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Exodus 1-4
New American Standard Bible

Israel Multiplies in Egypt

1 Now these are the (A)names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; they came, each one [a]with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 [b]All the people who descended from Jacob were (B)seventy [c]people, but Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 And (C)Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7 But the sons of Israel (D)were fruitful and [d]increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly [e]mighty, so that the land was filled with them.

8 Now a new (E)king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And (F)he said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are [f]too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us (G)deal [g]shrewdly with them, otherwise they will multiply, and [h]in the event of war, they will also join those who hate us, and fight against us and [i]depart from the land.” 11 So they appointed (H)taskmasters over them to oppress them with [j](I)hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh (J)storage cities, Pithom and (K)Raamses. 12 But the more they oppressed them, (L)the more they multiplied and the more they [k]spread out, so that they dreaded the sons of Israel. 13 The Egyptians [l]used violence to compel the sons of Israel (M)to labor; 14 and they made (N)their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they violently had them perform as slaves.

15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom [m]was named Shiphrah, and the other [n]was named Puah; 16 and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, (O)if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17 But the midwives [o](P)feared God, and (Q)did not do as the king of Egypt had [p]commanded them, but let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife [q]can get to them.” 20 So (R)God was good to the midwives, and (S)the people multiplied, and became very [r]mighty. 21 And because the midwives [s](T)feared God, He [t](U)established [u]households for them. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “(V)Every son who is born, [v]you are to throw into (W)the Nile, but every daughter, you are to keep alive.”

The Birth of Moses

2 Now a man from (X)the house of Levi went and [w]married a daughter of Levi. 2 And the woman conceived and gave birth to a son; and when she saw [x]that he was [y](Y)beautiful, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she got him a (Z)papyrus [z]basket and covered it with tar and pitch. Then she put the child in it and set it among the (AA)reeds by the bank of the Nile. 4 (AB)And his sister stood at a distance to [aa]find out what would [ab]happen to him.

5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down (AC)to bathe at the Nile, with her female attendants walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the [ac]basket among the reeds and sent her slave woman, and she brought it to her. 6 When she opened it, she [ad]saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a woman for you who is nursing from the Hebrew women, so that she may nurse the child for you?” 8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go ahead.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and (AD)he became her son. And she named him [ae]Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

11 Now it came about in those days, (AE)when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his [af]fellow Hebrews and looked at their [ag](AF)hard labors; and (AG)he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his [ah]fellow Hebrews. 12 So he [ai]looked this way and that, and when he saw that there was no one around, he (AH)struck and killed the Egyptian, and hid [aj]his body in the sand. 13 Now he went out (AI)the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were [ak]fighting with each other; and he said to the [al]offender, “Why are you striking your companion?” 14 But he said, “(AJ)Who made you a [am]ruler and a judge over us? Do you [an]intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known!”

Moses Escapes to Midian

15 When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But (AK)Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and [ao]settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down (AL)by a well.

16 Now (AM)the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and (AN)they came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but (AO)Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. 18 When they came to their father (AP)Reuel, he said, “Why have you come back so soon today?” 19 They said, “An Egyptian saved us from [ap]the shepherds, and what is more, he even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20 So he said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why is it that you have left the man behind? Invite him [aq]to have something to eat.” 21 And (AQ)Moses was willing to live with the man. And he gave his daughter (AR)Zipporah to Moses. 22 Then she gave birth to (AS)a son, and he named him [ar]Gershom, for he said, “I have been (AT)a stranger in a foreign land.”

23 Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel (AU)groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and (AV)their cry for help because of their bondage ascended to God. 24 So (AW)God heard their groaning; and God remembered (AX)His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 And (AY)God saw the sons of Israel, and God [as]took notice of them.

The Burning Bush

3 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of his father-in-law (AZ)Jethro, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the [at]west side of the wilderness and came to (BA)Horeb, the (BB)mountain of God. 2 Then (BC)the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of [au]a (BD)bush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not being consumed. 3 So Moses said, “(BE)I must turn aside and see this [av]marvelous sight, why the bush is not burning up!” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, (BF)God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then He said, “Do not come near here; (BG)remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And He said, “(BH)I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” (BI)Then Moses hid his face, for he was (BJ)afraid to look at God.

7 And the Lord said, “I have certainly (BK)seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8 So I have come down (BL)to rescue them from the [aw]power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a (BM)good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of (BN)the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 9 And now, behold, (BO)the cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.

