Exodus 1-18

International Standard Version

The Israelis Prosper in Egypt

1 These are the names of the Israelis^[a] who entered Egypt with Jacob, each one having come with his family:^{[b] 2} Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, ³ Issacar, Zebulun, Benjamin, ⁴ Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. ⁵ All those who descended from^[c] Jacob totaled 75 persons.^[d] Now Joseph was already^[e] in Egypt. ⁶ Then Joseph, all his brothers, and that entire generation died. ⁷ But the Israelis were fruitful and increased abundantly.^[f] They multiplied in numbers and became very, very strong. As a result, the land was filled with them.

The Israelis Become Slaves

⁸ Eventually a new king who was unacquainted with Joseph came to power in^[g] Egypt. ⁹ He told his people, “Look, the Israeli people are more numerous and more powerful than we are. ¹⁰ Come on, let’s be careful how we treat them, so that when they grow numerous, if a war breaks out they won’t join our enemies, fight against us, and leave our land.” ¹¹ So the Egyptians^[h] placed supervisors over them, oppressing them with heavy burdens. The Israelis^[i] built the supply cities of Pithom and Rameses for Pharaoh. ¹² But the more the Egyptians afflicted the Israelis,^[j] the more they multiplied and flourished, so that the Egyptians^[k] became terrified of^[l] the Israelis. ¹³ The Egyptians ruthlessly forced the Israelis to serve them, ¹⁴ making their lives bitter through hard labor with mortar, bricks, and all kinds of outdoor labor. They ruthlessly imposed all this^[m] work on them.

Pharaoh Orders Male Children Killed

¹⁵ Later, the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah. ¹⁶ “When you help the Hebrew women give birth,” he said, “watch them as they deliver.^[n] If it’s a son, kill him; but if it’s a daughter, let her live.” ¹⁷ But the midwives feared God and didn’t do what the king of Egypt told them. Instead,^[o] they let the boys live.

¹⁸ When the king of Egypt called for the midwives, he asked them, “Why have you done this^[p] and allowed the boys to live?”

¹⁹ “Hebrew women aren’t like Egyptian women,” the midwives replied to Pharaoh. “They’re so healthy that they give birth before the midwives arrive to help^[q] them.”

²⁰ God was pleased with the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very strong. ²¹ Because the midwives feared God, he provided families^[r] for them. ²² Meanwhile, Pharaoh continued commanding all of his people, “You’re to throw every Hebrew^[s] son who is born into the Nile River,^[t] but you’re to allow every Hebrew^[u] daughter to live.”

Moses is Born

2 A man of the family of Levi married the daughter of a descendant of Levi. ² Later, the woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a beautiful^[v] child, and hid him for three months. ³ But when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a papyrus container, coated it with asphalt and pitch, placed the child in it, and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. ⁴ Then his sister positioned herself some distance away in order to find out what would happen to him.

Pharaoh’s Daughter Adopts Moses

⁵ Then Pharaoh’s daughter came down to the Nile River^[w] to bathe while her maids walked along the river bank. She saw the container among the reeds and sent a servant girl to get it. ⁶ When she opened it and saw the child, the little boy suddenly began crying. Filled with compassion for him, she exclaimed, “This is one of the Hebrew children!”

⁷ Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call one of the nursing Hebrew women so she can nurse the child for you?”

⁸ Pharaoh’s daughter told her, “Go,” so the young girl went and called the child’s mother. ⁹ Pharaoh’s daughter instructed her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I’ll pay you a salary.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. ¹⁰ After the child had grown older,^[x] she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses,^[y] because she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

Moses Kills an Egyptian

¹¹ Years later, after^[z] Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people,^[aa] and took notice of their heavy burdens. He saw an Egyptian beating up a Hebrew, one of his own people.^{[ab] 12} Looking around and seeing no one else, he killed^[ac] the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. ¹³ Going out the next day, Moses noticed^[ad] two Hebrew men fighting right in front of him. He told the one who was at fault, “Why did you strike your companion?”

¹⁴ The man^[ae] replied, “Who appointed you to be an official judge over us? Are you planning^[af] to kill me like you killed the Egyptian?”

Then Moses became terrified and told himself,^[ag] “Certainly this event has become known!”

Moses Flees to Midian

¹⁵ When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he tried to kill Moses. So Moses fled from Pharaoh, settled in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well. ¹⁶ Meanwhile, the seven daughters of a certain Midianite priest would come to draw water in order to fill water troughs for their father’s sheep. ¹⁷ Some shepherds came to drive them away, but Moses got up, came to their rescue, and watered their sheep. ¹⁸ When they returned to their father Reuel,^[ah] he asked, “Why have you returned so quickly today?”

¹⁹ “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,”^[ai] they replied, “and he even drew water for us and watered the sheep!”

²⁰ “Then where is he?” He asked his daughters. “Why did you leave the man behind? Go invite him to have something to eat.”^[aj]

²¹ Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.^{[ak] 22} Later she gave birth to a son, and Moses^[al] named him Gershom,^[am] because he used to say, “I became an alien in a foreign land.”

The Israelis Cry Out to God

²³ The king of Egypt eventually^[an] died, and the Israelis groaned because of the bondage. They cried out, and their cry for deliverance from slavery ascended to God. ²⁴ God heard their groaning and remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. ²⁵ God watched the Israelis and took notice of them.

God Calls Moses

3 Meanwhile, Moses continued tending the sheep that belonged to his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the sheep to the western^[ao] desert and came to Horeb,^[ap] God’s mountain, where^{[aq] 2} the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flaming fire from the center of a bush. As Moses^[ar] continued to watch, amazingly the bush kept on burning, but was not consumed. ³ Then Moses told himself,^[as] “I’ll go over and see this remarkable^[at] sight. Why isn’t the bush burning up?”

⁴ When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from the center of the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

He said, “Here I am.”

⁵ “Do not come any closer,” God^[au] said. “Remove your sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground.” ⁶ Then he said, “I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

⁷ The Lord said, “I have certainly seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry caused by their slave masters. I really do understand their pain, ⁸ so I have come down to deliver them from their domination by^[av] the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the territory^[aw] of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. ⁹ Now, listen carefully! The cry of the Israelis has come to my attention about how severely the Egyptians have been oppressing them. ¹⁰ So go! I am sending you to Pharaoh. Bring my people the Israelis out of Egypt.”

¹¹ But Moses told God, “Who am I? How can I go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelis out of Egypt?”

¹² Then God^[ax] said, “I certainly will be with you. And this will be the sign for you that it is I who sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will serve God on this mountain.”

¹³ Moses told God, “Look! When I go to the Israelis and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors sent me to you,’ they’ll say to me, ‘What is his name?’ What should I say to them?”

¹⁴ God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM,”^[ay] and then said, “Tell the Israelis: ‘I AM sent me to you.’”

¹⁵ God also told Moses, “Tell the Israelis, ‘The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered from generation to generation.

