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Exodus 1-11
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
Exodus 1-11
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition
1 These are the names of the children of Israel, that went into Egypt with Jacob: they went in, every man with his household:
2 Ruben, Simeon, Levi, Juda,
3 Issachar, Zabulon, and Benjamin,
4 Dan, and Nephtali, Gad and Aser.
5 And all the souls that came out of Jacob's thigh, were seventy: but Joseph was in Egypt.
6 After he was dead, and all his brethren, and all that generation,
7 The children of Israel increased, and sprung up into multitudes, and growing exceedingly strong they filled the land.
8 In the mean time there arose a new king over Egypt, that knew not Joseph:
9 And he said to his people: Behold the people of the children of Israel are numerous and stronger than we.
10 Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply: and if any war shall rise against us, join with our enemies, and having overcome us, depart out of the land.
11 Therefore he set over them masters of the works, to afflict them with burdens, and they built for Pharao cities of tabernacles, Phithom and Ramesses.
12 But the more they oppressed them, the more they were multiplied, and increased:
13 And the Egyptians hated the children of Israel, and afflicted them and mocked them:
14 And they made their life bitter with hard works in clay, and brick, and with all manner of service, wherewith they were overcharged in the works of the earth.
15 And the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews: of whom one was called Sephora, the other Phua,
16 Commanding them: When you shall do the office of midwives to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery is come: if it be a man child, kill it: if a woman, keep it alive.
17 But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded, but saved the men children.
18 And the king called for them and said: What is that you meant to do, that you would save the men children?
19 They answered: The Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women: for they themselves are skillful in the office of a midwife; and they are delivered before we come to them.
20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied and grew exceedingly strong.
21 And because the midwives feared God, he built them houses.
22 Pharao therefore charged all his people, saying: Whatsoever shall be born of the male sex, ye shall cast into the river: whatsoever of the female, ye shall save alive.
2 After this there went a man of the house of Levi; and took a wife of his own kindred.
2 And she conceived, and bore a son; and seeing him a goodly child hid him three months.
3 And when she could hide him no longer, she took a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and pitch: and put the little babe therein, and laid him in the sedges by the river's brink,
4 His sister standing afar off, and taking notice what would be done.
5 And behold the daughter of Pharao came down to wash herself in the river: and her maids walked by the river's brink. And when she saw the basket in the sedges, she sent one of her maids for it: and when it was brought,
6 She opened it and seeing within it an infant crying, having compassion on it she said: This is one of the babes of the Hebrews.
7 And the child's sister said to her Shall I go and call to thee a Hebrew woman, to nurse the babe?
8 She answered: Go. The maid went and called her mother.
9 And Pharao's daughter said to her. Take this child and nurse him for me: I will give thee thy wages. The woman took, and nursed the child: and when he was grown up, she delivered him to Pharao's daughter.
10 And she adopted him for a son, and called him Moses, saying: Because I took him out of the water.
11 In those days after Moses was grown up, he went out to his brethren: and saw their affliction, and an Egyptian striking one of the Hebrews his brethren.
12 And when he had looked about this way and that way, and saw no one there, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
13 And going out the next day, he saw two Hebrews quarrelling: and he said to him that did the wrong: Why strikest thou thy neighbour?
14 But he answered: Who hath appointed thee prince and judge over us: wilt thou kill me, as thou didst yesterday kill the Egyptian? Moses feared, and said: How is this come to be known?
15 And Pharao heard of this word and sought to kill Moses: but he fled from his sight, and abode in the land of Madian, and he sat down by a well.
16 And the priest of Madian had seven daughters, who came to draw water: and when the troughs were filled, desired to water their father's flocks.
17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: and Moses arose, and defending the maids, watered their sheep.
18 And when they returned to Raguel their father, he said to them: Why are ye come sooner than usual?
19 They answered: A man of Egypt delivered us from the hands of the shepherds: and he drew water also with us, and gave the sheep to drink.
20 But he said: Where is he? why have you let the man go? call him that he may eat bread.
21 And Moses swore that he would dwell with him. And he took Sephora his daughter to wife:
22 And she bore him a son, whom he called Gersam, saying: I have been a stranger in a foreign country. And she bore another, whom he called Eliezer, saying: For the God of my father, my helper hath delivered me out of the hand of Pharao.
23 Now after a long time the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel groaning, cried out because of the works: and their cry went up unto God from the works.
24 And he heard their groaning, and remembered the covenant which he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
25 And the Lord looked upon the children of Israel, and he knew them.
3 Now Moses fed the sheep of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Madian: and he drove the flock to the inner parts of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, Horeb.
2 And the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he saw that the bush was on fire and was not burnt.
3 And Moses said: I will go and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4 And when the Lord saw that he went forward to see, he called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said: Moses, Moses. And he answered: Here I am.
5 And he said: Come not nigh hither, put off the shoes from thy feet: for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
6 And he said: I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Moses hid his face: for he durst not look at God.
7 And the Lord said to him: I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of the rigour of them that are over the works:
8 And knowing their sorrow, I am come down to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians, and to bring them out of that land into a good and spacious land, into a land that floweth with milk and honey, to the places of the Chanaanite, and Hethite, and Amorrhite, and Pherezite, and Hevite, and Jebusite.
9 For the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have seen their affliction, wherewith they are oppressed by the Egyptians.
10 But come, and I will send thee to Pharao, that thou mayst bring forth my people, the children of Israel out of Egypt.
11 And Moses said to God: Who am I that I should go to Pharao, and should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
12 And he said to him: I will be with thee: and this thou shalt have for a sign, that I have sent thee: When thou shalt have brought my people out of Egypt, thou shalt offer sacrifice to God upon this mountain.
13 Moses said to God: Lo, I shall go to the children of Israel, and say to them: The God of your fathers hath sent me to you. If they should say to me: What is his name? what shall I say to them?