The Mission of Moses

10 And now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, (BP)so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “(BQ)Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 And He said, “Assuredly (BR)I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: (BS)when you have brought the people out of Egypt, (BT)you shall [ax]worship God at this mountain.”

13 Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” 14 And God said to Moses, “[ay](BU)I AM WHO [az]I AM”; and He said, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘[ba]I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 God furthermore said to Moses, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘(BV)The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is the [bb](BW)name for [bc]all generations to use to call upon Me. 16 Go and (BX)gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘(BY)The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has appeared to me, saying, “[bd](BZ)I am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 So (CA)I said, I will bring you up out of the oppression of Egypt to the land of (CB)the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land (CC)flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18 Then (CD)they will [be]pay attention to what you say; and (CE)you with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt, and you will say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please let us go a (CF)three days’ journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt (CG)will not permit you to go, (CH)except [bf]under compulsion. 20 So I will reach out with (CI)My hand and strike Egypt with all My (CJ)miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and (CK)after that he will let you go. 21 I will grant this people (CL)favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 22 But every woman (CM)shall ask her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house for articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will (CN)plunder the Egyptians.”

Moses Given Signs

4 Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or (CO)listen [bg]to what I say? For they may say, ‘(CP)The Lord has not appeared to you.’” 2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “(CQ)A staff.” 3 Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and (CR)it turned into a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 But the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out with your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he reached out with his hand and caught it, and it turned into a staff in his [bh]hand— 5 “so that (CS)they may believe that (CT)the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

6 The Lord furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand inside the fold of your robe.” So he put his hand inside the fold, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was (CU)leprous like snow. 7 Then He said, “Put your hand inside the fold of your robe again.” So he put his hand into the fold again, and when he took it out of the fold, behold, (CV)it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 “So if they will not believe you nor [bi]pay attention to the [bj]evidence of the first [bk]sign, they may believe the [bl]evidence of the last [bm]sign. 9 But if they will not believe even these two [bn]signs nor pay attention to what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile (CW)will turn into blood on the dry ground.”

10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, (CX)I have never been [bo]eloquent, neither [bp]recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am [bq]slow of speech and [br]slow of tongue.” 11 But the Lord said to him, “Who has made the human mouth? Or (CY)who makes anyone unable to speak or deaf, or able to see or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now then go, and (CZ)I Myself will be with your mouth, and (DA)instruct you in what you are to say.” 13 But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by [bs]whomever You will.”

Aaron to Be Moses’ Mouthpiece

14 Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that [bt]he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, (DB)he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be [bu]overjoyed. 15 So you are to speak to him and (DC)put the words in his mouth; and I Myself will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will instruct you in what you are to do. 16 (DD)He shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him. 17 And you shall take in your hand (DE)this staff, (DF)with which you shall perform the signs.”

18 Then Moses departed and returned to (DG)his father-in-law [bv]Jethro, and said to him, “Please, let me go, that I may return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go [bw]back to Egypt, for (DH)all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” 20 So Moses took his wife and his (DI)sons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the (DJ)staff of God in his hand.

21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go [bx]back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all (DK)the wonders which I have put in your [by]power; but (DL)I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: “(DM)Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23 So I said to you, ‘(DN)Let My son go so that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, (DO)I am going to kill your son, your firstborn.”’”

24 But it came about at the overnight encampment on the way, that the Lord met [bz]Moses, and (DP)sought to put him to death. 25 So Zipporah took (DQ)a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and [ca]threw it at Moses’ feet; and she said, “You are indeed a groom of blood to me!” 26 So He left him alone. At that time she said, “You are a groom of blood”—[cb]because of the circumcision.

