]difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.”

17 So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “The thing that you do is not good. 18 Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; (YD)you are not able to perform it by yourself. 19 Listen now to my voice; I will give you [cx]counsel, and God will be with you: Stand (YE)before God for the people, so that you may (YF)bring the difficulties to God. 20 And you shall (YG)teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and (YH)the work they must do. 21 Moreover you shall select from all the people (YI)able men, such as (YJ)fear God, (YK)men of truth, (YL)hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 22 And let them judge the people at all times. (YM)Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for (YN)they will bear the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their (YO)place in peace.”

24 So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 And (YP)Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 26 So they judged the people at all times; the (YQ)hard[cy] cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves.

27 Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and (YR)he went his way to his own land.

Israel at Mount Sinai

19 In the third month after the children of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on the same day, (YS)they came to the Wilderness of Sinai. For they had departed from (YT)Rephidim, had come to the Wilderness of Sinai, and camped in the wilderness. So Israel camped there before (YU)the mountain.

And (YV)Moses went up to God, and the Lord (YW)called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel: (YX)‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how (YY)I [cz]bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. Now (YZ)therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and (ZA)keep My covenant, then (ZB)you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is (ZC)Mine. And you shall be to Me a (ZD)kingdom of priests and a (ZE)holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

So Moses came and called for the (ZF)elders of the people, and [da]laid before them all these words which the Lord commanded him. Then (ZG)all the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.” So Moses brought back the words of the people to the Lord. And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I come to you (ZH)in the thick cloud, (ZI)that the people may hear when I speak with you, and believe you forever.”

So Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to the people and (ZJ)consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes. 11 And let them be ready for the third day. For on the third day the Lord will come down upon Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12 You shall set bounds for the people all around, saying, ‘Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. (ZK)Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death. 13 Not a hand shall touch him, but he shall surely be stoned or shot with an arrow; whether man or beast, he shall not live.’ When the trumpet sounds long, they shall come near the mountain.”

14 So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. 15 And he said to the people, “Be ready for the third day; (ZL)do not come near your wives.”

16 Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were (ZM)thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and the sound of the trumpet was very loud, so that all the people who were in the camp (ZN)trembled. 17 And (ZO)Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Now (ZP)Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the Lord descended upon (ZQ)it in fire. (ZR)Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and [db]the (ZS)whole mountain quaked greatly. 19 And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long and became louder and louder, (ZT)Moses spoke, and (ZU)God answered him by voice. 20 Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

21 And the Lord said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through (ZV)to gaze at the Lord, and many of them perish. 22 Also let the (ZW)priests who come near the Lord (ZX)consecrate themselves, lest the Lord (ZY)break out against them.”

23 But Moses said to the Lord, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for You warned us, saying, (ZZ)‘Set bounds around the mountain and consecrate it.’ ”

24 Then the Lord said to him, “Away! Get down and then come up, you and Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people break through to come up to the Lord, lest He break out against them.” 25 So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.

The Ten Commandments(AAA)

20 And God spoke (AAB)all these words, saying:

(AAC)“I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, (AAD)out of the house of [dc]bondage.

(AAE)“You shall have no other gods before Me.

(AAF)“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; (AAG)you shall not bow down to them nor [dd]serve them. (AAH)For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, (AAI)visiting[de] the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but (AAJ)showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

(AAK)“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord (AAL)will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

(AAM)“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. (AAN)Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the (AAO)seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, (AAP)nor your stranger who is within your gates. 11 For (AAQ)in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

12 (AAR)“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be (AAS)long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.

13 (AAT)“You shall not murder.

14 (AAU)“You shall not commit (AAV)adultery.

15 (AAW)“You shall not steal.

16 (AAX)“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 (AAY)“You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; (AAZ)you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”

The People Afraid of God’s Presence

18 Now (ABA)all the people (ABB)witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain (ABC)smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. 19 Then they said to Moses, (ABD)“You speak with us, and we will hear; but (ABE)let not God speak with us, lest we die.”

20 And Moses said to the people, (ABF)“Do not fear; (ABG)for God has come to test you, and (ABH)that His fear may be before you, so that you may not sin.” 21 So the people stood afar off, but Moses drew near (ABI)the thick darkness where God was.

The Law of the Altar

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘You have seen that I have talked with you (ABJ)from heaven. 23 You shall not make anything to be (ABK)with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves. 24 An altar of (ABL)earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, (ABM)your sheep and your oxen. In every (ABN)place where I [df]record My name I will come to you, and I will (ABO)bless you. 25 And (ABP)if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you (ABQ)use your tool on it, you have profaned it. 26 Nor shall you go up by steps to My altar, that your (ABR)nakedness may not be exposed on it.’

The Law Concerning Servants(ABS)

21 “Now these are the [dg]judgments which you shall (ABT)set before them: (ABU)If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing. If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him. If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself. (ABV)But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’ then his master shall bring him to the (ABW)judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.

“And if a man (ABX)sells his daughter to be a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do. If she [dh]does not please her master, who has betrothed her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her. And if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters. 10 If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, (ABY)and her marriage rights. 11 And if he does not do these three for her, then she shall go out free, without paying money.

The Law Concerning Violence

12 (ABZ)“He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. 13 However, (ACA)if he did not lie in wait, but God (ACB)delivered him into his hand, then (ACC)I will appoint for you a place where he may flee.

14 “But if a man acts with (ACD)premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, (ACE)you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.

15 “And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

16 (ACF)“He who kidnaps a man and (ACG)sells him, or if he is (ACH)found in his hand, shall surely be put to death.

17 “And (ACI)he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

18 “If men contend with each other, and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but is confined to his bed, 19 if he rises again and walks about outside (ACJ)with his staff, then he who struck him shall be [di]acquitted. He shall only pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for him to be thoroughly healed.

20 “And if a man beats his male or female servant with a rod, so that he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished. 21 Notwithstanding, if he remains alive a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he is his (ACK)property.

22 “If men [dj]fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that [dk]she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall (ACL)pay as the judges determine. 23 But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, 24 (ACM)eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

26 “If a man strikes the eye of his male or female servant, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for the sake of his eye. 27 And if he knocks out the tooth of his male or female servant, he shall let him go free for the sake of his tooth.

Animal Control Laws

28 “If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, then (ACN)the ox shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be [dl]acquitted. 29 But if the ox [dm]tended to thrust with its horn in times past, and it has been made known to his owner, and he has not kept it confined, so that it has killed a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death. 30 If there is imposed on him a sum of money, then he shall pay (ACO)to redeem his life, whatever is imposed on him. 31 Whether it has gored a son or gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him. 32 If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master (ACP)thirty shekels of silver, and the (ACQ)ox shall be stoned.

33 “And if a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls in it, 34 the owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money to their owner, but the dead animal shall be his.

35 “If one man’s ox hurts another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the money from it; and the dead ox they shall also divide. 36 Or if it was known that the ox tended to thrust in time past, and its owner has not kept it confined, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal shall be his own.

Responsibility for Property

22 “If a man steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, he shall (ACR)restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. If the thief is found (ACS)breaking in, and he is struck so that he dies, there shall be (ACT)no guilt for his bloodshed. If the sun has risen on him, there shall be guilt for his bloodshed. He should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be (ACU)sold[dn] for his theft. If the theft is certainly (ACV)found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he shall (ACW)restore double.

“If a man causes a field or vineyard to be grazed, and lets loose his animal, and it feeds in another man’s field, he shall make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard.

“If fire breaks out and catches in thorns, so that stacked grain, standing grain, or the field is consumed, he who kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.

“If a man (ACX)delivers to his neighbor money or articles to keep, and it is stolen out of the man’s house, (ACY)if the thief is found, he shall pay double. If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought to the (ACZ)judges to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbor’s goods.

“For any kind of trespass, whether it concerns an ox, a donkey, a sheep, or clothing, or for any kind of lost thing which another claims to be his, the (ADA)cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whomever the judges condemn shall pay double to his neighbor. 10 If a man delivers to his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep, and it dies, is hurt, or driven away, no one seeing it, 11 then an (ADB)oath of the Lord shall be between them both, that he has not put his hand into his neighbor’s goods; and the owner of it shall accept that, and he shall not make it good. 12 But (ADC)if, in fact, it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution to the owner of it. 13 If it is (ADD)torn to pieces by a beast, then he shall bring it as evidence, and he shall not make good what was torn.

14 “And if a man borrows anything from his neighbor, and it becomes injured or dies, the owner of it not being with it, he shall surely make it good. 15 If its owner was with it, he shall not make it good; if it was hired, it came for its hire.

Moral and Ceremonial Principles

16 (ADE)“If a man entices a virgin who is not betrothed, and lies with her, he shall surely pay the bride-price for her to be his wife. 17 If her father utterly refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money according to the (ADF)bride-price of virgins.

18 (ADG)“You shall not permit a sorceress to live.

19 (ADH)“Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death.

20 (ADI)“He who sacrifices to any god, except to the Lord only, he shall be utterly destroyed.

21 (ADJ)“You shall neither mistreat a [do]stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

22 (ADK)“You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. 23 If you afflict them in any way, and they (ADL)cry at all to Me, I will surely (ADM)hear their cry; 24 and My (ADN)wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; (ADO)your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

25 (ADP)“If you lend money to any of My people who are poor among you, you shall not be like a moneylender to him; you shall not charge him (ADQ)interest. 26 (ADR)If you ever take your neighbor’s garment as a pledge, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down. 27 For that is his only covering, it is his garment for his skin. What will he sleep in? And it will be that when he cries to Me, I will hear, for I am (ADS)gracious.

28 (ADT)“You shall not revile God, nor curse a (ADU)ruler of your people.

29 “You shall not delay to offer (ADV)the first of your ripe produce and your juices. (ADW)The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. 30 (ADX)Likewise you shall do with your oxen and your sheep. It shall be with its mother (ADY)seven days; on the eighth day you shall give it to Me.

31 “And you shall be (ADZ)holy men to Me: (AEA)you shall not eat meat torn by beasts in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

Justice for All

23 “You (AEB)shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an (AEC)unrighteous witness. (AED)You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; (AEE)nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice. You shall not show partiality to a (AEF)poor man in his dispute.

(AEG)“If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again. (AEH)If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it.

(AEI)“You shall not pervert the judgment of your poor in his dispute. (AEJ)Keep yourself far from a false matter; (AEK)do not kill the innocent and righteous. For (AEL)I will not justify the wicked. And (AEM)you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the discerning and perverts the words of the righteous.

“Also (AEN)you shall not oppress a [dp]stranger, for you know the heart of a stranger, because you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

The Law of Sabbaths

10 (AEO)“Six years you shall sow your land and gather in its produce, 11 but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow, that the poor of your people may eat; and what they leave, the beasts of the field may eat. In like manner you shall do with your vineyard and your [dq]olive grove. 12 (AEP)Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and the stranger may be refreshed.

13 “And in all that I have said to you, (AEQ)be circumspect and (AER)make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth.

Three Annual Feasts(AES)

14 (AET)“Three times you shall keep a feast to Me in the year: 15 (AEU)You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; (AEV)none shall appear before Me empty); 16 (AEW)and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and (AEX)the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field.

17 (AEY)“Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord [dr]God.

18 (AEZ)“You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened (AFA)bread; nor shall the fat of My [ds]sacrifice remain until morning. 19 (AFB)The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring into the house of the Lord your God. (AFC)You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.

The Angel and the Promises

20 (AFD)“Behold, I send an Angel before you to keep you in the way and to bring you into the place which I have prepared. 21 Beware of Him and obey His voice; (AFE)do not provoke Him, for He will (AFF)not pardon your transgressions; for (AFG)My name is in Him. 22 But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then (AFH)I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. 23 (AFI)For My Angel will go before you and (AFJ)bring you in to the Amorites and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Canaanites and the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will [dt]cut them off. 24 You shall not (AFK)bow down to their gods, nor serve them, (AFL)nor do according to their works; (AFM)but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars.

25 “So you shall (AFN)serve the Lord your God, and (AFO)He will bless your bread and your water. And (AFP)I will take sickness away from the midst of you. 26 (AFQ)No one shall suffer miscarriage or be barren in your land; I will (AFR)fulfill the number of your days.

27 “I will send (AFS)My fear before you, I will (AFT)cause confusion among all the people to whom you come, and will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. 28 And (AFU)I will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before you. 29 (AFV)I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land. 31 And (AFW)I will set your [du]bounds from the Red Sea to the sea, Philistia, and from the desert to the [dv]River. For I will (AFX)deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you shall drive them out before you. 32 (AFY)You shall make no [dw]covenant with them, nor with their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, (AFZ)it will surely be a snare to you.”

Israel Affirms the Covenant

24 Now He said to Moses, “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, (AGA)Nadab and Abihu, (AGB)and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. And Moses alone shall come near the Lord, but they shall not come near; nor shall the people go up with him.”

So Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the [dx]judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, (AGC)“All the words which the Lord has said we will do.” And Moses (AGD)wrote all the words of the Lord. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve (AGE)pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered (AGF)burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord. And Moses (AGG)took half the blood and put it in basins, and half the blood he sprinkled on the altar. Then he (AGH)took the Book of the Covenant and read in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the Lord has said we will do, and be obedient.” And Moses took the blood, sprinkled it on the people, and said, “This is (AGI)the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you according to all these words.”

On the Mountain with God

Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10 and they (AGJ)saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of (AGK)sapphire stone, and it was like the (AGL)very[dy] heavens in its clarity. 11 But on the nobles of the children of Israel He (AGM)did not [dz]lay His hand. So (AGN)they saw God, and they (AGO)ate and drank.

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, (AGP)“Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you (AGQ)tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I have written, that you may teach them.”

13 So Moses arose with (AGR)his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up to the mountain of God. 14 And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Indeed, Aaron and (AGS)Hur are with you. If any man has a difficulty, let him go to them.” 15 Then Moses went up into the mountain, and (AGT)a cloud covered the mountain.

16 Now (AGU)the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. 17 The sight of the glory of the Lord was like (AGV)a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. 18 So Moses went into the midst of the cloud and went up into the mountain. And (AGW)Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Offerings for the Sanctuary(AGX)

25 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an [ea]offering. (AGY)From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; ram skins dyed red, [eb]badger skins, and acacia wood; (AGZ)oil for the light, and (AHA)spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; onyx stones, and stones to be set in the (AHB)ephod and in the breastplate. And let them make Me a (AHC)sanctuary,[ec] that (AHD)I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.

The Ark of the Testimony(AHE)

10 (AHF)“And they shall make an ark of acacia wood; two and a half cubits shall be its length, a cubit and a half its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 11 And you shall overlay it with pure gold, inside and out you shall overlay it, and shall make on it a molding of (AHG)gold all around. 12 You shall cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in its four corners; two rings shall be on one side, and two rings on the other side. 13 And you shall make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 14 You shall put the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark, that the ark may be carried by them. 15 (AHH)The poles shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it. 16 And you shall put into the ark (AHI)the Testimony which I will give you.

17 (AHJ)“You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. 18 And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. 20 And (AHK)the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat. 21 (AHL)You shall put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and (AHM)in the ark you shall put the Testimony that I will give you. 22 And (AHN)there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from (AHO)between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.

The Table for the Showbread(AHP)

23 (AHQ)“You shall also make a table of acacia wood; two cubits shall be its length, a cubit its width, and a cubit and a half its height. 24 And you shall overlay it with pure gold, and make a molding of gold all around. 25 You shall make for it a frame of a handbreadth all around, and you shall make a gold molding for the frame all around. 26 And you shall make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings on the four corners that are at its four legs. 27 The rings shall be close to the frame, as holders for the poles to bear the table. 28 And you shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be carried with them. 29 You shall make (AHR)its dishes, its pans, its pitchers, and its bowls for pouring. You shall make them of pure gold. 30 And you shall set the (AHS)showbread on the table before Me always.

The Gold Lampstand(AHT)

31 (AHU)“You shall also make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be of hammered work. Its shaft, its branches, its bowls, its ornamental knobs, and flowers shall be of one piece. 32 And six branches shall come out of its sides: three branches of the lampstand out of one side, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side. 33 (AHV)Three bowls shall be made like almond blossoms on one branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower, and three bowls made like almond blossoms on the other branch, with an ornamental knob and a flower—and so for the six branches that come out of the lampstand. 34 (AHW)On the lampstand itself four bowls shall be made like almond blossoms, each with its ornamental knob and flower. 35 And there shall be a knob under the first two branches of the same, a knob under the second two branches of the same, and a knob under the third two branches of the same, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand. 36 Their knobs and their branches shall be of one piece; all of it shall be one hammered piece of pure gold. 37 You shall make seven lamps for it, and (AHX)they shall arrange its lamps so that they (AHY)give light in front of it. 38 And its wick-trimmers and their trays shall be of pure gold. 39 It shall be made of a talent of pure gold, with all these utensils. 40 And (AHZ)see to it that you make them according to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain.

The Tabernacle(AIA)

26 “Moreover (AIB)you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine woven linen and blue, purple, and scarlet thread; with artistic designs of cherubim you shall weave them. The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits. And every one of the curtains shall have [ed]the same measurements. Five curtains shall be coupled to one another, and the other five curtains shall be coupled to one another. And you shall make loops of blue yarn on the edge of the curtain on the selvedge of one set, and likewise you shall do on the outer edge of the other curtain of the second set. Fifty loops you shall make in the one curtain, and fifty loops you shall make on the edge of the curtain that is on the end of the second set, that the loops may be clasped to one another. And you shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains together with the clasps, so that it may be one tabernacle.

(AIC)“You shall also make curtains of goats’ hair, to be a tent over the tabernacle. You shall make eleven curtains. The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the width of each curtain four cubits; and the eleven curtains shall all have the same measurements. And you shall couple five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves, and you shall double over the sixth curtain at the forefront of the tent. 10 You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the curtain that is outermost in one set, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain of the second set. 11 And you shall make fifty bronze clasps, put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one. 12 The remnant that remains of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle. 13 And a cubit on one side and a cubit on the other side, of what remains of the length of the curtains of the tent, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and on that side, to cover it.

14 (AID)“You shall also make a covering of ram skins dyed red for the tent, and a covering of badger skins above that.

15 “And for the tabernacle you shall (AIE)make the boards of acacia wood, standing upright. 16 Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the width of each board. 17 Two [ee]tenons shall be in each board for binding one to another. Thus you shall make for all the boards of the tabernacle. 18 And you shall make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side. 19 You shall make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards: two sockets under each of the boards for its two tenons. 20 And for the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, there shall be twenty boards 21 and their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under each of the boards. 22 For the far side of the tabernacle, westward, you shall make six boards. 23 And you shall also make two boards for the two back corners of the tabernacle. 24 They shall be [ef]coupled together at the bottom and they shall be coupled together at the top by one ring. Thus it shall be for both of them. They shall be for the two corners. 25 So there shall be eight boards with their sockets of silver—sixteen sockets—two sockets under each of the boards.

26 “And you shall make bars of acacia wood: five for the boards on one side of the tabernacle, 27 five bars for the boards on the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the far side westward. 28 The (AIF)middle bar shall pass through the midst of the boards from end to end. 29 You shall overlay the boards with gold, make their rings of gold as holders for the bars, and overlay the bars with gold. 30 And you shall raise up the tabernacle (AIG)according to its pattern which you were shown on the mountain.

31 (AIH)“You shall make a veil woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen. It shall be woven with an artistic design of cherubim. 32 You shall hang it upon the four pillars of acacia wood overlaid with gold. Their hooks shall be gold, upon four sockets of silver. 33 And you shall hang the veil from the clasps. Then you shall bring (AII)the ark of the Testimony in there, behind the veil. The veil shall be a divider for you between (AIJ)the holy place and the Most Holy. 34 (AIK)You shall put the mercy seat upon the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy. 35 (AIL)You shall set the table outside the veil, and (AIM)the lampstand across from the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south; and you shall put the table on the north side.

36 (AIN)“You shall make a screen for the door of the tabernacle, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver. 37 And you shall make for the screen (AIO)five pillars of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold; their hooks shall be gold, and you shall cast five sockets of bronze for them.

The Altar of Burnt Offering(AIP)

27 “You shall make (AIQ)an altar of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide—the altar shall be square—and its height shall be three cubits. You shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it. And you shall overlay it with bronze. Also you shall make its pans to receive its ashes, and its shovels and its basins and its forks and its firepans; you shall make all its utensils of bronze. You shall make a grate for it, a network of bronze; and on the network you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. You shall put it under the rim of the altar beneath, that the network may be midway up the altar. And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. The poles shall be put in the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar to bear it. You shall make it hollow with boards; (AIR)as it was shown you on the mountain, so shall they make it.

The Court of the Tabernacle(AIS)

(AIT)“You shall also make the court of the tabernacle. For the south side there shall be hangings for the court made of fine woven linen, one hundred cubits long for one side. 10 And its twenty pillars and their twenty sockets shall be bronze. The hooks of the pillars and their bands shall be silver. 11 Likewise along the length of the north side there shall be hangings one hundred cubits long, with its twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of bronze, and the hooks of the pillars and their bands of silver.

12 “And along the width of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits, with their ten pillars and their ten sockets. 13 The width of the court on the east side shall be fifty cubits. 14 The hangings on one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets. 15 And on the other side shall be hangings of fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and their three sockets.

16 “For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, woven of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, made by a weaver. It shall have four pillars and four sockets. 17 All the pillars around the court shall have bands of silver; their (AIU)hooks shall be of silver and their sockets of bronze. 18 The length of the court shall be one hundred cubits, the width fifty throughout, and the height five cubits, made of fine woven linen, and its sockets of bronze. 19 All the utensils of the tabernacle for all its service, all its pegs, and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze.

The Care of the Lampstand(AIV)

20 “And (AIW)you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to cause the lamp to [eg]burn continually. 21 In the tabernacle of meeting, (AIX)outside the veil which is before the Testimony, (AIY)Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening until morning before the Lord. (AIZ)It shall be a statute forever to their generations on behalf of the children of Israel.

Garments for the Priesthood(AJA)

28 “Now take (AJB)Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister to Me as (AJC)priest, Aaron and Aaron’s sons: (AJD)Nadab, Abihu, (AJE)Eleazar, and Ithamar. And (AJF)you shall make [eh]holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. So (AJG)you shall speak to all who are gifted artisans, (AJH)whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments, to consecrate him, that he may minister to Me as priest. And these are the garments which they shall make: (AJI)a breastplate, (AJJ)an [ei]ephod, (AJK)a robe, (AJL)a skillfully woven tunic, a turban, and (AJM)a sash. So they shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons, that he may minister to Me as priest.

The Ephod

“They shall take the gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and the fine linen, (AJN)and they shall make the ephod of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked. It shall have two shoulder straps joined at its two edges, and so it shall be joined together. And the [ej]intricately woven band of the ephod, which is on it, shall be of the same workmanship, made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen.

“Then you shall take two onyx (AJO)stones and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel: 10 six of their names on one stone and six names on the other stone, in order of their (AJP)birth. 11 With the work of an (AJQ)engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, you shall engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall set them in settings of gold. 12 And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So (AJR)Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders (AJS)as a memorial. 13 You shall also make settings of gold, 14 and you shall make two chains of pure gold like braided cords, and fasten the braided chains to the settings.

The Breastplate(AJT)

15 (AJU)“You shall make the breastplate of judgment. Artistically woven according to the workmanship of the ephod you shall make it: of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, you shall make it. 16 It shall be doubled into a square: a span shall be its length, and a span shall be its width. 17 (AJV)And you shall put settings of stones in it, four rows of stones: The first row shall be a [ek]sardius, a topaz, and an emerald; this shall be the first row; 18 the second row shall be a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 the third row, a [el]jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row, a [em]beryl, an [en]onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold settings. 21 And the stones shall have the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, each one with its own name; they shall be according to the twelve tribes.

22 “You shall make chains for the breastplate at the end, like braided cords of pure gold. 23 And you shall make two rings of gold for the breastplate, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. 24 Then you shall put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate; 25 and the other two ends of the two braided chains you shall fasten to the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod in the front.

26 “You shall make two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on the edge of it, which is on the inner side of the ephod. 27 And two other rings of gold you shall make, and put them on the two shoulder straps, underneath the ephod toward its front, right at the seam above the [eo]intricately woven band of the ephod. 28 They shall bind the breastplate by means of its rings to the rings of the ephod, using a blue cord, so that it is above the intricately woven band of the ephod, and so that the breastplate does not come loose from the ephod.

29 “So Aaron shall (AJW)bear the names of the sons of Israel on the breastplate of judgment over his heart, when he goes into the holy place, as a memorial before the Lord continually. 30 And (AJX)you shall put in the breastplate of judgment the [ep]Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be over Aaron’s heart when he goes in before the Lord. So Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel over his heart before the Lord continually.

Other Priestly Garments(AJY)

31 (AJZ)“You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 There shall be an opening for his head in the middle of it; it shall have a woven binding all around its opening, like the opening in a coat of mail, so that it does not tear. 33 And upon its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, all around its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe all around. 35 And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its sound will be heard when he goes into the holy place before the Lord and when he comes out, that he may not die.

36 (AKA)“You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet:

HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

37 And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban. 38 So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may (AKB)bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their [eq]holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be (AKC)accepted before the Lord.

39 “You shall (AKD)skillfully weave the tunic of fine linen thread, you shall make the turban of fine linen, and you shall make the sash of woven work.

40 (AKE)“For Aaron’s sons you shall make tunics, and you shall make sashes for them. And you shall make [er]hats for them, for glory and (AKF)beauty. 41 So you shall put them on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him. You shall (AKG)anoint them, (AKH)consecrate them, and [es]sanctify them, that they may minister to Me as priests. 42 And you shall make (AKI)for them linen trousers to cover their [et]nakedness; they shall [eu]reach from the waist to the thighs. 43 They shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they come into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near (AKJ)the altar to minister in the holy place, that they (AKK)do not incur [ev]iniquity and die. (AKL)It shall be a statute forever to him and his descendants after him.

Aaron and His Sons Consecrated(AKM)

29 “And this is what you shall do to them to hallow them for ministering to Me as priests: (AKN)Take one young bull and two rams without blemish, and (AKO)unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil (you shall make them of wheat flour). You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, with the bull and the two rams.

“And Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, (AKP)and you shall wash them with water. (AKQ)Then you shall take the garments, put the tunic on Aaron, and the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with (AKR)the intricately woven band of the ephod. (AKS)You shall put the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on the turban. And you shall take the anointing (AKT)oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him. Then (AKU)you shall bring his sons and put tunics on them. And you shall gird them with sashes, Aaron and his sons, and put the hats on them. (AKV)The priesthood shall be theirs for a perpetual statute. So you shall (AKW)consecrate Aaron and his sons.

10 “You shall also have the bull brought before the tabernacle of meeting, and (AKX)Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the bull. 11 Then you shall kill the bull before the Lord, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 12 You shall take some of the blood of the bull and put it on (AKY)the horns of the altar with your finger, and (AKZ)pour all the blood beside the base of the altar. 13 And (ALA)you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. 14 But (ALB)the flesh of the bull, with its skin and its offal, you shall burn with fire outside the camp. It is a sin offering.

15 (ALC)“You shall also take one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall (ALD)put their hands on the head of the ram; 16 and you shall kill the ram, and you shall take its blood and (ALE)sprinkle it all around on the altar. 17 Then you shall cut the ram in pieces, wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its pieces and with its head. 18 And you shall burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a (ALF)burnt offering to the Lord; it is a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord.

19 (ALG)“You shall also take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the ram. 20 Then you shall kill the ram, and take some of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, on the thumb of their right hand and on the big toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar. 21 And you shall take some of the blood that is on the altar, and some of (ALH)the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and on his garments, on his sons and on the garments of his sons with him; and (ALI)he and his garments shall be hallowed, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him.

22 “Also you shall take the fat of the ram, the fat tail, the fat that covers the entrails, the fatty lobe attached to the liver, the two kidneys and the fat on them, the right thigh (for it is a ram of consecration), 23 (ALJ)one loaf of bread, one cake made with oil, and one wafer from the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the Lord; 24 and you shall put all these in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and you shall (ALK)wave them as a wave offering before the Lord. 25 (ALL)You shall receive them back from their hands and burn them on the altar as a burnt offering, as a sweet aroma before the Lord. It is an offering made by fire to the Lord.

26 “Then you shall take (ALM)the breast of the ram of Aaron’s consecration and wave it as a wave offering before the Lord; and it shall be your portion. 27 And from the ram of the consecration you shall consecrate (ALN)the breast of the wave offering which is waved, and the thigh of the heave offering which is raised, of that which is for Aaron and of that which is for his sons. 28 It shall be from the children of Israel for Aaron and his sons (ALO)by a statute forever. For it is a heave offering; (ALP)it shall be a heave offering from the children of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, that is, their heave offering to the Lord.

29 “And the (ALQ)holy garments of Aaron (ALR)shall be his sons’ after him, (ALS)to be anointed in them and to be consecrated in them. 30 (ALT)That son who becomes priest in his place shall put them on for (ALU)seven days, when he enters the tabernacle of meeting to minister in the [ew]holy place.

31 “And you shall take the ram of the consecration and (ALV)boil its flesh in the holy place. 32 Then Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the (ALW)bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of meeting. 33 (ALX)They shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them; (ALY)but an outsider shall not eat them, because they are holy. 34 And if any of the flesh of the consecration offerings, or of the bread, remains until the morning, then (ALZ)you shall burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

35 “Thus you shall do to Aaron and his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. (AMA)Seven days you shall consecrate them. 36 And you (AMB)shall offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement. (AMC)You shall cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it, and you shall anoint it to sanctify it. 37 Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and sanctify it. And the altar shall be most holy. (AMD)Whatever touches the altar must be holy.

The Daily Offerings(AME)

38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: (AMF)two lambs of the first year, (AMG)day by day continually. 39 One lamb you shall offer (AMH)in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer [ex]at twilight. 40 With the one lamb shall be one-tenth of an ephah of flour mixed with one-fourth of a hin of pressed oil, and one-fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering. 41 And the other lamb you shall (AMI)offer [ey]at twilight; and you shall offer with it the grain offering and the drink offering, as in the morning, for a sweet aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord. 42 This shall be (AMJ)a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of meeting before the Lord, (AMK)where I will meet you to speak with you. 43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle (AML)shall be sanctified by My glory. 44 So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. I will also (AMM)consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as priests. 45 (AMN)I will dwell among the children of Israel and will (AMO)be their God. 46 And they shall know that (AMP)I am the Lord their God, who (AMQ)brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.

The Altar of Incense(AMR)

30 “You shall make (AMS)an altar to burn incense on; you shall make it of acacia wood. A cubit shall be its length and a cubit its width—it shall be square—and two cubits shall be its height. Its horns shall be of one piece with it. And you shall overlay its top, its sides all around, and its horns with pure gold; and you shall make for it a [ez]molding of gold all around. Two gold rings you shall make for it, under the molding on both its sides. You shall place them on its two sides, and they will be holders for the poles with which to bear it. You shall make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. And you shall put it before the (AMT)veil that is before the ark of the Testimony, before the (AMU)mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with you.

“Aaron shall burn on it (AMV)sweet incense every morning; when (AMW)he tends the lamps, he shall burn incense on it. And when Aaron lights the lamps [fa]at twilight, he shall burn incense on it, a perpetual incense before the Lord throughout your generations. You shall not offer (AMX)strange incense on it, or a burnt offering, or a grain offering; nor shall you pour a drink offering on it. 10 And (AMY)Aaron shall make atonement upon its horns once a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonement; once a year he shall make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the Lord.”

The Ransom Money

11 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 12 (AMZ)“When you take the census of the children of Israel for their number, then every man shall give (ANA)a[fb] ransom for himself to the Lord, when you number them, that there may be no (ANB)plague among them when you number them. 13 (ANC)This is what everyone among those who are numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (AND)(a shekel is twenty gerahs). (ANE)The half-shekel shall be an offering to the Lord. 14 Everyone included among those who are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an [fc]offering to the Lord. 15 The (ANF)rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when you give an offering to the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves. 16 And you shall take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and (ANG)shall [fd]appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of meeting, that it may be (ANH)a memorial for the children of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves.”

The Bronze Laver

17 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 18 (ANI)“You shall also make a [fe]laver of bronze, with its base also of bronze, for washing. You shall (ANJ)put it between the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. And you shall put water in it, 19 for Aaron and his sons (ANK)shall wash their hands and their feet in water from it. 20 When they go into the tabernacle of meeting, or when they come near the altar to minister, to burn an offering made by fire to the Lord, they shall wash with water, lest they die. 21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, lest they die. And (ANL)it shall be a [ff]statute forever to them—to him and his descendants throughout their generations.”

The Holy Anointing Oil(ANM)

22 Moreover the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 23 “Also take for yourself (ANN)quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid (ANO)myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling (ANP)cane, 24 five hundred shekels of (ANQ)cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a (ANR)hin of olive oil. 25 And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be (ANS)a holy anointing oil. 26 (ANT)With it you shall anoint the tabernacle of meeting and the ark of the Testimony; 27 the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, and the altar of incense; 28 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver and its base. 29 You shall consecrate them, that they may be most holy; (ANU)whatever touches them must be holy. 30 (ANV)And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister to Me as priests.

31 “And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me throughout your generations. 32 It shall not be poured on man’s flesh; nor shall you make any other like it, according to its composition. (ANW)It is holy, and it shall be holy to you. 33 (ANX)Whoever [fg]compounds any like it, or whoever puts any of it on an outsider, (ANY)shall be [fh]cut off from his people.’ ”

The Incense(ANZ)

34 And the Lord said to Moses: (AOA)“Take sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum, and pure frankincense with these sweet spices; there shall be equal amounts of each. 35 You shall make of these an incense, a compound (AOB)according to the art of the perfumer, salted, pure, and holy. 36 And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tabernacle of meeting (AOC)where I will meet with you. (AOD)It shall be most holy to you. 37 But as for the incense which you shall make, (AOE)you shall not make any for yourselves, according to its [fi]composition. It shall be to you holy for the Lord. 38 (AOF)Whoever makes any like it, to smell it, he shall be cut off from his people.”

Artisans for Building the Tabernacle(AOG)

31 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: (AOH)“See, I have called by name Bezalel the (AOI)son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. And I have (AOJ)filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship, to design artistic works, to work in gold, in silver, in bronze, in cutting jewels for setting, in carving wood, and to work in all manner of workmanship.