14 God said to Moses: I AM WHO AM. He said: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: HE WHO IS, hath sent me to you.
15 And God said again to Moses: Thus shalt thou 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, hath sent me to you: This is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
16 Go, gather together the ancients of Israel, and thou shalt say to them: The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared to me, saying: Visiting I have visited you: and I have seen all that hath befallen you in Egypt.
17 And I have said the word to bring you forth out of the affliction of Egypt, into the land of the Chanaanite, the Hethite, and the Amorrhite, and Pherezite, and Hevite, and Jebusite, to a land that floweth with milk and honey.
18 And they shall hear thy voice: and thou shalt go in, thou and the ancients of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and thou shalt say to him: The Lord God of the Hebrews hath called us: we will go three days' journey into the wilderness, to sacrifice unto the Lord our God.
19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, but by a mighty hand.
20 For I will stretch forth my hand and will strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst of them: after these he will let you go.
21 And I will give favour to this people, in the sight of the Egyptians: and when you go forth, you shall not depart empty:
22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbour, and of her that is in her house, vessels of silver and of gold, and raiment: and you shall put them on your sons and daughters, and shall spoil Egypt.
4 Moses answered and said: They will not believe me, nor hear my voice, but they will say: The Lord hath not appeared to thee.
2 Then he said to him: What is that thou holdest in thy hand? He answered: A rod.
3 And the Lord said: Cast it down upon the ground. He cast it down, and it was turned into a serpent: so that Moses fled from it.
4 And the Lord said: Put out thy hand and take it by the tail. He put forth his hand, and took hold of it, and it was turned into a rod.
5 That they may believe, saith he, that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared to thee.
6 And the Lord said again: Put thy hand into thy bosom. And when he had put it into his bosom, he brought it forth leprous as snow.
7 And he said: Put back thy hand into thy bosom. He put it back, and brought it out again, and it was like the other flesh.
8 If they will not believe thee, saith he, nor hear the voice of the former sign, they will believe the word of the latter sign.
9 But if they will not even believe these two signs, nor hear thy voice: take of the river water, and pour it out upon the dry land, and whatsoever thou drawest out of the river shall be turned into blood.
10 Moses said: I beseech thee, Lord. I am not eloquent from yesterday and the day before: and since thou hast spoken to thy servant, I have more impediment and slowness of tongue.
11 The Lord said to him: Who made man's mouth? or who made the dumb and the deaf, the seeing and the blind? did not I?
12 Go therefore and I will be in thy mouth: and I will teach thee what thou shalt speak.
13 But he said: I beseech thee, Lord send whom thou wilt send.
14 The Lord being angry at Moses, said Aaron the Levite is thy brother, I know that he is eloquent: behold he cometh forth to meet thee, and seeing thee shall be glad at heart.
15 Speak to him, and put my words in his mouth: and I will be in thy mouth, and in his mouth, and will shew you what you must do.
16 He shall speak in thy stead to the people, and shall be thy mouth: but thou shalt be to him in those things that pertain to God.
17 And take this rod in thy hand, wherewith thou shalt do the signs.
18 Moses went his way, and returned to Jethro his father in law and said to him: I will go and return to my brethren into Egypt, that I may see if they be yet alive. And Jethro said to him: Go in peace.
19 And the Lord said to Moses, in Madian: Go, and return into Egypt: for they are all dead that sought thy life.
20 Moses therefore took his wife, and his sons, and set them upon an ass: and returned into Egypt, carrying the rod of God in his hand.
21 And the Lord said to him as he was returning into Egypt: See that thou do all the wonders before Pharao, which I have put in thy hand: I shall harden his heart, and he will not let the people go.
22 And thou shalt say to him: Thus saith the Lord: Israel is my son, my firstborn.
23 I have said to thee: Let my son go, that he may serve me, and thou wouldst not let him go: behold I will kill thy son, thy firstborn.
24 And when he was in his journey, in the inn, the Lord met him, and would have killed him.
25 Immediately Sephora took a very sharp stone, and circumcised the fore skin of her son, and touched his feet and said: A bloody spouse art thou to me.
26 And he let him go after she had said A bloody spouse art thou to me, because of the circumcision.
27 And the Lord said to Aaron: Go into the desert to meet Moses. And he went forth to meet him in the mountain of God, and kissed him.
28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord, by which he had sent him, and the signs that he had commanded.
29 And they came together, and they assembled all the ancients of the children of Israel.
30 And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had said to Moses: and he wrought the signs before the people,
31 And the people believed. And they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel: and that he had looked upon their affliction: and falling down they adored.
5 After these things Moses and Aaron went in, and said to Pharao: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Let my people go that they may sacrifice to me in the desert.
2 But he answered: Who is the Lord, that I should hear his voice, and let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.
3 And they said: The God of the Hebrews hath called us, to go three days' journey into the wilderness and to sacrifice to the Lord our God: lest a pestilence or the sword fall upon us.
4 The king of Egypt said to them: Why do you Moses and Aaron draw off the people from their works? Get you gone to your burdens.
5 And Pharao said: The people of the land is numerous: you see that the multitude is increased: how much more if you give them rest from their works?
6 Therefore he commanded the same day the overseers of the works, and the taskmasters of the people, saying:
7 You shall give straw no more to the people to make brick, as before: but let them go and gather straw.
8 And you shall lay upon them the task of bricks, which they did before, neither shall you diminish any thing thereof: for they are idle, and therefore they cry, saying: Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
9 Let them be oppressed, with works, and let them fulfill them: that they may not regard lying words.
10 And the overseers of the works and the taskmasters went out and said to the people: Thus saith Pharao, I allow you no straw:
11 Go, and gather it where you can find it: neither shall any thing of your work be diminished.
12 And the people was scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather straw.
13 And the overseers of the works pressed them, saying: Fulfill your work every day as before you were wont to do when straw was given you.