27 (DR)Now the Lord said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met him at the (DS)mountain of God and kissed him. 28 (DT)Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which He had sent him, and (DU)all the signs that He had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and (DV)assembled all the elders of the sons of Israel; 30 and (DW)Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. He then performed the (DX)signs in the sight of the people. 31 So (DY)the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord [cc](DZ)was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, (EA)they bowed low and worshiped.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 1:1 Lit and
  2. Exodus 1:5 Lit Every soul
  3. Exodus 1:5 Lit souls
  4. Exodus 1:7 Lit swarmed
  5. Exodus 1:7 Or numerous
  6. Exodus 1:9 Or more and mightier than we
  7. Exodus 1:10 Or wisely
  8. Exodus 1:10 Lit it will come about when war occurs that
  9. Exodus 1:10 Lit go up from
  10. Exodus 1:11 Lit their burdens
  11. Exodus 1:12 Lit broke forth
  12. Exodus 1:13 Lit with violence compelled
  13. Exodus 1:15 Lit the name was
  14. Exodus 1:15 Lit the name was
  15. Exodus 1:17 Or revered
  16. Exodus 1:17 Lit spoken to
  17. Exodus 1:19 Lit comes to
  18. Exodus 1:20 Or numerous
  19. Exodus 1:21 Or revered
  20. Exodus 1:21 Lit made
  21. Exodus 1:21 Or families
  22. Exodus 1:22 Some ancient versions insert to the Hebrews
  23. Exodus 2:1 Lit took
  24. Exodus 2:2 Lit him that
  25. Exodus 2:2 Lit good
  26. Exodus 2:3 Or chest
  27. Exodus 2:4 Lit know
  28. Exodus 2:4 Lit be done
  29. Exodus 2:5 Or chest
  30. Exodus 2:6 Heb saw it, the child
  31. Exodus 2:10 Heb Mosheh, from a verb meaning to draw out
  32. Exodus 2:11 Lit brothers
  33. Exodus 2:11 Lit burdens
  34. Exodus 2:11 Lit brothers
  35. Exodus 2:12 Lit turned
  36. Exodus 2:12 Lit him
  37. Exodus 2:13 Or quarreling
  38. Exodus 2:13 Or the guilty one
  39. Exodus 2:14 Lit man, a ruler
  40. Exodus 2:14 Lit say
  41. Exodus 2:15 Lit dwelt
  42. Exodus 2:19 Lit the hand of the
  43. Exodus 2:20 Lit that he may eat bread
  44. Exodus 2:22 Cf. Heb ger sham, a stranger there
  45. Exodus 2:25 Lit knew them
  46. Exodus 3:1 Or rear part
  47. Exodus 3:2 Lit the
  48. Exodus 3:3 Lit great
  49. Exodus 3:8 Lit hand
  50. Exodus 3:12 Or serve
  51. Exodus 3:14 Related to the name of God, YHWH, rendered Lord, which is derived from the verb HAYAH, to be
  52. Exodus 3:14 Related to the name of God, YHWH, rendered Lord, which is derived from the verb HAYAH, to be
  53. Exodus 3:14 Related to the name of God, YHWH, rendered Lord, which is derived from the verb HAYAH, to be
  54. Exodus 3:15 I.e., name used in prayer, vows, and ceremony
  55. Exodus 3:15 Lit generation of generation
  56. Exodus 3:16 Lit Visiting I have visited
  57. Exodus 3:18 Lit hear your voice
  58. Exodus 3:19 Lit by a strong hand
  59. Exodus 4:1 Lit to my voice
  60. Exodus 4:4 Lit palm
  61. Exodus 4:8 Lit listen to
  62. Exodus 4:8 Lit voice
  63. Exodus 4:8 I.e., confirming miracle
  64. Exodus 4:8 Lit voice
  65. Exodus 4:8 I.e., confirming miracle
  66. Exodus 4:9 I.e., confirming miracles
  67. Exodus 4:10 Lit a man of words
  68. Exodus 4:10 Lit yesterday
  69. Exodus 4:10 Lit heavy
  70. Exodus 4:10 Lit heavy
  71. Exodus 4:13 Lit the hand You send
  72. Exodus 4:14 Lit speaking he speaks
  73. Exodus 4:14 Lit joyful in his heart
  74. Exodus 4:18 Heb Jether
  75. Exodus 4:19 Lit return
  76. Exodus 4:21 Lit to return
  77. Exodus 4:21 Lit hand
  78. Exodus 4:24 Lit him
  79. Exodus 4:25 Lit made it touch at his feet
  80. Exodus 4:26 Lit with reference to
  81. Exodus 4:31 Lit had visited
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Exodus 1-4
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.’

“This is my name(CU) forever,
    the name you shall call me
    from generation to generation.(CV)

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)

Footnotes

  1. 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
  2. Exodus 2:3 The Hebrew can also mean ark, as in Gen. 6:14.
  3. Exodus 2:10 Moses sounds like the Hebrew for draw out.
  4. Exodus 2:22 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for a foreigner there.
  5. Exodus 3:6 Masoretic Text; Samaritan Pentateuch (see Acts 7:32) fathers
  6. Exodus 3:12 The Hebrew is plural.
  7. Exodus 3:14 Or I will be what I will be
  8. Exodus 3:15 The Hebrew for Lord sounds like and may be related to the Hebrew for I am in verse 14.
  9. Exodus 4:6 The Hebrew word for leprous was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
  10. Exodus 4:24 Hebrew him
  11. Exodus 4:25 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
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