Exodus 1-7
GOD’S WORD Translation
Israel Comes to Egypt
1 These are the names of the sons of Israel (that is, Jacob) who came with him to Egypt with their families: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. 5 Joseph was already in Egypt. The total number of Jacob’s descendants was 70.
6 Eventually, Joseph, all his brothers, and that entire generation died. 7 But the descendants of Israel had many children. They became so numerous and strong that the land was filled with them.
The Israelites Become Slaves
8 Then a new king, who knew nothing about Joseph, began to rule in Egypt. 9 He said to his people, “There are too many Israelites, and they are stronger than we are. 10 We have to outsmart them, or they’ll increase in number. Then, if war breaks out, they will join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”
11 So the Egyptians put slave drivers in charge of them in order to oppress them through forced labor. They built Pithom and Rameses as supply cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more the Israelites were oppressed, the more they increased in number and spread out. The Egyptians couldn’t stand them ⌞any longer⌟. 13 So they forced the Israelites to work hard as slaves. 14 They made their lives bitter with back-breaking work in mortar and bricks and every kind of work in the fields. All the jobs the Egyptians gave them were brutally hard.
Pharaoh Tells the Midwives to Kill All Hebrew Baby Boys
15 Then the king of Egypt told the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 “When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth, look at the child when you deliver it. If it’s a boy, kill it, but if it’s a girl, let it live.”
17 However, the midwives feared God and didn’t obey the king of Egypt’s orders. They let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. He 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 so healthy that they have their babies before a midwife arrives.”
20 God was good to the midwives. So the people increased in number and became very strong. 21 Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people to throw into the Nile every ⌞Hebrew⌟ boy that was born, but to let every girl live.
Pharaoh’s Daughter Adopts Moses
2 A man from Levi’s family married a Levite woman. 2 The woman became pregnant and had a son. She saw how beautiful he was and hid him for three months. 3 When she couldn’t hide him any longer, she took a basket made of papyrus plants and coated it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in it and set it among the papyrus plants near the bank of the Nile River. 4 The baby’s sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
5 While Pharaoh’s daughter came to the Nile to take a bath, her servants walked along the bank of the river. She saw the basket among the papyrus plants and sent her slave girl to get it. 6 Pharaoh’s daughter opened the basket, looked at the baby, and saw it was a boy. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. She said, “This is one of the Hebrew children.”
7 Then the baby’s sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Should I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”
8 She answered, “Yes!” So the girl brought the baby’s mother.
9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to the woman, “Take this child, nurse him for me, and I will pay you.”
She took the child and nursed him. 10 When the child was old enough, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. Pharaoh’s daughter named him Moses [Pulled Out] and said, “I pulled him out of the water.”
Moses Commits Murder and Flees to Midian
11 In the course of time Moses grew up. Then he went to ⌞see⌟ his own people and watched them suffering under forced labor. He saw a Hebrew, one of his own people, being beaten by an Egyptian. 12 He looked all around, and when he didn’t see anyone, he beat the Egyptian to death and hid the body in the sand.
13 When Moses went there the next day, he saw two Hebrew men fighting. He asked the one who started the fight, “Why are you beating another Hebrew?”
14 The man asked, “Who made you our ruler and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought that everyone knew what he had done.
15 When Pharaoh heard what Moses had done, he tried to have him killed. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian.
Moses Marries Zipporah
One day, while Moses was sitting by a well, 16 seven daughters of the priest of Midian came. They drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s sheep. 17 But some shepherds came and chased them away. So Moses got up, came to their defense, and then watered their sheep.
18 When they came back to their father Reuel, he asked them, “Why have you come home so early today?”
19 They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from some shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the sheep.”
20 Reuel asked his daughters, “Where is he? Why did you leave the man there? Go, invite him to supper.”
21 Moses decided to stay with the man. So Reuel gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses as his wife. 22 She gave birth to a son. Moses named him Gershom [Foreigner], because he said, “I was a foreigner living in another country.”
The Israelites Pray to God during Their Suffering
23 After a long time passed, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites still groaned because they were slaves. So they cried out, and their cries for help went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning, and he remembered his promise [a] to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 God saw the Israelites ⌞being oppressed⌟ and was concerned about them.
Moses at the Burning Bush
3 Moses was taking care of the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. As he led the sheep to the far side of the desert, he came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2 The Messenger of the Lord appeared to him there as flames of fire coming out of a bush. Moses looked, and although the bush was on fire, it was not burning up. 3 So he thought, “Why isn’t this bush burning up? I must go over there and see this strange sight.”