14 And they that were over the works of the children of Israel were scourged by Pharao's taskmasters, saying: Why have you not made up the task of bricks both yesterday and to day as before?
15 And the officers of the children of Israel came, and cried out to Pharao, saying: Why dealest thou so with thy servants?
16 Straw is not given us, and bricks are required of us as before: behold we thy servants are beaten with whips, and thy people is unjustly dealt withal.
17 And he said: You are idle, and therefore you say: Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.
18 Go therefore, and work: straw shall not be given you, and you shall deliver the accustomed number of bricks.
19 And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in evil case, because it was said to them: There shall not a whit be diminished of the bricks for every day.
20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood over against them as they came out from Pharao:
21 And they said to them: The Lord see and judge, because you have made our savour to stink before Pharao and his servants, and you have given him a sword to kill us.
22 And Moses returned to the Lord, and said: Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore hast thou sent me?
23 For since the time that I went in to Pharao to speak in thy name, he hath afflicted thy people: and thou hast not delivered them.
6 And the Lord said to Moses: Now thou shalt see what I will do to Pharao: for by a mighty hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he cast them out of his land.
2 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: I am the Lord,
3 That appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of God Almighty; and my name ADONAI I did not shew them.
4 And I made a covenant with them, to give them the land of Chanaan, the land of their pilgrimage wherein they were strangers.
5 I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, wherewith the Egyptians have oppressed them: and I have remembered my covenant.
6 Therefore say to the children of Israel: I am the Lord who will bring you out from the work prison of the Egyptians, and will deliver you from bondage: and redeem you with a high arm, and great judgments.
7 And I will take you to myself for my people, I will be your God: and you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the work prison of the Egyptians.
8 And brought you into the land, concerning which I lifted up my hand to give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and I will give it you to possess, I am the Lord.
9 And Moses told all this to the children of Israel: but they did not hearken to him, for anguish of spirit, and most painful work.
10 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
11 Go in, and speak to Pharao king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.
12 Moses answered before the Lord Behold the children of Israel do no hearken to me; and how will Pharao hear me, especially as I am of uncircumcised lips?
13 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and he gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharao the king of Egypt, that they should bring forth the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
14 These are the heads of their house by their families. The sons of Rubel the firstborn of Israel: Henoch and Phallu, Hesron and Charmi.
15 These are the kindreds of Ruben. The sons of Simeon: Jamuel, and Jamin and Ahod, and Jachin, and Soar, and Saul the son of a Chanaanitess: these are the families of Simeon.
16 And these are the names of the sons of Levi by their kindreds: Gerson, and Caath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were a hundred and thirty seven.
17 The sons of Gerson: Lobni and Semei, by their kindreds.
18 The sons of Caath: Amram, and Isaar, and Hebron, and Oziel. And the years of Caath's life were a hundred and thirty-three.
19 The sons of Merari: Moholi and Musi. These are the kindreds of Levi by their families.
20 And Amram took to wife Jochabed his aunt by the father's side: and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of Amram's life were a hundred and thirty-seven.
21 The sons also of Isaar: Core, and Nepheg, and Zechri.
22 The sons also of Oziel: Mizael, and Elizaphan, and Sethri.
23 And Aaron took to wife Elizabeth the daughter of Aminadab, sister of Nahason, who bore him Nadab, and Abiu, and Eleazar, and Ithamar.
24 The sons also of Core: Aser, and Elcana, and Abiasaph. These are the kindreds of the Corites.
25 But Eleazar the son of Aaron took a wife of the daughters of Phutiel: and she bore him Phinees. These are the heads of the Levitical families by their kindreds.
26 These are Aaron and Moses, whom the Lord commanded to bring forth the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their companies.
27 These are they that speak to Pharao king of Egypt, in order to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron,
28 In the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt.
29 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: I am the Lord: speak thou to Pharao king of Egypt all that I say to thee.
30 And Moses said before the Lord: Lo I am of uncircumcised lips, how will Pharao hear me?
7 And the Lord said to Moses: Behold I have appointed thee the God of Pharao: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
2 Thou shalt speak to him all that I command thee; and he shall speak to Pharao, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.
3 But I shall harden his heart, and shall multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,
4 And he will not hear you: and I will lay my hand upon Egypt, and will bring forth my army and my people the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, by very great judgments.
5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, who have stretched forth my hand upon Egypt, and have brought forth the children of Israel out of the midst of them.
6 And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord had commanded: so did they.
7 And Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharao.
8 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron:
9 When Pharao shall say to you, shew signs: thou shalt say to Aaron: Take thy rod, and cast it down before Pharao, and it shall be turned into a serpent.
10 So Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharao, and did as the Lord had commanded. And Aaron took the rod before Pharao, and his servants, and it was turned into a serpent.
11 And Pharao called the wise men and the magicians: and they also by Egyptian enchantments and certain secrets did in like manner.
12 And they every one cast down their rods, and they were turned into serpents: but Aaron's rod devoured their rods.
13 And Pharao's heart was hardened, and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord had commanded.
14 And the Lord said to Moses: Pharao's heart is hardened, he will not let the people go.
15 Go to him in the morning, behold he will go out to the waters: and thou shalt stand to meet him on the bank of the river: and thou shalt take in thy hand the rod that was turned into a serpent.
16 And thou shalt say to him: The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to thee saying: Let my people go to sacrifice to me in the desert: and hitherto thou wouldst not hear.
17 Thus therefore saith the Lord: In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold I will strike with the rods that is in my hand, the water of the river, and it shall be turned into blood.
18 And the fishes that are in the river shall die, and the waters shall be corrupted, and the Egyptians shall be afflicted when they drink the water of the river.