“And I, indeed I, have appointed with him (AOK)Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and I have put wisdom in the hearts of all the (AOL)gifted artisans, that they may make all that I have commanded you: (AOM)the tabernacle of meeting, (AON)the ark of the Testimony and (AOO)the mercy seat that is on it, and all the furniture of the tabernacle— (AOP)the table and its utensils, (AOQ)the pure gold lampstand with all its utensils, the altar of incense, (AOR)the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and (AOS)the laver and its base— 10 (AOT)the [fj]garments of ministry, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons, to minister as priests, 11 (AOU)and the anointing oil and (AOV)sweet incense for the holy place. According to all that I have commanded you they shall do.”

The Sabbath Law

12 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 13 “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: (AOW)‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who (AOX)sanctifies[fk] you. 14 (AOY)You shall keep the Sabbath, therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone who [fl]profanes it shall surely be put to death; for (AOZ)whoever does any work on it, that person shall be cut off from among his people. 15 Work shall be done for (APA)six days, but the (APB)seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. 16 Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 17 It is (APC)a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for (APD)in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ ”

18 And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses (APE)two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

The Gold Calf(APF)

32 Now when the people saw that Moses (APG)delayed coming down from the mountain, the people (APH)gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, (API)“Come, make us [fm]gods that shall (APJ)go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who (APK)brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.”

And Aaron said to them, “Break off the (APL)golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. (APM)And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf.

Then they said, “This is your god, O Israel, that (APN)brought you out of the land of Egypt!”

So when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a (APO)proclamation and said, “Tomorrow is a feast to the Lord.” Then they rose early on the next day, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people (APP)sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

And the Lord said to Moses, (APQ)“Go, get down! For your people whom you brought out of the land of Egypt (APR)have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way which (APS)I commanded them. They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshiped it and sacrificed to it, and said, (APT)‘This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt!’ ” And the Lord said to Moses, (APU)“I have seen this people, and indeed it is a [fn]stiff-necked people! 10 Now therefore, (APV)let Me alone, that (APW)My wrath may burn hot against them and I may [fo]consume them. And (APX)I will make of you a great nation.”

11 (APY)Then Moses pleaded with [fp]the Lord his God, and said: “Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 (APZ)Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and (AQA)relent from this harm to Your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You (AQB)swore by Your own self, and said to them, (AQC)‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.’ ” 14 So the Lord (AQD)relented from the harm which He said He would do to His people.

15 And (AQE)Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides; on the one side and on the other they were written. 16 Now the (AQF)tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.

17 And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said to Moses, “There is a noise of war in the camp.”

18 But he said:

It is not the noise of the shout of victory,
Nor the noise of the cry of defeat,
But the sound of singing I hear.”

19 So it was, as soon as he came near the camp, that (AQG)he saw the calf and the dancing. So Moses’ anger became hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them at the foot of the mountain. 20 (AQH)Then he took the calf which they had made, burned it in the fire, and ground it to powder; and he scattered it on the water and made the children of Israel drink it. 21 And Moses said to Aaron, (AQI)“What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?”

22 So Aaron said, “Do not let the anger of my lord become hot. (AQJ)You know the people, that they are set on evil. 23 For they said to me, ‘Make us gods that shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 24 And I said to them, ‘Whoever has any gold, let them break it off.’ So they gave it to me, and I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.”

25 Now when Moses saw that the people were (AQK)unrestrained (for Aaron (AQL)had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies), 26 then Moses stood in the entrance of the camp, and said, “Whoever is on the Lord’s side—come to me!” And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together to him. 27 And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and (AQM)let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.’ ” 28 So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day. 29 (AQN)Then Moses said, [fq]“Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, that He may bestow on you a blessing this day, for every man has opposed his son and his brother.”

30 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, (AQO)“You have committed a great sin. So now I will go up to the Lord; (AQP)perhaps I can (AQQ)make atonement for your sin.” 31 Then Moses (AQR)returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have (AQS)made for themselves a god of gold! 32 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin—but if not, I pray, (AQT)blot me (AQU)out of Your book which You have written.”

33 And the Lord said to Moses, (AQV)“Whoever has sinned against Me, I will (AQW)blot him out of My book. 34 Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have (AQX)spoken to you. (AQY)Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, (AQZ)in the day when I (ARA)visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.”

35 So the Lord plagued the people because of (ARB)what they did with the calf which Aaron made.

The Command to Leave Sinai

33 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Depart and go up from here, you (ARC)and the people whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, (ARD)‘To your descendants I will give it.’ (ARE)And I will send My Angel before you, (ARF)and I will drive out the Canaanite and the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. Go up (ARG)to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, lest (ARH)I [fr]consume you on the way, for you are a (ARI)stiff-necked[fs] people.”

And when the people heard this bad news, (ARJ)they mourned, (ARK)and no one put on his ornaments. For the Lord had said to Moses, “Say to the children of Israel, ‘You are a stiff-necked people. I could come up into your midst in one moment and consume you. Now therefore, take off your [ft]ornaments, that I may (ARL)know what to do to you.’ ” So the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.

Moses Meets with the Lord

Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and (ARM)called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who (ARN)sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp. So it was, whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood (ARO)at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle. And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord (ARP)talked with Moses. 10 All the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door, and all the people rose and (ARQ)worshiped, each man in his tent door. 11 So (ARR)the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp, but (ARS)his servant Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.

The Promise of God’s Presence

12 Then Moses said to the Lord, “See, (ART)You say to me, ‘Bring up this people.’ But You have not let me know whom You will send with me. Yet You have said, (ARU)‘I know you by name, and you have also found grace in My sight.’ 13 Now therefore, I pray, (ARV)if I have found grace in Your sight, (ARW)show me now Your way, that I may know You and that I may find grace in Your sight. And consider that this nation is (ARX)Your people.”

14 And He said, (ARY)“My Presence will go with you, and I will give you (ARZ)rest.”

15 Then he said to Him, (ASA)“If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. 16 For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, (ASB)except You go with us? So we (ASC)shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.”

17 So the Lord said to Moses, (ASD)“I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”

18 And he said, “Please, show me (ASE)Your glory.”

19 Then He said, “I will make all My (ASF)goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. (ASG)I will be gracious to whom I will be (ASH)gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” 20 But He said, “You cannot see My face; for (ASI)no man shall see Me, and live.” 21 And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. 22 So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you (ASJ)in the cleft of the rock, and will (ASK)cover you with My hand while I pass by. 23 Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall (ASL)not be seen.”

Moses Makes New Tablets(ASM)

34 And the Lord said to Moses, (ASN)“Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and (ASO)I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke. So be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and present yourself to Me there (ASP)on the top of the mountain. And no man shall (ASQ)come up with you, and let no man be seen throughout all the mountain; let neither flocks nor herds feed before that mountain.”

So he cut two tablets of stone like the first ones. Then Moses rose early in the morning and went up Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him; and he took in his hand the two tablets of stone.

Now the Lord descended in the (ASR)cloud and stood with him there, and (ASS)proclaimed the name of the Lord. And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord (AST)God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in (ASU)goodness and (ASV)truth, (ASW)keeping mercy for thousands, (ASX)forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, (ASY)by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”

So Moses made haste and (ASZ)bowed his head toward the earth, and worshiped. Then he said, “If now I have found grace in Your sight, O Lord, (ATA)let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a (ATB)stiff-necked[fu] people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as (ATC)Your inheritance.”

The Covenant Renewed(ATD)

10 And He said: “Behold, (ATE)I make a covenant. Before all your people I will (ATF)do [fv]marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the Lord. For it is (ATG)an awesome thing that I will do with you. 11 (ATH)Observe what I command you this day. Behold, (ATI)I am driving out from before you the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 12 (ATJ)Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. 13 But you shall (ATK)destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and (ATL)cut down their wooden images 14 (for you shall worship (ATM)no other god, for the Lord, whose (ATN)name is Jealous, is a (ATO)jealous God), 15 lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they (ATP)play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods, and one of them (ATQ)invites you and you (ATR)eat of his sacrifice, 16 and you take of (ATS)his daughters for your sons, and his daughters (ATT)play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods.

17 (ATU)“You shall make no molded gods for yourselves.

18 “The Feast of (ATV)Unleavened Bread you shall keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the appointed time of the month of Abib; for in the (ATW)month of Abib you came out from Egypt.

19 (ATX)“All [fw]that open the womb are Mine, and every male firstborn among your livestock, whether ox or sheep. 20 But (ATY)the firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb. And if you will not redeem him, then you shall break his neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem.

“And none shall appear before Me (ATZ)empty-handed.

21 (AUA)“Six days you shall work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; in plowing time and in harvest you shall rest.

22 “And you shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end.

23 (AUB)“Three times in the year all your men shall appear before the Lord, the Lord God of Israel. 24 For I will (AUC)cast out the nations before you and enlarge your borders; neither will any man covet your land when you go up to appear before the Lord your God three times in the year.

25 “You shall not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leaven, (AUD)nor shall the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover be left until morning.

26 (AUE)“The first of the firstfruits of your land you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God. You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk.”

27 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write (AUF)these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” 28 (AUG)So he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And (AUH)He wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the [fx]Ten Commandments.

The Shining Face of Moses

29 Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai (and the (AUI)two tablets of the Testimony were in Moses’ hand when he came down from the mountain), that Moses did not know that (AUJ)the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him. 30 So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. 31 Then Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned to him; and Moses talked with them. 32 Afterward all the children of Israel came near, (AUK)and he gave them as commandments all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. 33 And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put (AUL)a veil on his face. 34 But (AUM)whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded. 35 And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.

Sabbath Regulations

35 Then Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said to them, (AUN)“These are the words which the Lord has commanded you to do:

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 1:5 Lit. who came from the loins of
  2. Exodus 1:5 DSS, LXX seventy-five; cf. Acts 7:14
  3. Exodus 1:7 became very numerous
  4. Exodus 1:13 harshness
  5. Exodus 1:19 have vigor of life, bear quickly, easily
  6. Exodus 1:20 became very numerous
  7. Exodus 1:21 gave them families
  8. Exodus 1:22 Sam., LXX, Tg. add to the Hebrews
  9. Exodus 2:10 Heb. Mosheh, lit. Drawn Out
  10. Exodus 2:15 the presence of Pharaoh
  11. Exodus 2:18 Jethro, Ex. 3:1
  12. Exodus 2:22 Lit. Stranger There
  13. Exodus 2:22 sojourner, temporary resident
  14. Exodus 3:7 pain
  15. Exodus 4:9 The Nile
  16. Exodus 4:10 heavy or dull of tongue; cannot talk very well
  17. Exodus 4:25 Lit. made it touch
  18. Exodus 4:25 Lit. his
  19. Exodus 4:26 bridegroom
  20. Exodus 5:1 keep a pilgrim-feast
  21. Exodus 5:21 Lit. our scent to stink before
  22. Exodus 6:2 Heb. YHWH
  23. Exodus 6:3 Heb. YHWH, traditionally Jehovah
  24. Exodus 6:4 made or ratified
  25. Exodus 6:4 sojournings
  26. Exodus 6:4 sojourners, temporary residents
  27. Exodus 6:6 Mighty power
  28. Exodus 6:8 promised, lit. lifted up My hand
  29. Exodus 6:9 Lit. shortness
  30. Exodus 6:12 One who does not speak well
  31. Exodus 6:13 charge
  32. Exodus 6:15 Nemuel, Num. 26:12
  33. Exodus 6:26 hosts
  34. Exodus 6:30 One who does not speak well
  35. Exodus 7:4 hosts
  36. Exodus 7:11 soothsayers
  37. Exodus 7:11 secret arts
  38. Exodus 7:16 worship
  39. Exodus 7:18 be weary of drinking
  40. Exodus 7:22 secret arts
  41. Exodus 8:7 secret arts
  42. Exodus 8:8 Pray to, Make supplication to
  43. Exodus 8:16 gnats
  44. Exodus 8:18 secret arts
  45. Exodus 8:19 An act of God
  46. Exodus 8:23 Lit. set a ransom, Ex. 9:4; 11:7
  47. Exodus 8:26 Put us to death by stoning
  48. Exodus 9:28 Pray to, Make supplication to
  49. Exodus 9:28 Lit. voices of God or sounds of God
  50. Exodus 9:32 Lit. darkened
  51. Exodus 10:17 make supplication to
  52. Exodus 10:21 Lit. that one may feel the darkness
  53. Exodus 10:25 Lit. into our hands
  54. Exodus 11:7 sharpen
  55. Exodus 12:5 perfect or sound
  56. Exodus 12:5 a year old
  57. Exodus 12:11 Made ready to travel
  58. Exodus 12:15 soul
  59. Exodus 12:15 Put to death
  60. Exodus 12:17 hosts
  61. Exodus 12:23 Crosspiece at top of door
  62. Exodus 12:29 in prison
  63. Exodus 12:40 Length of the stay
  64. Exodus 12:40 Sam., LXX Egypt and Canaan
  65. Exodus 12:42 night of vigil
  66. Exodus 12:48 As a resident alien
  67. Exodus 13:2 Set apart
  68. Exodus 13:3 Lit. slaves
  69. Exodus 13:10 regulation
  70. Exodus 13:12 Lit. cause to pass over
  71. Exodus 13:19 give attention to
  72. Exodus 14:6 harnessed
  73. Exodus 14:13 deliverance
  74. Exodus 14:14 Lit. be quiet
  75. Exodus 14:24 confused
  76. Exodus 14:25 Sam., LXX, Syr. bound
  77. Exodus 14:27 Lit. shook off
  78. Exodus 14:30 delivered
  79. Exodus 14:31 Lit. hand with which the Lord worked
  80. Exodus 15:8 became firm
  81. Exodus 15:11 mighty ones
  82. Exodus 15:14 Anguish
  83. Exodus 15:23 Lit. Bitter
  84. Exodus 15:25 regulation
  85. Exodus 16:4 Lit. the portion of a day in its day
  86. Exodus 16:20 listen to
  87. Exodus 16:31 Lit. What? Ex. 16:15
  88. Exodus 17:4 Put me to death by stoning
  89. Exodus 17:7 Lit. Tempted
  90. Exodus 17:7 Lit. Contention
  91. Exodus 17:7 tested
  92. Exodus 17:12 Weary of being held up
  93. Exodus 17:15 Heb. YHWH Nissi
  94. Exodus 17:16 Lit. a hand is upon the throne of the Lord
  95. Exodus 18:3 Lit. Stranger There
  96. Exodus 18:3 sojourner, temporary resident
  97. Exodus 18:4 Lit. My God Is Help
  98. Exodus 18:11 acted presumptuously
  99. Exodus 18:12 So with MT, LXX; Syr., Tg., Vg. offered
  100. Exodus 18:14 Sit as judge
  101. Exodus 18:16 dispute
  102. Exodus 18:19 advice
  103. Exodus 18:26 difficult matters
  104. Exodus 19:4 sustained
  105. Exodus 19:7 set
  106. Exodus 19:18 LXX all the people
  107. Exodus 20:2 slaves
  108. Exodus 20:5 worship
  109. Exodus 20:5 punishing
  110. Exodus 20:24 cause My name to be remembered
  111. Exodus 21:1 ordinances
  112. Exodus 21:8 Lit. is evil in the eyes of
  113. Exodus 21:19 exempt from punishment
  114. Exodus 21:22 struggle
  115. Exodus 21:22 Lit. her children come out
  116. Exodus 21:28 exempt from punishment
  117. Exodus 21:29 was inclined
  118. Exodus 22:3 Sold as a slave
  119. Exodus 22:21 sojourner
  120. Exodus 23:9 sojourner
  121. Exodus 23:11 olive yards
  122. Exodus 23:17 Heb. YHWH, usually translated Lord
  123. Exodus 23:18 feast
  124. Exodus 23:23 annihilate them
  125. Exodus 23:31 boundaries
  126. Exodus 23:31 Heb. Nahar, the Euphrates
  127. Exodus 23:32 treaty
  128. Exodus 24:3 ordinances
  129. Exodus 24:10 Lit. substance of heaven
  130. Exodus 24:11 stretch out His
  131. Exodus 25:2 heave offering
  132. Exodus 25:5 Or dolphin
  133. Exodus 25:8 sacred place
  134. Exodus 26:2 Lit. one measure
  135. Exodus 26:17 Projections for joining, lit. hands
  136. Exodus 26:24 Lit. doubled
  137. Exodus 27:20 Lit. ascend
  138. Exodus 28:2 sacred
  139. Exodus 28:4 Ornamented vest
  140. Exodus 28:8 ingenious work of
  141. Exodus 28:17 Or ruby
  142. Exodus 28:19 Or amber
  143. Exodus 28:20 Or yellow jasper
  144. Exodus 28:20 Or carnelian
  145. Exodus 28:27 ingenious work of
  146. Exodus 28:30 Lit. Lights and the Perfections
  147. Exodus 28:38 sacred
  148. Exodus 28:40 headpieces or turbans
  149. Exodus 28:41 set them apart
  150. Exodus 28:42 bare flesh
  151. Exodus 28:42 Lit. be
  152. Exodus 28:43 guilt
  153. Exodus 29:30 sanctuary
  154. Exodus 29:39 Lit. between the two evenings
  155. Exodus 29:41 Lit. between the two evenings
  156. Exodus 30:3 border
  157. Exodus 30:8 Lit. between the two evenings
  158. Exodus 30:12 the price of a life
  159. Exodus 30:14 contribution
  160. Exodus 30:16 give
  161. Exodus 30:18 basin
  162. Exodus 30:21 requirement
  163. Exodus 30:33 mixes
  164. Exodus 30:33 Put to death
  165. Exodus 30:37 Lit. proportion
  166. Exodus 31:10 Or woven garments
  167. Exodus 31:13 consecrates
  168. Exodus 31:14 defiles
  169. Exodus 32:1 Or a god
  170. Exodus 32:9 stubborn
  171. Exodus 32:10 destroy
  172. Exodus 32:11 Lit. the face of the Lord
  173. Exodus 32:29 Lit. Fill your hand
  174. Exodus 33:3 destroy
  175. Exodus 33:3 stubborn
  176. Exodus 33:5 jewelry
  177. Exodus 34:9 stubborn
  178. Exodus 34:10 wonderful acts
  179. Exodus 34:19 the firstborn
  180. Exodus 34:28 Lit. Ten Words

1-5 These are the names of the Israelites who went to Egypt with Jacob, each bringing his family members:

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

Seventy persons in all generated by Jacob’s seed. Joseph was already in Egypt.

6-7 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers—that whole generation. But the children of Israel kept on reproducing. They were very prolific—a population explosion in their own right—and the land was filled with them.

“A New King . . . Who Didn’t Know Joseph”

8-10 A new king came to power in Egypt who didn’t know Joseph. He spoke to his people with alarm, “There are way too many of these Israelites for us to handle. We’ve got to do something: Let’s devise a plan to contain them, lest if there’s a war they should join our enemies, or just walk off and leave us.”

11-14 So they organized them into work-gangs and put them to hard labor under gang-foremen. They built the storage cities Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh. But the harder the Egyptians worked them the more children the Israelites had—children everywhere! The Egyptians got so they couldn’t stand the Israelites and treated them worse than ever, crushing them with slave labor. They made them miserable with hard labor—making bricks and mortar and back-breaking work in the fields. They piled on the work, crushing them under the cruel workload.

15-16 The king of Egypt had a talk with the two Hebrew midwives; one was named Shiphrah and the other Puah. He said, “When you deliver the Hebrew women, look at the sex of the baby. If it’s a boy, kill him; if it’s a girl, let her live.”

17-18 But the midwives had far too much respect for God and didn’t do what the king of Egypt ordered; they let the boy babies live. The king of Egypt called in the midwives. “Why didn’t you obey my orders? You’ve let those babies live!”

19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women; they’re vigorous. Before the midwife can get there, they’ve already had the baby.”

20-21 God was pleased with the midwives. The people continued to increase in number—a very strong people. And because the midwives honored God, God gave them families of their own.

22 So Pharaoh issued a general order to all his people: “Every boy that is born, drown him in the Nile. But let the girls live.”

Moses

1-3 A man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman. The woman became pregnant and had a son. She saw there was something special about him and hid him. She hid him for three months. When she couldn’t hide him any longer she got a little basket-boat made of papyrus, waterproofed it with tar and pitch, and placed the child in it. Then she set it afloat in the reeds at the edge of the Nile.

4-6 The baby’s older sister found herself a vantage point a little way off and watched to see what would happen to him. Pharaoh’s daughter came down to the Nile to bathe; her maidens strolled on the bank. She saw the basket-boat floating in the reeds and sent her maid to get it. She opened it and saw the child—a baby crying! Her heart went out to him. She said, “This must be one of the Hebrew babies.”

Then his sister was before her: “Do you want me to go and get a nursing mother from the Hebrews so she can nurse the baby for you?”

Pharaoh’s daughter said, “Yes. Go.” The girl went and called the child’s mother.

Pharaoh’s daughter told her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me. I’ll pay you.” The woman took the child and nursed him.

10 After the child was weaned, she presented him to Pharaoh’s daughter who adopted him as her son. She named him Moses (Pulled-Out), saying, “I pulled him out of the water.”

11-12 Time passed. Moses grew up. One day he went and saw his brothers, saw all that hard labor. Then he saw an Egyptian hit a Hebrew—one of his relatives! He looked this way and then that; when he realized there was no one in sight, he killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand.

13 The next day he went out there again. Two Hebrew men were fighting. He spoke to the man who started it: “Why are you hitting your neighbor?”

14 The man shot back: “Who do you think you are, telling us what to do? Are you going to kill me the way you killed that Egyptian?”

Then Moses panicked: “Word’s gotten out—people know about this.”

* * *

15 Pharaoh heard about it and tried to kill Moses, but Moses got away to the land of Midian. He sat down by a well.

16-17 The priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, filling the troughs and watering their father’s sheep. When some shepherds came and chased the girls off, Moses came to their rescue and helped them water their sheep.

18 When they got home to their father, Reuel, he said, “That didn’t take long. Why are you back so soon?”

19 “An Egyptian,” they said, “rescued us from a bunch of shepherds. Why, he even drew water for us and watered the sheep.”

20 He said, “So where is he? Why did you leave him behind? Invite him so he can have something to eat with us.”

21-22 Moses agreed to settle down there with the man, who then gave his daughter Zipporah (Bird) to him for his wife. She had a son, and Moses named him Gershom (Sojourner), saying, “I’m a sojourner in a foreign country.”

* * *

23 Many years later the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery and cried out. Their cries for relief from their hard labor ascended to God:

24 God listened to their groanings.

God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

25 God saw what was going on with Israel.

God understood.

* * *

1-2 Moses was shepherding the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the west end of the wilderness and came to the mountain of God, Horeb. The angel of God appeared to him in flames of fire blazing out of the middle of a bush. He looked. The bush was blazing away but it didn’t burn up.

Moses said, “What’s going on here? I can’t believe this! Amazing! Why doesn’t the bush burn up?”

God saw that he had stopped to look. God called to him from out of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

He said, “Yes? I’m right here!”

God said, “Don’t come any closer. Remove your sandals from your feet. You’re standing on holy ground.”

Then he said, “I am the God of your father: The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.”

Moses hid his face, afraid to look at God.

7-8 God said, “I’ve taken a good, long look at the affliction of my people in Egypt. I’ve heard their cries for deliverance from their slave masters; I know all about their pain. And now I have come down to help them, pry them loose from the grip of Egypt, get them out of that country and bring them to a good land with wide-open spaces, a land lush with milk and honey, the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.

9-10 “The Israelite cry for help has come to me, and I’ve seen for myself how cruelly they’re being treated by the Egyptians. It’s time for you to go back: I’m sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the People of Israel, out of Egypt.”

11 Moses answered God, “But why me? What makes you think that I could ever go to Pharaoh and lead the children of Israel out of Egypt?”

12 “I’ll be with you,” God said. “And this will be the proof that I am the one who sent you: When you have brought my people out of Egypt, you will worship God right here at this very mountain.”

13 Then Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the People of Israel and I tell them, ‘The God of your fathers sent me to you’; and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What do I tell them?”

14 God said to Moses, “I-AM-WHO-I-AM. Tell the People of Israel, ‘I-AM sent me to you.’”

15 God continued with Moses: “This is what you’re to say to the Israelites: ‘God, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob sent me to you.’ This has always been my name, and this is how I always will be known.

16-17 “Now be on your way. Gather the leaders of Israel. Tell them, ‘God, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me, saying, “I’ve looked into what’s being done to you in Egypt, and I’ve determined to get you out of the affliction of Egypt and take you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, a land brimming over with milk and honey.”’

18 “Believe me, they will listen to you. Then you and the leaders of Israel will go to the king of Egypt and say to him: ‘God, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness where we will worship Godour God.’

19-22 “I know that the king of Egypt won’t let you go unless forced to, so I’ll intervene and hit Egypt where it hurts—oh, my miracles will send them reeling!—after which they’ll be glad to send you off. I’ll see to it that this people get a hearty send-off by the Egyptians—when you leave, you won’t leave empty-handed! Each woman will ask her neighbor and any guests in her house for objects of silver and gold, for jewelry and extra clothes; you’ll put them on your sons and daughters. Oh, you’ll clean the Egyptians out!”

Moses objected, “They won’t trust me. They won’t listen to a word I say. They’re going to say, ‘God? Appear to him? Hardly!’”

So God said, “What’s that in your hand?”

“A staff.”

“Throw it on the ground.” He threw it. It became a snake; Moses jumped back—fast!

4-5 God said to Moses, “Reach out and grab it by the tail.” He reached out and grabbed it—and he was holding his staff again. “That’s so they will trust that God appeared to you, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”

God then said, “Put your hand inside your shirt.” He slipped his hand under his shirt, then took it out. His hand had turned leprous, like snow.

He said, “Put your hand back under your shirt.” He did it, then took it back out—as healthy as before.

8-9 “So if they don’t trust you and aren’t convinced by the first sign, the second sign should do it. But if it doesn’t, if even after these two signs they don’t trust you and listen to your message, take some water out of the Nile and pour it out on the dry land; the Nile water that you pour out will turn to blood when it hits the ground.”

10 Moses raised another objection to God: “Master, please, I don’t talk well. I’ve never been good with words, neither before nor after you spoke to me. I stutter and stammer.”

11-12 God said, “And who do you think made the human mouth? And who makes some mute, some deaf, some sighted, some blind? Isn’t it I, God? So, get going. I’ll be right there with you—with your mouth! I’ll be right there to teach you what to say.”

13 He said, “Oh, Master, please! Send somebody else!”

14-17 God got angry with Moses: “Don’t you have a brother, Aaron the Levite? He’s good with words, I know he is. He speaks very well. In fact, at this very moment he’s on his way to meet you. When he sees you he’s going to be glad. You’ll speak to him and tell him what to say. I’ll be right there with you as you speak and with him as he speaks, teaching you step by step. He will speak to the people for you. He’ll act as your mouth, but you’ll decide what comes out of it. Now take this staff in your hand; you’ll use it to do the signs.”

* * *

18 Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said, “I need to return to my relatives who are in Egypt. I want to see if they’re still alive.”

Jethro said, “Go. And peace be with you.”

19 God said to Moses in Midian: “Go. Return to Egypt. All the men who wanted to kill you are dead.”

20 So Moses took his wife and sons and put them on a donkey for the return trip to Egypt. He had a firm grip on the staff of God.

21-23 God said to Moses, “When you get back to Egypt, be prepared: All the wonders that I will do through you, you’ll do before Pharaoh. But I will make him stubborn so that he will refuse to let the people go. Then you are to tell Pharaoh, ‘God’s Message: Israel is my son, my firstborn! I told you, “Free my son so that he can serve me.” But you refused to free him. So now I’m going to kill your son, your firstborn.’”

* * *

24-26 On the journey back, as they camped for the night, God met Moses and would have killed him but Zipporah took a flint knife and cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched Moses’ member with it. She said, “Oh! You’re a bridegroom of blood to me!” Then God let him go. She used the phrase “bridegroom of blood” because of the circumcision.

* * *

27-28 God spoke to Aaron, “Go and meet Moses in the wilderness.” He went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. Moses told Aaron the message that God had sent him to speak and the wonders he had commanded him to do.

29-31 So Moses and Aaron proceeded to round up all the leaders of Israel. Aaron told them everything that God had told Moses and demonstrated the wonders before the people. And the people trusted and listened believingly that God was concerned with what was going on with the Israelites and knew all about their affliction. They bowed low and they worshiped.

Moses and Aaron and Pharaoh

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.”

4-5 But the king of Egypt said, “Why on earth, Moses and Aaron, would you suggest the people be given a holiday? Back to work!” Pharaoh went on, “Look, I’ve got all these people freeloading, and now you want to reward them with time off?”

6-9 Pharaoh took immediate action. He sent down orders to the slave-drivers and their underlings: “Don’t provide straw for the people for making bricks as you have been doing. Make them get their own straw. 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.’ Crack down on them. That’ll cure them of their whining, their god-fantasies.”

10-12 The slave-drivers and their underlings went out to the people with their new instructions. “Pharaoh’s orders: No more straw provided. Get your own straw wherever you can find it. And not one brick less in your daily work quota!” The people scattered all over Egypt scrambling for straw.

13 The slave-drivers were merciless, saying, “Complete your daily quota of bricks—the same number as when you were given straw.”

14 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?”

15-16 The Israelite foremen came to Pharaoh and cried out for relief: “Why are you treating your servants like this? Nobody gives us any straw and they tell us, ‘Make bricks!’ Look at us—we’re being beaten. And it’s not our fault.”

17-18 But Pharaoh said, “Lazy! That’s what you are! Lazy! That’s why you whine, ‘Let us go so we can worship God.’ Well then, go—go back to work. Nobody’s going to give you straw, and at the end of the day you better bring in your full quota of bricks.”

19 The Israelite foremen saw that they were in a bad way, having to go back and tell their workers, “Not one brick short in your daily quota.”

20-21 As they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them. 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!”

22-23 Moses went back to God and said, “My Master, why are you treating this people so badly? And why did you ever send me? 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?”

God said to Moses, “Now you’ll see what I’ll do to Pharaoh: With a strong hand he’ll send them out free; with a strong hand he’ll drive them out of his land.”

2-6 God continued speaking to Moses, reassuring him, “I am God. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as The Strong God, but by my name God (I-Am-Present) I was not known to them. I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the country in which they lived as sojourners. But now I’ve heard the groanings of the Israelites whom the Egyptians continue to enslave and I’ve remembered my covenant. Therefore tell the Israelites:

6-8 “I am God. I will bring you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I will rescue you from slavery. I will redeem you, intervening with great acts of judgment. I’ll take you as my own people and I’ll be God to you. You’ll know that I am God, your God who brings you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt. I’ll bring you into the land that I promised to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and give it to you as your own country. I AM God.

But when Moses delivered this message to the Israelites, they didn’t even hear him—they were that beaten down in spirit by the harsh slave conditions.

10-11 Then God said to Moses, “Go and speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he will release the Israelites from his land.”

12 Moses answered God, “Look—the Israelites won’t even listen to me. How do you expect Pharaoh to? And besides, I stutter.”

13 But God again laid out the facts to Moses and Aaron regarding the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he again commanded them to lead the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.

The Family Tree of Moses and Aaron

14 These are the heads of the tribes:

The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi—these are the families of Reuben.

15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Saul, the son of a Canaanite woman—these are the families of Simeon.

16 These are the names of the sons of Levi in the order of their birth: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.

17 The sons of Gershon by family: Libni and Shimei.

18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived to be 133.

19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.

These are the sons of Levi in the order of their birth.

20 Amram married his aunt Jochebed and she had Aaron and Moses. Amram lived to be 137.

21 The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zicri.

22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.

23 Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she had Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

24 The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the families of the Korahites.

25 Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel and she had Phinehas.

These are the heads of the Levite families, family by family.

26-27 This is the Aaron and Moses whom God ordered: “Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt clan by clan.” These are the men, Moses and Aaron, who told Pharaoh king of Egypt to release the Israelites from Egypt.

“I’ll Make You as a God to Pharaoh”

28 And that’s how things stood when God next spoke to Moses in Egypt.

29 God addressed Moses, saying, “I am God. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I say to you.”

30 And Moses answered, “Look at me. I stutter. Why would Pharaoh listen to me?”

1-5 God told Moses, “Look at me. I’ll make you as a god to Pharaoh and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. You are to speak everything I command you, and your brother Aaron will tell it to Pharaoh. Then he will release the Israelites from his land. At the same time I am going to put Pharaoh’s back up and follow it up by filling Egypt with signs and wonders. Pharaoh is not going to listen to you, but I will have my way against Egypt and bring out my soldiers, my people the Israelites, from Egypt by mighty acts of judgment. The Egyptians will realize that I am God when I step in and take the Israelites out of their country.”

6-7 Moses and Aaron did exactly what God commanded. Moses was eighty and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

* * *

8-9 Then God spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, “When Pharaoh speaks to you and says, ‘Prove yourselves. Perform a miracle,’ then tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh: It will turn into a snake.’”

10 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did what God commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his servants, and it turned into a snake.

11-12 Pharaoh called in his wise men and sorcerers. The magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their spells: each man threw down his staff and they all turned into snakes. But then Aaron’s staff swallowed their staffs.

13 Yet Pharaoh was as stubborn as ever—he wouldn’t listen to them, just as God had said.

Strike One: Blood

14-18 God said to Moses: “Pharaoh is a stubborn man. He refuses to release the people. First thing in the morning, go and meet Pharaoh as he goes down to the river. At the shore of the Nile take the staff that turned into a snake and say to him, ‘God, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you with this message, “Release my people so that they can worship me in the wilderness.” So far you haven’t listened. This is how you’ll know that I am God. I am going to take this staff that I’m holding and strike this Nile River water: The water will turn to blood; the fish in the Nile will die; the Nile will stink; and the Egyptians won’t be able to drink the Nile water.’”

19 God said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and wave it over the waters of Egypt—over its rivers, its canals, its ponds, all its bodies of water—so that they turn to blood.’ There’ll be blood everywhere in Egypt—even in the pots and pans.”

20-21 Moses and Aaron did exactly as God commanded them. Aaron raised his staff and hit the water in the Nile with Pharaoh and his servants watching. All the water in the Nile turned into blood. The fish in the Nile died; the Nile stank; and the Egyptians couldn’t drink the Nile water. The blood was everywhere in Egypt.

22-25 But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their incantations. Still Pharaoh remained stubborn. He wouldn’t listen to them as God had said. He spun around and went home, never giving it a second thought. But all the Egyptians had to dig inland from the river for water because they couldn’t drink the Nile water.