¹⁶ “Go and gather the elders of Israel. Tell them, ‘The Lord God of your ancestors, appeared to me—the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—and he said, “I have paid close attention to you and to what has been done to you in Egypt. ¹⁷ I have said that I will bring you out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites—to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’

¹⁸ “The elders of Israel^[az] will listen to you,^[ba] and then you and they^[bb] are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now, let us take a three-day journey into the desert to sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ ¹⁹ I know that the king of Egypt won’t allow you to go unless compelled to do so by force,^{[bc] 20} so I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will do there. After that he will release you. ²¹ I will grant this people public favor with the Egyptians, and as a result, when you leave you won’t go empty-handed. ²² Each woman is to ask her neighbor or any foreign^[bd] woman in her house for articles of gold and for clothing, and use them to clothe your sons and daughters. You will plunder the Egyptians.”

Moses Argues with God

4 Then Moses answered, “Look, they won’t believe me and they won’t listen to me.^[be] Instead, they’ll say, ‘The Lord didn’t appear to you.’”

² “What’s that in your hand?” the Lord asked him.

Moses^[bf] answered, “A staff.”^[bg]

³ Then God^[bh] said, “Throw it to the ground.” He threw it to the ground and it became a snake. Moses ran away from it.

⁴ Then God told Moses, “Reach out^[bi] and grab its tail.” So he reached out, grabbed it, and it became a staff^[bj] in his hand. ⁵ God said, “I’ve done this^[bk] so that they may believe that the Lord God of their ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”

⁶ Again the Lord told him, “Put your hand into your bosom.”^[bl] He put his hand into his bosom and as soon as he brought it out it was leprous, like snow.^{[bm] 7} Then God^[bn] said, “Put your hand back into your bosom.” He returned it^[bo] to his bosom and as soon as he brought it out,^[bp] it was restored like the rest of^[bq] his skin.^[br]

⁸ “Then if they don’t believe you and respond to the first sign, they may respond to the second^[bs] sign. ⁹ But if they don’t believe even these two signs, and won’t listen to you, then take some water out of the Nile River^[bt] and pour it on the dry ground. The water you took from the Nile River^[bu] will turn into blood on the dry ground.”

¹⁰ Then Moses told the Lord, “Please, Lord, I’m not eloquent.^[bv] I never was in the past^[bw] nor am I now since you spoke to your servant. In fact, I talk too slowly^[bx] and I have a speech impediment.”^[by]

¹¹ Then God asked him, “Who gives a person a mouth? Who makes him unable to speak, or deaf, or able to see, or blind, or lame? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹² Now, go! I myself will help you with your speech,^[bz] and I’ll teach you what you are to say.”

¹³ Moses said, “Please, Lord, send somebody else.”^[ca]

¹⁴ Then the Lord was angry with Moses and said, “There’s your brother Aaron, a descendant of Levi, isn’t there? I know that he certainly is eloquent.^[cb] Right now he’s coming to meet you and he will be pleased to see you. ¹⁵ You’re to speak to him and tell him what to say.^[cc] I’ll help both you and him with your speech,^[cd] and I’ll teach both of you what you are to do. ¹⁶ He is to speak to the people for you as your spokesman^[ce] and you are to act in the role of^[cf] God for him. ¹⁷ Now pick up that staff with your hand. You’ll use it to perform the signs.”

Moses Decides to Return to Egypt

¹⁸ Moses left and returned to his father-in-law Jethro. Moses^[cg] told him, “Please let me go and return to my own people^[ch] in Egypt so I can see whether they’re still alive.”

Jethro told Moses, “Go in peace.”

¹⁹ The Lord told Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, because all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.” ²⁰ So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on donkeys, and headed back to the land of Egypt. Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

²¹ Then the Lord told Moses, “When you set out to return to Egypt, keep in mind^[ci] all the wonders that I’ve put in your power,^[cj] so that you may do them before Pharaoh. But I’ll harden his heart so that he won’t let the people go. ²² You are to say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Israel is my firstborn son. ²³ And I say to you, ‘Let my son go so he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, then I will kill your firstborn son.’”’”

Zipporah Circumcises Moses’ Son

²⁴ But later on, at the lodging place along the way, the Lord met Moses^[ck] and was about to kill him. ²⁵ Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched Moses’^[cl] feet with it, saying while doing so,^[cm] “…because you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” ²⁶ Then the Lord^[cn] withdrew from him, and she said, “…a bridegroom of blood because of circumcision.”

Moses and Aaron Meet and Return to Egypt

²⁷ The Lord told Aaron, “Go meet Moses in the desert.” So Aaron^[co] went, found^[cp] him at the mountain of God, and embraced^[cq] him. ²⁸ Moses told Aaron all of the Lord’s messages that he had sent with Moses, and all of the signs that he commanded him to do.^{[cr] 29} Later, Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of Israel. ³⁰ Aaron spoke everything that the Lord had spoken to Moses, and Moses^[cs] performed the miracles^[ct] before the very eyes of the people. ³¹ The people believed and understood^[cu] that the Lord had paid attention to the Israelis and had seen their affliction. They bowed their heads and prostrated themselves in worship.

Pharaoh Refuses to Let the People Go

5 After Moses and Aaron arrived, they told Pharaoh, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Let my people go so they may make a pilgrimage for me in the desert.’”

² Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord that I should listen to^[cv] him and let Israel go? I don’t know about^[cw] the Lord, nor will I let Israel go!”

³ Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God so he does not strike us with pestilence or sword.”^[cx]

⁴ The king of Egypt replied to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping the people from their labor? Go back to your work!”^{[cy] 5} Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people in the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”^[cz]

Pharaoh Increases the Israelis’ Work

⁶ That day Pharaoh ordered the taskmasters of the people and their officials, ⁷ “You’re no longer to give the people straw for making bricks, as in the past.^[da] They must gather straw for themselves. ⁸ But you’re to impose the previous quota^[db] of bricks that they’re making. You’re not to reduce it! It is because they’re lazy that they’re crying out, ‘Let’s go offer sacrifices to our God.’ ⁹ So increase the work load on the people,^[dc] and let them do it so they don’t pay attention to deceptive speeches.”

¹⁰ Then the taskmasters of the people and their officials went out and told the people, “This is Pharaoh’s response: ‘I’ll no longer give you any^[dd] straw. ¹¹ Go get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work quotas won’t be reduced at all.’”^{[de] 12} So the people scattered throughout the entire land of Egypt to collect stubble^[df] for straw.

¹³ The taskmasters pressured them by saying, “Finish your work—each day’s quota^[dg]—just as when you were given straw.”^[dh]

¹⁴ The Israeli supervisors whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had appointed over them were beaten and told,^[di] “Why didn’t you, both yesterday and today, fulfill^[dj] your quota^[dk] for making bricks as before?”

The Israelis’ Appeal Rejected by Pharaoh

¹⁵ The Israeli supervisors came and cried out to Pharaoh, “Why are you doing this to us?^{[dl] 16} No straw is being given to us, yet they’re saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, we are being beaten. It’s wrong how you are treating your people!”