19 The Lord also said to Moses: Say to Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch forth thy hand upon the waters of Egypt, and upon their rivers, and streams and pools, and all the ponds of waters, that they may be turned into blood: and let blood be in all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and of stone.
20 And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord had commanded: and lifting up the rod he struck the water of the river before Pharao and his servants: and it was turned into blood.
21 And the fishes that were in the river died: and the river corrupted, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river, and there was blood in all the land of Egypt.
22 And the magicians of the Egyptians with their enchantments did in like manner: and Pharao's heart was hardened, neither did he hear them, as the Lord had commanded.
23 And he turned himself away and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to it this time also.
24 And all the Egyptians dug round about the river for water to drink: for they could not drink of the water of the river.
25 And seven days were fully ended, after that the Lord struck the river.
8 And the Lord said to Moses: Go in to Pharao, and thou shalt say to him: Thus saith the Lord: Let my people go to sacrifice to me.
2 But if thou wilt not let them go behold I will strike all thy coasts with frogs.
3 And the river shall bring forth an abundance of frogs: which shall come up, and enter into thy house, and thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and in the houses of thy servants, and to thy people, and into thy ovens, and into the remains of thy meats;
4 And the frogs shall come in to thee and to thy people, and to all thy servants.
5 And the Lord said to Moses: Say to Aaron, Stretch forth thy hand upon the streams and upon the rivers and the pools, and bring forth frogs upon the land of Egypt.
6 And Aaron stretched forth his hand upon the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.
7 And the magicians also by their enchantments did in like manner, and the brought forth frogs upon all the land of Egypt.
8 But Pharao called Moses and Aaron and said to them: Pray ye to the Lord to take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.
9 And Moses said to Pharao: Set me a time when I shall pray for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, that the frogs may be driven away from thee and from thy house, and from thy servants, and from thy people: and may remain only in the river.
10 And he answered: To morrow. But he said: I will do according to thy word; that thou mayst know that there is none like to the Lord our God.
11 And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy house, and from thy servants, and from thy people; and shall remain only in the river.
12 And Moses and Aaron went forth from Pharao: and Moses cried to the Lord for the promise, which he had made to Pharao concerning the frogs.
13 And the Lord did according to the word of Moses: and the frogs died out of the houses, and out of the villages, and out of the fields:
14 And they gathered them together into immense heaps, and the land was corrupted.
15 And Pharao seeing that rest was given, hardened his own heart, and did not hear them, as the Lord had commanded.
16 And the Lord said to Moses: Say to Aaron, Stretch forth thy rod, and strike the dust of the earth: and may there be sciniphs in all the land of Egypt.
17 And they did so. And Aaron stretched forth his hand, holding the rod: and he struck the dust of the earth, and there came sciniphs on men and on beasts: all the dust of the earth was turned into sciniphs through all the land of Egypt.
18 And the magicians with their enchantments practiced in like manner, to bring forth sciniphs, and they could not and there were sciniphs as well on men as on beasts.
19 And the magicians said to Pharao This is the finger of God. And Pharao heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them, as the Lord had commanded.
20 The Lord also said to Moses: Arise early, and stand before Pharao: for he will go forth to the waters: and thou shalt say to him: Thus saith the Lord: Let my people go to sacrifice to me.
21 But if thou wilt not let them go, behold I will send in upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy houses all kind of flies: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with flies of divers kinds, and the whole land wherein they shall be.
22 And I will make the land of Gessen wherein my people is, wonderful in that lay, so that flies shall not be there: and thou shalt know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.
23 And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.
24 And the Lord did so. And there came a very grievous swarm of flies into he houses of Pharao and of his servants, and into all the land of Egypt: and the land was corrupted by this kind of flies.
25 And Pharao called Moses and Aaron, and said to them: Go, and sacrifice to your God in this land.
26 And Moses said: It cannot be so: for we shall sacrifice the abominations of the Egyptians to the Lord our God: now if we kill those things which the Egyptians worship, in their presence, they will stone us.
27 We will go three days' journey into the wilderness: and we will sacrifice to the Lord our God, as he hath commanded us.
28 And Pharao said: I will let you go to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness: but go no farther: pray for me.
29 And Moses said: I will go out from thee, and will pray to the Lord: and the flies shall depart from Pharao, and from his servants, and from his people to morrow: but do not deceive any more, in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.
30 So Moses went out from Pharao, and prayed to the Lord.
31 And he did according to his word: and he took away the flies from Pharao, and from his servants, and from his people: there was not left so much as one.
32 And Pharao's heart was hardened, so that neither this time would he let the people go.
9 And the Lord said to Moses: Go in to Pharao, and speak to him: Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews: Let my people go to sacrifice to me.
2 But if thou refuse, and withhold them still:
3 Behold my hand shall be upon thy fields: and a very grievous murrain upon thy horses, and asses, and camels, and oxen, and sheep.
4 And the Lord will make a wonderful difference between the possessions of Israel and the possessions of the Egyptians, that nothing at all shall die of those things that belong to the children of Israel.
5 And the Lord appointed a time, saying: To morrow will the Lord do this thing in the land.
6 The Lord therefore did this thing the next day: and all the beasts of the Egyptians died, but of the beasts of the children of Israel there died not one.
7 And Pharao sent to see: and there was not any thing dead of that which Israel possessed. And Pharao's heart was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
8 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Take to you handfuls of ashes out of the chimney, and let Moses sprinkle it in the air in the presence of Pharao.
9 And be there dust upon all the land of Egypt: for there shall be boils and swelling blains both in men and beasts in the whole land of Egypt.
10 And they took ashes out of the chimney, and stood before Pharao, and Moses sprinkled it in the air: and there came boils with swelling blains in men and beasts.