Seven days went by after God had struck the Nile.

Strike Two: Frogs

1-4 God said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘God’s Message: Release my people so they can worship me. If you refuse to release them, I’m warning you, I’ll hit the whole country with frogs. The Nile will swarm with frogs—they’ll come up into your houses, into your bedrooms and into your beds, into your servants’ quarters, among the people, into your ovens and pots and pans. They’ll be all over you, all over everyone—frogs everywhere, on and in everything!’”

God said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Wave your staff over the rivers and canals and ponds. Bring up frogs on the land of Egypt.’”

Aaron stretched his staff over the waters of Egypt and a mob of frogs came up and covered the country.

But again the magicians did the same thing using their incantations—they also produced frogs in Egypt.

Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to God to rid us of these frogs. I’ll release the people so that they can make their sacrifices and worship God.”

Moses said to Pharaoh, “Certainly. Set the time. When do you want the frogs out of here, away from your servants and people and out of your houses? You’ll be rid of frogs except for those in the Nile.”

10-11 “Make it tomorrow.”

Moses said, “Tomorrow it is—so you’ll realize that there is no God like our God. The frogs will be gone. You and your houses and your servants and your people, free of frogs. The only frogs left will be the ones in the Nile.”

12-14 Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, and Moses prayed to God about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. God responded to Moses’ prayer: The frogs died off—houses, courtyards, fields, all free of frogs. They piled the frogs in heaps. The country reeked of dead frogs.

15 But when Pharaoh saw that he had some breathing room, he got stubborn again and wouldn’t listen to Moses and Aaron. Just as God had said.

Strike Three: Gnats

16 God said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and strike the dust. The dust will turn into gnats all over Egypt.’”

17 He did it. Aaron grabbed his staff and struck the dust of the Earth; it turned into gnats, gnats all over people and animals. All the dust of the Earth turned into gnats, gnats everywhere in Egypt.

18 The magicians tried to produce gnats with their spells but this time they couldn’t do it. There were gnats everywhere, all over people and animals.

19 The magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is God’s doing.” But Pharaoh was stubborn and wouldn’t listen. Just as God had said.

Strike Four: Flies

20-23 God said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes down to the water. Tell him, ‘God’s Message: Release my people so they can worship me. If you don’t release my people, I’ll release swarms of flies on you, your servants, your people, and your homes. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground under their feet will be thick with flies. But when it happens, I’ll set Goshen where my people live aside as a sanctuary—no flies in Goshen. That will show you that I am God in this land. I’ll make a sharp distinction between your people and mine. This sign will occur tomorrow.’”

24 And God did just that. Thick swarms of flies in Pharaoh’s palace and the houses of his servants. All over Egypt, the country ruined by flies.

25 Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron and said, “Go ahead. Sacrifice to your God—but do it here in this country.”

26-27 Moses said, “That would not be wise. What we sacrifice to our God would give great offense to Egyptians. If we openly sacrifice what is so deeply offensive to Egyptians, they’ll kill us. Let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to our God, just as he instructed us.”

28 Pharaoh said, “All right. I’ll release you to go and sacrifice to your God in the wilderness. Only don’t go too far. Now pray for me.”

29 Moses said, “As soon as I leave here, I will pray to God that tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh, his servants, and his people. But don’t play games with us and change your mind about releasing us to sacrifice to God.”

30-32 Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to God. God did what Moses asked. He got rid of the flies from Pharaoh and his servants and his people. There wasn’t a fly left. But Pharaoh became stubborn once again and wouldn’t release the people.

Strike Five: Animals

1-4 God said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘God, the God of the Hebrews, says: Release my people so they can worship me. If you refuse to release them and continue to hold on to them, I’m giving you fair warning: God will come down hard on your livestock out in the fields—horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep—striking them with a severe disease. God will draw a sharp line between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. Not one animal that belongs to the Israelites will die.’”

Then God set the time: “Tomorrow God will do this thing.”

6-7 And the next day God did it. All the livestock of Egypt died, but not one animal of the Israelites died. Pharaoh sent men to find out what had happened and there it was: none of the livestock of the Israelites had died—not one death. But Pharaoh stayed stubborn. He wouldn’t release the people.

Strike Six: Boils

8-11 God said to Moses and Aaron, “Take fistfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses throw it into the air right before Pharaoh’s eyes; it will become a film of fine dust all over Egypt and cause sores, an eruption of boils on people and animals throughout Egypt.” So they took soot from a furnace, stood in front of Pharaoh, and threw it up into the air. It caused boils to erupt on people and animals. The magicians weren’t able to compete with Moses this time because of the boils—they were covered with boils just like everyone else in Egypt.

12 God hardened Pharaoh in his stubbornness. He wouldn’t listen, just as God had said to Moses.

Strike Seven: Hail

13-19 God said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh. Tell him, ‘God, the God of the Hebrews, says: Release my people so they can worship me. This time I am going to strike you and your servants and your people with the full force of my power so you’ll get it into your head that there’s no one like me anywhere in all the Earth. You know that by now I could have struck you and your people with deadly disease and there would be nothing left of you, not a trace. But for one reason only I’ve kept you on your feet: To make you recognize my power so that my reputation spreads in all the Earth. You are still building yourself up at my people’s expense. You are not letting them go. So here’s what’s going to happen: At this time tomorrow I’m sending a terrific hailstorm—there’s never been a storm like this in Egypt from the day of its founding until now. So get your livestock under roof—everything exposed in the open fields, people and animals, will die when the hail comes down.’”

20-21 All of Pharaoh’s servants who had respect for God’s word got their workers and animals under cover as fast as they could, but those who didn’t take God’s word seriously left their workers and animals out in the field.

22 God said to Moses: “Stretch your hands to the skies. Signal the hail to fall all over Egypt on people and animals and crops exposed in the fields of Egypt.”

23-26 Moses lifted his staff to the skies and God sent cracks of thunder and hail shot through with lightning strikes. God rained hail down on the land of Egypt. The hail came, hail and lightning—a fierce hailstorm. There had been nothing like it in Egypt in its entire history. The hail hit hard all over Egypt. Everything exposed out in the fields, people and animals and crops, was smashed. Even the trees in the fields were shattered. Except for Goshen where the Israelites lived; there was no hail in Goshen.

27-28 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. He said, “I’ve sinned for sure this time—God is in the right and I and my people are in the wrong. Pray to God. We’ve had enough of God’s thunder and hail. I’ll let you go. The sooner you’re out of here the better.”

29-30 Moses said, “As soon as I’m out of the city, I’ll stretch out my arms to God. The thunder will stop and the hail end so you’ll know that the land is God’s land. Still, I know that you and your servants have no respect for God.”

31-32 (The flax and the barley were ruined, for they were just ripening, but the wheat and spelt weren’t hurt—they ripen later.)

33 Moses left Pharaoh and the city and stretched out his arms to God. The thunder and hail stopped; the storm cleared.

34-35 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he kept right on sinning, stubborn as ever, both he and his servants. Pharaoh’s heart turned rock-hard. He refused to release the Israelites, as God had ordered through Moses.

Strike Eight: Locusts

10 1-2 God said to Moses: “Go to Pharaoh. I’ve made him stubborn, him and his servants, so that I can force him to look at these signs and so you’ll be able to tell your children and grandchildren how I toyed with the Egyptians, like a cat with a mouse; you’ll tell them the stories of the signs that I brought down on them, so that you’ll all know that I am God.”

3-6 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “God, the God of the Hebrews, says, ‘How long are you going to refuse to knuckle under? Release my people so that they can worship me. If you refuse to release my people, watch out; tomorrow I’m bringing locusts into your country. They’ll cover every square inch of ground; no one will be able to see the ground. They’ll devour everything left over from the hailstorm, even the saplings out in the fields—they’ll clear-cut the trees. And they’ll invade your houses, filling the houses of your servants, filling every house in Egypt. Nobody will have ever seen anything like this, from the time your ancestors first set foot on this soil until today.’”

Then he turned on his heel and left Pharaoh.

Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long are you going to let this man harass us? Let these people go and worship their God. Can’t you see that Egypt is on its last legs?”

So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. He said to them, “Go ahead then. Go worship your God. But just who exactly is going with you?”

Moses said, “We’re taking young and old, sons and daughters, flocks and herds—this is our worship-celebration of God.”

10-11 He said, “I’d sooner send you off with God’s blessings than let you go with your children. Look, you’re up to no good—it’s written all over your faces. No way. Just the men are going—go ahead and worship God. That’s what you want so badly.” And they were thrown out of Pharaoh’s presence.

12 God said to Moses: “Stretch your hand over Egypt and signal the locusts to cover the land of Egypt, devouring every blade of grass in the country, everything that the hail didn’t get.”

13 Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt. God let loose an east wind. It blew that day and night. By morning the east wind had brought in the locusts.

14-15 The locusts covered the country of Egypt, settling over every square inch of Egypt; the place was thick with locusts. There never was an invasion of locusts like it in the past, and never will be again. The ground was completely covered, black with locusts. They ate everything, every blade of grass, every piece of fruit, anything that the hail didn’t get. Nothing left but bare trees and bare fields—not a sign of green in the whole land of Egypt.

16-17 Pharaoh had Moses and Aaron back in no time. He said, “I’ve sinned against your God and against you. Overlook my sin one more time. Pray to your God to get me out of this—get death out of here!”

18-19 Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to God. God reversed the wind—a powerful west wind took the locusts and dumped them into the Red Sea. There wasn’t a single locust left in the whole country of Egypt.

20 But God made Pharaoh stubborn as ever. He still didn’t release the Israelites.

Strike Nine: Darkness

21 God said to Moses: “Stretch your hand to the skies. Let darkness descend on the land of Egypt—a darkness so dark you can touch it.”

22-23 Moses stretched out his hand to the skies. Thick darkness descended on the land of Egypt for three days. Nobody could see anybody. For three days no one could so much as move. Except for the Israelites: they had light where they were living.

24 Pharaoh called in Moses: “Go and worship God. Leave your flocks and herds behind. But go ahead and take your children.”

25-26 But Moses said, “You have to let us take our sacrificial animals and offerings with us so we can sacrifice them in worship to our God. Our livestock has to go with us with not a hoof left behind; they are part of the worship of our God. And we don’t know just what will be needed until we get there.”

27 But God kept Pharaoh stubborn as ever. He wouldn’t agree to release them.

28 Pharaoh said to Moses: “Get out of my sight! And watch your step. I don’t want to ever see you again. If I lay eyes on you again, you’re dead.”

29 Moses said, “Have it your way. You won’t see my face again.”

Strike Ten: Death

11 God said to Moses: “I’m going to hit Pharaoh and Egypt one final time, and then he’ll let you go. When he releases you, that will be the end of Egypt for you; he won’t be able to get rid of you fast enough.

2-3 “So here’s what you do. Tell the people to ask, each man from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor, for things made of silver and gold.” God saw to it that the Egyptians liked the people. Also, Moses was greatly admired by the Egyptians, a respected public figure among both Pharaoh’s servants and the people at large.

4-7 Then Moses confronted Pharaoh: “God’s Message: ‘At midnight I will go through Egypt and every firstborn child in Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the slave girl working at her hand mill. Also the firstborn of animals. Widespread wailing will erupt all over the country, lament such as has never been and never will be again. But against the Israelites—man, woman, or animal—there won’t be so much as a dog’s bark, so that you’ll know that God makes a clear distinction between Egypt and Israel.’

“Then all these servants of yours will grovel before me, begging me to leave, ‘Leave! You and all the people who follow you!’ And I will most certainly leave.”

Moses, seething with anger, left Pharaoh.

God said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s not going to listen to a thing you say so that the signs of my presence and work are going to multiply in the land of Egypt.”

10 Moses and Aaron had performed all these signs in Pharaoh’s presence, but God turned Pharaoh more stubborn than ever—yet again he refused to release the Israelites from his land.

* * *

12 1-10 God said to Moses and Aaron while still in Egypt, “This month is to be the first month of the year for you. Address the whole community of Israel; tell them that on the tenth of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one lamb to a house. If the family is too small for a lamb, then share it with a close neighbor, depending on the number of persons involved. Be mindful of how much each person will eat. Your lamb must be a healthy male, one year old; you can select it from either the sheep or the goats. Keep it penned until the fourteenth day of this month and then slaughter it—the entire community of Israel will do this—at dusk. Then take some of the blood and smear it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which you will eat it. You are to eat the meat, roasted in the fire, that night, along with bread, made without yeast, and bitter herbs. Don’t eat any of it raw or boiled in water; make sure it’s roasted—the whole animal, head, legs, and innards. Don’t leave any of it until morning; if there are leftovers, burn them in the fire.

11 “And here is how you are to eat it: Be fully dressed with your sandals on and your stick in your hand. Eat in a hurry; it’s the Passover to God.

12-13 “I will go through the land of Egypt on this night and strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, whether human or animal, and bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am God. The blood will serve as a sign on the houses where you live. When I see the blood I will pass over you—no disaster will touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.

14-16 “This will be a memorial day for you; you will celebrate it as a festival to God down through the generations, a fixed festival celebration to be observed always. You will eat unraised bread (matzoth) for seven days: On the first day get rid of all yeast from your houses—anyone who eats anything with yeast from the first day to the seventh day will be cut off from Israel. The first and the seventh days are set aside as holy; do no work on those days. Only what you have to do for meals; each person can do that.

17-20 “Keep the Festival of Unraised Bread! This marks the exact day I brought you out in force from the land of Egypt. Honor the day down through your generations, a fixed festival to be observed always. In the first month, beginning on the fourteenth day at evening until the twenty-first day at evening, you are to eat unraised bread. For those seven days not a trace of yeast is to be found in your houses. Anyone, whether a visitor or a native of the land, who eats anything raised shall be cut off from the community of Israel. Don’t eat anything raised. Only matzoth.”

21-23 Moses assembled all the elders of Israel. He said, “Select a lamb for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the bowl of blood and smear it on the lintel and on the two doorposts. No one is to leave the house until morning. God will pass through to strike Egypt down. When he sees the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, God will pass over the doorway; he won’t let the destroyer enter your house to strike you down with ruin.

24-27 “Keep this word. It’s the law for you and your children, forever. When you enter the land which God will give you as he promised, keep doing this. And when your children say to you, ‘Why are we doing this?’ tell them: ‘It’s the Passover-sacrifice to God who passed over the homes of the Israelites in Egypt when he hit Egypt with death but rescued us.’”

The people bowed and worshiped.

28 The Israelites then went and did what God had commanded Moses and Aaron. They did it all.

* * *

29 At midnight God struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, right down to the firstborn of the prisoner locked up in jail. Also the firstborn of the animals.

30 Pharaoh got up that night, he and all his servants and everyone else in Egypt—what wild wailing and lament in Egypt! There wasn’t a house in which someone wasn’t dead.

31-32 Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron that very night and said, “Get out of here and be done with you—you and your Israelites! Go worship God on your own terms. And yes, take your sheep and cattle as you’ve insisted, but go. And bless me.”

33 The Egyptians couldn’t wait to get rid of them; they pushed them to hurry up, saying, “We’re all as good as dead.”

34-36 The people grabbed their bread dough before it had risen, bundled their bread bowls in their cloaks and threw them over their shoulders. The Israelites had already done what Moses had told them; they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold things and clothing. God saw to it that the Egyptians liked the people and so readily gave them what they asked for. Oh yes! They picked those Egyptians clean.

37-39 The Israelites moved on from Rameses to Succoth, about 600,000 on foot, besides their dependents. Hebrews and non-Hebrews alike set out, not to mention the large flocks and herds of livestock. They baked unraised cakes with the bread dough they had brought out of Egypt; it hadn’t raised—they’d been rushed out of Egypt and hadn’t time to fix food for the journey.

The Passover

40-42 The Israelites had lived in Egypt 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, God’s entire army left Egypt. God kept watch all night, watching over the Israelites as he brought them out of Egypt. Because God kept watch, all Israel for all generations will honor God by keeping watch this night—a watchnight.

* * *

43-47 God said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the rules for the Passover:

No foreigners are to eat it.

Any slave, if he’s paid for and circumcised, can eat it.

No casual visitor or hired hand can eat it.

Eat it in one house—don’t take the meat outside the house.

Don’t break any of the bones.

The whole community of Israel is to be included in the meal.

48 “If an immigrant is staying with you and wants to keep the Passover to God, every male in his family must be circumcised, then he can participate in the Meal—he will then be treated as a native son. But no uncircumcised person can eat it.

49 “The same law applies both to the native and the immigrant who is staying with you.”

50-51 All the Israelites did exactly as God commanded Moses and Aaron. That very day God brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, tribe by tribe.

* * *

13 1-2 God spoke to Moses, saying, “Set apart every firstborn to me—the first one to come from the womb among the Israelites, whether person or animal, is mine.”

Moses said to the people, “Always remember this day. This is the day when you came out of Egypt from a house of slavery. God brought you out of here with a powerful hand. Don’t eat any raised bread.

4-5 “You are leaving in the spring month of Abib. When God brings you into the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he promised to your fathers to give you, a land lavish with milk and honey, you are to observe this service during this month:

“You are to eat unraised bread for seven days; on the seventh day there is a festival celebration to God.

“Only unraised bread is to be eaten for seven days. There is not to be a trace of anything fermented—no yeast anywhere.

“Tell your child on that day: ‘This is because of what God did for me when I came out of Egypt.’

9-10 “The day of observance will be like a sign on your hand, a memorial between your eyes, and the teaching of God in your mouth. It was with a powerful hand that God brought you out of Egypt. Follow these instructions at the set time, year after year after year.

11-13 “When God brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he promised you and your fathers, and turns it over to you, you are to set aside the first birth out of every womb to God. Every first birth from your livestock belongs to God. You can redeem every first birth of a donkey if you want to by substituting a lamb; if you decide not to redeem it, you must break its neck.

13-16 “Redeem every firstborn child among your sons. When the time comes and your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you tell him, ‘God brought us out of Egypt, out of a house of slavery, with a powerful hand. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, God killed every firstborn in Egypt, the firstborn of both humans and animals. That’s why I make a sacrifice for every first male birth from the womb to God and redeem every firstborn son.’ The observance functions like a sign on your hands or a symbol on the middle of your forehead: God brought us out of Egypt with a powerful hand.”

17 It so happened that after Pharaoh released the people, God didn’t lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, which was the shortest route, for God thought, “If the people encounter war, they’ll change their minds and go back to Egypt.”

18 So God led the people on the wilderness road, looping around to the Red Sea. The Israelites left Egypt in military formation.

19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear to do it, saying, “God will surely hold you accountable, so make sure you bring my bones from here with you.”

20-22 They moved on from Succoth and then camped at Etham at the edge of the wilderness. God went ahead of them in a Pillar of Cloud during the day to guide them on the way, and at night in a Pillar of Fire to give them light; thus they could travel both day and night. The Pillar of Cloud by day and the Pillar of Fire by night never left the people.

The Story and Song of Salvation

14 1-2 God spoke to Moses: “Tell the Israelites to turn around and make camp at Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. Camp on the shore of the sea opposite Baal Zephon.

3-4 “Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are lost; they’re confused. The wilderness has closed in on them.’ Then I’ll make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn again and he’ll chase after them. And I’ll use Pharaoh and his army to put my Glory on display. Then the Egyptians will realize that I am God.”

And that’s what happened.

5-7 When the king of Egypt was told that the people were gone, he and his servants changed their minds. They said, “What have we done, letting Israel, our slave labor, go free?” So he had his chariots harnessed up and got his army together. He took six hundred of his best chariots, with the rest of the Egyptian chariots and their drivers coming along.

8-9 God made Pharaoh king of Egypt stubborn, determined to chase the Israelites as they walked out on him without even looking back. The Egyptians gave chase and caught up with them where they had made camp by the sea—all Pharaoh’s horse-drawn chariots and their riders, all his foot soldiers there at Pi Hahiroth opposite Baal Zephon.

10-12 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw them—Egyptians! Coming at them!

They were totally afraid. They cried out in terror to God. They told Moses, “Weren’t the cemeteries large enough in Egypt so that you had to take us out here in the wilderness to die? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt? Back in Egypt didn’t we tell you this would happen? Didn’t we tell you, ‘Leave us alone here in Egypt—we’re better off as slaves in Egypt than as corpses in the wilderness.’”

13 Moses spoke to the people: “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you’re never going to see them again.

14 God will fight the battle for you.
    And you? You keep your mouths shut!”

* * *

15-16 God said to Moses: “Why cry out to me? Speak to the Israelites. Order them to get moving. Hold your staff high and stretch your hand out over the sea: Split the sea! The Israelites will walk through the sea on dry ground.

17-18 “Meanwhile I’ll make sure the Egyptians keep up their stubborn chase—I’ll use Pharaoh and his entire army, his chariots and horsemen, to put my Glory on display so that the Egyptians will realize that I am God.”

19-20 The angel of God that had been leading the camp of Israel now shifted and got behind them. And the Pillar of Cloud that had been in front also shifted to the rear. The Cloud was now between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. The Cloud enshrouded one camp in darkness and flooded the other with light. The two camps didn’t come near each other all night.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and God, with a terrific east wind all night long, made the sea go back. He made the sea dry ground. The seawaters split.

22-25 The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground with the waters a wall to the right and to the left. The Egyptians came after them in full pursuit, every horse and chariot and driver of Pharaoh racing into the middle of the sea. It was now the morning watch. God looked down from the Pillar of Fire and Cloud on the Egyptian army and threw them into a panic. He clogged the wheels of their chariots; they were stuck in the mud.

The Egyptians said, “Run from Israel! God is fighting on their side and against Egypt!”

26 God said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea and the waters will come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots, over their horsemen.”

27-28 Moses stretched his hand out over the sea: As the day broke and the Egyptians were running, the sea returned to its place as before. God dumped the Egyptians in the middle of the sea. The waters returned, drowning the chariots and riders of Pharaoh’s army that had chased after Israel into the sea. Not one of them survived.

29-31 But the Israelites walked right through the middle of the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall to the right and to the left. God delivered Israel that day from the oppression of the Egyptians. And Israel looked at the Egyptian dead, washed up on the shore of the sea, and realized the tremendous power that God brought against the Egyptians. The people were in reverent awe before God and trusted in God and his servant Moses.

* * *

15 1-8 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to God, giving voice together,

I’m singing my heart out to God—what a victory!
    He pitched horse and rider into the sea.
God is my strength, God is my song,
    and, yes! God is my salvation.
This is the kind of God I have
    and I’m telling the world!
This is the God of my father—
    I’m spreading the news far and wide!
God is a fighter,
    pure God, through and through.
Pharaoh’s chariots and army
    he dumped in the sea,
The elite of his officers
    he drowned in the Red Sea.
Wild ocean waters poured over them;
    they sank like a rock in the deep blue sea.
Your strong right hand, God, shimmers with power;
    your strong right hand shatters the enemy.
In your mighty majesty
    you smash your upstart enemies,
You let loose your hot anger
    and burn them to a crisp.
At a blast from your nostrils
    the waters piled up;
Tumbling streams dammed up,
    wild oceans curdled into a swamp.

The enemy spoke,
    “I’ll pursue, I’ll hunt them down,
I’ll divide up the plunder,
    I’ll glut myself on them;
I’ll pull out my sword,
    my fist will send them reeling.”

10-11 You blew with all your might
    and the sea covered them.
They sank like a lead weight
    in the majestic waters.
Who compares with you
    among gods, O God?
Who compares with you in power,
    in holy majesty,
In awesome praises,
    wonder-working God?

12-13 You stretched out your right hand
    and the Earth swallowed them up.
But the people you redeemed,
    you led in merciful love;
You guided them under your protection
    to your holy pasture.

14-18 When people heard, they were scared;
    Philistines writhed and trembled;
Yes, even the head men in Edom were shaken,
    and the big bosses in Moab.
Everybody in Canaan
    panicked and fell faint.
Dread and terror
    sent them reeling.
Before your brandished right arm
    they were struck dumb like a stone,
Until your people crossed over and entered, O God,
    until the people you made crossed over and entered.
You brought them and planted them
    on the mountain of your heritage,
The place where you live,
    the place you made,
Your sanctuary, Master,
    that you established with your own hands.
Let God rule
    forever, for eternity!

19 Yes, Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and riders went into the sea and God turned the waters back on them; but the Israelites walked on dry land right through the middle of the sea.

* * *

20-21 Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine, and all the women followed her with tambourines, dancing. Miriam led them in singing,

Sing to God
    what a victory!
He pitched horse and rider
    into the sea!

Traveling Through the Wilderness

22-24 Moses led Israel from the Red Sea on to the Wilderness of Shur. They traveled for three days through the wilderness without finding any water. They got to Marah, but they couldn’t drink the water at Marah; it was bitter. That’s why they called the place Marah (Bitter). And the people complained to Moses, “So what are we supposed to drink?”

25 So Moses cried out in prayer to God. God pointed him to a stick of wood. Moses threw it into the water and the water turned sweet.

26 That’s the place where God set up rules and procedures; that’s where he started testing them.

God said, “If you listen, listen obediently to how God tells you to live in his presence, obeying his commandments and keeping all his laws, then I won’t strike you with all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians; I am God your healer.”

27 They came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. They set up camp there by the water.

16 1-3 On the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt, the whole company of Israel moved on from Elim to the Wilderness of Sin which is between Elim and Sinai. The whole company of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron there in the wilderness. The Israelites said, “Why didn’t God let us die in comfort in Egypt where we had lamb stew and all the bread we could eat? You’ve brought us out into this wilderness to starve us to death, the whole company of Israel!”

4-5 God said to Moses, “I’m going to rain bread down from the skies for you. The people will go out and gather each day’s ration. I’m going to test them to see if they’ll live according to my Teaching or not. On the sixth day, when they prepare what they have gathered, it will turn out to be twice as much as their daily ration.”

6-7 Moses and Aaron told the People of Israel, “This evening you will know that it is God who brought you out of Egypt; and in the morning you will see the Glory of God. Yes, he’s listened to your complaints against him. You haven’t been complaining against us, you know, but against God.”

Moses said, “Since it will be God who gives you meat for your meal in the evening and your fill of bread in the morning, it’s God who will have listened to your complaints against him. Who are we in all this? You haven’t been complaining to us—you’ve been complaining to God!”

Moses instructed Aaron: “Tell the whole company of Israel: ‘Come near to God. He’s heard your complaints.’”

10 When Aaron gave out the instructions to the whole company of Israel, they turned to face the wilderness. And there it was: the Glory of God visible in the Cloud.

11-12 God spoke to Moses, “I’ve listened to the complaints of the Israelites. Now tell them: ‘At dusk you will eat meat and at dawn you’ll eat your fill of bread; and you’ll realize that I am God, your God.’”

13-15 That evening quail flew in and covered the camp and in the morning there was a layer of dew all over the camp. When the layer of dew had lifted, there on the wilderness ground was a fine flaky something, fine as frost on the ground. The Israelites took one look and said to one another, man-hu (What is it?). They had no idea what it was.

15-16 So Moses told them, “It’s the bread God has given you to eat. And these are God’s instructions: ‘Gather enough for each person, about two quarts per person; gather enough for everyone in your tent.’”

17-18 The People of Israel went to work and started gathering, some more, some less, but when they measured out what they had gathered, those who gathered more had no extra and those who gathered less weren’t short—each person had gathered as much as was needed.

19 Moses said to them, “Don’t leave any of it until morning.”

20 But they didn’t listen to Moses. A few of the men kept back some of it until morning. It got wormy and smelled bad. And Moses lost his temper with them.

21-22 They gathered it every morning, each person according to need. Then the sun heated up and it melted. On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, about four quarts per person.

Then the leaders of the company came to Moses and reported.

23-24 Moses said, “This is what God was talking about: Tomorrow is a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to God. Whatever you plan to bake, bake today; and whatever you plan to boil, boil today. Then set aside the leftovers until morning.” They set aside what was left until morning, as Moses had commanded. It didn’t smell bad and there were no worms in it.

25-26 Moses said, “Now eat it; this is the day, a Sabbath for God. You won’t find any of it on the ground today. Gather it every day for six days, but the seventh day is Sabbath; there won’t be any of it on the ground.”

27 On the seventh day, some of the people went out to gather anyway but they didn’t find anything.

28-29 God said to Moses, “How long are you going to disobey my commands and not follow my instructions? Don’t you see that God has given you the Sabbath? So on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. So, each of you, stay home. Don’t leave home on the seventh day.”

30 So the people quit working on the seventh day.

31 The Israelites named it manna (What is it?). It looked like coriander seed, whitish. And it tasted like a cracker with honey.

32 Moses said, “This is God’s command: ‘Keep a two-quart jar of it, an omer, for future generations so they can see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness after I brought you out of Egypt.’”

33 Moses told Aaron, “Take a jar and fill it with two quarts of manna. Place it before God, keeping it safe for future generations.”

34 Aaron did what God commanded Moses. He set it aside before The Testimony to preserve it.

35 The Israelites ate the manna for forty years until they arrived at the land where they would settle down. They ate manna until they reached the border into Canaan.

36 According to ancient measurements, an omer is one-tenth of an ephah.

* * *

17 1-2 Directed by God, the whole company of Israel moved on by stages from the Wilderness of Sin. They set camp at Rephidim. And there wasn’t a drop of water for the people to drink. The people took Moses to task: “Give us water to drink.” But Moses said, “Why pester me? Why are you testing God?”

But the people were thirsty for water there. They complained to Moses, “Why did you take us from Egypt and drag us out here with our children and animals to die of thirst?”

Moses cried out in prayer to God, “What can I do with these people? Any minute now they’ll kill me!”

5-6 God said to Moses, “Go on out ahead of the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile. And go. I’m going to be present before you there on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock. Water will gush out of it and the people will drink.”

6-7 Moses did what he said, with the elders of Israel right there watching. He named the place Massah (Testing-Place) and Meribah (Quarreling) because of the quarreling of the Israelites and because of their testing of God when they said, “Is God here with us, or not?”

* * *

8-9 Amalek came and fought Israel at Rephidim. Moses ordered Joshua: “Select some men for us and go out and fight Amalek. Tomorrow I will take my stand on top of the hill holding God’s staff.”

10-13 Joshua did what Moses ordered in order to fight Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. It turned out that whenever Moses raised his hands, Israel was winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, Amalek was winning. But Moses’ hands got tired. So they got a stone and set it under him. He sat on it and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on each side. So his hands remained steady until the sun went down. Joshua defeated Amalek and its army in battle.

14 God said to Moses, “Write this up as a reminder to Joshua, to keep it before him, because I will most certainly wipe the very memory of Amalek off the face of the Earth.”

15-16 Moses built an altar and named it “God My Banner.” He said,

Salute God’s rule!
God at war with Amalek
Always and forever!

* * *

18 1-4 Jethro, priest of Midian and father-in-law to Moses, heard the report of all that God had done for Moses and Israel his people, the news that God had delivered Israel from Egypt. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah, Moses’ wife who had been sent back home, and her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom (Sojourner) for he had said, “I’m a sojourner in a foreign land”; the name of the other was Eliezer (God’s-Help) because “The God of my father is my help and saved me from death by Pharaoh.”

5-6 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought Moses his sons and his wife there in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God. He had sent a message ahead to Moses: “I, your father-in-law, am coming to you with your wife and two sons.”

7-8 Moses went out to welcome his father-in-law. He bowed to him and kissed him. Each asked the other how things had been with him. Then they went into the tent. Moses told his father-in-law the story of all that God had done to Pharaoh and Egypt in helping Israel, all the trouble they had experienced on the journey, and how God had delivered them.

9-11 Jethro was delighted in all the good that God had done for Israel in delivering them from Egyptian oppression. Jethro said, “Blessed be God who has delivered you from the power of Egypt and Pharaoh, who has delivered his people from the oppression of Egypt. Now I know that God is greater than all gods because he’s done this to all those who treated Israel arrogantly.”

12 Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a Whole-Burnt-Offering and sacrifices to God. And Aaron, along with all the elders of Israel, came and ate the meal with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.

13-14 The next day Moses took his place to judge the people. People were standing before him all day long, from morning to night. When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What’s going on here? Why are you doing all this, and all by yourself, letting everybody line up before you from morning to night?”

15-16 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me with questions about God. When something comes up, they come to me. I judge between a man and his neighbor and teach them God’s laws and instructions.”

17-23 Moses’ father-in-law said, “This is no way to go about it. You’ll burn out, and the people right along with you. This is way too much for you—you can’t do this alone. Now listen to me. Let me tell you how to do this so that God will be in this with you. Be there for the people before God, but let the matters of concern be presented to God. Your job is to teach them the rules and instructions, to show them how to live, what to do. And then you need to keep a sharp eye out for competent men—men who fear God, men of integrity, men who are incorruptible—and appoint them as leaders over groups organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. They’ll be responsible for the everyday work of judging among the people. They’ll bring the hard cases to you, but in the routine cases they’ll be the judges. They will share your load and that will make it easier for you. If you handle the work this way, you’ll have the strength to carry out whatever God commands you, and the people in their settings will flourish also.”

24-27 Moses listened to the counsel of his father-in-law and did everything he said. Moses picked competent men from all Israel and set them as leaders over the people who were organized by the thousand, by the hundred, by fifty, and by ten. They took over the everyday work of judging among the people. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but in the routine cases they were the judges. Then Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law who went home to his own country.

Mount Sinai

19 1-2 Three months after leaving Egypt the Israelites entered the Wilderness of Sinai. They followed the route from Rephidim, arrived at the Wilderness of Sinai, and set up camp. Israel camped there facing the mountain.

3-6 As Moses went up to meet God, God called down to him from the mountain: “Speak to the House of Jacob, tell the People of Israel: ‘You have seen what I did to Egypt and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to me. If you will listen obediently to what I say and keep my covenant, out of all peoples you’ll be my special treasure. The whole Earth is mine to choose from, but you’re special: a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.’

“This is what I want you to tell the People of Israel.”

Moses came back and called the elders of Israel together and set before them all these words which God had commanded him.

The people were unanimous in their response: “Everything God says, we will do.” Moses took the people’s answer back to God.

* * *

God said to Moses, “Get ready. I’m about to come to you in a thick cloud so that the people can listen in and trust you completely when I speak with you.” Again Moses reported the people’s answer to God.

10-13 God said to Moses, “Go to the people. For the next two days get these people ready to meet the Holy God. Have them scrub their clothes so that on the third day they’ll be fully prepared, because on the third day God will come down on Mount Sinai and make his presence known to all the people. Post boundaries for the people all around, telling them, ‘Warning! Don’t climb the mountain. Don’t even touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain dies—a certain death. And no one is to touch that person, he’s to be stoned. That’s right—stoned. Or shot with arrows, shot to death. Animal or man, whichever—put to death.’