¹⁷ Then Pharaoh^[dm] said, “You are lazy, lazy! That’s why^[dn] you’re saying, ‘Let’s go offer sacrifices to the Lord.’ ¹⁸ Now, go! Get to work! And straw won’t be given to you, but you are to deliver the same^[do] number of bricks!” ¹⁹ The Israeli supervisors realized they were in trouble when he said,^[dp] “You won’t reduce each day’s quota of bricks!”^[dq]

The Israelis Blame Moses and Moses Complains to God

²⁰ As they left Pharaoh’s presence,^[dr] they met Moses and Aaron standing there.^{[ds] 21} The supervisors^[dt] told them, “May the Lord look on you and judge you!^[du] You have made us repulsive to^[dv] Pharaoh and his servants. You have put^[dw] a sword in their hands to kill us.”

²² So Moses returned to the Lord and asked him, “Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? Why have you sent me here? ²³ Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has caused trouble for this people, and you have done nothing to deliver your people.”

God Promises to Deliver Israel

6 The Lord told Moses, “Now you’re about to see what I’ll do to Pharaoh. Indeed, he’ll send them out under compulsion^[dx] and he’ll drive them out of his land violently.”^[dy]

² Later, God told Moses, “I am the Lord. ³ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty,^[dz] and did I not reveal to them my name ‘Lord’? ⁴ I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they lived as resident aliens for a time. ⁵ Also, I’ve heard the groaning of the Israelis whom the Egyptians have forced to labor for them, and I’ve remembered my covenant. ⁶ Therefore, tell the Israelis, ‘I am the Lord. I’ll bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I’ll deliver you from their bondage. I’ll redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.^{[ea] 7} I’ll take you for my own people,^[eb] and I’ll be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. ⁸ I’ll bring you to the land that I swore^[ec] to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I’ll give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”

⁹ Then Moses reported this to the Israelis, but they did not listen to Moses due to their irritation and impatience because there was no deliverance^[ed] and because of the cruel bondage.

¹⁰ Then the Lord told Moses, ¹¹ “Go, speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, that he should let the Israelis go out of his land.”

¹² Then Moses said right in front of the Lord, “Look, the Israelis didn’t listen to me, so how will Pharaoh? I’m not a persuasive speaker.”^{[ee] 13} Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, issuing orders to them regarding the Israelis for delivery to Pharaoh, king of Egypt; that is, to bring the Israelis out of the land of Egypt.

Genealogies of Moses and Aaron

¹⁴ These are the heads of their ancestors’ households: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch and Pallu; Hezron and Carmi.

These are the families of Reuben, including ¹⁵ Simeon’s sons Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the Canaanite woman’s son. These are the families of Simeon.

¹⁶ These are the names of Levi’s sons according to their genealogies: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived^[ef] 137 years. ¹⁷ Gershon’s sons were Libni and Shimei, according to their families. ¹⁸ Kohath’s descendants included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Now Kohath lived for 133 years. ¹⁹ The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the descendants of Levi, according to their genealogies.

²⁰ Amram married Jochebed, his father’s sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived for 137 years. ²¹ The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. ²² The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.

²³ Then Aaron married Elisheba daughter of Amminadab, sister of Nahshon. She bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ²⁴ The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These were the families of the descendants of Korah. ²⁵ Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of Putiel’s daughters, and she bore him Phineas. These are the heads of the ancestors of the descendants of Levi, according to their families.

²⁶ This is the same Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelis out of the land of Egypt by their tribal divisions.” ²⁷ They were the ones speaking to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to bring the Israelis out of Egypt; this is that same Moses and Aaron.

Moses Doubts that Pharaoh will Listen

²⁸ And it happened when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt ²⁹ that the Lord told Moses, “I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, everything that I’m saying to you.”

³⁰ Moses said in the presence of the Lord, “Look, I’m not a persuasive speaker,^[eg] so how will Pharaoh listen to me?”

God Appoints Aaron to Assist Moses

7 The Lord told Moses, “Listen! I’ve positioned you as God^[eh] to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. ² You are to speak everything that I’ve commanded you, and then your brother Aaron will speak to Pharaoh, telling him to let the Israelis go out of his land. ³ I’ll harden Pharaoh’s heart and I’ll add more and more of my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. ⁴ When Pharaoh won’t listen to you, I’ll let loose my power^[ei] upon Egypt. I’ll bring out my tribal divisions—my people the Israelis—from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment.^{[ej] 5} The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand over Egypt to bring the Israelis out from among them.” ⁶ Moses and Aaron did what the Lord commanded them. ⁷ Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Moses’ Staff Becomes a Snake

⁸ Then the Lord told Moses and Aaron, ⁹ “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miraculous sign,’ then you are to say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it in front of Pharaoh.’ It will become a serpent.”

¹⁰ So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and did what the Lord had commanded them. Aaron threw his staff in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent. ¹¹ Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and sorcerers, and they—along with the Egyptian magicians—did the same thing with their secret arts. ¹² So each one threw down his staff and it became a serpent, but Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. ¹³ Yet Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn^[ek] and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said would happen.

Water is Turned into Blood

¹⁴ Then the Lord told Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hard. He has refused to let the people go. ¹⁵ Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he’s going down to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile River^[el] and meet him. Be sure to take with you^[em] the staff that was turned into a snake. ¹⁶ Then say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you. He says, “Let my people go so they may serve^[en] me in the desert, but until now you haven’t obeyed.”’^[eo]

¹⁷ “‘This is what the Lord says: “This is how you’ll know that I am the Lord: Right now I’m going to strike the water of the Nile River^[ep] with the staff that’s in my hand, and it will be turned to blood. ¹⁸ The fish in the Nile River^[eq] will die and the river^[er] will stink. The Egyptians will be unable^[es] to drink water from the Nile River.^[et]”’”

¹⁹ The Lord also told Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their Nile River^[eu], over their ponds, and over their reservoirs,^[ev] and they’ll become blood. There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in their^[ew] wood and stone containers.’”^[ex]

²⁰ Moses and Aaron did just what the Lord had commanded. Aaron^[ey] raised his staff and struck the water in the Nile River^[ez] in front of^[fa] Pharaoh and his^[fb] officials,^[fc] and all the water in the Nile River^[fd] turned to blood. ²¹ The fish in the Nile River^[fe] died and the river^[ff] stank. The Egyptians were not able to drink water from the Nile River,^[fg] and blood was throughout the land of Egypt. ²² But the Egyptian magicians did the same thing^[fh] with their secret arts. Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn,^[fi] and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. ²³ Then Pharaoh turned away, went to his palace, and paid no attention to any of this. ²⁴ All the Egyptians dug around the Nile River^[fj] for water to drink because they could not drink from the water in the Nile River.^[fk]

The Plague of Frogs

²⁵ Seven days after^[fl] the Lord had struck the Nile River,^[fm] 8 ^1 [fn]he told Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Let my people go so they may serve^[fo] me. ² And if you refuse to let them go, then I’m going to strike all your territory with frogs. ³ The Nile will swarm with frogs. They’ll come up and enter your house, your bedroom, your bed, and your servants’ houses. They’ll jump on your people, into your ovens, and into your kneading troughs. ⁴ The frogs will be all over you and your servants.”’”