4 When the Lord saw that Moses had come over to see it, God called to him from the bush, “Moses, Moses!”
Moses answered, “Here I am!”
5 God said, “Don’t come any closer! Take off your sandals because this place where you are standing is holy ground. 6 I am the God of your ancestors,[b] the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.
7 The Lord said, “I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt, and I have heard them crying out because of the slave drivers. I know how much they’re suffering. 8 I have come to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them from that land to a good land with plenty of room ⌞for everyone⌟. It is a land flowing with milk and honey where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites live. 9 I have heard the cry of the people of Israel. I have seen how the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 Now, go! I am sending you to Pharaoh so that you can bring my people Israel out of Egypt.”
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the people of Israel out of Egypt?”
12 God answered, “I will be with you. And this will be the proof that I sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship God on this mountain.”
13 Then Moses replied to God, “Suppose I go to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What should I tell them?”
14 God answered Moses, “I Am Who I Am. This is what you must say to the people of Israel: ‘I Am has sent me to you.’ ”
15 Again God said to Moses, “This is what you must say to the people of Israel: The Lord God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever. This is my title throughout every generation.
16 “Go, assemble the leaders of Israel. Say to them, ‘The Lord God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me. He said, “I have paid close attention to you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 I promise I will take you away from your misery in Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’
18 “The leaders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the leaders must go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.’ 19 I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, even if he is forced to. 20 So I will use my power to strike Egypt. After all the miracles that I will do there, he will let you go. 21 I will make the Egyptians kind to the people of Israel so that, when you leave, you will not leave empty-handed.
22 “Every Hebrew woman should ask her Egyptian neighbor and any woman living in her home for silver and gold jewelry and for clothes. Put them on your sons and daughters. This way you will strip Egypt of its wealth.”
4 “They will never believe me or listen to me!” Moses protested. “They will say, ‘The Lord didn’t appear to you.’ ”
2 Then the Lord asked him, “What’s that in your hand?”
He answered, “A shepherd’s staff.”
3 The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.”
When Moses threw it on the ground, it became a snake, and he ran away from it.
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out and grab the snake by its tail.” He reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a staff as he held it. 5 ⌞The Lord explained,⌟ “This is to convince the people that the Lord God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to you.”
6 The Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your shirt.” So Moses did this, and when he took his hand out, it had a skin disease. It looked as ⌞flaky as⌟ snow. 7 “Now put your hand back inside your shirt,” the Lord said. Moses put it back, and when he took it out this time, it was healthy again like the rest of his body.
8 ⌞Then the Lord said,⌟ “If they won’t believe you or pay attention to the first miraculous sign, they may believe the second. 9 But if they won’t believe these two miraculous signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile River and pour it on the ground. The water you take from the Nile will turn into blood on the ground.”
10 Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I’m not a good speaker. I’ve never been a good speaker, and I’m not now, even though you’ve spoken to me. I speak slowly, and I become tongue-tied easily.”
11 The Lord asked him, “Who gave humans their mouths? Who makes humans unable to talk or hear? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? It is I, the Lord! 12 Now go, and I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
13 But Moses said, “Please, Lord, send someone else.”
14 Then the Lord became angry with Moses and asked, “What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He’s already on his way to meet you, and he will be very glad to see you. 15 You will speak to him and tell him what to say. I will help both of you speak, and I will teach you both what to do. 16 Aaron will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and you will be like God. 17 Take that shepherd’s staff with you, and use it to do the miraculous signs.”
Moses Returns to Egypt
18 Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro. Moses said to him, “Please let me go back to my own people in Egypt. I would like to see if they’re still alive.”
Jethro said to Moses, “You may go.”
19 Now, the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, because all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.”
20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and started out for Egypt. He also brought with him the staff God had told him to take.
21 The Lord said to Moses, “When you get back to Egypt, see that you show Pharaoh all the amazing things that I have given you the power to do. But I will make him stubborn so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then tell Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son. 23 I told you to let my son go so that he may worship me. But you refused to let him go. So now I’m going to kill your firstborn son.’ ”
24 Along the way they stopped for the night. The Lord met Moses and tried to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched Moses’ feet ⌞with it⌟. She said, “You are a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26 So the Lord let him alone. It was because of the circumcision that she said at that time, “You are a bridegroom of blood!”