“A long blast from the horn will signal that it’s safe to climb the mountain.”

14-15 Moses went down the mountain to the people and prepared them for the holy meeting. They gave their clothes a good scrubbing. Then he addressed the people: “Be ready in three days. Don’t sleep with a woman.”

16 On the third day at daybreak, there were loud claps of thunder, flashes of lightning, a thick cloud covering the mountain, and an ear-piercing trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp shuddered in fear.

17 Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God. They stood at attention at the base of the mountain.

18-20 Mount Sinai was all smoke because God had come down on it as fire. Smoke poured from it like smoke from a furnace. The whole mountain shuddered and heaved. The trumpet blasts grew louder and louder. Moses spoke and God answered in thunder. God descended to the peak of Mount Sinai. God called Moses up to the peak and Moses climbed up.

21-22 God said to Moses, “Go down. Warn the people not to break through the barricades to get a look at God lest many of them die. And the priests also, warn them to prepare themselves for the holy meeting, lest God break out against them.”

23 Moses said to God, “But the people can’t climb Mount Sinai. You’ve already warned us well telling us: ‘Post boundaries around the mountain. Respect the holy mountain.’”

24 God told him, “Go down and then bring Aaron back up with you. But make sure that the priests and the people don’t break through and come up to God, lest he break out against them.”

25 So Moses went down to the people. He said to them:

20 1-2 God spoke all these words:

I am God, your God,
who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
out of a life of slavery.

No other gods, only me.

4-6 No carved gods of any size, shape, or form of anything whatever, whether of things that fly or walk or swim. Don’t bow down to them and don’t serve them because I am God, your God, and I’m a most jealous God, punishing the children for any sins their parents pass on to them to the third, and yes, even to the fourth generation of those who hate me. But I’m unswervingly loyal to the thousands who love me and keep my commandments.

No using the name of God, your God, in curses or silly banter; God won’t put up with the irreverent use of his name.

8-11 Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Work six days and do everything you need to do. But the seventh day is a Sabbath to God, your God. Don’t do any work—not you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servant, nor your maid, nor your animals, not even the foreign guest visiting in your town. For in six days God made Heaven, Earth, and sea, and everything in them; he rested on the seventh day. Therefore God blessed the Sabbath day; he set it apart as a holy day.

12 Honor your father and mother so that you’ll live a long time in the land that God, your God, is giving you.

13 No murder.

14 No adultery.

15 No stealing.

16 No lies about your neighbor.

17 No lusting after your neighbor’s house—or wife or servant or maid or ox or donkey. Don’t set your heart on anything that is your neighbor’s.

* * *

18-19 All the people, experiencing the thunder and lightning, the trumpet blast and the smoking mountain, were afraid—they pulled back and stood at a distance. They said to Moses, “You speak to us and we’ll listen, but don’t have God speak to us or we’ll die.”

20 Moses spoke to the people: “Don’t be afraid. God has come to test you and instill a deep and reverent awe within you so that you won’t sin.”

21 The people kept their distance while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

22-26 God said to Moses, “Give this Message to the People of Israel: ‘You’ve experienced firsthand how I spoke with you from Heaven. Don’t make gods of silver and gods of gold and then set them alongside me. Make me an earthen Altar. Sacrifice your Whole-Burnt-Offerings, your Peace-Offerings, your sheep, and your cattle on it. Every place where I cause my name to be honored in your worship, I’ll be there myself and bless you. If you use stones to make my Altar, don’t use dressed stones. If you use a chisel on the stones you’ll profane the Altar. Don’t use steps to climb to my Altar because that will expose your nakedness.’”

* * *

21 “These are the laws that you are to place before them:

2-6 “When you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve six years. The seventh year he goes free, for nothing. If he came in single he leaves single. If he came in married he leaves with his wife. If the master gives him a wife and she gave him sons and daughters, the wife and children stay with the master and he leaves by himself. But suppose the slave should say, ‘I love my master and my wife and children—I don’t want my freedom,’ then his master is to bring him before God and to a door or doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl, a sign that he is a slave for life.

7-11 “When a man sells his daughter to be a handmaid, she doesn’t go free after six years like the men. If she doesn’t please her master, her family must buy her back; her master doesn’t have the right to sell her to foreigners since he broke his word to her. If he turns her over to his son, he has to treat her like a daughter. If he marries another woman, she retains all her full rights to meals, clothing, and marital relations. If he won’t do any of these three things for her, she goes free, for nothing.

12-14 “If someone hits another and death results, the penalty is death. But if there was no intent to kill—if it was an accident, an ‘act of God’—I’ll set aside a place to which the killer can flee for refuge. But if the murder was premeditated, cunningly plotted, then drag the killer away, even if it’s from my Altar, to be put to death.

15 “If someone hits father or mother, the penalty is death.

16 “If someone kidnaps a person, the penalty is death, regardless of whether the person has been sold or is still held in possession.

17 “If someone curses father or mother, the penalty is death.

18-19 “If a quarrel breaks out and one hits the other with a rock or a fist and the injured one doesn’t die but is confined to bed and then later gets better and can get about on a crutch, the one who hit him is in the clear, except to pay for the loss of time and make sure of complete recovery.

20-21 “If a slave owner hits a slave, male or female, with a stick and the slave dies on the spot, the slave must be avenged. But if the slave survives a day or two, he’s not to be avenged—the slave is the owner’s property.

22-25 “When there’s a fight and in the fight a pregnant woman is hit so that she miscarries but is not otherwise hurt, the one responsible has to pay whatever the husband demands in compensation. But if there is further damage, then you must give life for life—eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.

26-27 “If a slave owner hits the eye of a slave or handmaid and ruins it, the owner must let the slave go free because of the eye. If the owner knocks out the tooth of the male or female slave, the slave must be released and go free because of the tooth.

28-32 “If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must be stoned. The meat cannot be eaten but the owner of the ox is in the clear. But if the ox has a history of goring and the owner knew it and did nothing to guard against it, then if the ox kills a man or a woman, the ox is to be stoned and the owner given the death penalty. If a ransom is agreed upon instead of death, he must pay it in full as a redemption for his life. If a son or daughter is gored, the same judgment holds. If it is a slave or a handmaid the ox gores, thirty shekels of silver is to be paid to the owner and the ox stoned.

33-34 “If someone uncovers a cistern or digs a pit and leaves it open and an ox or donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit must pay whatever the animal is worth to its owner but can keep the dead animal.

35-36 “If someone’s ox injures a neighbor’s ox and the ox dies, they must sell the live ox and split the price; they must also split the dead animal. But if the ox had a history of goring and the owner knew it and did nothing to guard against it, the owner must pay an ox for an ox but can keep the dead animal.”

22 1-3 “If someone steals an ox or a lamb and slaughters or sells it, the thief must pay five cattle in place of the ox and four sheep in place of the lamb. If the thief is caught while breaking in and is hit hard and dies, there is no bloodguilt. But if it happens after daybreak, there is bloodguilt.

3-4 “A thief must make full restitution for what is stolen. The thief who is unable to pay is to be sold for his thieving. If caught red-handed with the stolen goods, and the ox or donkey or lamb is still alive, the thief pays double.

“If someone grazes livestock in a field or vineyard but lets them loose so they graze in someone else’s field, restitution must be made from the best of the owner’s field or vineyard.

“If fire breaks out and spreads to the brush so that the sheaves of grain or the standing grain or even the whole field is burned up, whoever started the fire must pay for the damages.

7-8 “If someone gives a neighbor money or things for safekeeping and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double. If the thief is not caught, the owner must be brought before God to determine whether the owner was the one who took the neighbor’s goods.

“In all cases of stolen goods, whether oxen, donkeys, sheep, clothing, anything in fact missing of which someone says, ‘That’s mine,’ both parties must come before the judges. The one the judges pronounce guilty must pay double to the other.

10-13 “If someone gives a donkey or ox or lamb or any kind of animal to another for safekeeping and it dies or is injured or lost and there is no witness, an oath before God must be made between them to decide whether one has laid hands on the property of the other. The owner must accept this and no damages are assessed. But if it turns out it was stolen, the owner must be compensated. If it has been torn by wild beasts, the torn animal must be brought in as evidence; no damages have to be paid.

14-15 “If someone borrows an animal from a neighbor and it gets injured or dies while the owner is not present, he must pay for it. But if the owner was with it, he doesn’t have to pay. If the animal was hired, the payment covers the loss.

* * *

16-17 “If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the marriage price and marry her. If her father absolutely refuses to give her away, the man must still pay the marriage price for virgins.

18 “Don’t let a sorceress live.

19 “Anyone who has sex with an animal gets the death penalty.

20 “Anyone who sacrifices to a god other than God alone must be put to death.

21 “Don’t abuse or take advantage of strangers; you, remember, were once strangers in Egypt.

22-24 “Don’t mistreat widows or orphans. If you do and they cry out to me, you can be sure I’ll take them most seriously; I’ll show my anger and come raging among you with the sword, and your wives will end up widows and your children orphans.

25 “If you lend money to my people, to any of the down-and-out among you, don’t come down hard on them and gouge them with interest.

26-27 “If you take your neighbor’s coat as security, give it back before nightfall; it may be your neighbor’s only covering—what else does the person have to sleep in? And if I hear the neighbor crying out from the cold, I’ll step in—I’m compassionate.

28 “Don’t curse God; and don’t damn your leaders.

29-30 “Don’t be stingy as your wine vats fill up.

“Dedicate your firstborn sons to me. The same with your cattle and sheep—they are to stay for seven days with their mother, then give them to me.

31 “Be holy for my sake.

“Don’t eat mutilated flesh you find in the fields; throw it to the dogs.”

* * *

23 1-3 “Don’t pass on malicious gossip.

“Don’t link up with a wicked person and give corrupt testimony. Don’t go along with the crowd in doing evil and don’t mess up your testimony in a case just to please the crowd. And just because someone is poor, don’t show favoritism in a dispute.

4-5 “If you find your enemy’s ox or donkey loose, take it back to him. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you lying helpless under its load, don’t walk off and leave it. Help it up.

“When there is a dispute concerning your poor, don’t tamper with the justice due them.

“Stay clear of false accusations. Don’t contribute to the death of innocent and good people. I don’t let the wicked off the hook.

“Don’t take bribes. Bribes blind perfectly good eyes and twist the speech of good people.

“Don’t take advantage of a stranger. You know what it’s like to be a stranger; you were strangers in Egypt.

10-11 “Sow your land for six years and gather in its crops, but in the seventh year leave it alone and give it a rest so that your poor may eat from it. What they leave, let the wildlife have. Do the same with your vineyards and olive groves.

12 “Work for six days and rest the seventh so your ox and donkey may rest and your servant and migrant workers may have time to get their needed rest.

13 “Listen carefully to everything I tell you. Don’t pay attention to other gods—don’t so much as mention their names.

* * *

14 “Three times a year you are to hold a festival for me.

15 “Hold the spring Festival of Unraised Bread when you eat unraised bread for seven days at the time set for the month of Abib, as I commanded you. That was the month you came out of Egypt. No one should show up before me empty-handed.

16 “Hold the summer Festival of Harvest when you bring in the firstfruits of all your work in the fields.

“Hold the autumn Festival of Ingathering at the end of the season when you bring in the year’s crops.

17 “Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Master, God.

18 “Don’t offer the blood of a sacrifice to me with anything that has yeast in it.

“Don’t leave the fat from my festival offering out overnight.

19 “Bring the choice first produce of the year to the house of your God.

“Don’t boil a kid in its mother’s milk.

* * *

20-24 “Now get yourselves ready. I’m sending my Angel ahead of you to guard you in your travels, to lead you to the place that I’ve prepared. Pay close attention to him. Obey him. Don’t go against him. He won’t put up with your rebellions because he’s acting on my authority. But if you obey him and do everything I tell you, I’ll be an enemy to your enemies, I’ll fight those who fight you. When my Angel goes ahead of you and leads you to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, I’ll clear the country of them. So don’t worship or serve their gods; don’t do anything they do because I’m going to wipe them right off the face of the Earth and smash their sacred phallic pillars to bits.

25-26 “But you—you serve your God and he’ll bless your food and your water. I’ll get rid of the sickness among you; there won’t be any miscarriages nor barren women in your land. I’ll make sure you live full and complete lives.

27 “I’ll send my Terror on ahead of you and throw those peoples you’re approaching into a panic. All you’ll see of your enemies is the backs of their necks.

28-31 “And I’ll send Despair on ahead of you. It will push the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites out of your way. I won’t get rid of them all at once lest the land grow up in weeds and the wild animals take over. Little by little I’ll get them out of there while you have a chance to get your crops going and make the land your own. I will make your borders stretch from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea and from the Wilderness to the Euphrates River. I’m turning everyone living in that land over to you; go ahead and drive them out.

32-33 “Don’t make any deals with them or their gods. They are not to stay in the same country with you lest they get you to sin by worshiping their gods. Beware. That’s a huge danger.”

* * *

24 1-2 He said to Moses, “Climb the mountain to God, you and Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel. They will worship from a distance; only Moses will approach God. The rest are not to come close. And the people are not to climb the mountain at all.”

So Moses went to the people and told them everything God had said—all the rules and regulations. They all answered in unison: “Everything God said, we’ll do.”

4-6 Then Moses wrote it all down, everything God had said. He got up early the next morning and built an Altar at the foot of the mountain using twelve pillar-stones for the twelve tribes of Israel. Then he directed young Israelite men to offer Whole-Burnt-Offerings and sacrifice Peace-Offerings of bulls. Moses took half the blood and put it in bowls; the other half he threw against the Altar.

Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it as the people listened. They said, “Everything God said, we’ll do. Yes, we’ll obey.”

Moses took the rest of the blood and threw it out over the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has made with you out of all these words I have spoken.”

* * *

9-11 Then they climbed the mountain—Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel—and saw the God of Israel. He was standing on a pavement of something like sapphires—pure, clear sky-blue. He didn’t hurt these pillar-leaders of the Israelites: They saw God; and they ate and drank.

12-13 God said to Moses, “Climb higher up the mountain and wait there for me; I’ll give you tablets of stone, the teachings and commandments that I’ve written to instruct them.” So Moses got up, accompanied by Joshua his aide. And Moses climbed up the mountain of God.

14 He told the elders of Israel, “Wait for us here until we return to you. You have Aaron and Hur with you; if there are any problems, go to them.”

15-17 Then Moses climbed the mountain. The Cloud covered the mountain. The Glory of God settled over Mount Sinai. The Cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day he called out of the Cloud to Moses. In the view of the Israelites below, the Glory of God looked like a raging fire at the top of the mountain.

18 Moses entered the middle of the Cloud and climbed the mountain. Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.

Instructions on the Mountain: The Offerings

25 1-9 God spoke to Moses: “Tell the Israelites that they are to set aside offerings for me. Receive the offerings from everyone who is willing to give. These are the offerings I want you to receive from them: gold, silver, bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet material; fine linen; goats’ hair; tanned rams’ skins; dolphin skins; acacia wood; lamp oil; spices for anointing oils and for fragrant incense; onyx stones and other stones for setting in the Ephod and the Breastpiece. Let them construct a Sanctuary for me so that I can live among them. You are to construct it following the plans I’ve given you, the design for The Dwelling and the design for all its furnishings.

The Chest

10-15 “First let them make a Chest using acacia wood: make it three and three-quarters feet long and two and one-quarter feet wide and deep. Cover it with a veneer of pure gold inside and out and make a molding of gold all around it. Cast four gold rings and attach them to its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other. Make poles from acacia wood and cover them with a veneer of gold and insert them into the rings on the sides of the Chest for carrying the Chest. The poles are to stay in the rings; they must not be removed.

16 “Place The Testimony that I give you in the Chest.

17 “Now make a lid of pure gold for the Chest, an Atonement-Cover, three and three-quarters feet long and two and one-quarter feet wide.

18-22 “Sculpt two winged angels out of hammered gold for either end of the Atonement-Cover, one angel at one end, one angel at the other. Make them of one piece with the Atonement-Cover. Make the angels with their wings spread, hovering over the Atonement-Cover, facing one another but looking down on it. Set the Atonement-Cover as a lid over the Chest and place in the Chest The Testimony that I will give you. I will meet you there at set times and speak with you from above the Atonement-Cover and from between the angel-figures that are on it, speaking the commands that I have for the Israelites.

The Table

23-28 “Next make a Table from acacia wood. Make it three feet long, one and one-half feet wide and two and one-quarter feet high. Cover it with a veneer of pure gold. Make a molding all around it of gold. Make the border a handbreadth wide all around it and a rim of gold for the border. Make four rings of gold and attach the rings to the four legs parallel to the tabletop. They will serve as holders for the poles used to carry the Table. Make the poles of acacia wood and cover them with a veneer of gold. They will be used to carry the Table.

29 “Make plates, bowls, jars, and jugs for pouring out offerings. Make them of pure gold.

30 “Always keep fresh Bread of the Presence on the Table before me.

The Lampstand

31-36 “Make a Lampstand of pure hammered gold. Make its stem and branches, cups, calyxes, and petals all of one piece. Give it six branches, three from one side and three from the other; put three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with calyx and petals, on one branch, three on the next, and so on—the same for all six branches. On the main stem of the Lampstand, make four cups shaped like almonds, with calyx and petals, a calyx extending from under each pair of the six branches, the entire Lampstand fashioned from one piece of hammered pure gold.

37-38 “Make seven of these lamps for the Table. Arrange the lamps so they throw their light out in front. Make the candle snuffers and trays out of pure gold.

39-40 “Use a seventy-five-pound brick of pure gold to make the Lampstand and its accessories. Study the design you were given on the mountain and make everything accordingly.”

The Dwelling

26 1-6 “Make The Dwelling itself from ten panels of tapestry woven from fine twisted linen, blue and purple and scarlet material, with an angel-cherubim design. A skilled craftsman should do it. The panels of tapestry are each to be forty-six feet long and six feet wide. Join five of the panels together, and then the other five together. Make loops of blue along the edge of the outside panel of the first set and the same on the outside panel of the second set. Make fifty loops on each panel. Then make fifty gold clasps and join the tapestries together so that The Dwelling is one whole.

7-11 “Next make tapestries of goat hair for a tent that will cover The Dwelling. Make eleven panels of these tapestries. The length of each panel will be forty-five feet long and six feet wide. Join five of the panels together, and then the other six. Fold the sixth panel double at the front of the tent. Now make fifty loops along the edge of the end panel and fifty loops along the edge of the joining panel. Make fifty clasps of bronze and connect the clasps with the loops, bringing the tent together.

12-14 “Hang half of the overlap of the tapestry panels over the rear of The Dwelling. The eighteen inches of overlap on either side will cover the sides of the tent. Finally, make a covering for the tapestries of tanned rams’ skins dyed red and over that a covering of dolphin skins.

15-25 “Frame The Dwelling with planks of acacia wood, each section of frame fifteen feet long and two and one-quarter feet wide, with two pegs for securing them. Make all the frames identical: twenty frames for the south side with forty silver sockets to receive the two pegs from each of the twenty frames; the same construction on the north side of The Dwelling; for the rear of The Dwelling, which faces west, make six frames with two additional frames for the rear corners. Both of the two corner frames need to be double in thickness from top to bottom and fit into a single ring—eight frames altogether with sixteen sockets of silver, two under each frame.

26-30 “Now make crossbars of acacia wood, five for the frames on one side of The Dwelling, five for the other side, and five for the back side facing west. The center crossbar runs from end to end halfway up the frames. Cover the frames with a veneer of gold and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. And cover the crossbars with a veneer of gold. Then put The Dwelling together, following the design you were shown on the mountain.

31-35 “Make a curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. Have a design of angel-cherubim woven into it by a skilled craftsman. Fasten it with gold hooks to four posts of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold, set on four silver bases. After hanging the curtain from the clasps, bring the Chest of The Testimony in behind the curtain. The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Holy-of-Holies. Now place the Atonement-Cover lid on the Chest of The Testimony in the Holy-of-Holies. Place the Table and the Lampstand outside the curtain, the Lampstand on the south side of The Dwelling and the Table opposite it on the north side.

36-37 “Make a screen for the door of the tent. Weave it from blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. Frame the weaving with five poles of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold and make gold hooks to hang the weaving. Cast five bronze bases for the poles.”

The Altar

27 1-8 “Make an Altar of acacia wood. Make it seven and a half feet square and four and a half feet high. Make horns at each of the four corners. The horns are to be of one piece with the Altar and covered with a veneer of bronze. Make buckets for removing the ashes, along with shovels, basins, forks, and fire pans. Make all these utensils from bronze. Make a grate of bronze mesh and attach bronze rings at each of the four corners. Put the grate under the ledge of the Altar at the halfway point of the Altar. Make acacia wood poles for the Altar and cover them with a veneer of bronze. Insert the poles through the rings on the two sides of the Altar for carrying. Use boards to make the Altar, keeping the interior hollow.

The Courtyard

9-11 “Make a Courtyard for The Dwelling. The south side is to be 150 feet long. The hangings for the Courtyard are to be woven from fine twisted linen, with their twenty posts, twenty bronze bases, and fastening hooks and bands of silver. The north side is to be exactly the same.

12-19 “For the west end of the Courtyard you will need seventy-five feet of hangings with their ten posts and bases. Across the seventy-five feet at the front, or east end, you will need twenty-two and a half feet of hangings, with their three posts and bases on one side and the same for the other side. At the door of the Courtyard make a screen thirty feet long woven from blue, purple, and scarlet stuff, with fine twisted linen, embroidered by a craftsman, and hung on its four posts and bases. All the posts around the Courtyard are to be banded with silver, with hooks of silver and bases of bronze. The Courtyard is to be 150 feet long and seventy-five feet wide. The hangings of fine twisted linen set on their bronze bases are to be seven and a half feet high. All the tools used for setting up The Holy Dwelling, including all the pegs in it and the Courtyard, are to be made of bronze.

20-21 “Now, order the Israelites to bring you pure, clear olive oil for light so that the lamps can be kept burning. In the Tent of Meeting, the area outside the curtain that veils The Testimony, Aaron and his sons will keep this light burning from evening until morning before God. This is to be a permanent practice down through the generations for Israelites.”

The Vestments

28 1-5 “Get your brother Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites to serve me as priests: Aaron and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, Ithamar. Make sacred vestments for your brother Aaron to symbolize glory and beauty. Consult with the skilled craftsmen, those whom I have gifted in this work, and arrange for them to make Aaron’s vestments, to set him apart as holy, to act as priest for me. These are the articles of clothing they are to make: Breastpiece, Ephod, robe, woven tunic, turban, sash. They are making holy vestments for your brother Aaron and his sons as they work as priests for me. They will need gold; blue, purple, and scarlet material; and fine linen.

The Ephod

6-14 “Have the Ephod made from gold; blue, purple, and scarlet material; and fine twisted linen by a skilled craftsman. Give it two shoulder pieces at two of the corners so it can be fastened. The decorated band on it is to be just like it and of one piece with it: made of gold; blue, purple, and scarlet material; and of fine twisted linen. Next take two onyx stones and engrave the names of the sons of Israel on them in the order of their birth, six names on one stone and the remaining six on the other. Engrave the names of the sons of Israel on the two stones the way a jeweler engraves a seal. Then mount the stones in settings of filigreed gold. Fasten the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the Ephod—they are memorial stones for the Israelites. Aaron will wear these names on his shoulders as a memorial before God. Make the settings of gold filigree. Make two chains of pure gold and braid them like cords, then attach the corded chains to the settings.

The Breastpiece

15-20 “Now make a Breastpiece of Judgment, using skilled craftsmen, the same as with the Ephod. Use gold; blue, purple, and scarlet material; and fine twisted linen. Make it nine inches square and folded double. Mount four rows of precious gemstones on it.

    First row: carnelian, topaz, emerald.
    Second row: ruby, sapphire, crystal.
    Third row: jacinth, agate, amethyst.
    Fourth row: beryl, onyx, jasper.

20-21 “Set them in gold filigree. The twelve stones correspond to the names of the Israelites, with twelve names engraved, one on each, as on a seal for the twelve tribes.

22-28 “Then make braided chains of pure gold for the Breastpiece, like cords. Make two rings of gold for the Breastpiece and fasten them to the two ends. Fasten the two golden cords to the rings at the ends of the Breastpiece. Then fasten the other ends of the two cords to the two settings of filigree, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the Ephod in front. Then make two rings of gold and fasten them to the two ends of the Breastpiece on its inside edge facing the Ephod. Then make two more rings of gold and fasten them in the front of the Ephod to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces, near the seam above the decorated band. Fasten the Breastpiece in place by running a cord of blue through its rings to the rings of the Ephod so that it rests secure on the decorated band of the Ephod and won’t come loose.

29-30 “Aaron will regularly carry the names of the sons of Israel on the Breastpiece of Judgment over his heart as he enters the Sanctuary into the presence of God for remembrance. Place the Urim and Thummim in the Breastpiece of Judgment. They will be over Aaron’s heart when he enters the presence of God. In this way Aaron will regularly carry the Breastpiece of Judgment into the presence of God.

The Robe

31-35 “Make the robe for the Ephod entirely of blue, with an opening for the head at the center and a hem on the edge so that it won’t tear. For the edge of the skirts make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet material all around and alternate them with bells of gold—gold bell and pomegranate, gold bell and pomegranate—all around the hem of the robe. Aaron has to wear it when he does his priestly work. The bells will be heard when he enters the Holy Place and comes into the presence of God, and again when he comes out so that he won’t die.

The Turban, Tunic, Underwear

36-38 “Make a plate of pure gold. Engrave on it as on a seal: ‘Holy to God.’ Tie it with a blue cord to the front of the turban. It is to rest there on Aaron’s forehead. He’ll take on any guilt involved in the sacred offerings that the Israelites dedicate, no matter what they bring. It will always be on Aaron’s forehead so that the offerings will be acceptable before God.

39-41 “Weave the tunic of fine linen. Make the turban of fine linen. The sash will be the work of an embroiderer. Make tunics, sashes, and hats for Aaron’s sons to express glory and beauty. Dress your brother Aaron and his sons in them. Anoint, ordain, and dedicate them to serve me as priests.

42-43 “Make linen underwear to cover their nakedness from waist to thigh. Aaron and his sons must wear it whenever they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the Altar to minister in the Holy Place so that they won’t incur guilt and die. This is a permanent rule for Aaron and all his priest-descendants.”

Consecration of Priests

29 1-4 “This is the ceremony for dedicating them as priests. Take a young bull and two rams, healthy and without defects. Using fine wheat flour but no yeast make bread and cakes mixed with oil and wafers spread with oil. Place them in a basket and carry them along with the bull and the two rams. Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting and wash them with water.

5-9 “Then take the vestments and dress Aaron in the tunic, the robe of the Ephod, the Ephod, and the Breastpiece, belting the Ephod on him with the embroidered waistband. Set the turban on his head and place the sacred crown on the turban. Then take the anointing oil and pour it on his head, anointing him. Then bring his sons, put tunics on them and gird them with sashes, both Aaron and his sons, and set hats on them. Their priesthood is upheld by law and is permanent.

9-14 “This is how you will ordain Aaron and his sons: Bring the bull to the Tent of Meeting. Aaron and his sons will place their hands on the head of the bull. Then you will slaughter the bull in the presence of God at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Take some of the bull’s blood and smear it on the horns of the Altar with your finger; pour the rest of the blood on the base of the Altar. Next take all the fat that covers the innards, fat from around the liver and the two kidneys, and burn it on the Altar. But the flesh of the bull, including its hide and dung, you will burn up outside the camp. It is an Absolution-Offering.

15-18 “Then take one of the rams. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands on the head of the ram. Slaughter the ram and take its blood and throw it against the Altar, all around. Cut the ram into pieces; wash its innards and legs, then gather the pieces and its head and burn the whole ram on the Altar. It is a Whole-Burnt-Offering to God, a pleasant fragrance, an offering by fire to God.

19-21 “Then take the second ram. Have Aaron and his sons place their hands on the ram’s head. Slaughter the ram. Take some of its blood and rub it on Aaron’s right earlobe and on the right earlobes of his sons, on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Sprinkle the rest of the blood against all sides of the Altar. Then take some of the blood that is on the Altar, mix it with some of the anointing oil, and splash it on Aaron and his clothes and on his sons and their clothes so that Aaron and his clothes and his sons and his sons’ clothes will be made holy.

22-23 “Take the fat from the ram, the fat tail, the fat that covers the innards, the long lobe of the liver, the two kidneys and the fat on them, and the right thigh: this is the ordination ram. Also take one loaf of bread, an oil cake, and a wafer from the breadbasket that is in the presence of God.

24-25 “Place all of these in the open hands of Aaron and his sons who will wave them before God, a Wave-Offering. Then take them from their hands and burn them on the Altar with the Whole-Burnt-Offering—a pleasing fragrance before God, a gift to God.

26 “Now take the breast from Aaron’s ordination ram and wave it before God, a Wave-Offering. That will be your portion.

27-28 “Bless the Wave-Offering breast and the thigh that was held up. These are the parts of the ordination ram that are for Aaron and his sons. Aaron and his sons are always to get this offering from the Israelites; the Israelites are to make this offering regularly from their Peace-Offerings.

29-30 “Aaron’s sacred garments are to be handed down to his descendants so they can be anointed and ordained in them. The son who succeeds him as priest is to wear them for seven days and enter the Tent of Meeting to minister in the Holy Place.

31-34 “Take the ordination ram and boil the meat in the Holy Place. At the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, Aaron and his sons will eat the boiled ram and the bread that is in the basket. Atoned by these offerings, ordained and hallowed by them, they are the only ones who are to eat them. No outsiders are to eat them; they’re holy. Anything from the ordination ram or from the bread that is left over until morning you are to burn up. Don’t eat it; it’s holy.

35-37 “Do everything for the ordination of Aaron and his sons exactly as I’ve commanded you throughout the seven days. Offer a bull as an Absolution-Offering for atonement each day. Offer it on the Altar when you make atonement for it: Anoint and hallow it. Make atonement for the Altar and hallow it for seven days; the Altar will become soaked in holiness—anyone who so much as touches the Altar will become holy.

38-41 “This is what you are to offer on the Altar: two year-old lambs each and every day, one lamb in the morning and the second lamb at evening. With the sacrifice of the first lamb offer two quarts of fine flour with a quart of virgin olive oil, plus a quart of wine for a Drink-Offering. The sacrifice of the second lamb, the one at evening, is also to be accompanied by the same Grain-Offering and Drink-Offering of the morning sacrifice to give a pleasing fragrance, a gift to God.

42-46 “This is to be your regular, daily Whole-Burnt-Offering before God, generation after generation, sacrificed at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting. That’s where I’ll meet you; that’s where I’ll speak with you; that’s where I’ll meet the Israelites, at the place made holy by my Glory. I’ll make the Tent of Meeting and the Altar holy. I’ll make Aaron and his sons holy in order to serve me as priests. I’ll move in and live with the Israelites. I’ll be their God. They’ll realize that I am their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt so that I could live with them. I am God, your God.”

The Altar of Incense

30 1-5 “Make an Altar for burning incense. Construct it from acacia wood, one and one-half feet square and three feet high with its horns of one piece with it. Cover it with a veneer of pure gold, its top, sides, and horns, and make a gold molding around it with two rings of gold beneath the molding. Place the rings on the two opposing sides to serve as holders for poles by which it will be carried. Make the poles of acacia wood and cover them with a veneer of gold.

6-10 “Place the Altar in front of the curtain that hides the Chest of The Testimony, in front of the Atonement-Cover that is over The Testimony where I will meet you. Aaron will burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he polishes the lamps, and again in the evening as he prepares the lamps for lighting, so that there will always be incense burning before God, generation after generation. But don’t burn on this Altar any unholy incense or Whole-Burnt-Offering or Grain-Offering. And don’t pour out Drink-Offerings on it. Once a year Aaron is to purify the Altar horns. Using the blood of the Absolution-Offering of atonement, he is to make this atonement every year down through the generations. It is most holy to God.”

The Atonement-Tax

11-16 God spoke to Moses: “When you take a head count of the Israelites to keep track of them, all must pay an atonement-tax to God for their life at the time of being registered so that nothing bad will happen because of the registration. Everyone who gets counted is to give a half-shekel (using the standard Sanctuary shekel of a fifth of an ounce to the shekel)—a half-shekel offering to God. Everyone counted, age twenty and up, is to make the offering to God. The rich are not to pay more nor the poor less than the half-shekel offering to God, the atonement-tax for your lives. Take the atonement-tax money from the Israelites and put it to the maintenance of the Tent of Meeting. It will be a memorial fund for the Israelites in honor of God, making atonement for your lives.”

The Washbasin

17-21 God spoke to Moses: “Make a bronze Washbasin; make it with a bronze base. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the Altar. Put water in it. Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet in it. When they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the Altar to serve there or offer gift offerings to God, they are to wash so they will not die. They are to wash their hands and their feet so they will not die. This is the rule forever, for Aaron and his sons down through the generations.”

Holy Anointing Oil

22-25 God spoke to Moses: “Take the best spices: twelve and a half pounds of liquid myrrh; half that much, six and a quarter pounds, of fragrant cinnamon; six and a quarter pounds of fragrant cane; twelve and a half pounds of cassia—using the standard Sanctuary weight for all of them—and a gallon of olive oil. Make these into a holy anointing oil, a perfumer’s skillful blend.

26-29 “Use it to anoint the Tent of Meeting, the Chest of The Testimony, the Table and all its utensils, the Lampstand and its utensils, the Altar of Incense, the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offerings and all its utensils, and the Washbasin and its base. Dedicate them so they’ll be soaked in holiness, so that anyone who so much as touches them will become holy.

30-33 “Then anoint Aaron and his sons. Consecrate them as priests to me. Tell the Israelites, ‘This will be my holy anointing oil throughout your generations.’ Don’t pour it on ordinary men. Don’t copy this mixture to use for yourselves. It’s holy; keep it holy. Whoever mixes up anything like it, or puts it on an ordinary person, will be exiled.”

Holy Incense

34-38 God spoke to Moses: “Take fragrant spices—gum resin, onycha, galbanum—and add pure frankincense. Mix the spices in equal proportions to make an aromatic incense, the art of a perfumer, salted and pure—holy. Now crush some of it into powder and place some of it before The Testimony in the Tent of Meeting where I will meet with you; it will be for you the holiest of holy places. When you make this incense, you are not to copy the mixture for your own use. It’s holy to God; keep it that way. Whoever copies it for personal use will be excommunicated.”