^5 [fp]Then the Lord told Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the Nile River,^[fq] and over the ponds, and bring up frogs over the land of Egypt.’” ⁶ So Aaron stretched his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. ⁷ But the magicians did the same thing^[fr] with their secret arts, and they brought up frogs on the land of Egypt.

⁸ Then Pharaoh called to Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with the Lord so that he may remove the frogs from me and my people. I’ll let the people go so they can offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

⁹ Moses told Pharaoh, “You decide^[fs] when I should plead for you, your servants, and your people to remove^[ft] the frogs from you and your household. They’ll remain only in the Nile River.^[fu]”

¹⁰ Pharaoh^[fv] said, “Tomorrow.”

Moses^[fw] said, “It will be just as you say,^[fx] so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. ¹¹ The frogs will leave you, your house, your officials,^[fy] and your people. They’ll remain only in the Nile River.^[fz]”

¹² Then Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh’s presence, and Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs which he had sent^[ga] on Pharaoh. ¹³ The Lord did just as Moses asked,^[gb] and the frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards, and in the fields. ¹⁴ They gathered them up into large piles and the land smelled terrible. ¹⁵ But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

The Plague of Gnats

¹⁶ Then the Lord told Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff, strike the dust of the ground, and the dust^[gc] will become gnats throughout the land of Egypt.’” ¹⁷ They did this.^[gd] Aaron stretched his hand out with his staff, struck the dust of the land, and gnats came on people and animals—all the dust of the ground became gnats throughout the land of Egypt. ¹⁸ The magicians tried^[ge] to do the same thing^[gf] with their secret arts, but they were unable to bring out the gnats. The gnats were on the people and the animals.

¹⁹ The magicians told Pharaoh, “It is the finger of God!”^[gg] But Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn^[gh] and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

²⁰ The Lord told Moses, “Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he’s going down to the water. You are to say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Let my people go so they can serve^[gi] me. ²¹ But if you don’t let my people go, I’ll send swarms of insects upon you, your servants, your people, and your households. The houses of Egypt—and even the ground on which they stand—will be filled with swarms of insects. ²² On that day I’ll treat the land of Goshen where my people live^[gj] differently so that swarms of insects won’t be there. As a result, you will know that I the Lord am in the midst of the land. ²³ I’ll make a distinction between my people and your people, and this sign will occur tomorrow.”’”

²⁴ The Lord did this, and dense swarms of insects came into the house of Pharaoh and into the houses of his servants. The land was ruined throughout^[gk] Egypt because of the swarms of insects. ²⁵ Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, offer sacrifices to your God in the land.”

²⁶ “It wouldn’t be right to sacrifice in this way,”^[gl] Moses replied, “because if we do,^[gm] we will sacrifice to the Lord our God what is offensive to the Egyptians.^[gn] If we offer sacrifices that are offensive to the Egyptians^[go] in front of them, they’ll stone us, won’t they? ²⁷ We must go a three-day journey into the desert, and we’ll offer sacrifices to the Lord our God just as he has told us.”

²⁸ Then Pharaoh said, “I’ll let you go so you can offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the desert. But you must not go very far away. Pray for me.”

²⁹ Moses said, “Right now I’m going to leave you, and I’ll pray to the Lord that the swarms of insects may depart from Pharaoh, from his officials, and from his people tomorrow. But Pharaoh, don’t continue lying by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

³⁰ Then Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and prayed to the Lord. ³¹ The Lord did what Moses asked,^[gp] and the swarms of insects departed from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. Not one remained. ³² But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart, and he did not let the people go.

The Plague on the Egyptian Cattle

9 Then the Lord told Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord God of the Hebrews says: “Let my people go so they may serve^[gq] me. ² But if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them, ³ then the hand of the Lord will come^[gr] with a very severe plague on your livestock in the fields, on horses, on donkeys, on camels, on cattle, and on sheep. ⁴ The Lord will distinguish between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of the Egyptians, so that nothing that belongs to the Israelis will die.”’”

⁵ The Lord set the time: “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” ⁶ The Lord did this thing the next day, and all the livestock of the Egyptians died. But not one of the livestock died that belonged to the Israelis. ⁷ Then Pharaoh inquired and discovered^[gs] that not a single one of the livestock of Israel had died, but Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn^[gt] and he would not let the people go.

The Plague of Boils

⁸ Then the Lord told Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a kiln, and let Moses throw it into the air^[gu] in front of Pharaoh. ⁹ The soot^[gv] will become dust over the entire land of Egypt, and it will become boils erupting into sores on people and animals throughout the land of Egypt.”

¹⁰ So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. Then Moses threw it into the air,^[gw] and it became boils producing running sores on people and animals. ¹¹ The magicians were not able to stand before Moses because of the boils, because the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. ¹² The Lord made Pharaoh’s heart stubborn^[gx] so that he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had told Moses.

The Plague of Hail

¹³ Then the Lord told Moses, “Get up early in the morning, present yourself to Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord God of the Hebrews says: “Let my people go so they may serve^[gy] me. ¹⁴ Indeed, this time I’m sending all my plagues against you^[gz], your officials,^[ha] and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. ¹⁵ Indeed, by now I could have sent forth my hand and struck you and your people with a plague, and you would have been destroyed from the earth. ¹⁶ However, I’ve kept you standing^[hb] in order to show you my power and to declare my name in all the earth. ¹⁷ You are still acting arrogantly against my people by not letting them go. ¹⁸ Look! About this time tomorrow, I’ll send a severe hail storm, such as has not happened in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. ¹⁹ So send for your livestock and everything that belongs to you that’s out in the field, because^[hc] every person and animal found in the field that has not been brought inside to shelters will die when the hail comes down on them.”’”

²⁰ Whoever feared the message from the Lord among Pharaoh’s officials^[hd] made his servants and livestock flee into shelters. ²¹ But whoever did not pay attention^[he] to the message from the Lord left his servants and his livestock outside in the fields.

²² Then the Lord told Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, and there will be hail in all the land of Egypt, on people, animals, and all the vegetation of the field throughout the land of Egypt.” ²³ When Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. The Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt.

²⁴ There was very heavy hail, and lightning was flashing continuously in the midst of the hail. There had not been anything like it in the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. ²⁵ The hail struck everything, including people and animals, outside in the fields throughout the land of Egypt. The hail struck all the vegetation of the fields and shattered all the trees in the orchards. ²⁶ Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelis were, was there no hail.

²⁷ Pharaoh sent word^[hf] and called for Moses and Aaron. “I’ve sinned this time,” he told them. “The Lord is righteous, but I and my people are wicked. ²⁸ Pray to the Lord! There has been enough of God’s thunder and hail! I’ll let you go, and you need not stay any longer.”