11 Neither could the magicians stand before Moses for the boils that were upon them, and in all the land of Egypt.
12 And the Lord hardened Pharao's heart, and he hearkened not unto them, as the Lord had spoken to Moses.
13 And the Lord said to Moses: Arise in the morning, and stand before Pharao, and thou shalt say to him: Thus saith the Lord the God of the Hebrews: Let my people go to sacrifice to me.
14 For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thy heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people: that thou mayst know there is none like me in all the earth.
15 For now I will stretch out my hand to strike thee, and thy people with pestilence, and thou shalt perish from the earth.
16 And therefore have I raised thee, that I may shew my power in thee, and my name may be spoken of throughout all the earth.
17 Dost thou yet hold back my people: and wilt thou not let them go?
18 Behold I will cause it to rain to morrow at this same hour, an exceeding great hail: such as hath not been in Egypt from the day that it was founded, until this present time.
19 Send therefore now presently, and gather together thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field: for men and beasts, and all things that shall be found abroad, and not gathered together out of the fields, which the hail shall fall upon, shall die.
20 He that feared the word of the Lord among Pharao's servants, made his servants and his cattle flee into houses:
21 But he that regarded not the word of the Lord, left his servants and his cattle in the fields:
22 And the Lord said to Moses: Stretch forth thy hand towards heaven, that there may be hail in the whole land of Egypt, upon men, and upon beasts, and upon every herb of the field in the land of Egypt.
23 And Moses stretched forth his rod towards heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning running along the ground: and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
24 And the hail and fire mixed with it drove on together: and it was of so great bigness, as never before was seen in the whole land of Egypt since that nation was founded.
25 And the hail destroyed through all the land of Egypt all things that were in the fields, both man and beast: and the hail smote every herb of the field, and it broke every tree of the country.
26 Only in the land of Gessen, where the children of Israel were, the hail fell not.
27 And Pharao sent and called Moses and Aaron, saying to them: I have sinned this time also; the Lord is just: I and my people are wicked.
28 Pray ye to the Lord, that the thunderings of God and the hail may cease: that I may let you go, and that you may stay here no longer.
29 Moses said: As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will stretch forth my hands to the Lord, and the thunders shall cease, and the hail shall be no more: that thou mayst know that the earth is the Lord's.
30 But I know that neither thou, nor thy servants do yet fear the Lord God.
31 The flax therefore and the barley were hurt, because the barley was green, and the flax was now boiled:
32 But the wheat, and other winter corn were not hurt, because they were lateward.
33 And when Moses was gone from Pharao out of the city, he stretched forth his hands to the Lord: and the thunders and the hail ceased, neither did there drop any more rain upon the earth.
34 And Pharao seeing that the rain and the hail, and the thunders were ceased, increased his sin.
35 And his heart was hardened, and the heart of his servants, and it was made exceeding hard: neither did he let the children of Israel go, as the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses.
10 And the Lord said to Moses: Go in to Pharao; for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants: that I may work these my signs in him.
2 And thou mayest tell in the ears of thy sons, and of they grandsons, how often I have plagued the Egyptians, and wrought my signs amongst them: and you may know that I am the Lord:
3 Therefore Moses and Aaron went in to Pharao, and said to him: Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews: How long refusest thou to submit to me? let my people go, to sacrifice to me.
4 But if thou resist, and wilt not let them go, behold I will bring in to morrow the locust into thy coasts:
5 To cover the face of the earth that nothing thereof may appear, but that which the hail hath left may be eaten: for they shall feed upon all the trees that spring in the fields.
6 And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of thy servants, and of all the Egyptians: such a number as thy fathers have not seen, nor thy grandfathers, from the time they were first upon the earth, until this present day. And he turned himself away, and went forth from Pharao.
7 And Pharao's servants said to him: How long shall we endure this scandal? let the men go to sacrifice to the Lord their God. Dost thou not see that Egypt is undone?
8 And they called back Moses and Aaron to Pharao: and he said to them: Go, sacrifice to the Lord your God: who are they that shall go?
9 Moses said: We will go with our young and old, with our sons and daughters, with our sheep and herds: for it is the solemnity of the Lord our God.
10 And Pharao answered: So be the Lord with you, as I shall let you and your children go: who can doubt but that you intend some great evil?
11 It shall not be so: but go ye men only, and sacrifice to the Lord: for this yourselves also desired. And immediately they were cast out from Pharao's presence.
12 And the Lord said to Moses: Stretch forth thy hand upon the land of Egypt unto the locust, that it may come upon it, and devour every herb that is left after the hail.
13 And Moses stretched forth his rod upon the land of Egypt: and the Lord brought a burning wind all that day, and night: and when it was morning, the burning wind raised the locusts:
14 And they came up over the whole land of Egypt: and rested in all the coasts of the Egyptians innumerable, the like as had not been before that time, nor shall be hereafter.
15 And they covered the whole face of the earth, wasting all things. And the grass of the earth was devoured, and what fruits soever were on the trees, which the hail had left: and there remained not any thing that was green on the trees, or in the herbs of the earth in all Egypt.
16 Wherefore Pharao in haste called Moses and Aaron, and said to them: I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you.
17 But now forgive me my sin this time also, and pray to the Lord your God, that he take away from me this death.
18 And Moses going forth from the presence of Pharao, prayed to the Lord.
19 And he made a very strong wind to blow from the west, and it took the locusts and cast them into the Red Sea: there remained not so much as one in all the coasts of Egypt.
20 And the Lord hardened Pharao's heart, neither did he let the children of Israel go.
21 And the Lord said to Moses: Stretch out they hand towards heaven: and may there be darkness upon the land of Egypt, so thick that it may be felt.
22 And Moses stretch forth his hand towards heaven: and there came horrible darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.