Bezalel and Oholiab

31 1-5 God spoke to Moses: “See what I’ve done; I’ve personally chosen Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur of the tribe of Judah. I’ve filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him skill and know-how and expertise in every kind of craft to create designs and work in gold, silver, and bronze; to cut and set gemstones; to carve wood—he’s an all-around craftsman.

6-11 “Not only that, but I’ve given him Oholiab, son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan, to work with him. And to all who have an aptitude for crafts I’ve given the skills to make all the things I’ve commanded you: the Tent of Meeting, the Chest of The Testimony and its Atonement-Cover, all the implements for the Tent, the Table and its implements, the pure Lampstand and all its implements, the Altar of Incense, the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering and all its implements, the Washbasin and its base, the official vestments, the holy vestments for Aaron the priest and his sons in their priestly duties, the anointing oil, and the aromatic incense for the Holy Place—they’ll make everything just the way I’ve commanded you.”

Sabbath

12-17 God spoke to Moses: “Tell the Israelites, ‘Above all, keep my Sabbaths, the sign between me and you, generation after generation, to keep the knowledge alive that I am the God who makes you holy. Keep the Sabbath; it’s holy to you. Whoever profanes it will most certainly be put to death. Whoever works on it will be excommunicated from the people. There are six days for work but the seventh day is Sabbath, pure rest, holy to God. Anyone who works on the Sabbath will most certainly be put to death. The Israelites will keep the Sabbath, observe Sabbath-keeping down through the generations, as a standing covenant. It’s a fixed sign between me and the Israelites. Yes, because in six days God made the Heavens and the Earth and on the seventh day he stopped and took a long, deep breath.’”

18 When he finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, he gave Moses two tablets of Testimony, slabs of stone, written with the finger of God.

“Make Gods for Us”

32 When the people realized that Moses was taking forever in coming down off the mountain, they rallied around Aaron and said, “Do something. Make gods for us who will lead us. That Moses, the man who got us out of Egypt—who knows what’s happened to him?”

2-4 So Aaron told them, “Take off the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters and bring them to me.” They all did it; they removed the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. He took the gold from their hands and cast it in the form of a calf, shaping it with an engraving tool.

The people responded with enthusiasm: “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up from Egypt!”

Aaron, taking in the situation, built an altar before the calf.

Aaron then announced, “Tomorrow is a feast day to God!”

Early the next morning, the people got up and offered Whole-Burnt-Offerings and brought Peace-Offerings. The people sat down to eat and drink and then began to party. It turned into a wild party!

7-8 God spoke to Moses, “Go! Get down there! Your people whom you brought up from the land of Egypt have fallen to pieces. In no time at all they’ve turned away from the way I commanded them: They made a molten calf and worshiped it. They’ve sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are the gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt!’”

9-10 God said to Moses, “I look at this people—oh! what a stubborn, hard-headed people! Let me alone now, give my anger free reign to burst into flames and incinerate them. But I’ll make a great nation out of you.”

11-13 Moses tried to calm his God down. He said, “Why, God, would you lose your temper with your people? Why, you brought them out of Egypt in a tremendous demonstration of power and strength. Why let the Egyptians say, ‘He had it in for them—he brought them out so he could kill them in the mountains, wipe them right off the face of the Earth.’ Stop your anger. Think twice about bringing evil against your people! Think of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants to whom you gave your word, telling them ‘I will give you many children, as many as the stars in the sky, and I’ll give this land to your children as their land forever.’”

14 And God did think twice. He decided not to do the evil he had threatened against his people.

15-16 Moses turned around and came down from the mountain, carrying the two tablets of The Testimony. The tablets were written on both sides, front and back. God made the tablets and God wrote the tablets—engraved them.

17 When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting noisily, he said to Moses, “That’s the sound of war in the camp!”

18 But Moses said,

Those aren’t songs of victory,
And those aren’t songs of defeat,
I hear songs of people throwing a party.

19-20 And that’s what it was. When Moses came near to the camp and saw the calf and the people dancing, his anger flared. He threw down the tablets and smashed them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. He took the calf that they had made, melted it down with fire, pulverized it to powder, then scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.

21 Moses said to Aaron, “What on Earth did these people ever do to you that you involved them in this huge sin?”

22-23 Aaron said, “Master, don’t be angry. You know this people and how set on evil they are. They said to me, ‘Make us gods who will lead us. This Moses, the man who brought us out of Egypt, we don’t know what’s happened to him.’

24 “So I said, ‘Who has gold?’ And they took off their jewelry and gave it to me. I threw it in the fire and out came this calf.”

25-26 Moses saw that the people were simply running wild—Aaron had let them run wild, disgracing themselves before their enemies. He took up a position at the entrance to the camp and said, “Whoever is on God’s side, join me!” All the Levites stepped up.

27 He then told them, “God’s orders, the God of Israel: ‘Strap on your swords and go to work. Crisscross the camp from one end to the other: Kill brother, friend, neighbor.’”

28 The Levites carried out Moses’ orders. Three thousand of the people were killed that day.

29 Moses said, “You confirmed your ordination today—and at great cost, even killing your sons and brothers! And God has blessed you.”

30 The next day Moses addressed the people: “You have sinned an enormous sin! But I am going to go up to God; maybe I’ll be able to clear you of your sin.”

31-32 Moses went back to God and said, “This is terrible. This people has sinned—it’s an enormous sin! They made gods of gold for themselves. And now, if you will only forgive their sin. . . . But if not, erase me out of the book you’ve written.”

33-34 God said to Moses, “I’ll only erase from my book those who sin against me. For right now, you go and lead the people to where I told you. Look, my Angel is going ahead of you. On the day, though, when I settle accounts, their sins will certainly be part of the settlement.”

35 God sent a plague on the people because of the calf they and Aaron had made.

* * *

33 1-3 God said to Moses: “Now go. Get on your way from here, you and the people you brought up from the land of Egypt. Head for the land which I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I will send an angel ahead of you and I’ll drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. It’s a land flowing with milk and honey. But I won’t be with you in person—you’re such a stubborn, hard-headed people!—lest I destroy you on the journey.”

When the people heard this harsh verdict, they were plunged into gloom and wore long faces. No one put on jewelry.

5-6 God said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites, ‘You’re one hard-headed people. I couldn’t stand being with you for even a moment—I’d destroy you. So take off all your jewelry until I figure out what to do with you.’” So the Israelites stripped themselves of their jewelry from Mount Horeb on.

* * *

7-10 Moses used to take the Tent and set it up outside the camp, some distance away. He called it the Tent of Meeting. Anyone who sought God would go to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp. It went like this: When Moses would go to the Tent, all the people would stand at attention; each man would take his position at the entrance to his tent with his eyes on Moses until he entered the Tent; whenever Moses entered the Tent, the Pillar of Cloud descended to the entrance to the Tent and God spoke with Moses. All the people would see the Pillar of Cloud at the entrance to the Tent, stand at attention, and then bow down in worship, each man at the entrance to his tent.

11 And God spoke with Moses face-to-face, as neighbors speak to one another. When he would return to the camp, his attendant, the young man Joshua, stayed—he didn’t leave the Tent.

* * *

12-13 Moses said to God, “Look, you tell me, ‘Lead this people,’ but you don’t let me know whom you’re going to send with me. You tell me, ‘I know you well and you are special to me.’ If I am so special to you, let me in on your plans. That way, I will continue being special to you. Don’t forget, this is your people, your responsibility.”

14 God said, “My presence will go with you. I’ll see the journey to the end.”

15-16 Moses said, “If your presence doesn’t take the lead here, call this trip off right now. How else will it be known that you’re with me in this, with me and your people? Are you traveling with us or not? How else will we know that we’re special, I and your people, among all other people on this planet Earth?”

17 God said to Moses: “All right. Just as you say; this also I will do, for I know you well and you are special to me. I know you by name.”

18 Moses said, “Please. Let me see your Glory.”

19 God said, “I will make my Goodness pass right in front of you; I’ll call out the name, God, right before you. I’ll treat well whomever I want to treat well and I’ll be kind to whomever I want to be kind.”

20 God continued, “But you may not see my face. No one can see me and live.”

21-23 God said, “Look, here is a place right beside me. Put yourself on this rock. When my Glory passes by, I’ll put you in the cleft of the rock and cover you with my hand until I’ve passed by. Then I’ll take my hand away and you’ll see my back. But you won’t see my face.”

* * *

34 1-3 God spoke to Moses: “Cut out two tablets of stone just like the originals and engrave on them the words that were on the original tablets you smashed. Be ready in the morning to climb Mount Sinai and get set to meet me on top of the mountain. Not a soul is to go with you; the whole mountain must be clear of people, even animals—not even sheep or oxen can be grazing in front of the mountain.”

4-7 So Moses cut two tablets of stone just like the originals. He got up early in the morning and climbed Mount Sinai as God had commanded him, carrying the two tablets of stone. God descended in the cloud and took up his position there beside him and called out the name, God. God passed in front of him and called out, “God, God, a God of mercy and grace, endlessly patient—so much love, so deeply true—loyal in love for a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion, and sin. Still, he doesn’t ignore sin. He holds sons and grandsons responsible for a father’s sins to the third and even fourth generation.”

8-9 At once, Moses fell to the ground and worshiped, saying, “Please, O Master, if you see anything good in me, please Master, travel with us, hard-headed as these people are. Forgive our iniquity and sin. Own us, possess us.”

10-12 And God said, “As of right now, I’m making a covenant with you: In full sight of your people I will work wonders that have never been created in all the Earth, in any nation. Then all the people with whom you’re living will see how tremendous God’s work is, the work I’ll do for you. Take careful note of all I command you today. I’m clearing your way by driving out Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. Stay vigilant. Don’t let down your guard lest you make covenant with the people who live in the land that you are entering and they trip you up.

13-16 “Tear down their altars, smash their phallic pillars, chop down their fertility poles. Don’t worship any other god. God—his name is The-Jealous-One—is a jealous God. Be careful that you don’t make a covenant with the people who live in the land and take up with their sex-and-religion life, join them in meals at their altars, marry your sons to their women, women who take up with any convenient god or goddess and will get your sons to do the same thing.

17 “Don’t make molten gods for yourselves.

18 “Keep the Feast of Unraised Bread. Eat only unraised bread for seven days in the month of Abib—it was in the month of Abib that you came out of Egypt.

19 “Every firstborn from the womb is mine, all the males of your herds, your firstborn oxen and sheep.

20 “Redeem your firstborn donkey with a lamb. If you don’t redeem it you must break its neck.

“Redeem each of your firstborn sons.

“No one is to show up in my presence empty-handed.

21 “Work six days and rest the seventh. Stop working even during plowing and harvesting.

22 “Keep the Feast of Weeks with the first cutting of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.

23-24 “All your men are to appear before the Master, the God of Israel, three times a year. You won’t have to worry about your land when you appear before your God three times each year, for I will drive out the nations before you and give you plenty of land. Nobody’s going to be hanging around plotting ways to get it from you.

25 “Don’t mix the blood of my sacrifices with anything fermented.

“Don’t leave leftovers from the Passover Feast until morning.

26 “Bring the finest of the firstfruits of your produce to the house of your God.

“Don’t boil a kid in its mother’s milk.”

27 God said to Moses: “Now write down these words, for by these words I’ve made a covenant with you and Israel.”

28 Moses was there with God forty days and forty nights. He didn’t eat any food; he didn’t drink any water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Words.

29-30 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai carrying the two Tablets of The Testimony, he didn’t know that the skin of his face glowed because he had been speaking with God. Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, saw his radiant face, and held back, afraid to get close to him.

31-32 Moses called out to them. Aaron and the leaders in the community came back and Moses talked with them. Later all the Israelites came up to him and he passed on the commands, everything that God had told him on Mount Sinai.

33-35 When Moses finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face, but when he went into the presence of God to speak with him, he removed the veil until he came out. When he came out and told the Israelites what he had been commanded, they would see Moses’ face, its skin glowing, and then he would again put the veil on his face until he went back in to speak with God.

Building the Place of Worship

35 Moses spoke to the entire congregation of Israel, saying, “These are the things that God has commanded you to do:

2-3 “Work six days, but the seventh day will be a holy rest day, God’s holy rest day. Anyone who works on this day must be put to death. Don’t light any fires in your homes on the Sabbath day.”

The Offerings

Moses spoke to the entire congregation of Israel, saying, “This is what God has commanded:

5-9 “Gather from among you an offering for God. Receive on God’s behalf what everyone is willing to give as an offering: gold, silver, bronze; blue, purple, and scarlet material; fine linen; goats’ hair; tanned rams’ skins; dolphin skins; acacia wood; lamp oil; spices for anointing oils and for fragrant incense; onyx stones and other stones for setting in the Ephod and the Breastpiece.

10-19 “Come—all of you who have skills—come and make everything that God has commanded: The Dwelling with its tent and cover, its hooks, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases; the Chest with its poles, the Atonement-Cover and veiling curtain; the Table with its poles and implements and the Bread of the Presence; the Lampstand for giving light with its furnishings and lamps and the oil for lighting; the Altar of Incense with its poles, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense; the screen for the door at the entrance to The Dwelling; the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering with its bronze grate and poles and all its implements; the Washbasin with its base; the tapestry hangings for the Courtyard with the posts and bases, the screen for the Courtyard gate; the pegs for The Dwelling, the pegs for the Courtyard with their cords; the official vestments for ministering in the Holy Place, the sacred vestments for Aaron the priest and for his sons serving as priests.”

20-26 So everyone in the community of Israel left the presence of Moses. Then they came back, every one whose heart was roused, whose spirit was freely responsive, bringing offerings to God for building the Tent of Meeting, furnishing it for worship and making the holy vestments. They came, both men and women, all the willing spirits among them, offering brooches, earrings, rings, necklaces—anything made of gold—offering up their gold jewelry to God. And anyone who had blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics; fine linen; goats’ hair; tanned leather; and dolphin skins brought them. Everyone who wanted to offer up silver or bronze as a gift to God brought it. Everyone who had acacia wood that could be used in the work, brought it. All the women skilled at weaving brought their weavings of blue and purple and scarlet fabrics and their fine linens. And all the women who were gifted in spinning, spun the goats’ hair.

27-29 The leaders brought onyx and other precious stones for setting in the Ephod and the Breastpiece. They also brought spices and olive oil for lamp oil, anointing oil, and incense. Every man and woman in Israel whose heart moved them freely to bring something for the work that God through Moses had commanded them to make, brought it, a voluntary offering for God.

Bezalel and Oholiab

30-35 Moses told the Israelites, “See, God has selected Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. He’s filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability, and know-how for making all sorts of things, to design and work in gold, silver, and bronze; to carve stones and set them; to carve wood, working in every kind of skilled craft. And he’s also made him a teacher, he and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. He’s gifted them with the know-how needed for carving, designing, weaving, and embroidering in blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics, and in fine linen. They can make anything and design anything.”

36 “Bezalel and Oholiab, along with everyone whom God has given the skill and know-how for making everything involved in the worship of the Sanctuary as commanded by God, are to start to work.”

2-3 Moses summoned Bezalel and Oholiab along with all whom God had gifted with the ability to work skillfully with their hands. The men were eager to get started and engage in the work. They took from Moses all the offerings that the Israelites had brought for the work of constructing the Sanctuary. The people kept on bringing in their freewill offerings, morning after morning.

4-5 All the artisans who were at work making everything involved in constructing the Sanctuary came, one after another, to Moses, saying, “The people are bringing more than enough for doing this work that God has commanded us to do!”

6-7 So Moses sent out orders through the camp: “Men! Women! No more offerings for the building of the Sanctuary!”

The people were ordered to stop bringing offerings! There was plenty of material for all the work to be done. Enough and more than enough.

The Tapestries

8-13 Then all the skilled artisans on The Dwelling made ten tapestries of fine twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet fabric with an angel-cherubim design worked into the material. Each panel of tapestry was forty-six feet long and six feet wide. Five of the panels were joined together, and then the other five. Loops of blue were made along the edge of the outside panel of the first set, and the same on the outside panel of the second set. They made fifty loops on each panel, with the loops opposite each other. Then they made fifty gold clasps and joined the tapestries together so that The Dwelling was one whole.

14-19 Next they made tapestries of woven goat hair for a tent that would cover The Dwelling. They made eleven panels of these tapestries. The length of each panel was forty-five feet long and six feet wide. They joined five of the panels together, and then the other six, by making fifty loops along the edge of the end panel and fifty loops along the edge of the joining panel, then making fifty clasps of bronze, connecting the clasps to the loops, bringing the tent together. They finished it off by covering the tapestries with tanned rams’ skins dyed red, and covered that with dolphin skins.

The Framing

20-30 They framed The Dwelling with vertical planks of acacia wood, each section of frame fifteen feet long and two and a quarter feet wide, with two pegs for securing them. They made all the frames identical: twenty frames for the south side, with forty silver sockets to receive the two tenons from each of the twenty frames; they repeated that construction on the north side of The Dwelling. For the rear of The Dwelling facing west, they made six frames, with two additional frames for the rear corners. Both of the two corner frames were double in thickness from top to bottom and fit into a single ring—eight frames altogether with sixteen sockets of silver, two under each frame.

31-34 They made crossbars of acacia wood, five for the frames on one side of The Dwelling, five for the other side, and five for the back side facing west. The center crossbar ran from end to end halfway up the frames. They covered the frames with a veneer of gold, made gold rings to hold the crossbars, and covered the crossbars with a veneer of gold.

35-36 They made the curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen. They wove a design of angel-cherubim into it. They made four posts of acacia wood, covered them with a veneer of gold, and cast four silver bases for them.

37-38 They made a screen for the door of the tent, woven from blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine twisted linen with embroidery. They framed the weaving with five poles of acacia wood covered with a veneer of gold, and made gold hooks to hang the weaving and five bronze bases for the poles.

The Chest

37 1-5 Bezalel made the Chest using acacia wood: He made it three and three-quarters feet long and two and a quarter feet wide and deep. He covered it inside and out with a veneer of pure gold and made a molding of gold all around it. He cast four gold rings and attached them to its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other. He made poles from acacia wood, covered them with a veneer of gold, and inserted the poles for carrying the Chest into the rings on the sides.

Next he made a lid of pure gold for the Chest, an Atonement-Cover, three and three-quarters feet long and two and a quarter feet wide.

7-9 He sculpted two winged angel-cherubim out of hammered gold for the ends of the Atonement-Cover, one angel at one end, one angel at the other. He made them of one piece with the Atonement-Cover. The angels had outstretched wings and appeared to hover over the Atonement-Cover, facing one another but looking down on the Atonement-Cover.

The Table

10-15 He made the Table from acacia wood. He made it three feet long, one and a half feet wide and two and a quarter feet high. He covered it with a veneer of pure gold and made a molding of gold all around it. He made a border a handbreadth wide all around it and a rim of gold for the border. He cast four rings of gold for it and attached the rings to the four legs parallel to the tabletop. They will serve as holders for the poles used to carry the Table. He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them with a veneer of gold. They will be used to carry the Table.

16 Out of pure gold he made the utensils for the Table: its plates, bowls, jars, and jugs used for pouring.

The Lampstand

17-23 He made a Lampstand of pure hammered gold, making its stem and branches, cups, calyxes, and petals all of one piece. It had six branches, three from one side and three from the other; three cups shaped like almond blossoms with calyxes and petals on one branch, three on the next, and so on—the same for all six branches. On the main stem of the Lampstand, there were four cups shaped like almonds, with calyxes and petals, a calyx extending from under each pair of the six branches. The entire Lampstand with its calyxes and stems was fashioned from one piece of hammered pure gold. He made seven of these lamps with their candle snuffers, all out of pure gold.

24 He used a seventy-five-pound brick of pure gold to make the Lampstand and its accessories.

The Altar of Incense

25-28 He made an Altar for burning incense from acacia wood. He made it a foot and a half square and three feet high, with its horns of one piece with it. He covered it with a veneer of pure gold, its top, sides, and horns, and made a gold molding around it with two rings of gold beneath the molding. He placed the rings on the two opposing sides to serve as holders for poles by which it will be carried. He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them with a veneer of gold.

29 He also prepared with the art of a perfumer the holy anointing oil and the pure aromatic incense.

The Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering

38 1-7 He made the Altar of Whole-Burnt-Offering from acacia wood. He made it seven and a half feet square and four and a half feet high. He made horns at each of the four corners. The horns were made of one piece with the Altar and covered with a veneer of bronze. He made from bronze all the utensils for the Altar: the buckets for removing the ashes, shovels, basins, forks, and fire pans. He made a grate of bronze mesh under the ledge halfway up the Altar. He cast four rings at each of the four corners of the bronze grating to hold the poles. He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them with a veneer of bronze. He inserted the poles through the rings on the two sides of the Altar for carrying it. The Altar was made out of boards; it was hollow.

The Washbasin

He made the Bronze Washbasin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women’s work group who were assigned to serve at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

The Courtyard

9-11 And he made the Courtyard. On the south side the hangings for the Courtyard, woven from fine twisted linen, were 150 feet long, with their twenty posts and twenty bronze bases, and fastening hooks and bands of silver. The north side was exactly the same.

12-20 The west end of the Courtyard had seventy-five feet of hangings with ten posts and bases, and fastening hooks and bands of silver. Across the seventy-five feet at the front, or east end, were twenty-two and a half feet of hangings, with their three posts and bases on one side and the same for the other side. All the hangings around the Courtyard were of fine twisted linen. The bases for the posts were bronze and the fastening hooks and bands on the posts were of silver. The posts of the Courtyard were both capped and banded with silver. The screen at the door of the Courtyard was embroidered in blue, purple, and scarlet fabric with fine twisted linen. It was thirty feet long and seven and a half feet high, matching the hangings of the Courtyard. There were four posts with bases of bronze and fastening hooks of silver; they were capped and banded in silver. All the pegs for The Dwelling and the Courtyard were made of bronze.

* * *

21-23 This is an inventory of The Dwelling that housed The Testimony drawn up by order of Moses for the work of the Levites under Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest. Bezalel, the son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that God had commanded Moses. Working with Bezalel was Oholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an artisan, designer, and embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics and fine linen.

24 Gold. The total amount of gold used in construction of the Sanctuary, all of it contributed freely, weighed out at 1,900 pounds according to the Sanctuary standard.

25-28 Silver. The silver from those in the community who were registered in the census came to 6,437 pounds according to the Sanctuary standard—that amounted to a beka, or half-shekel, for every registered person aged twenty and over, a total of 603,550 men. They used the three and one-quarter tons of silver to cast the bases for the Sanctuary and for the hangings, one hundred bases at sixty-four pounds each. They used the remaining thirty-seven pounds to make the connecting hooks on the posts, and the caps and bands for the posts.

29-31 Bronze. The bronze that was brought in weighed 4,522 pounds. It was used to make the door of the Tent of Meeting, the Bronze Altar with its bronze grating, all the utensils of the Altar, the bases around the Courtyard, the bases for the gate of the Courtyard, and all the pegs for The Dwelling and the Courtyard.

39 Vestments. Using the blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics, they made the woven vestments for ministering in the Sanctuary. Also they made the sacred vestments for Aaron, as God had commanded Moses.

2-5 Ephod. They made the Ephod using gold and blue, purple, and scarlet fabrics and finely twisted linen. They hammered out gold leaf and sliced it into threads that were then worked into designs in the blue, purple, and scarlet fabric and fine linen. They made shoulder pieces fastened at the two ends. The decorated band was made of the same material—gold, blue, purple, and scarlet material, and of fine twisted linen—and of one piece with it, just as God had commanded Moses.

Israel Multiplies in Egypt

Now these are the (A)names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; they came, each one [a]with his household: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. [b]All the people who descended from Jacob were (B)seventy [c]people, but Joseph was already in Egypt. And (C)Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the sons of Israel (D)were fruitful and [d]increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly [e]mighty, so that the land was filled with them.

Now a new (E)king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And (F)he said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are [f]too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us (G)deal [g]shrewdly with them, otherwise they will multiply, and [h]in the event of war, they will also join those who hate us, and fight against us and [i]depart from the land.” 11 So they appointed (H)taskmasters over them to oppress them with [j](I)hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh (J)storage cities, Pithom and (K)Raamses. 12 But the more they oppressed them, (L)the more they multiplied and the more they [k]spread out, so that they dreaded the sons of Israel. 13 The Egyptians [l]used violence to compel the sons of Israel (M)to labor; 14 and they made (N)their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they violently had them perform as slaves.

15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom [m]was named Shiphrah, and the other [n]was named Puah; 16 and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, (O)if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17 But the midwives [o](P)feared God, and (Q)did not do as the king of Egypt had [p]commanded them, but let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife [q]can get to them.” 20 So (R)God was good to the midwives, and (S)the people multiplied, and became very [r]mighty. 21 And because the midwives [s](T)feared God, He [t](U)established [u]households for them. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “(V)Every son who is born, [v]you are to throw into (W)the Nile, but every daughter, you are to keep alive.”

The Birth of Moses

Now a man from (X)the house of Levi went and [w]married a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived and gave birth to a son; and when she saw [x]that he was [y](Y)beautiful, she hid him for three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she got him a (Z)papyrus [z]basket and covered it with tar and pitch. Then she put the child in it and set it among the (AA)reeds by the bank of the Nile. (AB)And his sister stood at a distance to [aa]find out what would [ab]happen to him.

Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down (AC)to bathe at the Nile, with her female attendants walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the [ac]basket among the reeds and sent her slave woman, and she brought it to her. When she opened it, she [ad]saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a woman for you who is nursing from the Hebrew women, so that she may nurse the child for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go ahead.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and (AD)he became her son. And she named him [ae]Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

11 Now it came about in those days, (AE)when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his [af]fellow Hebrews and looked at their [ag](AF)hard labors; and (AG)he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his [ah]fellow Hebrews. 12 So he [ai]looked this way and that, and when he saw that there was no one around, he (AH)struck and killed the Egyptian, and hid [aj]his body in the sand. 13 Now he went out (AI)the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were [ak]fighting with each other; and he said to the [al]offender, “Why are you striking your companion?” 14 But he said, “(AJ)Who made you a [am]ruler and a judge over us? Do you [an]intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known!”

Moses Escapes to Midian

15 When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But (AK)Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and [ao]settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down (AL)by a well.

16 Now (AM)the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and (AN)they came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but (AO)Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. 18 When they came to their father (AP)Reuel, he said, “Why have you come back so soon today?” 19 They said, “An Egyptian saved us from [ap]the shepherds, and what is more, he even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20 So he said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why is it that you have left the man behind? Invite him [aq]to have something to eat.” 21 And (AQ)Moses was willing to live with the man. And he gave his daughter (AR)Zipporah to Moses. 22 Then she gave birth to (AS)a son, and he named him [ar]Gershom, for he said, “I have been (AT)a stranger in a foreign land.”

23 Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel (AU)groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and (AV)their cry for help because of their bondage ascended to God. 24 So (AW)God heard their groaning; and God remembered (AX)His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 And (AY)God saw the sons of Israel, and God [as]took notice of them.

The Burning Bush

Now Moses was pasturing the flock of his father-in-law (AZ)Jethro, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the [at]west side of the wilderness and came to (BA)Horeb, the (BB)mountain of God. Then (BC)the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of [au]a (BD)bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not being consumed. So Moses said, “(BE)I must turn aside and see this [av]marvelous sight, why the bush is not burning up!” When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, (BF)God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Then He said, “Do not come near here; (BG)remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” And He said, “(BH)I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” (BI)Then Moses hid his face, for he was (BJ)afraid to look at God.

And the Lord said, “I have certainly (BK)seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. So I have come down (BL)to rescue them from the [aw]power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a (BM)good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of (BN)the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. And now, behold, (BO)the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.

The Mission of Moses

10 And now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, (BP)so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “(BQ)Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 And He said, “Assuredly (BR)I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: (BS)when you have brought the people out of Egypt, (BT)you shall [ax]worship God at this mountain.”

13 Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” 14 And God said to Moses, “[ay](BU)I AM WHO [az]I AM”; and He said, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘[ba]I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 God furthermore said to Moses, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘(BV)The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is the [bb](BW)name for [bc]all generations to use to call upon Me. 16 Go and (BX)gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘(BY)The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has appeared to me, saying, “[bd](BZ)I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 So (CA)I said, I will bring you up out of the oppression of Egypt to the land of (CB)the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land (CC)flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18 Then (CD)they will [be]pay attention to what you say; and (CE)you with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt, and you will say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please let us go a (CF)three days’ journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt (CG)will not permit you to go, (CH)except [bf]under compulsion. 20 So I will reach out with (CI)My hand and strike Egypt with all My (CJ)miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and (CK)after that he will let you go. 21 I will grant this people (CL)favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 22 But every woman (CM)shall ask her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house for articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will (CN)plunder the Egyptians.”

Moses Given Signs

Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or (CO)listen [bg]to what I say? For they may say, ‘(CP)The Lord has not appeared to you.’” The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “(CQ)A staff.” Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and (CR)it turned into a serpent; and Moses fled from it. But the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out with your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he reached out with his hand and caught it, and it turned into a staff in his [bh]hand— “so that (CS)they may believe that (CT)the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

The Lord furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand inside the fold of your robe.” So he put his hand inside the fold, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was (CU)leprous like snow. Then He said, “Put your hand inside the fold of your robe again.” So he put his hand into the fold again, and when he took it out of the fold, behold, (CV)it was restored like the rest of his flesh. “So if they will not believe you nor [bi]pay attention to the [bj]evidence of the first [bk]sign, they may believe the [bl]evidence of the last [bm]sign. But if they will not believe even these two [bn]signs nor pay attention to what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile (CW)will turn into blood on the dry ground.”

10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, (CX)I have never been [bo]eloquent, neither [bp]recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am [bq]slow of speech and [br]slow of tongue.” 11 But the Lord said to him, “Who has made the human mouth? Or (CY)who makes anyone unable to speak or deaf, or able to see or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now then go, and (CZ)I Myself will be with your mouth, and (DA)instruct you in what you are to say.” 13 But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by [bs]whomever You will.”

Aaron to Be Moses’ Mouthpiece

14 Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that [bt]he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, (DB)he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be [bu]overjoyed. 15 So you are to speak to him and (DC)put the words in his mouth; and I Myself will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will instruct you in what you are to do. 16 (DD)He shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him. 17 And you shall take in your hand (DE)this staff, (DF)with which you shall perform the signs.”

18 Then Moses departed and returned to (DG)his father-in-law [bv]Jethro, and said to him, “Please, let me go, that I may return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go [bw]back to Egypt, for (DH)all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” 20 So Moses took his wife and his (DI)sons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the (DJ)staff of God in his hand.

21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go [bx]back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all (DK)the wonders which I have put in your [by]power; but (DL)I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: “(DM)Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23 So I said to you, ‘(DN)Let My son go so that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, (DO)I am going to kill your son, your firstborn.”’”

24 But it came about at the overnight encampment on the way, that the Lord met [bz]Moses, and (DP)sought to put him to death. 25 So Zipporah took (DQ)a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and [ca]threw it at Moses’ feet; and she said, “You are indeed a groom of blood to me!” 26 So He left him alone. At that time she said, “You are a groom of blood”—[cb]because of the circumcision.

27 (DR)Now the Lord said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met him at the (DS)mountain of God and kissed him. 28 (DT)Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which He had sent him, and (DU)all the signs that He had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and (DV)assembled all the elders of the sons of Israel; 30 and (DW)Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. He then performed the (DX)signs in the sight of the people. 31 So (DY)the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord [cc](DZ)was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, (EA)they bowed low and worshiped.

Israel’s Labor Increased

And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “(EB)This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘(EC)Let My people go so that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” But Pharaoh said, “(ED)Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and besides, (EE)I will not let Israel go.” Then they said, “(EF)The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, otherwise He will strike us with plague or with the sword.” But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you let the people neglect their [cd]work? Get back to your (EG)labors!” Again Pharaoh said, “Look, (EH)the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!” So the same day Pharaoh commanded (EI)the taskmasters over the people and their (EJ)foremen, saying, “You are no longer to give the people straw to make bricks as previously; have them go and gather straw for themselves. But you shall impose on them the quota of bricks which they were making before; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are (EK)lazy, for that reason they cry [ce]out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Let the labor be heavier on the men, and have them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words.”

10 So (EL)the taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am not going to give you any straw. 11 You go, get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it; but none of your labor will be reduced.’” 12 So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 And the taskmasters pressed them, saying, “Complete your [cf]work quota, [cg]your daily amount, just as when [ch]you had straw.” 14 Moreover, (EM)the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, (EN)were beaten [ci]and asked, “Why have you not completed your required task of making bricks either yesterday or today, as before?”

15 Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants? 16 There is no straw given to your servants, yet they keep saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are being beaten; but it is the fault of your own people.” 17 But he said, “You are (EO)lazy, very lazy; for that reason you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 So go now and work; for you will be given no straw, but you must deliver the quota of bricks.” 19 The foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble, [cj]since they were told, “You must not reduce [ck]your daily amount of bricks.” 20 When they left Pharaoh’s presence, they met Moses and Aaron as they were [cl]waiting for them. 21 And (EP)they said to them, “(EQ)May the Lord look upon you and judge you, because you have (ER)made [cm]us repulsive in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us!”

22 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “(ES)Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me? 23 Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, (ET)and You have not rescued Your people at all.”

God Promises Action

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for [cn](EU)under compulsion he will let them go, and [co]under compulsion he will drive them out of his land.”

God spoke further to Moses and said to him, “I am (EV)the Lord; and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as [cp](EW)God Almighty, but by (EX)My name, [cq]Lord, I did not make Myself known to them. I also established (EY)My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the [cr]land in which they lived as strangers. Furthermore I have (EZ)heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, ‘(FA)I am the Lord, and (FB)I will bring you out from under the labors of the Egyptians, and I will rescue you from their bondage. I will also (FC)redeem you with (FD)an outstretched arm, and with great judgments. Then I will take you [cs](FE)as My people, and (FF)I will be [ct]your God; and (FG)you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the labors of the Egyptians. I will bring you to the land which (FH)I [cu]swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and (FI)I will give it to you as a possession; (FJ)I am the Lord.’” So Moses said this to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on (FK)account of their [cv]despondency and cruel bondage.