²⁹ Moses told him, “When I leave the city I’ll spread out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease and the hail won’t continue, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the Lord. ³⁰ But as for you and your officials,^[hg] I know that you don’t yet fear the Lord God.” ³¹ (Now the flax and the barley were ruined because the barley was in ear and the flax was in bud. ³² The wheat and the wild grain^[hh] were not ruined because they were late crops.)

³³ Then Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and spread out his hands to the Lord. The thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured out on the land. ³⁴ When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had stopped, he continued to sin. He, along with his officials,^[hi] hardened his heart. ³⁵ Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn,^[hj] and he did not let the Israelis go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.

The Plague of Locusts

10 Then the Lord told Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I’ve hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials^[hk] in order to perform^[hl] these signs of mine among them,^{[hm] 2} so you may tell^[hn] your children and your grandchildren how I toyed with the Egyptians and about my miraculous signs that I performed among them, so all of you^[ho] may know that I am the Lord.

³ Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the Lord God of the Hebrews says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so they may serve^[hp] me. ⁴ But if you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I’m going to bring locusts into your territory. ⁵ They’ll cover the surface of the land so a person^[hq] cannot see the ground, and they’ll eat what is left for you of the residue from the hail. They’ll also eat all your trees that grow in the orchards. ⁶ Your houses will be filled, along with the houses of all your officials^[hr] and the houses of all the Egyptians—something that neither your fathers nor your ancestors ever saw from the time they were on earth until now.’” Then Moses^[hs] turned and left Pharaoh’s presence.

⁷ Then the officials^[ht] of Pharaoh told him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go so they may serve the Lord their God! Don’t you realize yet that Egypt is about to be destroyed?”

⁸ Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh and he told them, “Go, serve^[hu] the Lord your God. But exactly who^[hv] will go?”

⁹ Moses said, “We will go with our young and with our old. We will go with our sons and our daughters, with our sheep and our cattle, because it’s a festival to the Lord for us.”

¹⁰ Then Pharaoh^[hw] told them, “The Lord will certainly^[hx] be with you if I let you and your little ones go. I know^[hy] some evil plan is in your mind.^{[hz] 11} No! Let the men go and serve^[ia] the Lord, for that is what you were seeking.” Then they were driven out from the presence of Pharaoh.

¹² The Lord told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt to bring^[ib] the locusts, and they’ll come up over the land of Egypt and eat all the vegetation of the land, everything that the hail left.” ¹³ Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord sent an east wind into the land all that day and throughout^[ic] the night. When morning came, the east wind brought the locusts.

¹⁴ The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled on all the territory of Egypt in great swarms.^[id] There had never been locusts like this before nor would there ever be again. ¹⁵ They covered the surface of the entire land so that it^[ie] was dark. They ate all the vegetation of the land and the fruit from the trees that the hail left. Nothing green was left on the trees or on the vegetation in all the land of Egypt.

¹⁶ Pharaoh quickly called Moses and Aaron and said, “I’ve sinned against the Lord your God and against you. ¹⁷ Now, please forgive my sin only this time, and pray to the Lord your God that he would at least remove this^[if] from me.”

¹⁸ Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. ¹⁹ Then the Lord brought^[ig] a very strong west wind that took the locusts and drove them into the Reed^[ih] Sea. Not one locust remained in all the territory of Egypt. ²⁰ But the Lord made Pharaoh’s heart stubborn^[ii] and he would not let the Israelis go.

The Plague of Darkness

²¹ Then the Lord told Moses, “Stretch your hand toward the sky and there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that one can feel.” ²² So Moses stretched his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. ²³ No one could see anyone else, nor could anyone get up from his place for three days. But there was light for all the Israelis in their dwellings.

²⁴ Pharaoh called Moses and said, “Go serve^[ij] the Lord, but your flocks and your cattle are to remain. Even your little ones can go with you!”

²⁵ Moses said, “You must let us have^[ik] sacrifices and burnt offerings to offer to the Lord our God. ²⁶ And even our livestock must go with us. Not a hoof will be left behind because we will use^[il] some of them to serve the Lord our God, and until we get there we won’t know what we need to serve^[im] the Lord.”

²⁷ The Lord made Pharaoh’s heart stubborn,^[in] and he did not want to let them go. ²⁸ Then Pharaoh told him, “Get away from me! Watch out that you never see my face again, because on the day you see my face, you will die!”

²⁹ Moses said, “Just as you have said, I won’t see your face again!”

Warning of the Death of the Firstborn

11 Then the Lord told Moses, “I’ll bring one more plague on Pharaoh and Egypt. After that he’ll let you leave from here, and when he lets you go, he will certainly drive you out from here. ² Tell^[io] the people that each man is to ask his neighbor and each woman her neighbor for articles of silver and gold.”

³ The Lord made the Egyptians look on the people with favor. Also the man Moses was highly regarded^[ip] in the land of Egypt, both in the opinion^[iq] of Pharaoh’s officials^[ir] and in the opinion^[is] of the people.

⁴ So Moses announced to Pharaoh,^[it] “This is what the Lord says: ‘About midnight I’m going throughout Egypt, ⁵ and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the slave girl who operates^[iu] the hand mill, along with the firstborn of the animals. ⁶ There will be a great cry throughout the land of Egypt, like there has never been and never will be again. ⁷ But among the Israelis, from people to animals, not even a dog will bark,^[iv] so you may know that the Lord is distinguishing between the Egyptians and the Israelis.’ ⁸ All these officials^[iw] of yours will come down to me, prostrate themselves to me, and say, ‘Get out, you and all the people following^[ix] you!’ After that I’ll go out.” Then Moses^[iy] angrily left Pharaoh.

⁹ The Lord told Moses, “Pharaoh won’t listen to you. As a result, my wonders will increase throughout the land of Egypt.” ¹⁰ Moses and Aaron did all these wonders in front of Pharaoh, but the Lord made Pharaoh’s heart stubborn,^[iz] and he would not let the Israelis go out from his land.

The Passover is Instituted

12 The Lord told Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, ² “This month will mark the beginning of months for you. It will be the first month of the year for you. ³ Tell the entire congregation of Israel, ‘On the tenth of this month they’re each to take a lamb for themselves, according to their ancestors’ households, one lamb for each household. ⁴ If a household is too small for a lamb, then it and its closest neighbor are to obtain one based on the number of individuals—dividing^[ja] the lamb based on what each person can eat. ⁵ Your lamb is to be a year old male without blemish. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. ⁶ It is to remain under your care until the fourteenth day of this month, and then the entire assembly of the congregation of Israel is to slaughter it at twilight. ⁷ They’re to take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat the lamb.^{[jb] 8} That very night they’re to eat the meat, roasted over the fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. ⁹ Don’t eat any of it raw or boiled in water. Instead, roast it over the fire, with its head, legs, and internal organs. ¹⁰ Don’t leave any of it until morning, and whatever does remain of it until morning you are to burn in the fire.