23 No man saw his brother, nor moved himself out of the place where he was: but wheresoever the children of Israel dwelt there was light.
24 And Pharao called Moses and Aaron, and said to them: Go sacrifice to the Lord: let your sheep only, and herds remain; let your children go with you.
25 Moses said: Thou shalt give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, to the Lord our God.
26 All the flocks shall go with us: there shall not a hoof remain of them: for they are necessary for the service of the Lord our God: especially as we know not what must be offered, till we come to the very place.
27 And the Lord hardened Pharao's heart, and he would not let them go.
28 And Pharao said to Moses: Get thee from me, and beware thou see not my face any more: in what day soever thou shalt come in my sight, thou shalt die.
29 Moses answered: So shall it be as thou hast spoken, I will not see thy face any more.
11 And the Lord said to Moses: Yet one plague more will I bring upon Pharao and Egypt, and after that he shall let you go and thrust you out.
2 Therefore thou shalt tell all the people that every man ask of his friend, and every woman of her neighbour, vessels of silver, and of gold.
3 And the Lord will give favour to his people in the sight of the Egyptians. And Moses was a very great man in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharao's servants, and of all the people.
4 And he said: Thus said the Lord: At midnight I will enter into Egypt.
5 And every firstborn in the land of the Egyptians shall die, from the firstborn of Pharao who sitteth on his throne, even to the first born of the handmaid that is at the mill, and all the firstborn of beasts.
6 And there shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as neither hath been before, nor shall be hereafter.
7 But with all the children of Israel there shall not a dog make the least noise, from man even to beast: that you may know how wonderful a difference the Lord maketh between the Egyptians and Israel.
8 And all these thy servants shall come down to me, and shall worship me, saying: Go forth thou, and all the people that is under thee: after that we will go out.
9 And he went out from Pharao exceeding angry. But the Lord said to Moses: Pharao will not hear you, that many signs may be done in the land of Egypt.
10 And Moses and Aaron did all the wonders that are written, before Pharao. And the Lord hardened Pharao's heart, neither did he let the children of Israel go out of his land.
Exodus 1-10
New International Version
Exodus 1-10
New International Version
The Israelites Oppressed
1 These are the names of the sons of Israel(A) who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.(B) 5 The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy[a] in all;(C) Joseph was already in Egypt.
6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,(D) 7 but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers(E) and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.
8 Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.(F) 9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous(G) for us.(H) 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly(I) with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”(J)
11 So they put slave masters(K) over them to oppress them with forced labor,(L) and they built Pithom and Rameses(M) as store cities(N) for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly.(O) 14 They made their lives bitter with harsh labor(P) in brick(Q) and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.(R)
15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives,(S) whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.”(T) 17 The midwives, however, feared(U) God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do;(V) they let the boys live. 18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”
19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”(W)
20 So God was kind to the midwives(X) and the people increased and became even more numerous. 21 And because the midwives feared(Y) God, he gave them families(Z) of their own.
22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile,(AA) but let every girl live.”(AB)
The Birth of Moses
2 Now a man of the tribe of Levi(AC) married a Levite woman,(AD) 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine(AE) child, she hid him for three months.(AF) 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus(AG) basket[b] for him and coated it with tar and pitch.(AH) Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds(AI) along the bank of the Nile. 4 His sister(AJ) stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
5 Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank.(AK) She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. 6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.
7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”
8 “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named(AL) him Moses,[c] saying, “I drew(AM) him out of the water.”
Moses Flees to Midian
11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people(AN) were and watched them at their hard labor.(AO) He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian 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 hitting your fellow Hebrew?”(AP)
14 The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us?(AQ) Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.”
15 When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill(AR) Moses, but Moses fled(AS) from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian,(AT) where he sat down by a well. 16 Now a priest of Midian(AU) had seven daughters, and they came to draw water(AV) and fill the troughs(AW) to water their father’s flock. 17 Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue(AX) and watered their flock.(AY)
18 When the girls returned to Reuel(AZ) their father, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”
19 They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”
20 “And where is he?” Reuel asked his daughters. “Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat.”(BA)
21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah(BB) to Moses in marriage. 22 Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom,[d](BC) saying, “I have become a foreigner(BD) in a foreign land.”
23 During that long period,(BE) the king of Egypt died.(BF) The Israelites groaned in their slavery(BG) and cried out, and their cry(BH) for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered(BI) his covenant(BJ) with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned(BK) about them.
Moses and the Burning Bush
3 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro(BL) his father-in-law, the priest of Midian,(BM) and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb,(BN) the mountain(BO) of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord(BP) appeared to him in flames of fire(BQ) from within a bush.(BR) Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called(BS) to him from within the bush,(BT) “Moses! Moses!”
And Moses said, “Here I am.”(BU)
5 “Do not come any closer,”(BV) God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”(BW) 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father,[e] the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.”(BX) At this, Moses hid(BY) his face, because he was afraid to look at God.(BZ)
7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seen(CA) the misery(CB) of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned(CC) about their suffering.(CD) 8 So I have come down(CE) to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land,(CF) a land flowing with milk and honey(CG)—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites(CH) and Jebusites.(CI) 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing(CJ) them. 10 So now, go. I am sending(CK) you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”(CL)
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I(CM) that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
12 And God said, “I will be with you.(CN) And this will be the sign(CO) to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you[f] will worship God on this mountain.(CP)”
13 Moses said to God, “Suppose 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?’(CQ) Then what shall I tell them?”
14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.[g] This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am(CR) has sent me to you.’”
15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord,[h] the God of your fathers(CS)—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob(CT)—has sent me to you.’