10 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 11 (FL)Go, [cw]tell Pharaoh king of Egypt [cx]to let the sons of Israel go out of his land.” 12 But Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, “Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; (FM)how then will Pharaoh listen to me, as I am [cy](FN)unskilled in speech?” 13 Nevertheless, the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron and gave them a command concerning the sons of Israel and Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

The Heads of Israel

14 These are the heads of their fathers’ households. (FO)The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben. 15 And the (FP)sons of Simeon: [cz]Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon. 16 And these are the names of (FQ)the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; and the [da]length of Levi’s life was 137 years. 17 (FR)The sons of Gershon: [db]Libni and Shimei, according to their families. 18 And (FS)the sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel; and the [dc]length of Kohath’s life was 133 years. 19 And (FT)the sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations. 20 Now (FU)Amram [dd]married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses; and the [de]length of Amram’s life was 137 years. 21 And (FV)the sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 And (FW)the sons of Uzziel: Mishael, [df]Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23 Aaron [dg]married Elisheba, the daughter of (FX)Amminadab, the sister of (FY)Nahshon, and she bore him (FZ)Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 24 And the (GA)sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and [dh]Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites. 25 Now Aaron’s son (GB)Eleazar [di]married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him (GC)Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites according to their families. 26 It was the same Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “(GD)Bring out the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their [dj](GE)multitudes.” 27 They were the ones (GF)who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt [dk]about bringing out the sons of Israel from Egypt; it was the same Moses and Aaron.

28 Now it came about on the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 that the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “(GG)I am the Lord; (GH)say to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.” 30 But Moses said before the Lord, “Behold, I am [dl](GI)unskilled in speech; how then will Pharaoh listen to me?”

I Will Extend My Hand

Then the Lord said to Moses, “(GJ)See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. As for you, you shall speak all that I command you, and your brother (GK)Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land. But (GL)I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that I may (GM)multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. When (GN)Pharaoh does not listen to you, I will lay My hand on Egypt and (GO)bring out My armies, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by (GP)great judgments. Then (GQ)the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I (GR)extend My hand over Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst.” So Moses and Aaron did this; (GS)as the Lord commanded them, so they did. And Moses was (GT)eighty years old and Aaron [dm]eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Staff Turns into a Serpent

Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘[dn](GU)Work a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘(GV)Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, so that it may turn into a serpent.’” 10 So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and so they did, just as the Lord had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and [do]his servants, and it (GW)turned into a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh also (GX)called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they too, the (GY)soothsayer priests of Egypt, did the same with (GZ)their secret arts. 12 For each one threw down his staff, and they turned into serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed their staffs. 13 Yet (HA)Pharaoh’s heart was [dp]hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

Water Turned into Blood

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is [dq]stubborn; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning [dr]just as (HB)he is going out to the water, and position yourself to meet him on the bank of the Nile; and you shall take in your hand (HC)the staff that was turned into a serpent. 16 And (HD)you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “(HE)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened up to now.” 17 This is what the Lord says: “(HF)By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, I am going to strike [ds]the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and (HG)it will be turned into blood. 18 Then (HH)the fish that are in the Nile will die, the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will [dt](HI)no longer be able to drink water from the Nile.”’” 19 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and (HJ)extend your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their [du]streams, over their pools, and over all their reservoirs of water, so that they may become blood; and there will be blood through all the land of Egypt, both in containers of wood and in containers of stone.’”

20 So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. And he lifted up [dv](HK)the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants; and (HL)all the water that was in the Nile was turned into blood. 21 Then the fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. And the blood was through all the land of Egypt. 22 (HM)But the soothsayer priests of Egypt did the same with their secret arts; and Pharaoh’s heart was [dw]hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. 23 Then Pharaoh turned and went into his house [dx]with no concern even for this. 24 So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they could not drink from the water of the Nile. 25 Seven days [dy]passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.

Frogs over the Land

[dz]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “(HN)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me. But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I am going to strike your entire territory with frogs. The Nile will (HO)swarm with frogs, which will come up and go into your house, and into your bedroom and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants, and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading bowls. So the frogs will come up on you, your people, and on all your servants.”’” [ea]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘(HP)Extend your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the [eb]streams, and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’” So Aaron extended his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the [ec](HQ)frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. However, (HR)the soothsayer priests did the same with their secret arts, [ed]making frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

Then Pharaoh (HS)called for Moses and Aaron and said, “(HT)Plead with the Lord [ee]to remove the frogs from me and from my people; and (HU)I will let the people go, so that they may sacrifice to the Lord.” And Moses said to Pharaoh, “[ef]The honor is yours to tell me: when shall I plead for you and your servants and your people, [eg]that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, that they be left only in the Nile?”

10 Then he said, “Tomorrow.” So he said, “May it be according to your word, so that you may know that there is (HV)no one like the Lord our God. 11 The (HW)frogs will depart from you and your houses, and from your servants and your people; they will be left only in the Nile.” 12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and (HX)Moses cried out to the Lord concerning the frogs which He had [eh]inflicted upon Pharaoh. 13 The Lord did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. 14 So they piled them in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he [ei]hardened his heart and (HY)did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Insects

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Extend your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may turn into [ej]gnats through all the land of Egypt.’” 17 They did so; and Aaron extended his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were [ek]gnats on every [el]person and animal. All the dust of the earth turned into [em](HZ)gnats through all the land of Egypt. 18 The soothsayer priests tried with their secret arts to produce [en]gnats, but (IA)they could not; so there were [eo]gnats on every person and animal. 19 Then the soothsayer priests said to Pharaoh, “(IB)This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was [ep]hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(IC)Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, [eq]as (ID)he comes out to the water; and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “(IE)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me. 21 For if you are not going to let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people, and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they live. 22 (IF)But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are [er]living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that [es](IG)I, the Lord, am in the midst of the land. 23 I will [et]put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur.”’” 24 Then the Lord did so. And [eu]thick swarms of flies entered the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants, and the land was (IH)laid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt.

25 Then Pharaoh (II)called for Moses and Aaron and said, “(IJ)Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” 26 But Moses said, “It is not permissible for us to do so, because we will sacrifice to the Lord our God [ev]that which is (IK)an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice [ew]that which is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must go a (IL)three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God, just as He [ex]commands us.” 28 Pharaoh said, “(IM)I will let you go, so that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. (IN)Plead for me.” 29 Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going to leave you, and I will plead with the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow; only do not let Pharaoh (IO)deal deceitfully again in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.”

30 So (IP)Moses left Pharaoh and pleaded with the Lord. 31 The Lord did [ey]as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. 32 But Pharaoh [ez]hardened his heart this time also, and (IQ)he did not let the people go.

Egyptian Livestock Die

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says: “(IR)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me. For (IS)if you refuse to let them go and [fa]continue to hold them, behold, (IT)the hand of the Lord [fb]will come with a very severe plague on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks. (IU)But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that (IV)nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.”’” And the Lord set a definite time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” So the Lord did this thing on the next day, and (IW)all the livestock of Egypt died; (IX)but not one of the livestock of the sons of Israel died. And Pharaoh sent men, and they learned that, behold, not even one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But (IY)the heart of Pharaoh was [fc]hardened, and he did not let the people go.

The Plague of Boils

Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of soot from a kiln, and Moses shall toss it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. Then it will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and will turn into (IZ)boils breaking out with sores on every person and animal through all the land of Egypt.” 10 So they took soot from a kiln, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses tossed it toward the sky, and it became boils breaking out with sores on every person and animal. 11 (JA)The soothsayer priests could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the soothsayer priests as well as on all the Egyptians. 12 But (JB)the Lord [fd]hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(JC)Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says: “(JD)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me. 14 For this time I am going to send all My plagues [fe]on you and your servants and your people, so that (JE)you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. 15 For had I now put out My hand and struck you and your people with plague, you would then have been eliminated from the earth. 16 But indeed, (JF)for this reason I have allowed you to [ff]remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name throughout the earth. 17 Still you exalt yourself against My people [fg]by not letting them go.

The Plague of Hail

18 Behold, about this time tomorrow, (JG)I will [fh]send a very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded [fi]until now. 19 So now, send word, bring (JH)your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. (JI)Every person and animal that is found in the field and is not brought home, when the hail comes down on them, will die.”’” 20 (JJ)Everyone among the servants of Pharaoh who [fj]feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring his servants and his livestock into the houses; 21 but everyone who [fk]did not pay regard to the word of the Lord [fl]left his servants and his livestock in the field.

22 Now the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out with your hand toward the sky, so that [fm](JK)hail may fall on all the land of Egypt, on every person and animal, and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.” 23 So Moses reached out with his staff toward the sky, and the Lord [fn]sent [fo]thunder and (JL)hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. 24 So there was hail, and fire flashing intermittently in the midst of the hail, which was very heavy, such as had not occurred in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 (JM)The hail struck everything that was in the field through all the land of Egypt, from people to animals; the hail also struck every plant of the field, and shattered every tree of the field. 26 (JN)Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, was there no hail.

27 Then Pharaoh [fp](JO)sent for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “(JP)I have sinned this time; the Lord is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones. 28 (JQ)Plead with the Lord, for there has been enough of God’s [fq]thunder and hail; and (JR)I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” 29 Moses said to him, “As soon as I go out of the city, I will (JS)spread out my [fr]hands to the Lord; the [fs]thunder will cease and there will no longer be hail, so that you may know that (JT)the earth is the Lords. 30 (JU)But as for you and your servants, I know that (JV)you do not yet [ft]fear [fu]the Lord God.” 31 (Now the flax and the (JW)barley were [fv]ruined, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the spelt were not [fw]ruined, for they ripen late.) 33 (JX)So Moses left the city from his meeting with Pharaoh, and spread out his [fx]hands to the Lord; and the [fy]thunder and the hail stopped, and rain [fz]no longer poured on the earth. 34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the [ga]thunder had stopped, he sinned again and [gb]hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 So Pharaoh’s heart was [gc]hardened, and he did not let the sons of Israel go, just as the (JY)Lord had spoken through Moses.

The Plague of Locusts

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for (JZ)I have [gd]hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, so that I may [ge]perform these signs of Mine [gf]among them, and (KA)that you may tell in the [gg]presence of your son, and of your grandson, how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I [gh]performed My signs among them, (KB)so that you may know that I am the Lord.”

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says: ‘How long will you refuse to (KC)humble yourself before Me? (KD)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me. For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. And they will cover the surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the land. (KE)They will also eat the rest of what has survived—what is left to you from the hail—and they will eat every tree of yours which grows [gi]in the field. Then (KF)your houses will be filled with them, [gj]together with the houses of all your servants and the houses of all the Egyptians, something which neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day that they [gk]came upon the earth until this day.’” And he turned and left Pharaoh. Then (KG)Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be (KH)a snare to us? Let the [gl]people go, so that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet [gm]realize that Egypt is destroyed?” So Moses and Aaron (KI)were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “(KJ)Go, serve the Lord your God! [gn]Who specifically are the ones who are going?” Moses said, “(KK)We shall go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, (KL)with our flocks and our herds we shall go, for we [go]must hold a feast to the Lord.” 10 Then he said to them, “So may the Lord be with you, when I let you and your little ones go! Watch out, for evil is [gp]on your mind! 11 Not so! Go now, but only the men among you, and serve the Lord, since [gq]that is what you desire.” So (KM)they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(KN)Reach out with your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come up on the land of Egypt and (KO)eat every plant of the land, everything that the hail has left.” 13 So Moses reached out with his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord directed an east wind on the land all that day and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind [gr]brought the (KP)locusts. 14 (KQ)The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled in all the territory of Egypt; they were very [gs]numerous. There had never been so many [gt]locusts, nor would there be so many [gu]again. 15 For they covered the surface of the whole land, so that the land was darkened; and they (KR)ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Therefore nothing green was left on tree or plant of the field throughout the land of Egypt. 16 Then Pharaoh hurriedly (KS)called for Moses and Aaron, and he said, “(KT)I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. 17 So now, please forgive my sin only this once, and (KU)plead with the Lord your God, that He would only remove this death from me.” 18 Then (KV)he left Pharaoh and pleaded with the Lord. 19 So the Lord shifted the wind to a very strong west wind, which picked up the locusts and drove them into the [gv]Red Sea; not one locust was left in all the territory of Egypt. 20 But (KW)the Lord [gw]hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go.

Darkness over the Land

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(KX)Reach out with your hand toward the sky, so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness (KY)which may be felt.” 22 So Moses reached out with his hand toward the sky, and there was (KZ)thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. 23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, (LA)but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings. 24 Then Pharaoh (LB)called for Moses, and said, “Go, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be left behind. Even (LC)your little ones may go with you.” 25 But Moses said, “You must also [gx]let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, so that we may [gy]sacrifice them to the Lord our God. 26 (LD)Therefore, our livestock too shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we shall take some of them to serve the Lord our God. And until we arrive there, we ourselves do not know with what we shall serve the Lord.” 27 But (LE)the Lord [gz]hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go. 28 Then Pharaoh said to him, “(LF)Get away from me! [ha]Be careful, do not see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you shall die!” 29 Moses said, “You have spoken correctly; (LG)I shall never see your face again!”

The Last Plague

11 Now the Lord said to Moses, “One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt; (LH)after that he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will assuredly drive you out from here completely. Speak now [hb]so that the people hear, that (LI)each man is to ask of his neighbor, and each woman of her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold.” And (LJ)the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. (LK)Furthermore, the man Moses himself was [hc]greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.

Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘About (LL)midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, and (LM)all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well. So there shall be (LN)a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again. (LO)But not even a dog will [hd]threaten any of the sons of Israel, nor anything from person to animal, so that you may [he]learn how the Lord distinguishes between Egypt and Israel.’ And (LP)all these servants of yours will come down to me and bow themselves [hf]before me, saying, ‘Go out, you and all the people who [hg]follow you,’ and after that I will go out.” (LQ)And he left Pharaoh in the heat of anger.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “(LR)Pharaoh will not listen to you, so (LS)that My wonders will be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10 So (LT)Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh; yet (LU)the Lord [hh]hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go out of his land.

The Passover Lamb

12 Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of [hi]Egypt, (LV)This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year for you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are, each one, to take a [hj]lamb for themselves, according to the fathers’ households, a [hk]lamb for [hl]each household. Now if the household is too small for a [hm]lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the [hn]number of persons in them; in proportion to [ho]what each one should eat, you are to [hp]divide the lamb. Your [hq]lamb shall be (LW)an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. [hr]You shall keep it until the (LX)fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to slaughter it [hs](LY)at twilight. (LZ)Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel [ht]of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh (MA)that same night, (MB)roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with (MC)unleavened bread [hu](MD)and bitter herbs. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather (ME)roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with (MF)its entrails. 10 (MG)And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall completely burn with fire. 11 Now you shall eat it in this way: with your garment [hv]belted around your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in a hurry—it is (MH)the Lords Passover. 12 For (MI)I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and fatally strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the human firstborn to animals; and (MJ)against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—(MK)I am the Lord. 13 (ML)The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you [hw]live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will come upon you [hx]to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

Feast of Unleavened Bread

14 ‘Now (MM)this day shall be (MN)a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as [hy](MO)a permanent ordinance. 15 For (MP)seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove dough with yeast from your houses; for whoever eats anything with yeast from the first day until the seventh day, (MQ)that [hz]person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 And (MR)on the first day you shall have a holy assembly, and another holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except for what must be eaten by every person—that alone may be [ia]prepared by you. 17 You shall also keep (MS)the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this (MT)very day I brought your [ib]multitudes out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall keep this day throughout your generations as (MU)a [ic]permanent ordinance. 18 (MV)In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For (MW)seven days there shall be no dough with yeast found in your houses; for whoever eats anything with yeast, that [id](MX)person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 20 You shall not eat anything with yeast; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’”

21 Then (MY)Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and (MZ)take for yourselves [ie]lambs according to your families, and slaughter (NA)the Passover lamb. 22 And (NB)you shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and [if]apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning.

A Memorial of Redemption

23 For (NC)the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; but when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will (ND)not allow the (NE)destroyer to come in to your houses to strike you. 24 And (NF)you shall keep this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever. 25 When you enter the land which the Lord will give you, as He has [ig]promised, you shall keep this [ih]rite. 26 (NG)And when your children say to you, ‘[ii]What does this rite mean to you?’ 27 then you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to (NH)the Lord because He passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians, but [ij]spared our homes.’” (NI)And the people bowed low and worshiped.

28 Then the sons of Israel went and did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

29 Now it came about at (NJ)midnight that (NK)the Lord struck all (NL)the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of (NM)cattle. 30 And Pharaoh got up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was (NN)a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead. 31 Then (NO)he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Rise up, (NP)get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, [ik]worship the Lord, as you have said. 32 Take (NQ)both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also.”

Exodus of Israel

33 (NR)The Egyptians urged the people, to send them out of the land in a hurry, for they said, “We will all be dead.” 34 So the people took (NS)their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their shoulders.

35 (NT)Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; 36 and the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Therefore they (NU)plundered the Egyptians.

37 Now the (NV)sons of Israel journeyed from (NW)Rameses to Succoth, about (NX)six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children. 38 A (NY)mixed multitude also went up with them, [il]along with flocks and herds, a (NZ)very large number of livestock. 39 And they baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into cakes of unleavened bread. For it had no yeast, since they were (OA)driven out of Egypt and could not delay, nor had they [im]prepared any provisions for themselves.

40 Now the time [in]that the sons of Israel had lived in Egypt was (OB)430 years. 41 And at the end of 430 years, on (OC)this very day, (OD)all the [io]multitudes of the Lord departed from the land of Egypt.

Ordinance of the Passover

42 (OE)It is a night [ip]to be observed for the Lord, for having brought them out of the land of Egypt; this night is for the Lord, [iq]to be observed by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations.

43 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of (OF)the Passover: no [ir](OG)foreigner is to eat it; 44 but as for every (OH)slave [is]that someone has purchased with money, after you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. 45 (OI)A stranger or a hired worker shall not eat it. 46 It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring any of the meat outside of the house, (OJ)nor are you to break any bone of it. 47 (OK)All the congregation of Israel are to [it]celebrate this. 48 But (OL)if a stranger resides with you and [iu]celebrates the Passover to the Lord, all of his males are to be circumcised, and then he shall come near to [iv]celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised male may eat it. 49 [iw](OM)The same law shall [ix]apply to the native as to the stranger who resides among you.”

50 Then all the sons of Israel did so; they did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 And on that very day (ON)the Lord brought the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt (OO)according to their [iy]multitudes.

13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, (OP)Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the firstborn of every womb among the sons of Israel, among people and animals alike; it belongs to Me.”

And Moses said to the people, “(OQ)Remember this day in which you departed from Egypt, from the house of [iz]slavery; for (OR)by [ja]a powerful hand the Lord brought you out from this place. (OS)And nothing with yeast shall be eaten. On this day in the (OT)month of Abib, you are about to go out from here. And it shall be when the Lord (OU)brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which (OV)He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, (OW)that you shall [jb]perform this rite in this month. For (OX)seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and (OY)nothing with yeast shall [jc]be seen among you, nor shall any dough with yeast [jd]be seen among you in all your borders. And (OZ)you shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ And (PA)it shall [je]serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder [jf]on your forehead, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for with (PB)a powerful hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt. 10 Therefore, you shall (PC)keep this ordinance at its appointed time from [jg]year to year.

11 “Now when (PD)the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as (PE)He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 (PF)you shall [jh]devote to the Lord every firstborn of a womb, and every firstborn offspring of an animal that you own; the males belong to the Lord. 13 But (PG)every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and (PH)every [ji]firstborn among your sons you shall redeem. 14 (PI)And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘(PJ)With [jj]a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of [jk]slavery. 15 And it came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the (PK)Lord put to death every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human firstborns to animal firstborns. Therefore, I sacrifice to the Lord the males, every firstborn of a womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 So (PL)it shall [jl]serve as a sign on your hand and as [jm]phylacteries [jn]on your forehead, for with [jo]a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”

God Leads the People

17 Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “(PM)The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18 Therefore God led the people around by way of the wilderness to the [jp]Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up (PN)in battle formation from the land of Egypt. 19 And Moses took (PO)the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will certainly [jq]take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.” 20 Then they set out from (PP)Succoth and camped in Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21 And (PQ)the Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, so that they might [jr]travel by day and by night. 22 [js]He (PR)did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from the presence of the people.

Pharaoh in Pursuit

14 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Tell the sons of Israel to turn back and camp in front of (PS)Pi-hahiroth, between (PT)Migdol and the sea; you shall camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it, by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the sons of Israel, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ And (PU)I will [jt]harden Pharaoh’s heart, and (PV)he will chase after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, and (PW)the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” And they did so.

When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, [ju]Pharaoh and his servants had a change of heart toward the people, and they said, “What is this that we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” So he had horses harnessed to his chariot and took his people with him; and he took six hundred select chariots, and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. So (PX)the Lord [jv]hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he chased after the sons of Israel as the sons of Israel were going out [jw](PY)boldly. Then (PZ)the Egyptians chased after them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army, and they overtook them camping by the sea, (QA)beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

10 As Pharaoh approached, the sons of Israel [jx]looked, and behold, the Egyptians were coming after them, and they became very frightened; (QB)so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 Then (QC)they said to Moses, “Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, [jy]bringing us out of Egypt? 12 (QD)Is this not the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘[jz]Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness!”

The Sea Is Divided

13 But Moses said to the people, “(QE)Do not fear! [ka]Stand by and see (QF)the salvation of the Lord, which He will perform for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again, ever. 14 (QG)The Lord will fight for you, while (QH)you keep silent.”

15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. 16 As for you, lift up (QI)your staff and reach out with your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall [kb]go through the midst of the sea on dry land. 17 And as for Me, behold, (QJ)I will [kc]harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them; and I will be honored through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 (QK)Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, when I am honored through Pharaoh, through his chariots, and through his horsemen.”

19 Then (QL)the angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. 20 So it came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud [kd]along with the darkness, yet it gave light at night. Therefore the one did not approach the other all night.

21 (QM)Then Moses reached out with his hand over the sea; and the Lord [ke]swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night, and turned the sea into (QN)dry land, and (QO)the waters were divided. 22 So (QP)the sons of Israel [kf]went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and (QQ)the waters were like a wall to them on their right and on their left. 23 Then (QR)the Egyptians took up the pursuit, and all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen went in after them into the midst of the sea. 24 But at the morning watch, (QS)the Lord looked down on the [kg]army of the Egyptians [kh]through the pillar of fire and cloud, and brought the [ki]army of the Egyptians into confusion. 25 He [kj]caused their chariot wheels to swerve, and He made them drive with difficulty; so the Egyptians each said, “Let me flee from Israel, (QT)for the Lord is fighting for them against the Egyptians.”

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(QU)Reach out with your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen.” 27 So Moses reached out with his hand over the sea, and (QV)the sea returned to its normal state at daybreak, while the Egyptians were fleeing [kk]right into it; then the Lord [kl](QW)overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, Pharaoh’s entire army that had gone into the sea after them; (QX)not even one of them remained. 29 But the sons of Israel walked on (QY)dry land through the midst of the sea, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right and on their left.

30 (QZ)So the Lord saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel (RA)saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 When Israel saw the great [km]power which the Lord had [kn]used against the Egyptians, the people [ko]feared the Lord, and (RB)they believed in the Lord and in His servant Moses.

The Song of Moses and Israel

15 (RC)Then Moses and the sons of Israel sang this song to the Lord, [kp]saying:

[kq](RD)I will sing to the Lord, for He is highly exalted;
(RE)The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.
[kr](RF)The Lord is my strength and song,
And He has become my salvation;
(RG)This is my God, and I will praise Him;
(RH)My father’s God, and I will (RI)exalt Him.
(RJ)The Lord is a warrior;
[ks](RK)The Lord is His name.
(RL)Pharaoh’s chariots and his army He has thrown into the sea;
And the choicest of his officers are [kt]drowned in the [ku]Red Sea.
The waters cover them;
(RM)They went down into the depths like a stone.
(RN)Your right hand, Lord, is majestic in power;
(RO)Your right hand, Lord, destroys the enemy.
And in the greatness of Your [kv]excellence You (RP)overthrow those who rise up against You;
(RQ)You send out Your burning anger, and it (RR)consumes them like chaff.
(RS)At the blast of Your nostrils the waters were piled up,
(RT)The flowing waters stood up like a heap;
The depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
(RU)The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will (RV)divide the spoils;
[kw]I shall [kx]be satisfied against them;
I will draw my sword, my hand will [ky]destroy them.’
10 (RW)You blew with Your wind, the sea covered them;
(RX)They sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11 (RY)Who is like You among the gods, Lord?
Who is like You, (RZ)majestic in holiness,
(SA)Awesome in praises, (SB)working wonders?
12 (SC)You reached out with Your right hand,
The earth swallowed them.
13 In Your [kz]faithfulness You have (SD)led the people whom You have (SE)redeemed;
In Your strength You have guided them (SF)to Your holy habitation.
14 (SG)The peoples have heard, they tremble;
Anguish has gripped the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Then the (SH)chiefs of Edom were terrified;
(SI)The leaders of Moab, trembling grips them;
(SJ)All the inhabitants of Canaan have despaired.
16 (SK)Terror and dread fall upon them;
(SL)By the greatness of Your arm they are motionless as stone,
Until Your people pass over, Lord,
Until the people pass over whom You (SM)have purchased.
17 (SN)You will bring them and (SO)plant them in (SP)the mountain of Your inheritance,
(SQ)The place, Lord, which You have made as Your dwelling,
(SR)The sanctuary, Lord, which Your hands have established.
18 (SS)The Lord shall reign forever and ever.”

19 (ST)For the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea, and the Lord brought back the waters of the sea on them, but the sons of Israel walked on (SU)dry land through the midst of the sea.

20 (SV)Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took the (SW)tambourine in her hand, and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with [la](SX)dancing. 21 And Miriam answered them,

(SY)Sing to the Lord, for He [lb]is highly exalted;
The horse and his rider He has hurled into the sea.”

The Lord Provides Water

22 (SZ)Then Moses [lc]led Israel from the [ld]Red Sea, and they went out into (TA)the wilderness of (TB)Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23 When they came to (TC)Marah, they could not drink the waters [le]of Marah, because they were [lf]bitter; for that reason it was named [lg]Marah. 24 So the people (TD)grumbled at Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?” 25 Then he (TE)cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him (TF)a tree; and he threw it into the waters, and the waters became sweet.

There He (TG)made for them a statute and regulation, and there He (TH)tested them. 26 And He said, “(TI)If you will listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His sight, and listen (TJ)to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, (TK)I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, (TL)the Lord, am your healer.”

27 Then they came to (TM)Elim where there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms, and they camped there beside the waters.

The Lord Provides Manna

16 Then they set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the sons of Israel came to the wilderness of (TN)Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on (TO)the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. But the whole congregation of the sons of Israel (TP)grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The sons of Israel said to them, “(TQ)If only we had died by the Lords hand in the land of Egypt, (TR)when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread until we were full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this entire assembly with hunger!”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, (TS)I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, so that I may (TT)test them, whether or not they will walk in My [lh]instruction. (TU)On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “At evening [li](TV)you will know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt; and in the morning [lj]you will see (TW)the glory of the Lord, for (TX)He hears your grumblings against the Lord; and (TY)what are we, that you grumble against us?”

The Lord Provides Meat

And Moses said, “This will happen when the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning; for the Lord hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are (TZ)not against us but against the Lord.”

Then Moses said to Aaron, “Say to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, ‘(UA)Come forward before the Lord, for He has heard your grumblings.’” 10 And it came about, as Aaron spoke to the entire congregation of the sons of Israel, that they [lk]looked toward the wilderness, and behold, (UB)the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud. 11 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 12 (UC)I have heard the grumblings of the sons of Israel; speak to them, saying, ‘[ll]At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread; and (UD)you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”

13 So it came about at evening that (UE)the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning (UF)there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 (UG)When the layer of dew [lm]evaporated, behold, on the [ln]surface of the wilderness (UH)there was a fine flake-like thing, fine as the frost on the ground. 15 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “[lo]What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “(UI)It is the bread which the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is [lp]what the Lord has commanded: ‘Everyone gather [lq]as much as he will eat; you shall take [lr](UJ)an omer apiece according to the number of people each of you has in his tent.’” 17 The sons of Israel did so, and some gathered much and some little. 18 When they measured it by the [ls]omer, (UK)the one who had gathered much did not have too much, and the one who had gathered little did not have too little; everyone gathered [lt]as much as he would eat. 19 Moses said to them, “(UL)No one is to leave any of it until morning.” 20 But they did not listen to Moses, and some left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and stank; and Moses was angry with them. 21 They gathered it morning by morning, everyone [lu]as much as he would eat; but when the sun became hot, it would melt.

The Sabbath

22 (UM)Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, [lv]two omers for each one. When all the (UN)leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 then he said to them, “This is what the Lord [lw]meant: (UO)Tomorrow is a Sabbath observance, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and (UP)all that is left over [lx]put aside to be kept until morning.” 24 So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and (UQ)it did not stink nor was there a maggot in it. 25 Then Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath to the Lord; today you will not find it in the field. 26 (UR)Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be [ly]none.”

27 Yet it came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(US)How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My [lz]instructions? 29 See, [ma]the Lord has given you the Sabbath; for that reason He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain, everyone, in his place; no one is to leave his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 And the house of (UT)Israel named the bread [mb]manna, and it was like (UU)coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers with honey. 32 Then Moses said, “This is [mc]what the Lord has commanded: ‘A [md]full omer of it is to be kept safe throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread that I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” 33 And Moses said to Aaron, “(UV)Take a jar and put a [me]full omer of manna in it, and place it before the Lord to be kept safe throughout your generations.” 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before (UW)the Testimony, to be kept. 35 And (UX)the sons of Israel ate the manna for forty years, until they came to an inhabited land; they ate the manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36 (Now (UY)an [mf]omer is a tenth of an ephah.)

Water in the Rock

17 Then all the congregation of the sons of Israel journeyed by [mg]stages from the wilderness of (UZ)Sin, according to the [mh]command of the Lord, and camped at (VA)Rephidim, and there was no water for the people to drink. So the people (VB)quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water so that we may drink!” And Moses said to them, “(VC)Why do you quarrel with me? (VD)Why do you test the Lord?” But the people were thirsty for water there; and [mi]they (VE)grumbled against Moses and said, “Why is it that you have you brought us up from Egypt, to kill [mj]us and [mk]our children and [ml](VF)our livestock with thirst?” So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, “What am I to do with this people? A (VG)little more and they will stone me!” Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pass before the people and take with you some of (VH)the elders of Israel; and take in your hand your staff with which (VI)you struck the Nile, and go. Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at (VJ)Horeb; and (VK)you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, so that the people may drink.” And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. Then he named the place [mm](VL)Massah and [mn](VM)Meribah because of the quarrel of the sons of Israel, and because they (VN)tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us, or not?”

Miraculous Battle against Amalek

Then (VO)Amalek came and fought against Israel at (VP)Rephidim. So Moses said to (VQ)Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with (VR)the staff of God in my hand.” 10 Joshua did just as Moses [mo]told him, [mp]and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and (VS)Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 So it came about, when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed; but when he let his hand [mq]down, Amalek prevailed. 12 And Moses’ hands were heavy. So they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur (VT)supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. So his hands were steady until the sun set. 13 And Joshua [mr]defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(VU)Write this in [ms]a book as a memorial and [mt]recite it to Joshua, [mu]that (VV)I will utterly wipe out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an (VW)altar and named it (VX)The Lord is My Banner; 16 and he said, “[mv](VY)Because the Lord has sworn, the Lord will have war against Amalek from generation to generation.”

Jethro, Moses’ Father-in-law

18 Now (VZ)Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard about everything that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took in Moses’ wife (WA)Zipporah, after he had sent her away, and her (WB)two sons, [mw]one of whom was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have been (WC)a stranger in a foreign land.” And [mx]the other was named [my](WD)Eliezer, for he said, “(WE)The God of my father was my help, and saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”

Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses [mz]in the wilderness where he was camped, at (WF)the mountain of God. And he [na]sent word to Moses: “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her.” Then Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and (WG)he bowed down and (WH)kissed him; and they (WI)asked each other about their welfare, and went into the tent. Moses told his father-in-law everything that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians (WJ)for Israel’s sake, all the (WK)hardship that had confronted them on the journey, and how (WL)the Lord had rescued them. And Jethro rejoiced over all (WM)the goodness which the Lord had done for Israel, [nb]in rescuing [nc]them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10 So Jethro said, “(WN)Blessed be the Lord who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that (WO)the Lord is greater than all the gods; indeed, [nd](WP)it was proven when they acted insolently against [ne]the people.” 12 (WQ)Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat [nf]a meal with Moses’ father-in-law before God.

Jethro Counsels Moses

13 And it came about the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening. 14 Now when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?” 15 Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me (WR)to inquire of God. 16 When they have a [ng](WS)dispute, it comes to me, and I judge between someone and his neighbor and make known the statutes of God and His laws.” 17 Moses’ father-in-law then said to him, “The thing that you are doing is not good. 18 (WT)You will surely wear out, both yourself and [nh]these people who are with you, because the [ni]task is too heavy for you; (WU)you cannot do it alone. 19 Now listen to [nj]me: I will give you counsel, and God be with you. [nk]You be the people’s representative before God, and you (WV)bring the [nl]disputes to God, 20 (WW)then admonish them about the statutes and the laws, and make known to them (WX)the way in which they are to walk and the work they are to do. 21 Furthermore, you shall [nm]select out of all the people (WY)able men (WZ)who fear God, men of truth, those who (XA)hate dishonest gain; and you shall place these over them as leaders of thousands, [nn]of hundreds, [no]of fifties, and [np]of tens. 22 Let them judge the people at all times; and let it be (XB)that they will bring to you every major matter, but they will judge every minor matter themselves. So it will be easier for you, and (XC)they will carry the burden with you. 23 If you do this thing and God so commands you, then you will be able to [nq]endure, and all [nr]these people also will go to [ns]their places in peace.”

24 So Moses listened [nt]to his father-in-law and did everything that he had said. 25 Moses chose (XD)able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders of thousands, [nu]of hundreds, [nv]of fifties, and [nw]of tens. 26 Then they judged the people at all times; (XE)they would bring the difficult matter to Moses, but they would judge every minor matter themselves. 27 Then Moses [nx](XF)said goodbye to his father-in-law, and [ny]Jethro went his way to his own land.