¹¹ “‘This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You are to eat it hurriedly—it’s the Lord’s Passover. ¹² I’ll pass through the land of Egypt that night and strike every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both people and animals. I’ll execute judgments on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. ¹³ The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are. I’ll see the blood and pass over you. There will be no plague to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

¹⁴ “‘This day is to be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a festival to the Lord. You are to celebrate it as a perpetual ordinance from generation to generation. ¹⁵ You are to eat unleavened bread for seven days. On the first day be sure to remove all the leaven from your houses, because any person who eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh will be cut off from Israel. ¹⁶ Also, on the first day you’re to hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day you’re to hold a holy assembly. No work is to be done during those days, except for preparing what is to be eaten by each person.

¹⁷ “‘You are to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread, since on this very day I brought your tribal divisions from the land of Egypt. You are to observe this day from generation to generation as a perpetual ordinance. ¹⁸ In the first month, from the evening of the fourteenth day of the month until the evening of the twenty-first day of the month, you are to eat unleavened bread. ¹⁹ For seven days leaven is not to be found in your houses. Indeed, any person who eats anything leavened, is to be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether an alien or a native of the land. ²⁰ You are not to eat what is leavened. You are to eat unleavened bread in all your settlements.’”

²¹ Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and told them, “Choose sheep for your families, and slaughter the Passover lamb. ²² Take a bundle of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and apply some of the blood in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts. None of you is to go out of the doorway of his house until morning, ²³ because the Lord will pass through to strike down the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the doorway, and won’t allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you down. ²⁴ You are to observe this event as a perpetual ordinance for you and your children forever. ²⁵ When you enter the land that the Lord will give you, just as he promised, you are to observe this ritual. ²⁶ And when your children say to you, ‘What does this ritual mean?’^{[jc] 27} you are to say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelis in Egypt when he struck down the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” Then the people bowed down and worshipped. ²⁸ The Israelis did this. Moses and Aaron did just what the Lord had commanded.

The Death of the Firstborn in Egypt

²⁹ And so at midnight the Lord struck down every firstborn 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 all the firstborn of the livestock. ³⁰ Pharaoh got up during the night, he, all his officials,^[jd] and all the Egyptians, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, because there was not a house without someone dead in it. ³¹ Then he summoned Moses and Aaron during the night and told them: “Get up, go out from among my people, both you and the Israelis! Go, serve^[je] the Lord as you have said. ³² Take both your sheep and your cattle, just as you demanded^[jf] and go! And bless me too!”

³³ The Egyptian officials^[jg] urged the people to send them out of the land quickly, because they were saying, “We’ll all be dead!” ³⁴ So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls wrapped up in their cloaks on their shoulders. ³⁵ Meanwhile, the Israelis had done as Moses said;^[jh] they had asked the Egyptians for objects of silver and objects of gold, and for clothes. ³⁶ The Lord had given the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that they gave them what they requested. As a result, they plundered the Egyptians.

The Exodus Begins

³⁷ About 600,000 Israeli men traveled from Rameses to Succoth on foot, not counting children. ³⁸ A mixed multitude also went up with them, along with a very large number of livestock, including sheep and cattle. ³⁹ They baked the dough that they brought out of Egypt into thin cakes of unleavened bread. It had not been leavened because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.

⁴⁰ Now the time that the Israelis lived in Egypt was 430 years. ⁴¹ At the end of 430 years, to the very day, all the tribal divisions of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. ⁴² That was for the Lord a night of vigil^[ji] to bring them out of the land of Egypt. This same night belongs to the Lord, and is to be a vigil for all the Israelis from generation to generation.

Instructions for the Passover

⁴³ The Lord told Moses and Aaron, “These are the regulations for the Passover: No foreigner is to eat it, ⁴⁴ though any slave^[jj] purchased with money may eat it after you have circumcised him. ⁴⁵ But no temporary resident or a hired servant is to eat it. ⁴⁶ It is to be eaten in one house, and you are not to take any of the meat outside the house, nor are you to break any of its bones. ⁴⁷ The whole congregation of Israel is to observe it. ⁴⁸ If an alien who resides with you wants to observe the Passover to the Lord, every male in his household^[jk] must be circumcised, and then he may come near to observe it. He is to be like a native of the land, but no uncircumcised person is to eat it. ⁴⁹ A single law exists for the native and the alien who resides among you.”

⁵⁰ All the Israelis did this. They did exactly as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron. ⁵¹ And on that very day, the Lord brought the Israelis out of the land of Egypt by their tribal divisions.

Consecration of the Firstborn

13 The Lord spoke to Moses, ² “Consecrate to me every firstborn male. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the Israelis, both of humans and of animals, belongs to me.”

The Festival of Unleavened Bread

³ Then Moses told the people, “Remember this day on which you came out of Egypt, from the house of bondage, because the Lord brought you out from this place with a strong show of force.^[jl] Moreover, nothing leavened is to be eaten. ⁴ Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out. ⁵ When the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your ancestors to give you—a land flowing with milk and honey—you are to observe this ritual in this month. ⁶ You are to eat unleavened bread for seven days, and on the seventh day there is to be a festival to the Lord. ⁷ Unleavened bread is to be eaten for seven days, and nothing leavened is to be seen among you, nor is leaven to be seen among you throughout your territory. ⁸ And you are to tell your child on that day, ‘This is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ ⁹ It is to be a sign for you on your hand and a reminder on your forehead,^[jm] so that you may speak about the instruction^[jn] of the Lord; for the Lord brought you out of Egypt with a strong show of force.^{[jo] 10} You are to keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.”

The Redemption of the Firstborn

¹¹ “When the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite and gives it to you, just as he promised you and your ancestors, ¹² you are to dedicate to the Lord everything that first opens the womb. All the firstborn males^[jp] of your livestock belong to the Lord. ¹³ You are to redeem every firstborn donkey^[jq] with a lamb, and if you don’t redeem it, you are to break its neck. You are to redeem every firstborn^[jr] among your sons. ¹⁴ Then when your child asks you in the future, ‘What is this?’, you are to say to him, ‘The Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of bondage with a strong show of force.^{[js] 15} And when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of humans to the firstborn of animals. Therefore, I sacrifice to the Lord every male that first opens the womb, but I redeem every firstborn of my sons. ¹⁶ It is to be a sign on your hand and an emblem^[jt] on your forehead,^[ju] because the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a strong show of force.’”^[jv]

God Guides the People in the Desert

¹⁷ When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road through the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearer, because God had said, “If the people face war, they may change their minds and return to Egypt.” ¹⁸ So God led the people the roundabout way of the desert toward the Reed^[jw] Sea. The Israelis went up from the land of Egypt in military formation.^{[jx] 19} Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, because Joseph^[jy] had made the Israelis take this solemn oath: “God will certainly take notice of you, and then you must carry my bones up with you from here.” ²⁰ They left Succoth and camped in Etham at the edge of the desert. ²¹ The Lord went in front of them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so they could travel both day and night. ²² Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

Crossing the Reed Sea

14 The Lord told Moses, ² “Tell the Israelis that they are to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. You are to camp in front of Baal-zephon, opposite it by the sea. ³ Pharaoh will say about the Israelis, ‘They’re wandering aimlessly in the land, and the desert has closed in on them.’ ⁴ I’ve made Pharaoh’s heart stubborn^[jz] so he will pursue them. But I’ll receive honor by means of^[ka] Pharaoh and his army, so that the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So this is what the Israelis^[kb] did.