16 “Go, assemble the elders(CW) of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob(CX)—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen(CY) what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt(CZ) into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’(DA)
18 “The elders of Israel will listen(DB) to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews,(DC) has met(DD) with us. Let us take a three-day journey(DE) into the wilderness to offer sacrifices(DF) to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand(DG) compels him. 20 So I will stretch out my hand(DH) and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders(DI) that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.(DJ)
21 “And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed(DK) toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed.(DL) 22 Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver(DM) and gold(DN) and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder(DO) the Egyptians.”(DP)
Signs for Moses
4 Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen(DQ) to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”
2 Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
“A staff,”(DR) he replied.
3 The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.”
Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake,(DS) and he ran from it. 4 Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5 “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe(DT) that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”
6 Then the Lord said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous[i]—it had become as white as snow.(DU)
7 “Now put it back into your cloak,” he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored,(DV) like the rest of his flesh.
8 Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe(DW) you or pay attention to the first sign,(DX) they may believe the second. 9 But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood(DY) on the ground.”
10 Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”(DZ)
11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute?(EA) Who gives them sight or makes them blind?(EB) Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go;(EC) I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”(ED)
13 But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”(EE)
14 Then the Lord’s anger burned(EF) against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet(EG) you, and he will be glad to see you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth;(EH) I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth(EI) and as if you were God to him.(EJ) 17 But take this staff(EK) in your hand(EL) so you can perform the signs(EM) with it.”
Moses Returns to Egypt
18 Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.”
Jethro said, “Go, and I wish you well.”
19 Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill(EN) you are dead.(EO)” 20 So Moses took his wife and sons,(EP) put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff(EQ) of God in his hand.
21 The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders(ER) I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart(ES) so that he will not let the people go.(ET) 22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son,(EU) 23 and I told you, “Let my son go,(EV) so he may worship(EW) me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’”(EX)
24 At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses[j] and was about to kill(EY) him. 25 But Zipporah(EZ) took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin(FA) and touched Moses’ feet with it.[k] “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. 26 So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)
27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he met Moses at the mountain(FB) of God and kissed(FC) him. 28 Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform.
29 Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders(FD) of the Israelites, 30 and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs(FE) before the people, 31 and they believed.(FF) And when they heard that the Lord was concerned(FG) about them and had seen their misery,(FH) they bowed down and worshiped.(FI)
Bricks Without Straw
5 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go,(FJ) so that they may hold a festival(FK) to me in the wilderness.’”
2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord,(FL) that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”(FM)
3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey(FN) into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues(FO) or with the sword.”
4 But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor?(FP) Get back to your work!” 5 Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous,(FQ) and you are stopping them from working.”
6 That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers(FR) and overseers in charge of the people: 7 “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks;(FS) let them go and gather their own straw. 8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota.(FT) They are lazy;(FU) that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’(FV) 9 Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”
10 Then the slave drivers(FW) and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. 11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced(FX) at all.’” 12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” 14 And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed,(FY) demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”
15 Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? 16 Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”
17 Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy!(FZ) That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Now get to work.(GA) You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”
19 The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.” 20 When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, 21 and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge(GB) you! You have made us obnoxious(GC) to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword(GD) in their hand to kill us.”(GE)
God Promises Deliverance
22 Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people?(GF) Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued(GG) your people at all.”
6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand(GH) he will let them go;(GI) because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”(GJ)
2 God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord.(GK) 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty,[l](GL) but by my name(GM) the Lord[m](GN) I did not make myself fully known to them. 4 I also established my covenant(GO) with them to give them the land(GP) of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners.(GQ) 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning(GR) of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.(GS)
6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.(GT) I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem(GU) you with an outstretched arm(GV) and with mighty acts of judgment.(GW) 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.(GX) Then you will know(GY) that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the land(GZ) I swore(HA) with uplifted hand(HB) to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.(HC) I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”(HD)
9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.(HE)
10 Then the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Go, tell(HF) Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.”(HG)
12 But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listen(HH) to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips[n]?”(HI)
Family Record of Moses and Aaron
13 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.(HJ)
14 These were the heads of their families[o]:(HK)
The sons of Reuben(HL) the firstborn son of Israel were Hanok and Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. These were the clans of Reuben.
15 The sons of Simeon(HM) were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon.
16 These were the names of the sons of Levi(HN) according to their records: Gershon,(HO) Kohath and Merari.(HP) Levi lived 137 years.
17 The sons of Gershon, by clans, were Libni and Shimei.(HQ)
18 The sons of Kohath(HR) were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.(HS) Kohath lived 133 years.
19 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi.(HT)
These were the clans of Levi according to their records.
20 Amram(HU) married his father’s sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses.(HV) Amram lived 137 years.
21 The sons of Izhar(HW) were Korah, Nepheg and Zikri.
22 The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan(HX) and Sithri.
23 Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab(HY) and sister of Nahshon,(HZ) and she bore him Nadab and Abihu,(IA) Eleazar(IB) and Ithamar.(IC)
24 The sons of Korah(ID) were Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. These were the Korahite clans.
25 Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas.(IE)
These were the heads of the Levite families, clan by clan.
26 It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypt(IF) by their divisions.”(IG) 27 They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh(IH) king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt—this same Moses and Aaron.(II)
Aaron to Speak for Moses
28 Now when the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt, 29 he said to him, “I am the Lord.(IJ) Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.”
30 But Moses said to the Lord, “Since I speak with faltering lips,(IK) why would Pharaoh listen to me?”
7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God(IL) to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.(IM) 2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,(IN) and though I multiply my signs and wonders(IO) in Egypt, 4 he will not listen(IP) to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment(IQ) I will bring out my divisions,(IR) my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord(IS) when I stretch out my hand(IT) against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”
6 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded(IU) them. 7 Moses was eighty years old(IV) and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake
8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,(IW)’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”(IX)
10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers,(IY) and the Egyptian magicians(IZ) also did the same things by their secret arts:(JA) 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart(JB) became hard and he would not listen(JC) to them, just as the Lord had said.