Moses on Sinai

19 (XG)In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, [nz]on that very day they came into the wilderness of (XH)Sinai. When they set out from (XI)Rephidim, they came to the wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness; and there Israel camped in front of (XJ)the mountain. And Moses went up to God, and (XK)the Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, “This is what you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: (XL)You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on (XM)eagles’ wings, and brought you to Myself. Now then, (XN)if you will indeed obey My voice and (XO)keep My covenant, then you shall be (XP)My [oa]own possession among all the peoples, for (XQ)all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me (XR)a kingdom of priests and (XS)a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 1:1 Lit and
  2. Exodus 1:5 Lit Every soul
  3. Exodus 1:5 Lit souls
  4. Exodus 1:7 Lit swarmed
  5. Exodus 1:7 Or numerous
  6. Exodus 1:9 Or more and mightier than we
  7. Exodus 1:10 Or wisely
  8. Exodus 1:10 Lit it will come about when war occurs that
  9. Exodus 1:10 Lit go up from
  10. Exodus 1:11 Lit their burdens
  11. Exodus 1:12 Lit broke forth
  12. Exodus 1:13 Lit with violence compelled
  13. Exodus 1:15 Lit the name was
  14. Exodus 1:15 Lit the name was
  15. Exodus 1:17 Or revered
  16. Exodus 1:17 Lit spoken to
  17. Exodus 1:19 Lit comes to
  18. Exodus 1:20 Or numerous
  19. Exodus 1:21 Or revered
  20. Exodus 1:21 Lit made
  21. Exodus 1:21 Or families
  22. Exodus 1:22 Some ancient versions insert to the Hebrews
  23. Exodus 2:1 Lit took
  24. Exodus 2:2 Lit him that
  25. Exodus 2:2 Lit good
  26. Exodus 2:3 Or chest
  27. Exodus 2:4 Lit know
  28. Exodus 2:4 Lit be done
  29. Exodus 2:5 Or chest
  30. Exodus 2:6 Heb saw it, the child
  31. Exodus 2:10 Heb Mosheh, from a verb meaning to draw out
  32. Exodus 2:11 Lit brothers
  33. Exodus 2:11 Lit burdens
  34. Exodus 2:11 Lit brothers
  35. Exodus 2:12 Lit turned
  36. Exodus 2:12 Lit him
  37. Exodus 2:13 Or quarreling
  38. Exodus 2:13 Or the guilty one
  39. Exodus 2:14 Lit man, a ruler
  40. Exodus 2:14 Lit say
  41. Exodus 2:15 Lit dwelt
  42. Exodus 2:19 Lit the hand of the
  43. Exodus 2:20 Lit that he may eat bread
  44. Exodus 2:22 Cf. Heb ger sham, a stranger there
  45. Exodus 2:25 Lit knew them
  46. Exodus 3:1 Or rear part
  47. Exodus 3:2 Lit the
  48. Exodus 3:3 Lit great
  49. Exodus 3:8 Lit hand
  50. Exodus 3:12 Or serve
  51. Exodus 3:14 Related to the name of God, YHWH, rendered Lord, which is derived from the verb HAYAH, to be
  52. Exodus 3:14 Related to the name of God, YHWH, rendered Lord, which is derived from the verb HAYAH, to be
  53. Exodus 3:14 Related to the name of God, YHWH, rendered Lord, which is derived from the verb HAYAH, to be
  54. Exodus 3:15 I.e., name used in prayer, vows, and ceremony
  55. Exodus 3:15 Lit generation of generation
  56. Exodus 3:16 Lit Visiting I have visited
  57. Exodus 3:18 Lit hear your voice
  58. Exodus 3:19 Lit by a strong hand
  59. Exodus 4:1 Lit to my voice
  60. Exodus 4:4 Lit palm
  61. Exodus 4:8 Lit listen to
  62. Exodus 4:8 Lit voice
  63. Exodus 4:8 I.e., confirming miracle
  64. Exodus 4:8 Lit voice
  65. Exodus 4:8 I.e., confirming miracle
  66. Exodus 4:9 I.e., confirming miracles
  67. Exodus 4:10 Lit a man of words
  68. Exodus 4:10 Lit yesterday
  69. Exodus 4:10 Lit heavy
  70. Exodus 4:10 Lit heavy
  71. Exodus 4:13 Lit the hand You send
  72. Exodus 4:14 Lit speaking he speaks
  73. Exodus 4:14 Lit joyful in his heart
  74. Exodus 4:18 Heb Jether
  75. Exodus 4:19 Lit return
  76. Exodus 4:21 Lit to return
  77. Exodus 4:21 Lit hand
  78. Exodus 4:24 Lit him
  79. Exodus 4:25 Lit made it touch at his feet
  80. Exodus 4:26 Lit with reference to
  81. Exodus 4:31 Lit had visited
  82. Exodus 5:4 Lit works
  83. Exodus 5:8 Lit out, saying,
  84. Exodus 5:13 Lit works
  85. Exodus 5:13 Lit the matter of a day in its day
  86. Exodus 5:13 Lit there was
  87. Exodus 5:14 Lit saying
  88. Exodus 5:19 Lit saying
  89. Exodus 5:19 Lit from your bricks the matter of a day in its day
  90. Exodus 5:20 Lit standing to meet
  91. Exodus 5:21 Lit our odor stink
  92. Exodus 6:1 Lit by a strong hand
  93. Exodus 6:1 Lit by a strong hand
  94. Exodus 6:3 Heb El Shaddai
  95. Exodus 6:3 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  96. Exodus 6:4 Lit land of their sojournings in which...
  97. Exodus 6:7 Lit to Me for a people
  98. Exodus 6:7 Lit to you for a God
  99. Exodus 6:8 Lit lifted up My hand
  100. Exodus 6:9 Or impatience
  101. Exodus 6:11 Lit speak to
  102. Exodus 6:11 Lit that he let
  103. Exodus 6:12 Lit uncircumcised of lips
  104. Exodus 6:15 In Num 26:12 and 1 Chr 4:24, Nemuel
  105. Exodus 6:16 Lit years
  106. Exodus 6:17 In 1 Chr 23:7, Ladan
  107. Exodus 6:18 Lit years
  108. Exodus 6:20 Lit took to him as a wife
  109. Exodus 6:20 Lit years
  110. Exodus 6:22 In Num 3:30, Elizaphan
  111. Exodus 6:23 Lit took to him as a wife
  112. Exodus 6:24 In 1 Chr 6:23 and 9:19, Ebiasaph
  113. Exodus 6:25 Lit took to him as a wife
  114. Exodus 6:26 I.e., multitudes in battle formation
  115. Exodus 6:27 Lit to bring out
  116. Exodus 6:30 Lit uncircumcised of lips
  117. Exodus 7:7 Lit 83 years old
  118. Exodus 7:9 Lit Show a wonder for yourselves
  119. Exodus 7:10 Lit before his
  120. Exodus 7:13 Lit strong
  121. Exodus 7:14 Or hard; lit heavy
  122. Exodus 7:15 Lit behold
  123. Exodus 7:17 Lit upon the waters
  124. Exodus 7:18 Lit be weary of
  125. Exodus 7:19 Or canals
  126. Exodus 7:20 Lit with the staff
  127. Exodus 7:22 Lit strong
  128. Exodus 7:23 Lit and he did not set his heart even to this
  129. Exodus 7:25 Lit were fulfilled
  130. Exodus 8:1 Ch 7:26 in Heb
  131. Exodus 8:5 Ch 8:1 in Heb
  132. Exodus 8:5 Or canals
  133. Exodus 8:6 Lit frog
  134. Exodus 8:7 Lit and made
  135. Exodus 8:8 Lit that He remove
  136. Exodus 8:9 Lit Glory over me
  137. Exodus 8:9 Lit cut off the frogs from
  138. Exodus 8:12 Lit placed
  139. Exodus 8:15 Lit made heavy
  140. Exodus 8:16 Or lice
  141. Exodus 8:17 Or lice
  142. Exodus 8:17 I.e., Egyptians and their livestock
  143. Exodus 8:17 Or lice
  144. Exodus 8:18 Or lice
  145. Exodus 8:18 Or lice
  146. Exodus 8:19 Lit strong
  147. Exodus 8:20 Lit behold
  148. Exodus 8:22 Lit standing
  149. Exodus 8:22 Or I am the Lord in the midst of the earth
  150. Exodus 8:23 Lit set a ransom
  151. Exodus 8:24 Lit heavy
  152. Exodus 8:26 Lit the abomination of Egypt
  153. Exodus 8:26 Lit the abomination of Egypt
  154. Exodus 8:27 Lit says to us
  155. Exodus 8:31 Lit according to the word of Moses
  156. Exodus 8:32 Lit made heavy
  157. Exodus 9:2 Lit still hold
  158. Exodus 9:3 Lit will be
  159. Exodus 9:7 Lit heavy
  160. Exodus 9:12 Lit made strong
  161. Exodus 9:14 Lit to your heart
  162. Exodus 9:16 Lit stand
  163. Exodus 9:17 Lit so as not to let
  164. Exodus 9:18 Lit cause to rain
  165. Exodus 9:18 Lit and until now
  166. Exodus 9:20 Or revered
  167. Exodus 9:21 Lit did not set his heart to
  168. Exodus 9:21 Lit then left
  169. Exodus 9:22 Lit there may be hail
  170. Exodus 9:23 Lit gave
  171. Exodus 9:23 Lit sounds
  172. Exodus 9:27 Lit sent and called
  173. Exodus 9:28 Lit sounds
  174. Exodus 9:29 Lit palms
  175. Exodus 9:29 Lit sounds
  176. Exodus 9:30 Or revere
  177. Exodus 9:30 Lit before the Lord
  178. Exodus 9:31 Lit struck
  179. Exodus 9:32 Lit struck
  180. Exodus 9:33 Lit palms
  181. Exodus 9:33 Lit sounds
  182. Exodus 9:33 Lit was not poured
  183. Exodus 9:34 Lit sounds
  184. Exodus 9:34 Lit made heavy
  185. Exodus 9:35 Lit strong
  186. Exodus 10:1 Lit made heavy
  187. Exodus 10:1 Lit put
  188. Exodus 10:1 Lit in his midst
  189. Exodus 10:2 Lit ears
  190. Exodus 10:2 Lit put
  191. Exodus 10:5 Lit from
  192. Exodus 10:6 Lit and the
  193. Exodus 10:6 Lit were
  194. Exodus 10:7 Or men
  195. Exodus 10:7 Lit know
  196. Exodus 10:8 Lit Who and who are
  197. Exodus 10:9 Lit have a feast
  198. Exodus 10:10 Lit before your face
  199. Exodus 10:11 Lit you desire it
  200. Exodus 10:13 Lit carried
  201. Exodus 10:14 Lit heavy
  202. Exodus 10:14 Lit locusts like them before them
  203. Exodus 10:14 Lit after them
  204. Exodus 10:19 Lit Sea of Reeds
  205. Exodus 10:20 Lit made strong
  206. Exodus 10:25 Lit hand over
  207. Exodus 10:25 Lit make them for
  208. Exodus 10:27 Lit made strong
  209. Exodus 10:28 Lit Take care for yourself
  210. Exodus 11:2 Lit in the ears of the people that
  211. Exodus 11:3 Lit very great
  212. Exodus 11:7 Lit move its tongue
  213. Exodus 11:7 Lit know
  214. Exodus 11:8 Lit to
  215. Exodus 11:8 Lit are at your feet
  216. Exodus 11:10 Lit made strong
  217. Exodus 12:1 Lit Egypt, saying
  218. Exodus 12:3 Or kid
  219. Exodus 12:3 Or kid
  220. Exodus 12:3 Lit the
  221. Exodus 12:4 Or kid
  222. Exodus 12:4 Or amount
  223. Exodus 12:4 Lit each man’s eating
  224. Exodus 12:4 Lit compute for
  225. Exodus 12:5 Or kid
  226. Exodus 12:6 Lit It shall be to you for a guarding
  227. Exodus 12:6 Lit between the two evenings
  228. Exodus 12:7 Lit upon
  229. Exodus 12:8 Lit in addition to
  230. Exodus 12:11 I.e., for travel
  231. Exodus 12:13 Lit are
  232. Exodus 12:13 Lit for destruction
  233. Exodus 12:14 Or an eternal
  234. Exodus 12:15 Lit soul
  235. Exodus 12:16 Lit done
  236. Exodus 12:17 Lit armies
  237. Exodus 12:17 Or eternal
  238. Exodus 12:19 Lit soul
  239. Exodus 12:21 Lit sheep
  240. Exodus 12:22 Lit cause to touch
  241. Exodus 12:25 Lit spoken
  242. Exodus 12:25 Lit service
  243. Exodus 12:26 Lit What is this service to you?
  244. Exodus 12:27 Lit delivered
  245. Exodus 12:31 Or serve
  246. Exodus 12:38 Lit and
  247. Exodus 12:39 Lit made
  248. Exodus 12:40 Or of the sons of Israel who lived
  249. Exodus 12:41 Lit armies
  250. Exodus 12:42 Or of vigil
  251. Exodus 12:42 Or of vigil
  252. Exodus 12:43 Lit son of a stranger
  253. Exodus 12:44 Lit of a man, an acquisition of money
  254. Exodus 12:47 Lit perform
  255. Exodus 12:48 Lit performs
  256. Exodus 12:48 Lit perform
  257. Exodus 12:49 Lit One law
  258. Exodus 12:49 Lit be
  259. Exodus 12:51 I.e., multitudes in battle formation
  260. Exodus 13:3 Lit slaves
  261. Exodus 13:3 Lit strength of hand
  262. Exodus 13:5 Lit serve this service
  263. Exodus 13:7 Lit appear to you
  264. Exodus 13:7 Lit appear to you
  265. Exodus 13:9 Lit be for
  266. Exodus 13:9 Lit between your eyes
  267. Exodus 13:10 Lit days to days
  268. Exodus 13:12 Lit cause to pass over
  269. Exodus 13:13 Lit firstborn of a human
  270. Exodus 13:14 Lit strength of hand
  271. Exodus 13:14 Lit slaves
  272. Exodus 13:16 Lit be for
  273. Exodus 13:16 Or frontlet-bands
  274. Exodus 13:16 Lit between your eyes
  275. Exodus 13:16 Lit strength of hand
  276. Exodus 13:18 Lit Sea of Reeds
  277. Exodus 13:19 Lit visit
  278. Exodus 13:21 Lit go
  279. Exodus 13:22 Or The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart
  280. Exodus 14:4 Lit make strong
  281. Exodus 14:5 Lit the heart of Pharaoh...was changed
  282. Exodus 14:8 Lit made strong
  283. Exodus 14:8 Lit with a high hand
  284. Exodus 14:10 Lit lifted up their eyes
  285. Exodus 14:11 Lit so as to bring
  286. Exodus 14:12 Lit Cease from us
  287. Exodus 14:13 Or Take your stand
  288. Exodus 14:16 Lit enter the
  289. Exodus 14:17 Lit make strong
  290. Exodus 14:20 Lit and the darkness
  291. Exodus 14:21 Lit caused to go
  292. Exodus 14:22 Lit entered the
  293. Exodus 14:24 Lit camp
  294. Exodus 14:24 Or in
  295. Exodus 14:24 Lit camp
  296. Exodus 14:25 Or removed
  297. Exodus 14:27 Lit to meet it
  298. Exodus 14:27 Lit shook off
  299. Exodus 14:31 Lit hand
  300. Exodus 14:31 Lit done
  301. Exodus 14:31 Or revered
  302. Exodus 15:1 Lit and said, saying
  303. Exodus 15:1 Or Let me sing
  304. Exodus 15:2 Heb Yah
  305. Exodus 15:3 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  306. Exodus 15:4 Lit sunk
  307. Exodus 15:4 Lit Sea of Reeds
  308. Exodus 15:7 Or exaltation
  309. Exodus 15:9 Lit My soul
  310. Exodus 15:9 Lit be filled with them
  311. Exodus 15:9 Or dispossess; or drive them out
  312. Exodus 15:13 Or mercy
  313. Exodus 15:20 Lit dances
  314. Exodus 15:21 Or has triumphed gloriously
  315. Exodus 15:22 Lit caused Israel to journey
  316. Exodus 15:22 Lit Sea of Reeds
  317. Exodus 15:23 Lit from
  318. Exodus 15:23 Heb Marim
  319. Exodus 15:23 I.e., bitterness
  320. Exodus 16:4 Or law
  321. Exodus 16:6 Lit and you
  322. Exodus 16:7 Lit and you
  323. Exodus 16:10 Lit turned
  324. Exodus 16:12 Lit Between the two evenings
  325. Exodus 16:14 Lit had gone up
  326. Exodus 16:14 Lit face of
  327. Exodus 16:15 Heb Man hu, cf. v 31
  328. Exodus 16:16 Lit the thing which
  329. Exodus 16:16 Lit according to his eating
  330. Exodus 16:16 Lit an omer for a head; about 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  331. Exodus 16:18 About 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  332. Exodus 16:18 Lit according to his eating
  333. Exodus 16:21 Lit according to his eating
  334. Exodus 16:22 About 6 qt. or 5.6 liters
  335. Exodus 16:23 Lit spoke
  336. Exodus 16:23 Lit lay up for you
  337. Exodus 16:26 Lit none on it
  338. Exodus 16:28 Or laws
  339. Exodus 16:29 Lit for the Lord
  340. Exodus 16:31 Heb man, cf. v 15
  341. Exodus 16:32 Lit the thing which
  342. Exodus 16:32 About 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  343. Exodus 16:33 About 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  344. Exodus 16:36 About 3 qt. or 2.8 liters
  345. Exodus 17:1 Lit their journeyings
  346. Exodus 17:1 Lit mouth
  347. Exodus 17:3 Lit the people
  348. Exodus 17:3 Lit me
  349. Exodus 17:3 Lit my
  350. Exodus 17:3 Lit my
  351. Exodus 17:7 I.e., test
  352. Exodus 17:7 I.e., quarrel
  353. Exodus 17:10 Lit said to
  354. Exodus 17:10 Lit to fight
  355. Exodus 17:11 Lit rest
  356. Exodus 17:13 Lit weakened
  357. Exodus 17:14 Lit the book
  358. Exodus 17:14 Lit place it in the ears of
  359. Exodus 17:14 Or for
  360. Exodus 17:16 Or Because a hand is against the throne of the Lord; lit Because a hand upon the throne of Yah
  361. Exodus 18:3 Lit the name of the one was
  362. Exodus 18:4 Lit The name of the other was
  363. Exodus 18:4 Heb El-ezer; i.e., my God is help
  364. Exodus 18:5 Lit unto
  365. Exodus 18:6 Lit said
  366. Exodus 18:9 Lit in that He had delivered
  367. Exodus 18:9 Lit him
  368. Exodus 18:11 Lit in the thing in which they acted
  369. Exodus 18:11 Lit them
  370. Exodus 18:12 Lit bread
  371. Exodus 18:16 Lit matter
  372. Exodus 18:18 Lit this
  373. Exodus 18:18 Lit matter
  374. Exodus 18:19 Lit my voice
  375. Exodus 18:19 Lit You be for the people in front of God
  376. Exodus 18:19 Lit matters
  377. Exodus 18:21 Lit see
  378. Exodus 18:21 Lit leaders of
  379. Exodus 18:21 Lit leaders of
  380. Exodus 18:21 Lit leaders of
  381. Exodus 18:23 Lit stand
  382. Exodus 18:23 Lit this
  383. Exodus 18:23 Lit his
  384. Exodus 18:24 Lit to the voice of
  385. Exodus 18:25 Lit leaders of
  386. Exodus 18:25 Lit leaders of
  387. Exodus 18:25 Lit leaders of
  388. Exodus 18:27 Lit sent off his father-in-law
  389. Exodus 18:27 Lit he
  390. Exodus 19:1 Lit on this day
  391. Exodus 19:5 Or special treasure

Israel Oppressed in Egypt

These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; each came with his family:(A)

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;
Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;
Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.

The total number of Jacob’s descendants[a] was 70;[b](B) Joseph was already in Egypt.

Then Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died.(C) But the Israelites were fruitful, increased rapidly, multiplied, and became extremely numerous(D) so that the land was filled with them.

A new king, who had not known Joseph, came to power in Egypt. He said to his people, “Look, the Israelite people are more numerous and powerful than we are.(E) 10 Let us deal shrewdly with them; otherwise they will multiply further, and if war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”(F) 11 So the Egyptians assigned taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor.(G) They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities(H) for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread so that the Egyptians came to dread[c] the Israelites. 13 They worked the Israelites ruthlessly(I) 14 and made their lives bitter with difficult labor in brick and mortar and in all kinds of fieldwork. They ruthlessly imposed all this work on them.(J)

15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver.[d] If the child is a son, kill him, but if it’s a daughter, she may live.” 17 The Hebrew midwives, however, feared God(K) and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them;(L) they let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live?”

19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife can get to them.”(M)

20 So God was good to the midwives,(N) and the people multiplied and became very numerous. 21 Since the midwives feared God, He gave them families.(O) 22 Pharaoh then commanded all his people: “You must throw every son born to the Hebrews[e] into the Nile, but let every daughter live.”(P)

Moses’ Birth and Adoption

Now a man from the family of Levi married a Levite woman.(Q) The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son; when she saw that he was beautiful,[f] she hid him for three months.(R) But when she could no longer hide him, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with asphalt and pitch. She placed the child in it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. Then his sister(S) stood at a distance in order to see what would happen to him.

Pharaoh’s daughter went down to bathe at the Nile while her servant girls walked along the riverbank. Seeing the basket among the reeds, she sent her slave girl to get it. When she opened it, she saw the child—a little boy, crying. She felt sorry for him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew boys.”

Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Should I go and call a woman from the Hebrews to nurse the boy for you?”

“Go,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. So the girl went and called the boy’s mother. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the woman took the boy and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”[g]

Moses in Midian

11 Years later,[h] after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people[i] and observed their forced labor.(T) He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. 12 Looking all around and seeing no one, he struck the Egyptian dead and hid him in the sand. 13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you attacking your neighbor?”[j]

14 “Who made you a leader and judge over us?” the man replied. “Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”

Then Moses became afraid and thought: What I did is certainly known. 15 When Pharaoh heard about this, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian,(U) and sat down by a well.(V)

16 Now the priest of Midian(W) had seven daughters. They came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 Then some shepherds arrived and drove them away, but Moses came to their rescue and watered their flock. 18 When they returned to their father Reuel[k](X) he asked, “Why have you come back so quickly today?”

19 They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”

20 “So where is he?” he asked his daughters. “Why then did you leave the man behind? Invite him to eat dinner.”

21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah(Y) to Moses in marriage. 22 She gave birth to a son whom he named Gershom, for he said, “I have been a foreigner(Z) in a foreign land.”[l]

23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned because of their difficult labor, and they cried out;(AA) and their cry for help ascended to God because of the difficult labor. 24 So God heard their groaning, and He remembered(AB) His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.(AC) 25 God saw the Israelites, and He took notice.(AD)

Moses and the Burning Bush

Meanwhile, Moses was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Jethro,[m] the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb,[n] the mountain of God.(AE) Then the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire within a bush.(AF) As Moses looked, he saw that the bush was on fire but was not consumed. So Moses thought: I must go over and look at this remarkable sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?

When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses!”

“Here I am,” he answered.

“Do not come closer,” He said. “Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”(AG) Then He continued, “I am the God of your father,[o] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”(AH) Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.

Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of My people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out(AI) because of their oppressors, and I know about their sufferings. I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey(AJ)—the territory of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.(AK) The Israelites’ cry for help has come to Me, and I have also seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing(AL) them. 10 Therefore, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you may lead My people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses asked God, “Who am I(AM) that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

12 He answered, “I will certainly be with you,(AN) and this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship[p] God at this mountain.”

13 Then Moses asked God, “If I go to the Israelites and say to them: The God of your fathers has sent me to you, and they ask me, ‘What is His name?’ what should I tell them?”

14 God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.[q](AO) This is what you are to say to the Israelites: I AM has sent me to you.” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever;(AP) this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.

16 “Go and assemble the elders of Israel and say to them: Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me and said: I have paid close attention to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt.(AQ) 17 And I have promised you that I will bring you up from the misery of Egypt(AR) to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey. 18 They will listen to what you say. Then you, along with the elders of Israel, must go to the king of Egypt and say to him: Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God.(AS)

19 “However, I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go, unless he is forced by a strong hand.(AT) 20 I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles that I will perform in it. After that, he will let you go.(AU) 21 And I will give these people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that when you go, you will not go empty-handed.(AV) 22 Each woman will ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry, and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians.”(AW)

Miraculous Signs for Moses

Then Moses answered, “What if they won’t believe me and will not obey me but say, ‘The Lord did not appear(AX) to you’?”

The Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?”

“A staff,” he replied.

Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake. Moses ran from it, but the Lord told him, “Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail.” So he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand. “This will take place,” He continued, “so they will believe that Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”(AY)

In addition the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was diseased, white as snow.[r](AZ) Then He said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” He put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out,[s] it had again become like the rest of his skin.(BA) “If they will not believe you and will not respond to the evidence of the first sign, they may believe the evidence of the second sign. And if they don’t believe even these two signs or listen to what you say, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground.”(BB)

10 But Moses replied to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent—either in the past or recently or since You have been speaking to Your servant[t]—because I am slow and hesitant in speech.”[u](BC)

11 Yahweh said to him, “Who made the human mouth? Who makes him mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh?(BD) 12 Now go! I will help[v] you speak and I will teach you what to say.”(BE)

13 Moses said, “Please, Lord, send someone else.”[w]

14 Then the Lord’s anger burned against Moses, and He said, “Isn’t Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, he is on his way now to meet you. He will rejoice when he sees you. 15 You will speak with him and tell him what to say.(BF) I will help[x] both you and him to speak and will teach you both what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and you will serve as God to him. 17 And take this staff in your hand that you will perform the signs with.”(BG)

Moses’ Return to Egypt

18 Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me return to my relatives in Egypt and see if they are still living.”

Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

19 Now in Midian the Lord told Moses, “Return to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.”(BH) 20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took God’s staff(BI) in his hand.

21 The Lord instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, make sure you do all the wonders before Pharaoh that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart[y](BJ) so that he won’t let the people go. 22 Then you will say to Pharaoh: This is what Yahweh says: Israel is My firstborn son.(BK) 23 I told you: Let My son go so that he may worship Me, but you refused to let him go. Now I will kill your firstborn son!”(BL)

24 On the trip, at an overnight campsite, it happened that the Lord confronted him and sought to put him to death. 25 So Zipporah took a flint, cut off her son’s foreskin, and threw it at Moses’ feet.[z] Then she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood to me!”(BM) 26 So He let him alone. At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” referring to the circumcision.[aa]

Reunion of Moses and Aaron

27 Now the Lord had said to Aaron, “Go and meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.(BN) 28 Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and about all the signs He had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites. 30 Aaron repeated everything the Lord had said to Moses and performed the signs before the people. 31 The people believed, and when they heard that the Lord had paid attention(BO) to them and that He had seen their misery,(BP) they bowed down and worshiped.

Moses Confronts Pharaoh

Later, Moses and Aaron went in and said to Pharaoh, “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: Let My people go, so that they may hold a festival for Me in the wilderness.”(BQ)

But Pharaoh responded, “Who is Yahweh that I should obey Him by letting Israel go? I do not know anything about Yahweh, and besides, I will not let Israel go.”(BR)

Then they answered, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God, or else He may strike us with plague or sword.”

The king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you causing the people to neglect their work? Get to your work!” Pharaoh also said, “Look, the people of the land are so numerous, and you would stop them from working.”(BS)

Further Oppression of Israel

That day Pharaoh commanded the overseers(BT) of the people as well as their foremen: “Don’t continue to supply the people with straw for making bricks, as before. They must go and gather straw for themselves. But require the same quota of bricks from them as they were making before; do not reduce it. For they are slackers—that is why they are crying out,(BU) ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Impose heavier work on the men. Then they will be occupied with it and not pay attention to deceptive words.”

10 So the overseers and foremen of the people went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says:(BV) ‘I am not giving you straw. 11 Go get straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but there will be no reduction at all in your workload.’” 12 So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 The overseers insisted, “Finish your assigned work each day, just as you did when straw was provided.” 14 Then the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh’s slave drivers had set over the people, were beaten(BW) and asked, “Why haven’t you finished making your prescribed number of bricks yesterday or today, as you did before?”

15 So the Israelite foremen went in and cried for help to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way? 16 No straw has been given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, your servants are being beaten, but it is your own people who are at fault.”

17 But he said, “You are slackers. Slackers! That is why you are saying, ‘Let us go sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Now get to work. No straw will be given to you, but you must produce the same quantity of bricks.”

19 The Israelite foremen saw that they were in trouble when they were told, “You cannot reduce your daily quota of bricks.” 20 When they left Pharaoh, they confronted Moses and Aaron, who stood waiting to meet them.

21 “May the Lord take note of you and judge,” they said to them, “because you have made us reek in front of Pharaoh and his officials—putting a sword in their hand to kill us!”(BX)

22 So Moses went back to the Lord and asked, “Lord, why have You caused trouble for this people? And why did You ever send me?(BY) 23 Ever since I went in to Pharaoh to speak in Your name he has caused trouble for this people, and You haven’t delivered Your people at all.” But the Lord replied to Moses, “Now you are going to see what I will do to Pharaoh: he will let them go because of My strong hand; he will drive them out of his land because of My strong hand.”(BZ)

God Promises Freedom

Then God spoke to Moses, telling him, “I am Yahweh. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I did not reveal My name Yahweh to them.(CA) I also established My covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land they lived in as foreigners.(CB) Furthermore, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are forcing to work as slaves, and I have remembered(CC) My covenant.

“Therefore tell the Israelites: I am Yahweh, and I will deliver you from the forced labor of the Egyptians and free you from slavery to them. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm(CD) and great acts of judgment. I will take you as My people,(CE) and I will be your God. You will know(CF) that I am Yahweh your God, who delivered you from the forced labor of the Egyptians. I will bring you to the land that I swore[ab](CG) to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession. I am Yahweh.” Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen(CH) to him because of their broken spirit and hard labor.

10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, 11 “Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go from his land.”

12 But Moses said in the Lord’s presence: “If the Israelites will not listen to me, then how will Pharaoh listen to me, since I am such a poor speaker?”[ac](CI) 13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them commands concerning both the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.

Genealogy of Moses and Aaron

14 These are the heads of their fathers’ families:

The sons of Reuben,(CJ) the firstborn of Israel:
Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi.
These are the clans of Reuben.

15 The sons of Simeon:(CK)
Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin,
Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman.
These are the clans of Simeon.

16 These are the names of the sons of Levi
according to their genealogy:
Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.(CL)
Levi lived 137 years.
17 The sons of Gershon:
Libni and Shimei, by their clans.
18 The sons of Kohath:
Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
Kohath lived 133 years.
19 The sons of Merari:
Mahli and Mushi.
These are the clans of the Levites(CM)
according to their genealogy.
20 Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed,
and she bore him Aaron and Moses.(CN)
Amram lived 137 years.
21 The sons of Izhar:(CO)
Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.
22 The sons of Uzziel:
Mishael, Elzaphan,(CP) and Sithri.
23 Aaron married Elisheba,
daughter of Amminadab(CQ) and sister of Nahshon.
She bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.(CR)
24 The sons of Korah:(CS)
Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph.
These are the clans of the Korahites.
25 Aaron’s son Eleazar married
one of the daughters of Putiel
and she bore him Phinehas.(CT)
These are the heads of the Levite families by their clans.

26 It was this Aaron and Moses whom the Lord told, “Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt according to their divisions.”(CU) 27 Moses and Aaron were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt in order to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.

Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh

28 On the day the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 He said to him, “I am Yahweh;(CV) tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I am telling you.”

30 But Moses replied in the Lord’s presence, “Since I am such a poor speaker,[ad](CW) how will Pharaoh listen to me?”

The Lord answered Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet. You must say whatever I command you; then Aaron your brother must declare it to Pharaoh so that he will let the Israelites go from his land. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart(CX) and multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. Pharaoh will not listen to you, but I will put My hand on Egypt and bring the divisions of My people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh(CY) when I stretch out My hand(CZ) against Egypt, and bring out the Israelites from among them.”

So Moses and Aaron did this; they did just as the Lord commanded them. Moses was 80 years old(DA) and Aaron 83 when they spoke to Pharaoh.

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh. It will become a serpent.’”(DB) 10 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord had commanded. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent. 11 But then Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers—the magicians(DC) of Egypt, and they also did the same thing by their occult practices.(DD) 12 Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed their staffs. 13 However, Pharaoh’s heart hardened,(DE) and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hard: he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning. When you see him walking out to the water, stand ready to meet him by the bank of the Nile. Take in your hand the staff that turned into a snake.(DF) 16 Tell him: Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let My people go, so that they may worship[ae] Me in the wilderness, but so far you have not listened. 17 This is what Yahweh says: Here is how you will know that I am Yahweh. Watch. I will strike the water in the Nile with the staff in my hand, and it will turn to blood. 18 The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink water from it.”

19 So the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron: Take your staff and stretch out your hand(DG) over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers, canals,[af] ponds, and all their water reservoirs—and they will become blood. There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in wooden and stone containers.”

20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded; in the sight of Pharaoh and his officials, he raised the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile was turned to blood.(DH) 21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad the Egyptians could not drink water from it. There was blood throughout the land of Egypt.

22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their occult practices. So Pharaoh’s heart hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. 23 Pharaoh turned around, went into his palace, and didn’t even take this to heart. 24 All the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink because they could not drink the water from the river. 25 Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.

The Second Plague: Frogs

[ag]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and tell him: This is what Yahweh says: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.(DI) But if you refuse to let them go, then I will plague all your territory with frogs.(DJ) The Nile will swarm with frogs; they will come up and go into your palace, into your bedroom and on your bed, into the houses of your officials and your people, and into your ovens and kneading bowls. The frogs will come up on you, your people, and all your officials.”

[ah]The Lord then said to Moses, “Tell Aaron: Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, canals, and ponds, and cause the frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.”(DK) When Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, the frogs(DL) came up and covered the land of Egypt. But the magicians did the same thing by their occult practices and brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Ask(DM) Yahweh to remove the frogs from me and my people. Then I will let the people go and they can sacrifice to Yahweh.”

Moses said to Pharaoh, “You make the choice rather than me. When should I ask on behalf of you, your officials, and your people, that the frogs be taken away from you and your houses, and remain only in the Nile?”

10 “Tomorrow,” he answered.