⁵ When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the minds^[kc] of Pharaoh and his officials^[kd] changed toward the people, and they said, “What have we done in releasing Israel from serving us?” ⁶ So Pharaoh^[ke] had his chariot prepared and took his troops^[kf] with him.

⁷ He took 600 of the best chariots, and all the other^[kg] chariots of Egypt with officers in charge of each one. ⁸ The Lord made the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, stubborn,^[kh] and he defiantly^[ki] pursued the Israelis as they were leaving. ⁹ The Egyptians pursued them—all the chariot-horses of Pharaoh, along with his horsemen and army—and they overtook them camped by the sea, near Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal Zephon.

¹⁰ As Pharaoh approached, the Israelis looked up, and there were the Egyptians bearing down on them! Extremely frightened, the Israelis cried out to the Lord. ¹¹ They also^[kj] told Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you took us out to die in the desert? What have you done to us, by bringing us out of Egypt? ¹² Is this not what we told you in Egypt, when we said, ‘Leave us alone!’^[kk] and ‘Let us serve the Egyptians!’? Indeed, it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”

¹³ Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid! Stand still and watch how the Lord will deliver you today, because you will never again see the Egyptians whom you’re looking at today. ¹⁴ The Lord will fight for you while you keep still.”

¹⁵ Then the Lord told Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelis to move out! ¹⁶ You are to raise your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it, so the Israelis may go into the middle of the sea on dry land. ¹⁷ Even now I’m hardening the heart of the Egyptians so they’ll go after the Israelis.^[kl] Then I’ll receive honor by means of^[km] Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. ¹⁸ Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I receive honor by means of^[kn] Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

¹⁹ Then the angel of God, who was going in front of the camp of Israel, moved behind them. The pillar of cloud also^[ko] moved from in front of them and stood behind them, ²⁰ coming between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. The cloud remained there even^[kp] in the darkness,^[kq] illuminating the night, so that the one side did not come near the other all night.

²¹ Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord caused the water to retreat by a strong east wind all night, turning the sea into dry land. As the waters were divided, ²² the Israelis went into the middle of the sea on dry land, and the waters formed a wall for them on their right and on their left.

²³ The Egyptians pursued—all the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen—and they went into the middle of the sea after them. ²⁴ In the morning watch, the Lord looked down on the Egyptian camp through the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw the Egyptian camp into confusion. ²⁵ He made the wheels of their chariots wobble^[kr] so that they drove them with difficulty. The Egyptians said, “Let’s flee from Israel because the Lord is fighting for them and against us.”^[ks]

The Egyptians Drown in the Sea

²⁶ Then the Lord told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea and the water will come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots, and over their horsemen.” ²⁷ Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the water returned to its normal depth at daybreak. The Egyptians tried to retreat in front of the advancing water,^[kt] but the Lord destroyed^[ku] the Egyptians in the middle of the sea. ²⁸ The water returned, covering the chariots and the horsemen of Pharaoh’s entire army that had pursued the Israelis into the sea. Not a single one of them remained. ²⁹ But the Israelis walked through the middle of the sea on dry land, and the water stood like a wall for them on their right and on their left.

³⁰ On that day the Lord delivered Israel from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead along the seashore. ³¹ When Israel saw the great force^[kv] by which the Lord had acted against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and they believed the Lord and Moses his servant.

The Song of Moses

15 Then Moses and the Israelis sang this song to the Lord:

¹⁹ When the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen went into the sea, the Lord caused the waters of the sea to come back over them, but the Israelis walked through the middle of the sea on dry land.

The Song of Miriam

²⁰ Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand and went out with all the women behind her with tambourines and dancing. ²¹ Miriam sang to them,

God Provides Water for the People

²² Then Moses led Israel from the Reed^[lh] Sea and they went to the desert of Shur. They traveled into the desert for three days and did not find water. ²³ When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water at Marah because it was bitter. (That is why it’s called^[li] Marah.)^{[lj] 24} Then the people complained against Moses: “What are we to drink?” ²⁵ Moses^[lk] cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree, which he threw into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the Lord^[ll] presented to them a statute and an ordinance, and there he tested them. ²⁶ He said, “If you will carefully obey the Lord your God, do what he sees to be right, listen to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, then I won’t inflict on you all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians, because I am the Lord your healer.” ²⁷ Then they came to Elim where there were twelve springs of water and 70 palm trees, and they camped there by the water.

Manna and Quail Provided

16 Later, they left Elim, and the whole congregation of the Israelis came to the desert^[lm] of Sin, which lay between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departure from the land of Egypt. ² The whole congregation of the Israelis complained against Moses and Aaron in the desert. ³ The Israelis told them, “If only we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt when we sat by the cooking pots,^[ln] when we ate bread until we were filled—because you brought us to this desert to kill this entire congregation with hunger.”

⁴ The Lord told Moses, “Listen very carefully! I’ll cause food to rain down for you from heaven, and the people are to go out and gather each day’s portion on that day. In this way I’ll test them to demonstrate whether or not they’ll live according to my instructions. ⁵ On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be double what they gather on other days.”^[lo]

⁶ So Moses and Aaron addressed the entire congregation of the Israelis: “This evening you will know that the Lord has brought you out of the land of Egypt, ⁷ and in the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard your complaints against him.^[lp] After all, who are we that you complain against us?” ⁸ Moses also said, “When the Lord gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread in the morning to satisfy you, the Lord will hear your complaints directed^[lq] against him. Who are we? Your complaints aren’t against us, but rather against the Lord.”

⁹ Then Moses instructed Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the Israelis, ‘Come near into the Lord’s presence, because he has heard your complaints.’”

¹⁰ While Aaron was speaking to all the congregation of the Israelis, they turned toward the desert, and there the glory of the Lord was seen in the cloud. ¹¹ The Lord told Moses, ¹² “I’ve heard the complaints of the Israelis. Tell them, ‘At twilight you are to eat meat and in the morning you are to be filled with bread, so you may know that I am the Lord your God.’”

¹³ Later that evening quail came up and covered the camp, and then in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. ¹⁴ When the layer of dew evaporated,^[lr] on the surface of the desert a fine flaky substance, as fine as frost, appeared on the ground. ¹⁵ When the Israelis saw it, they asked one another, “What is it?”,^[ls] because they did not know what it was.