The Plague of Blood
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding;(JD) he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river.(JE) Confront him on the bank of the Nile,(JF) and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16 Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship(JG) me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.(JH) 17 This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord:(JI) With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.(JJ) 18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink;(JK) the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’”(JL)
19 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff(JM) and stretch out your hand(JN) over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels[p] of wood and stone.”
20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded.(JO) He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile,(JP) and all the water was changed into blood.(JQ) 21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.
22 But the Egyptian magicians(JR) did the same things by their secret arts,(JS) and Pharaoh’s heart(JT) became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. 23 Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water(JU), because they could not drink the water of the river.
The Plague of Frogs
25 Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile. 8 1 [q]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship(JV) me. 2 If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs(JW) on your whole country. 3 The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people,(JX) and into your ovens and kneading troughs.(JY) 4 The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”
5 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff(JZ) over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs(KA) come up on the land of Egypt.’”
6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs(KB) came up and covered the land. 7 But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts;(KC) they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.
8 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray(KD) to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices(KE) to the Lord.”
9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time(KF) for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.”
10 “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.
Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God.(KG) 11 The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”
12 After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. 13 And the Lord did what Moses asked.(KH) The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. 14 They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief,(KI) he hardened his heart(KJ) and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.
The Plague of Gnats
16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff(KK) and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.” 17 They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats(KL) came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. 18 But when the magicians(KM) tried to produce gnats by their secret arts,(KN) they could not.
Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, 19 the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger(KO) of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart(KP) was hard and he would not listen,(KQ) just as the Lord had said.
The Plague of Flies
20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning(KR) and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship(KS) me. 21 If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.
22 “‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen,(KT) where my people live;(KU) no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know(KV) that I, the Lord, am in this land. 23 I will make a distinction[r] between my people and your people.(KW) This sign will occur tomorrow.’”
24 And the Lord did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials; throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies.(KX)
25 Then Pharaoh summoned(KY) Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”
26 But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians.(KZ) And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must take a three-day journey(LA) into the wilderness to offer sacrifices(LB) to the Lord our God, as he commands us.”
28 Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray(LC) for me.”
29 Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only let Pharaoh be sure that he does not act deceitfully(LD) again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”
30 Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord,(LE) 31 and the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. 32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart(LF) and would not let the people go.
The Plague on Livestock
9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship(LG) me.” 2 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, 3 the hand(LH) of the Lord will bring a terrible plague(LI) on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. 4 But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt,(LJ) so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’”
5 The Lord set a time and said, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.” 6 And the next day the Lord did it: All the livestock(LK) of the Egyptians died,(LL) but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. 7 Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart(LM) was unyielding and he would not let the people go.(LN)
The Plague of Boils
8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. 9 It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils(LO) will break out on people and animals throughout the land.”
10 So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals. 11 The magicians(LP) could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart(LQ) and he would not listen(LR) to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.
The Plague of Hail
13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship(LS) me, 14 or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know(LT) that there is no one like(LU) me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people(LV) with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up[s] for this very purpose,(LW) that I might show you my power(LX) and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18 Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm(LY) that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now.(LZ) 19 Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every person and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.’”
20 Those officials of Pharaoh who feared(MA) the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 21 But those who ignored(MB) the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.
22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt—on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.” 23 When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder(MC) and hail,(MD) and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt; 24 hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation.(ME) 25 Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree.(MF) 26 The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen,(MG) where the Israelites were.(MH)
27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,”(MI) he said to them. “The Lord is in the right,(MJ) and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Pray(MK) to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go;(ML) you don’t have to stay any longer.”
29 Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands(MM) in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth(MN) is the Lord’s. 30 But I know that you and your officials still do not fear(MO) the Lord God.”
31 (The flax and barley(MP) were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. 32 The wheat and spelt,(MQ) however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.)
33 Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the Lord; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. 35 So Pharaoh’s heart(MR) was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.
The Plague of Locusts
10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart(MS) and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs(MT) of mine among them 2 that you may tell your children(MU) and grandchildren how I dealt harshly(MV) with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.”(MW)
3 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 humble(MX) yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 4 If you refuse(MY) to let them go, I will bring locusts(MZ) into your country tomorrow. 5 They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left(NA) after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields.(NB)
Footnotes
- Exodus 1:5 Masoretic Text (see also Gen. 46:27); Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint (see also Acts 7:14 and note at Gen. 46:27) seventy-five
- Exodus 2:3 The Hebrew can also mean ark, as in Gen. 6:14.
- Exodus 2:10 Moses sounds like the Hebrew for draw out.
- Exodus 2:22 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for a foreigner there.
- Exodus 3:6 Masoretic Text; Samaritan Pentateuch (see Acts 7:32) fathers
- Exodus 3:12 The Hebrew is plural.
- Exodus 3:14 Or I will be what I will be
- Exodus 3:15 The Hebrew for Lord sounds like and may be related to the Hebrew for I am in verse 14.
- Exodus 4:6 The Hebrew word for leprous was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
- Exodus 4:24 Hebrew him
- Exodus 4:25 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
- Exodus 6:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai
- Exodus 6:3 See note at 3:15.
- Exodus 6:12 Hebrew I am uncircumcised of lips; also in verse 30
- Exodus 6:14 The Hebrew for families here and in verse 25 refers to units larger than clans.
- Exodus 7:19 Or even on their idols
- Exodus 8:1 In Hebrew texts 8:1-4 is numbered 7:26-29, and 8:5-32 is numbered 8:1-28.
- Exodus 8:23 Septuagint and Vulgate; Hebrew will put a deliverance
- Exodus 9:16 Or have spared you
Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)
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