Moses replied, “As you have said, so you may know there is no one like Yahweh our God,(DN) 11 the frogs will go away from you, your houses, your officials, and your people. The frogs will remain only in the Nile.” 12 After Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord for help concerning the frogs that He had brought against[ai] Pharaoh. 13 The Lord did as Moses had said: the frogs in the houses, courtyards, and fields died. 14 They piled them in countless heaps, and there was a terrible odor in the land. 15 But when Pharaoh saw there was relief, he hardened his heart(DO) and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

The Third Plague: Gnats

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron: Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, and it will become gnats[aj] throughout the land of Egypt.” 17 And they did this. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and when he struck the dust of the earth, gnats were on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats throughout the land of Egypt. 18 The magicians tried to produce gnats using their occult practices, but they could not. The gnats remained on man and beast.(DP)

19 “This is the finger of God,”(DQ) the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

The Fourth Plague: Swarms of Flies

20 The Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh when you see him going out to the water. Tell him: This is what Yahweh says: Let My people go, so that they may worship[ak] Me.(DR) 21 But if you will not let My people go, then I will send swarms of flies[al] against you, your officials, your people, and your houses. The Egyptians’ houses will swarm with flies, and so will the land where they live.[am] 22 But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people are living;(DS) no flies will be there. This way you will know that I, Yahweh, am in the land. 23 I will make a distinction[an] between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.”

24 And the Lord did this. Thick swarms of flies went into Pharaoh’s palace and his officials’ houses. Throughout Egypt the land was ruined because of the swarms of flies.(DT) 25 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go sacrifice to your God within the country.”

26 But Moses said, “It would not be right[ao] to do that, because what we will sacrifice to the Lord our God is detestable to the Egyptians.(DU) If we sacrifice what the Egyptians detest in front of them, won’t they stone us? 27 We must go a distance of three days into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as He instructs us.”

28 Pharaoh responded, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but don’t go very far. Make an appeal(DV) for me.”

29 “As soon as I leave you,” Moses said, “I will appeal to the Lord, and tomorrow the swarms of flies will depart from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. But Pharaoh must not act deceptively again by refusing to let the people go and sacrifice to the Lord.” 30 Then Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and appealed to the Lord. 31 The Lord did as Moses had said: He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people; not one was left. 32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also and did not let the people go.

The Fifth Plague: Death of Livestock

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him: This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. But if you refuse to let them go and keep holding them, then the Lord’s hand will bring a severe plague against your livestock in the field—the horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks. But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that the Israelites own will die.” And the Lord set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.”(DW) The Lord did this the next day. All the Egyptian livestock died,(DX) but none among the Israelite livestock died. Pharaoh sent messengers who saw that not a single one of the Israelite livestock was dead. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened,(DY) and he did not let the people go.

The Sixth Plague: Boils

Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of furnace soot, and Moses is to throw it toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. It will become fine dust over the entire land of Egypt. It will become festering boils(DZ) on man and beast throughout the land of Egypt.” 10 So they took furnace soot and stood before Pharaoh. Moses threw it toward heaven, and it became festering boils on man and beast. 11 The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians as well as on all the Egyptians.(EA) 12 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart(EB) and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had told Moses.

The Seventh Plague: Hail

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh. Tell him: This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews says: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 14 Otherwise, I am going to send all My plagues against you,[ap] your officials, and your people. Then you will know there is no one like Me in all the earth. 15 By now I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague, and you would have been obliterated from the earth.(EC) 16 However, I have let you live for this purpose: to show you My power(ED) and to make My name known in all the earth. 17 You are still acting arrogantly against[aq] My people by not letting them go. 18 Tomorrow at this time I will rain down the worst hail(EE) that has ever occurred in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19 Therefore give orders to bring your livestock and all that you have in the field into shelters. Every person and animal that is in the field and not brought inside will die when the hail falls on them.” 20 Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the Lord made their servants and livestock flee to shelters, 21 but those who didn’t take the Lord’s word seriously left their servants and livestock in the field.

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven and let there be hail throughout the land of Egypt—on man and beast and every plant of the field in the land of Egypt.” 23 So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail.(EF) Lightning struck the earth, and the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. 24 The hail, with lightning flashing through it, was so severe that nothing like it had occurred in the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. 25 Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both man and beast. The hail beat down every plant of the field and shattered every tree in the field. 26 The only place it didn’t hail was in the land of Goshen where the Israelites were.(EG)

27 Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. “I have sinned this time,” he said to them. “Yahweh is the Righteous(EH) One, and I and my people are the guilty ones. 28 Make an appeal to Yahweh. There has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go;(EI) you don’t need to stay any longer.”

29 Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will extend my hands(EJ) to Yahweh. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know the earth(EK) belongs to Yahweh. 30 But as for you and your officials, I know that you still do not fear Yahweh our God.”

31 The flax and the barley were destroyed because the barley was ripe[ar] and the flax was budding,(EL) 32 but the wheat and the spelt were not destroyed since they are later crops.[as]

33 Moses went out from Pharaoh and the city, and extended his hands to the Lord. Then the thunder and hail ceased, and rain no longer poured down on the land. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his officials. 35 So Pharaoh’s heart hardened, and he did not let the Israelites go, as the Lord had said through Moses.

The Eighth Plague: Locusts

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may do these miraculous signs of Mine among them,[at](EM) and so that you may tell[au] your son and grandson(EN) how severely I dealt with the Egyptians and performed miraculous signs among them, and you will know that I am Yahweh.”

So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may worship Me.(EO) But if you refuse to let My people go, then tomorrow I will bring locusts(EP) into your territory. They will cover the surface of the land so that no one will be able to see the land. They will eat the remainder left(EQ) to you that escaped the hail; they will eat every tree you have growing in the fields. They will fill your houses, all your officials’ houses, and the houses of all the Egyptians—something your fathers and ancestors never saw since the time they occupied the land until today.” Then he turned and left Pharaoh’s presence.

Pharaoh’s officials asked him, “How long must this man be a snare(ER) to us? Let the men go, so that they may worship Yahweh their God. Don’t you realize yet that Egypt is devastated?”

So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship Yahweh your God,” Pharaoh said. “But exactly who will be going?”

Moses replied, “We will go with our young and our old; we will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds because we must hold Yahweh’s festival.”(ES)

10 He said to them, “May Yahweh be with you if I ever let you and your families go![av] Look out—you are planning evil. 11 No, only the men may go and worship Yahweh, for that is what you have been asking for.” And they were driven from Pharaoh’s presence.

12 The Lord then said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt and the locusts will come up over it and eat every plant in the land, everything that the hail left.” 13 So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord sent an east wind over the land all that day and through the night. By morning the east wind had brought in the locusts. 14 The locusts went up over the entire land of Egypt and settled on the whole territory of Egypt. Never before had there been such a large number of locusts, and there never will be again.(ET) 15 They covered the surface of the whole land so that the land was black, and they consumed all the plants on the ground and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left. Nothing green was left on the trees or the plants in the field throughout the land of Egypt.(EU)

16 Pharaoh urgently sent for Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against Yahweh your God and against you. 17 Please forgive my sin once more and make an appeal to Yahweh your God, so that He will take this death away from me.” 18 Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and appealed to the Lord.(EV) 19 Then the Lord changed the wind to a strong west[aw] wind, and it carried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea.(EW) Not a single locust was left in all the territory of Egypt. 20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,(EX) and he did not let the Israelites go.

The Ninth Plague: Darkness

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, and there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt for three days. 23 One person could not see another, and for three days they did not move from where they were. Yet all the Israelites had light where they lived.(EY)

24 Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship Yahweh. Even your families may go with you; only your flocks and herds must stay behind.”

25 Moses responded, “You must also let us have[ax] sacrifices and burnt offerings to prepare for Yahweh our God. 26 Even our livestock must go with us; not a hoof will be left behind because we will take some of them to worship Yahweh our God. We will not know what we will use to worship Yahweh until we get there.”

27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,(EZ) and he was unwilling to let them go. 28 Pharaoh said to him, “Leave me! Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die.”

29 “As you have said,” Moses replied, “I will never see your face again.”(FA)

The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn

11 The Lord said[ay] to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here. When he lets you go,[az] he will drive you out of here. Now announce to the people that both men and women should ask their neighbors for silver and gold jewelry.” The Lord gave[ba] the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. And the man Moses was highly regarded[bb] in the land of Egypt by[bc] Pharaoh’s officials and the people.(FB)

So Moses said, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘About midnight I will go throughout Egypt, and every firstborn male in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the servant girl who is behind the millstones, as well as every firstborn of the livestock. Then there will be a great cry of anguish through all the land of Egypt such as never was before, or ever will be again. But against all the Israelites, whether man or beast, not even a dog will snarl,[bd] so that you may know that Yahweh makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. All these officials of yours will come down to me and bow before me, saying: Leave, you and all the people who follow you.[be] After that, I will leave.’” And he left Pharaoh’s presence in fierce anger.(FC)

The Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen(FD) to you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10 Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,(FE) and he would not let the Israelites go out of his land.

Instructions for the Passover

12 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: “This month is to be the beginning of months for you; it is the first month of your year.(FF) Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they must each select an animal of the flock according to their fathers’ households, one animal per household. If the household is too small for a whole animal, that person and the neighbor nearest his house are to select one based on the combined number of people; you should apportion the animal according to what each person[bf] will eat. You must have an unblemished(FG) animal, a year-old male; you may take it from either the sheep or the goats. You are to keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter the animals at twilight.(FH) They must take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where they eat them. They are to eat the meat that night; they should eat it, roasted over the fire along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.(FI) Do not eat any of it raw or cooked in boiling[bg] water, but only roasted(FJ) over fire—its head as well as its legs and inner organs. 10 Do not let any of it remain until morning;(FK) you must burn up any part of it that does remain before morning. 11 Here is how you must eat it: you must be dressed for travel,[bh] your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You are to eat it in a hurry; it is the Lord’s Passover.(FL)

12 “I will pass through(FM) the land of Egypt on that night and strike every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. I am Yahweh; I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt.(FN) 13 The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will be among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

14 “This day is to be a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to the Lord. You are to celebrate it throughout your generations as a permanent statute.(FO) 15 You must eat unleavened bread for seven days. On the first day you must remove yeast(FP) from your houses. Whoever eats what is leavened from the first day through the seventh day must be cut off(FQ) from Israel. 16 You are to hold a sacred assembly(FR) on the first day and another sacred assembly on the seventh day. No work may be done on those days except for preparing what people need to eat—you may do only that.

17 “You are to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread because on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt.(FS) You must observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent statute. 18 You are to eat unleavened bread in the first month,(FT) from the evening of the fourteenth day of the month until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 Yeast must not be found in your houses for seven days. If anyone eats something leavened, that person, whether a foreign resident or native of the land, must be cut off from the community of Israel. 20 Do not eat anything leavened; eat unleavened bread in all your homes.”[bi]

21 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go, select an animal from the flock according to your families, and slaughter the Passover animal.(FU) 22 Take a cluster of hyssop, dip it in the blood(FV) that is in the basin, and brush the lintel and the two doorposts with some of the blood in the basin. None of you may go out the door of his house until morning. 23 When the Lord passes through to strike Egypt and sees the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, He will pass over the door and not let the destroyer enter your houses to strike you.(FW)

24 “Keep this command permanently as a statute for you and your descendants. 25 When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as He promised, you are to observe this ritual. 26 When your children(FX) ask you, ‘What does this ritual mean to you?’ 27 you are to reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice(FY) to the Lord, for He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and spared our homes.’” So the people bowed down and worshiped. 28 Then the Israelites went and did this; they did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.

The Exodus

29 Now at midnight the Lord struck every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, and every firstborn of the livestock.(FZ) 30 During the night Pharaoh got up, he along with all his officials and all the Egyptians, and there was a loud wailing(GA) throughout Egypt because there wasn’t a house without someone dead. 31 He summoned Moses and Aaron during the night and said, “Get up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites, and go, worship Yahweh as you have asked. 32 Take even your flocks and your herds as you asked and leave, and also bless me.”

33 Now the Egyptians pressured the people in order to send them quickly out of the country, for they said, “We’re all going to die!”(GB) 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls wrapped up in their clothes on their shoulders.

35 The Israelites acted on Moses’ word and asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing.(GC) 36 And the Lord gave the people such favor in the Egyptians’ sight that they gave them what they requested. In this way they plundered the Egyptians.

37 The Israelites traveled from Rameses to Succoth,(GD) about 600,000(GE) soldiers on foot, besides their families. 38 An ethnically diverse crowd also went up with them, along with a huge number of livestock, both flocks and herds. 39 The people baked the dough they had brought out of Egypt into unleavened loaves, since it had no yeast; for when they had been driven(GF) out of Egypt they could not delay and had not prepared any provisions for themselves.

40 The time that the Israelites lived in Egypt[bj] was 430 years.(GG) 41 At the end of 430 years, on that same day, all the Lord’s divisions went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It was a night of vigil in honor of the Lord, because He would bring them out of the land of Egypt. This same night is in honor of the Lord, a night vigil for all the Israelites throughout their generations.(GH)

Passover Instruction

43 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner may eat it. 44 But any slave a man has purchased may eat it, after you have circumcised him. 45 A temporary resident or hired hand may not eat the Passover.(GI) 46 It is to be eaten in one house. You may not take any of the meat outside the house, and you may not break any of its bones.(GJ) 47 The whole community of Israel must celebrate[bk] it. 48 If a foreigner resides with you and wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover, every male in his household must be circumcised, and then he may participate;[bl] he will become like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat it. 49 The same law will apply to both the native and the foreigner(GK) who resides among you.”

50 Then all the Israelites did this; they did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 On that same day the Lord brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt according to their divisions.(GL)

13 The Lord spoke to Moses: “Consecrate every firstborn male(GM) to Me, the firstborn from every womb among the Israelites, both man and domestic animal; it is Mine.”

Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day when you came out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, for the Lord brought you out of here by the strength of His hand. Nothing leavened may be eaten.(GN) Today, in the month of Abib,[bm](GO) you are leaving. When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites,[bn] which He swore to your fathers that He would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey,(GP) you must carry out this ritual in this month.(GQ) For seven days you must eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there is to be a festival to the Lord. Unleavened bread is to be eaten for those seven days. Nothing leavened may be found among you, and no yeast may be found among you in all your territory. On that day explain to your son, ‘This is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’(GR) Let it serve as a sign for you on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead,[bo](GS) so that the Lord’s instruction may be in your mouth; for the Lord brought you out of Egypt with a strong hand. 10 Keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.

11 “When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 you are to present to the Lord every firstborn male of the womb. All firstborn offspring of the livestock you own that are males will be the Lord’s. 13 You must redeem every firstborn of a donkey with a flock animal, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. However, you must redeem every firstborn among your sons.(GT)

14 “In the future, when your son(GU) asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘By the strength of His hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. 15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of livestock. That is why I sacrifice to the Lord all the firstborn of the womb that are males, but I redeem all the firstborn of my sons.’ 16 So let it be a sign on your hand and a symbol[bp] on your forehead, for the Lord brought us out of Egypt by the strength of His hand.”(GV)

The Route of the Exodus

17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road to the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearby; for God said, “The people will change their minds and return to Egypt if they face war.”(GW) 18 So He led the people around toward the Red Sea along the road of the wilderness. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt in battle formation.(GX)

19 Moses took the bones of Joseph(GY) with him, because Joseph had made the Israelites swear a solemn oath, saying, “God will certainly come to your aid; then you must take my bones with you from this place.”

20 They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness. 21 The Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud(GZ) to lead them on their way during the day and in a pillar of fire to give them light at night, so that they could travel day or night. 22 The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never left its place in front of the people.

14 Then the Lord spoke to Moses: “Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; you must camp in front of Baal-zephon, facing it by the sea.(HA) Pharaoh will say of the Israelites: They are wandering around the land in confusion; the wilderness has boxed them in. I will harden Pharaoh’s heart so that he will pursue them. Then I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh.” So the Israelites did this.(HB)

The Egyptian Pursuit

When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said: “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.” So he got his chariot ready and took his troops[bq] with him; he took 600 of the best chariots and all the rest of the chariots of Egypt, with officers in each one. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites, who were going out triumphantly.[br](HC) The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, his horsemen,[bs] and his army—chased(HD) after them and caught up with them as they camped by the sea beside Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians coming after them. Then the Israelites were terrified and cried out(HE) to the Lord for help. 11 They said to Moses: “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you took us to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt: Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”(HF)

13 But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see(HG) the Lord’s salvation He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.”(HH)

Escape through the Red Sea

15 The Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to break camp. 16 As for you, lift up your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.(HI) 17 I am going to harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them, and I will receive glory by means of Pharaoh, all his army, and his chariots and horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I receive glory through Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

19 Then the Angel of God,(HJ) who was going in front of the Israelite forces, moved and went behind them. The pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and stood behind them.(HK) 20 It came between the Egyptian and Israelite forces. The cloud was there in the darkness, yet it lit up the night.[bt] So neither group came near the other all night long.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. The Lord drove the sea back with a powerful east wind all that night and turned the sea into dry land. So the waters were divided,(HL) 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left.(HM)

23 The Egyptians set out in pursuit—all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen—and went into the sea after them. 24 Then during the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the Egyptian forces from the pillar of fire(HN) and cloud, and threw them into confusion. 25 He caused their chariot wheels to swerve[bu][bv] and made them drive[bw] with difficulty. “Let’s get away from Israel,” the Egyptians said, “because Yahweh is fighting for them against Egypt!”

26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may come back on the Egyptians, on their chariots and horsemen.” 27 So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea returned to its normal depth. While the Egyptians were trying to escape from it, the Lord threw them into the sea.(HO) 28 The waters came back and covered the chariots(HP) and horsemen, the entire army of Pharaoh, that had gone after them into the sea. None of them survived.

29 But the Israelites had walked through the sea on dry ground, with the waters like a wall to them on their right and their left. 30 That day the Lord saved Israel from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 When Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed(HQ) in Him and in His servant Moses.

Israel’s Song

15 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord. They said:

I will sing to the Lord,
for He is highly exalted;
He has thrown the horse
and its rider into the sea.
The Lord is my strength and my song;[bx]
He has become my salvation.(HR)
This is my God, and I will praise Him,
my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.(HS)
The Lord is a warrior;(HT)
Yahweh is His name.(HU)

He threw Pharaoh’s chariots
and his army into the sea;
the elite of his officers
were drowned in the Red Sea.(HV)
The floods covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.(HW)
Lord, Your right hand is glorious in power.
Lord, Your right hand shattered the enemy.(HX)
You overthrew Your adversaries
by Your great majesty.
You unleashed Your burning wrath;
it consumed them like stubble.(HY)
The waters heaped up(HZ) at the blast of Your nostrils;
the currents stood firm like a dam.
The watery depths congealed in the heart of the sea.
The enemy said:
“I will pursue, I will overtake,
I will divide the spoil.(IA)
My desire will be gratified at their expense.
I will draw my sword;
my hand will destroy[by] them.”
10 But You blew with Your breath,
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.

11 Lord, who is like You among the gods?
Who is like You, glorious in holiness,(IB)
revered with praises, performing wonders?(IC)
12 You stretched out Your right hand,
and the earth swallowed them.
13 You will lead the people
You have redeemed
with Your faithful love;
You will guide them to Your holy dwelling
with Your strength.(ID)

14 When the peoples hear, they will shudder;
anguish will seize the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 Then the chiefs of Edom will be terrified;(IE)
trembling will seize the leaders of Moab;
the inhabitants of Canaan will panic;
16 and terror(IF) and dread will fall on them.
They will be as still[bz] as a stone
because of Your powerful arm
until Your people pass by, Lord,
until the people whom You purchased[ca] pass by.(IG)

17 You will bring them in and plant them
on the mountain of Your possession;(IH)
Lord, You have prepared the place
for Your dwelling;
Lord,[cb] Your hands have established the sanctuary.
18 The Lord will reign(II) forever and ever!

19 When Pharaoh’s horses with his chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. 20 Then Miriam the prophetess,(IJ) Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with their tambourines and danced.(IK) 21 Miriam sang to them:

Sing to the Lord,
for He is highly exalted;
He has thrown the horse
and its rider into the sea.

Water Provided

22 Then Moses led Israel on from the Red Sea, and they went out to the Wilderness of Shur. They journeyed for three days in the wilderness without finding water. 23 They came to Marah, but they could not drink the water at Marah because it was bitter—that is why it was named Marah.[cc] 24 The people grumbled to Moses, “What are we going to drink?”(IL) 25 So he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When he threw it into the water, the water became drinkable.

He made a statute and ordinance for them at Marah and He tested them there.(IM) 26 He said, “If you will carefully obey the Lord your God, do what is right in His eyes, pay attention to His commands, and keep all His statutes, I will not inflict any illnesses on you that I inflicted on the Egyptians. For I am Yahweh who heals you.”(IN)

27 Then they came to Elim, where there were 12 springs of water and 70 date palms, and they camped there by the waters.

Manna and Quail Provided

16 The entire Israelite community departed from Elim and came to the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt.(IO) The entire Israelite community grumbled(IP) against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted. Instead, you brought us into this wilderness to make this whole assembly die of hunger!”(IQ)

Then the Lord said to Moses, “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. This way I will test them to see whether or not they will follow My instructions.(IR) On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather on other days.”[cd]

So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites: “This evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt;(IS) in the morning you will see the Lord’s glory because He has heard your complaints about Him. For who are we that you complain about us?”(IT) Moses continued, “The Lord will give you meat to eat this evening and more than enough bread in the morning, for He has heard the complaints that you are raising against Him. Who are we? Your complaints are not against us but against the Lord.”(IU)

Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the Lord, for He has heard your complaints.’” 10 As Aaron was speaking to the entire Israelite community, they turned toward the wilderness, and there in a cloud the Lord’s glory appeared.(IV)

11 The Lord spoke to Moses, 12 “I have heard the complaints of the Israelites. Tell them: At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will eat bread until you are full. Then you will know that I am Yahweh your God.”

13 So at evening quail(IW) came and covered the camp. In the morning there was a layer of dew all around the camp. 14 When the layer of dew evaporated, there were fine flakes on the desert surface, as fine as frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?” because they didn’t know what it was.

Moses told them, “It is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.(IX) 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Gather as much of it as each person needs to eat. You may take two quarts[ce] per individual, according to the number of people each of you has in his tent.’”

17 So the Israelites did this. Some gathered a lot, some a little. 18 When they measured it by quarts,[cf] the person who gathered a lot had no surplus, and the person who gathered a little had no shortage. Each gathered as much as he needed to eat.(IY) 19 Moses said to them, “No one is to let any of it remain until morning.” 20 But they didn’t listen to Moses; some people left part of it until morning, and it bred worms and smelled. Therefore Moses was angry with them.

21 They gathered it every morning. Each gathered as much as he needed to eat, but when the sun grew hot, it melted. 22 On the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, four quarts[cg] apiece, and all the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses. 23 He told them, “This is what the Lord has said: ‘Tomorrow is a day of complete rest, a holy Sabbath(IZ) to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil, and set aside everything left over to be kept until morning.’”

24 So they set it aside until morning as Moses commanded, and it didn’t smell or have any maggots in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a Sabbath to the Lord. Today you won’t find any in the field. 26 For six days you may gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there will be none.”

27 Yet on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find any. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long will you[ch] refuse to keep My commands(JA) and instructions? 29 Understand that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day He will give you two days’ worth of bread. Each of you stay where you are; no one is to leave his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

31 The house of Israel named the substance manna.[ci](JB) It resembled coriander seed, was white, and tasted like wafers made with honey. 32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Two quarts[cj] of it are to be preserved throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

33 Moses told Aaron, “Take a container and put two quarts[ck] of manna in it. Then place it before the Lord to be preserved throughout your generations.” 34 As the Lord commanded Moses, Aaron placed it before the testimony(JC) to be preserved.

35 The Israelites ate manna for 40 years, until they came to an inhabited land. They ate manna until they reached the border of the land of Canaan.(JD) 36 (Two quarts are[cl] a tenth of an ephah.)

Water from the Rock

17 The entire Israelite community left the Wilderness of Sin, moving from one place to the next according to the Lord’s command. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.(JE) So the people complained to Moses, “Give us water to drink.”

“Why are you complaining to me?” Moses replied to them. “Why are you testing(JF) the Lord?”

But the people thirsted there for water, and grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you ever bring us out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”(JG)

Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? In a little while they will stone me!”(JH)

The Lord answered Moses, “Go on ahead of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take the staff you struck the Nile with in your hand and go. I am going to stand there in front of you on the rock at Horeb; when you hit the rock, water(JI) will come out of it and the people will drink.” Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. He named the place Massah[cm] and Meribah[cn](JJ) because the Israelites complained, and because they tested the Lord, saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?”

The Amalekites Attack

At Rephidim, Amalek[co](JK) came and fought against Israel. Moses said to Joshua,(JL) “Select some men for us and go fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the hilltop with God’s staff in my hand.”

10 Joshua did as Moses had told him, and fought against Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 While Moses held up his hand,[cp] Israel prevailed, but whenever he put his hand[cq] down, Amalek prevailed.(JM) 12 When Moses’ hands grew heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat down on it. Then Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other so that his hands remained steady until the sun went down. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his army[cr] with the sword.

14 The Lord then said to Moses, “Write this down on a scroll as a reminder and recite it to Joshua: I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek under heaven.”(JN)

15 And Moses built an altar(JO) and named it, “The Lord Is My Banner.”[cs] 16 He said, “Indeed, my hand is lifted up toward[ct] the Lord’s throne. The Lord will be at war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Jethro’s Visit

18 Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian,(JP) heard about everything that God had done for Moses and His people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt.

Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken in Zipporah,(JQ) Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back, along with her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom (because Moses had said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land”)[cu](JR) and the other Eliezer (because he had said, “The God of my father was my helper and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword”).[cv]

Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, along with Moses’ wife and sons, came to him in the wilderness where he was camped at the mountain of God.(JS) He sent word to Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”

So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down,(JT) and then kissed him. They asked each other how they had been[cw] and went into the tent. Moses recounted to his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardships that confronted them on the way, and how the Lord delivered them.(JU)

Jethro rejoiced over all the good things the Lord had done for Israel when He rescued them from the power of the Egyptians. 10 “Praise the Lord,”(JV) Jethro exclaimed, “who rescued you from Pharaoh and the power of the Egyptians and snatched the people from the power of the Egyptians. 11 Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all gods, because He did wonders when the Egyptians acted arrogantly against Israel.”[cx](JW)

12 Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a meal with Moses’ father-in-law in God’s presence.

13 The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and they stood around Moses from morning until evening. 14 When Moses’ father-in-law saw everything he was doing for them he asked, “What is this thing you’re doing for the people? Why are you alone sitting as judge, while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?”

15 Moses replied to his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to inquire of God. 16 Whenever they have a dispute, it comes to me, and I make a decision between one man and another. I teach them God’s statutes and laws.”(JX)

17 “What you’re doing is not good,” Moses’ father-in-law said to him. 18 “You will certainly wear out both yourself and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You can’t do it alone.(JY) 19 Now listen to me; I will give you some advice, and God be with you. You be the one to represent the people before God and bring their cases to Him. 20 Instruct them about the statutes and laws, and teach them the way to live and what they must do.(JZ) 21 But you should select from all the people able men, God-fearing, trustworthy, and hating bribes.(KA) Place them over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.(KB) 22 They should judge the people at all times. Then they can bring you every important case but judge every minor case themselves. In this way you will lighten your load,[cy] and they will bear it with you.(KC) 23 If you do this, and God so directs you, you will be able to endure, and also all these people will be able to go home satisfied.”[cz]

24 Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25 So Moses chose able men from all Israel and made them leaders over the people as commanders of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens. 26 They judged the people at all times; they would bring the hard cases to Moses, but they would judge every minor case themselves.

27 Then Moses said good-bye to his father-in-law, and he journeyed to his own land.(KD)

Israel at Sinai

19 In the third month, on the same day of the month that the Israelites had left the land of Egypt, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai. After they departed from Rephidim, they entered the Wilderness of Sinai and camped in the wilderness, and Israel camped there in front of the mountain.(KE)

Moses went up the mountain to God, and the Lord called(KF) to him from the mountain: “This is what you must say to the house of Jacob, and explain to the Israelites: ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Me.(KG) Now if you will listen to Me and carefully keep My covenant,(KH) you will be My own possession(KI) out of all the peoples, although all the earth is Mine, and you will be My kingdom of priests and My holy nation.’(KJ) These are the words that you are to say to the Israelites.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 1:5 Lit of people issuing from Jacob’s loins
  2. Exodus 1:5 LXX, DSS read 75; Gn 46:27; Ac 7:14
  3. Exodus 1:12 Or Egyptians loathed
  4. Exodus 1:16 Lit birth, look at the stones
  5. Exodus 1:22 Sam, LXX, Tg; MT omits to the Hebrews
  6. Exodus 2:2 Or healthy
  7. Exodus 2:10 The name Moses sounds like “drawing out” in Hb and “born” in Egyptian.
  8. Exodus 2:11 Lit And it was in those days
  9. Exodus 2:11 Lit his brothers
  10. Exodus 2:13 Or fellow Hebrew
  11. Exodus 2:18 Jethro’s clan or last name was Reuel; Ex 3:1.
  12. Exodus 2:22 In Hb the name Gershom sounds like the phrase “a stranger there.”
  13. Exodus 3:1 Moses’ father-in-law’s first name was Jethro; Ex 2:18.
  14. Exodus 3:1 = Desolation; another name for Mount Sinai; Dt 4:10,15; 18:16; Mal 4:4
  15. Exodus 3:6 Sam, some LXX mss read fathers; Ac 7:32
  16. Exodus 3:12 Or serve
  17. Exodus 3:14 Or I AM BECAUSE I AM, or I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE
  18. Exodus 4:6 A reference to whiteness or flakiness of the skin
  19. Exodus 4:7 Lit out of his cloak
  20. Exodus 4:10 = Moses
  21. Exodus 4:10 Lit heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue
  22. Exodus 4:12 Lit will be with you
  23. Exodus 4:13 Lit send by the hand of whom You will send
  24. Exodus 4:15 Lit be with
  25. Exodus 4:21 Or will make him stubborn
  26. Exodus 4:25 Some interpret “feet” as a euphemism for genitals.
  27. Exodus 4:26 Zipporah appeased God on Moses’ behalf by circumcising Gershom.
  28. Exodus 6:8 Lit raised My hand
  29. Exodus 6:12 Lit I have uncircumcised lips
  30. Exodus 6:30 Lit I have uncircumcised lips
  31. Exodus 7:16 Or serve; Ex 4:23
  32. Exodus 7:19 The Hb word refers specifically to the various branches and canals of the Nile River; Ex 8:5.
  33. Exodus 8:1 Ex 7:26 in Hb
  34. Exodus 8:5 Ex 8:1 in Hb
  35. Exodus 8:12 Or frogs, as he had agreed with
  36. Exodus 8:16 Perhaps sand fleas or mosquitoes
  37. Exodus 8:20 Or serve
  38. Exodus 8:21 Or insects
  39. Exodus 8:21 Lit are
  40. Exodus 8:23 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads will place deliverance
  41. Exodus 8:26 Or allowable
  42. Exodus 9:14 Lit your heart
  43. Exodus 9:17 Or still obstructing
  44. Exodus 9:31 Lit was ears of grain
  45. Exodus 9:32 Lit are late
  46. Exodus 10:1 Lit Mine in his midst
  47. Exodus 10:2 Lit tell in the ears of
  48. Exodus 10:10 Pharaoh’s reply is sarcastic.
  49. Exodus 10:19 Lit sea
  50. Exodus 10:25 Lit also give in our hand
  51. Exodus 11:1 Or had said
  52. Exodus 11:1 Or go, it will be finished
  53. Exodus 11:3 Or had given
  54. Exodus 11:3 Lit was very great
  55. Exodus 11:3 Or in the eyes of
  56. Exodus 11:7 Lit point its tongue
  57. Exodus 11:8 Lit people at your feet
  58. Exodus 12:4 Or household
  59. Exodus 12:9 Or or boiled at all in
  60. Exodus 12:11 Lit it: with your loins girded
  61. Exodus 12:20 Or settlements
  62. Exodus 12:40 LXX, Sam add and in Canaan
  63. Exodus 12:47 Lit do
  64. Exodus 12:48 Lit may come near to do it
  65. Exodus 13:4 March–April; called Nisan in the post-exilic period; Neh 2:1; Est 3:7
  66. Exodus 13:5 DSS, Sam, LXX, Syr add Girgashites and Perizzites; Jos 3:10
  67. Exodus 13:9 Lit reminder between your eyes
  68. Exodus 13:16 Or phylactery
  69. Exodus 14:6 Lit people
  70. Exodus 14:8 Lit with a raised hand
  71. Exodus 14:9 Or chariot drivers
  72. Exodus 14:20 Perhaps the cloud brought darkness to the Egyptians but light to the Israelites; Ex 10:22-23; Ps 105:39.
  73. Exodus 14:25 Sam, LXX, Syr read He bound their chariot wheels
  74. Exodus 14:25 Or fall off
  75. Exodus 14:25 Or and they drove them
  76. Exodus 15:2 Or might
  77. Exodus 15:9 Or conquer
  78. Exodus 15:16 Or silent
  79. Exodus 15:16 Or created
  80. Exodus 15:17 Some Hb mss, DSS, Sam, Tg read Lord
  81. Exodus 15:23 = bitter or bitterness
  82. Exodus 16:5 Lit as gathering day to day
  83. Exodus 16:16 Lit an omer
  84. Exodus 16:18 Lit by an omer
  85. Exodus 16:22 Lit two omers
  86. Exodus 16:28 The Hb word for you is pl, referring to the whole nation.
  87. Exodus 16:31 = what?; Ex 16:15
  88. Exodus 16:32 Lit A full omer
  89. Exodus 16:33 Lit a full omer
  90. Exodus 16:36 Lit The omer is
  91. Exodus 17:7 = testing
  92. Exodus 17:7 = arguing
  93. Exodus 17:8 A semi-nomadic people descended from Amalek, a grandson of Esau; Gn 36:12
  94. Exodus 17:11 Sam, LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg read hands
  95. Exodus 17:11 Sam, LXX, Syr, Tg, Vg read hands
  96. Exodus 17:13 Or people
  97. Exodus 17:15 Or Yahweh-nissi
  98. Exodus 17:16 Or hand was on, or hand was against; Hb obscure
  99. Exodus 18:3 In Hb the name Gershom sounds like the phrase “a stranger there.”
  100. Exodus 18:4 = My God Is Help
  101. Exodus 18:7 Lit other about well-being
  102. Exodus 18:11 Hb obscure
  103. Exodus 18:22 Lit lighten from on you
  104. Exodus 18:23 Lit go to their place in peace