Moses told them, “It’s the food that the Lord has given you to eat. ¹⁶ This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘You are to gather from it what each person is to eat,^[lt] about one omer^[lu] per person according to the number of your people, and one person is to gather for everyone in his tent.’”

¹⁷ The Israelis did this, some gathering much, some little. ¹⁸ When they measured it with a vessel the capacity of which was one omer,^[lv] the one who gathered much did not have an excess, while the one who gathered little did not lack. They gathered exactly what each needed to eat.^[lw]

¹⁹ Then Moses told them, “No one is to leave any of it until morning.” ²⁰ But they did not listen to Moses—some people left part of it until morning, and it produced maggots and smelled bad, so Moses got angry at them. ²¹ Every morning they gathered it, according to what each needed to eat; and when the sun became hot, it melted.

²² On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, about two omers^[lx] per person. Then all the leaders of the congregation came and reported to Moses, ²³ and he told them, “This is what the Lord said: ‘Tomorrow is a Sabbath observance, a holy Sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil, and put aside whatever remains to be kept for yourselves until morning.’” ²⁴ So they put it away until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not smell bad, and there were no maggots in it. ²⁵ Moses said, “Eat it today, since today is a Sabbath to the Lord, and today you won’t find it in the field. ²⁶ For six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there won’t be any.”^[ly]

²⁷ Nevertheless, that seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they did not find any. ²⁸ Then the Lord asked Moses, “How long will you people^[lz] refuse to keep my commandments and my instructions?^{[ma] 29} You see that the Lord has given you the Sabbath, and so on the sixth day he gives you food for two days. Let each person stay where he is; let no one leave his place on the seventh day.” ³⁰ So the people rested on the seventh day.

³¹ The Israelis named it^[mb] “manna”.^[mc] It was white like coriander seed, and tasted like a wafer made with honey. ³² Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: ‘Set aside one omer^[md] of it for future generations, so that they may see the food with which I fed you in the desert when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’”

³³ Then Moses told Aaron, “Take a jar, fill it with about one omer^[me] of manna, and place it in the Lord’s presence, to be preserved throughout future generations.” ³⁴ So Aaron placed it before the Testimony^[mf] to be kept, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. ³⁵ The Israelis ate manna for 40 years until they came to a land where they could settle.^[mg] They ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. ³⁶ Now one omer^[mh] is a tenth of an ephah.^[mi]

God Provides Water from a Rock^(A)

17 The whole congregation of the Israelis set out from the desert^[mj] of Sin, traveling from place to place according to the command^[mk] of the Lord. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.

² The people quarreled with Moses: “Give us water to drink.”

Moses told them, “Why are you quarreling with me? Why are you testing the Lord?”

³ But the people were thirsty there for water, so they^[ml] complained against Moses: “Why did you bring us up from Egypt to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?”

⁴ So Moses cried out to the Lord: “What am I to do with these people? Just a little more and they’ll stone me.”

⁵ Then the Lord told Moses, “Go over in front of the people and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. ⁶ I’ll be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. You are to strike the rock and water will come out of it, so the people can drink.” Moses did this in front of the elders of Israel.

⁷ He named the place Massah^[mm] and Meribah,^[mn] because the Israelis quarreled and tested the Lord by saying: “Is the Lord really among us or not?”

The Amalekites Fight the Israelis

⁸ After this, the Amalekites came and fought with the Israelis at Rephidim. ⁹ Moses told Joshua, “Choose some men for us and go out to fight against the Amalekites. Tomorrow I’ll stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.” ¹⁰ So Joshua did as Moses told him and fought against the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. ¹¹ Whenever Moses raised his hand, the Israelis prevailed, but when his hand remained at his side,^[mo] then the Amalekites prevailed. ¹² When Moses’ hands became heavy, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other, and so his hands were steady until the sun went down. ¹³ Joshua defeated^[mp] Amalek and his army using swords.

¹⁴ Then the Lord told Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to^[mq] Joshua: ‘I’ll certainly wipe out the memory of the Amalekites from under heaven.’” ¹⁵ Moses built an altar and named it “The Lord is My Banner.” ¹⁶ “Because,” he said, “a fist has been raised in defiance^[mr] against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will wage war against Amalek from generation to generation.”

Jethro Visits Moses

18 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the Lord had brought Israel out of Egypt. ² Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken back Moses’ wife Zipporah after she had been sent away, ³ along with her two sons. The name of the one was Gershom, because he would say, “I was an alien^[ms] in a foreign land,” ⁴ while the name of the other was Eliezer,^[mt] because he would say,^[mu] “My father’s God helped me and delivered me from Pharaoh’s sword.”

⁵ Moses’ father-in-law Jethro, together with Moses’ two sons and his wife, came to Moses in the desert where he was camped at the mountain of God.^{[mv] 6} He told Moses, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you along with your wife and her two sons.” ⁷ When Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, he bowed low and kissed him, and they greeted one another. Then they went into the tent.

⁸ Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians on Israel’s behalf, all the hardships that they had encountered along the way, and how the Lord had delivered them. ⁹ Jethro rejoiced over all the good that the Lord had done for Israel in delivering them from the hand of the Egyptians. ¹⁰ Jethro said, “Blessed be the Lord, who delivered you from the hand of the Egyptians and from the hand of Pharaoh, and who delivered the people from the oppression^[mw] of the Egyptians. ¹¹ Now I know that the Lord is greater than all other gods,^[mx] because of what happened to^[my] the Egyptians when^[mz] they acted arrogantly against Israel.” ¹² Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to dine with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.

Jethro Advises Moses to Appoint Judges

¹³ The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening. ¹⁴ When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge,^[na] with all the people standing around you from morning until evening?”

¹⁵ Moses told his father-in-law, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.^{[nb] 16} When they have a dispute, it comes to me and I decide between a person and his neighbor, and make known the statutes of God and his instructions.”

¹⁷ Moses’ father-in-law told him, “What you are doing is not good. ¹⁸ You will certainly wear yourself out, both you and these people who are with you, because the task is too heavy for you. You cannot do it by yourself. ¹⁹ Now listen to me. I’ll advise you, and may God be with you. You are to represent the people before God and bring the disputes to God. ²⁰ You are to teach them the statutes and instructions and make known to them the way they’re to go and the things they’re to do. ²¹ You are to look for capable men among the people, men who fear God, men of integrity who hate dishonest gain. You are to set these men over them as officials over thousands, hundreds,^[nc] fifties,^[nd] and tens.^{[ne] 22} They are to judge the people at all times. Let them bring every major matter to you, but let them judge every minor matter. It will lighten your burden, and they’ll bear it with you. ²³ If you do this,^[nf] and God so commands you, you will be able to stand the strain,^[ng] and all these people will also go to their homes in peace.”

²⁴ Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. ²⁵ Moses chose capable men from all Israel and appointed them as heads over the people, as officials over thousands, hundreds,^[nh] fifties,^[ni] and tens.^{[nj] 26} They judged the people at all times; the difficult matters they brought to Moses, but every minor matter they judged. ²⁷ Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and he went to his own land.