Moses and Aaron Tell the People What the Lord Said
27 Meanwhile, the Lord had told Aaron to meet Moses in the desert.
When Aaron met Moses at the mountain of God, he kissed him. 28 Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say and all the miraculous signs the Lord had commanded him to do.
29 Then Moses and Aaron went ⌞to Egypt⌟ and assembled all the leaders of the people of Israel. 30 Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also did the miraculous signs for the people, 31 and the people believed them. When they heard that the Lord was concerned about the people of Israel and that he had seen their misery, they knelt, bowing with their faces touching the ground.
Moses and Aaron Confront Pharaoh
5 Later Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: Let my people go into the desert to celebrate a festival in my honor.”
2 Pharaoh asked, “Who is the Lord? Why should I obey him and let Israel go? I don’t know the Lord, and I won’t let Israel go.”
3 They replied, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don’t go, he may kill us with a plague or a war.”
4 The king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you distracting the people from their work? Get back to work!” 5 Then Pharaoh added, “Look how many people there are in the land! Do you want them to quit working?”
Pharaoh Increases the Israelites’ Labor
6 That same day Pharaoh gave these orders to the slave drivers and foremen: 7 “Don’t give the people any more straw to make bricks as you have been doing. Let them gather their own straw, 8 but insist that they make the same number of bricks they were making before. Making fewer bricks will not be acceptable. They’re lazy! That’s why they’re crying, ‘Let us go offer sacrifices to our God.’ 9 Make the work harder for these people so that they will be too busy to listen to lies.”
10 The slave drivers and foreman went out and said to them, “This is what Pharaoh says: I’m no longer giving you straw. 11 Get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work load will not be reduced one bit.”
12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept hurrying them. They said, “Finish the same amount of work each day, just as when you had straw.”
14 Pharaoh’s slave drivers had placed Israelite foremen in charge of the people. The slave drivers beat the foremen and said, “You didn’t finish all the bricks you were ordered to make yesterday or today. Why didn’t you make as many as you used to?”
15 Then the Israelite foremen complained to Pharaoh. They asked, “Why are you treating us this way? 16 We’re given no straw, and yet we’re told to make bricks. We’re being beaten, but your men are at fault.”
17 “You’re lazy! ⌞Just plain⌟ lazy!” Pharaoh answered. “That’s why you keep saying, ‘Let us go offer sacrifices to the Lord.’ 18 Now get back to work! You won’t be given any straw, but you must still make the same number of bricks.”
19 The Israelite foremen realized they were in trouble when they were told, “Don’t make fewer bricks each day than you’re supposed to.”
20 As they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting for them. 21 So they said, “May the Lord see what you have done and judge you! You have made Pharaoh and his officials hate us. You have given them an excuse to kill us.”
22 Moses went back to the Lord and asked, “Why have you brought this trouble on your people? Why did you send me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak for you, he has treated your people cruelly, and you have done nothing at all to rescue your people.”
6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. I will show him my power, and he will let my people go. I will show him my power, and he will throw them out of his country.”
The Lord Tells Moses to Speak to Pharaoh Again
2 God spoke to Moses, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I didn’t make myself known to them by my name, the Lord. 4 I even made a promise [c] to give them Canaan, the land where they lived as foreigners. 5 Now I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians hold in slavery, and I have remembered my promise.
6 “Tell the Israelites, ‘I am the Lord. I will bring you out from under the oppression of the Egyptians, and I will free you from slavery. I will rescue you with my powerful arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7 Then I will make you my people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the forced labor of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you to the land I solemnly swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your own possession. I am the Lord.’ ”
9 Moses reported this to the Israelites. But they would not listen to him because they were so discouraged by their back-breaking work.
10 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, 11 “Go tell Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) to let the Israelites leave his country.”
12 But Moses protested to the Lord, “The Israelites wouldn’t listen to me. Why would Pharaoh listen to me? I’m such a poor speaker.”
13 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh (the king of Egypt). He commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
Aaron and Moses’ Ancestry(A)
14 These were the heads of the families:
The sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
These were the families descended from Reuben.
15 The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the families descended from Simeon.
16 These are the names of the sons of Levi listed in birth order: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.
17 The sons of Gershon listed by their families were Libni and Shimei.
18 The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.
19 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi.
These were the families descended from Levi listed in birth order.
20 Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed. She gave birth to Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.
21 The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.
22 The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
23 Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon. She gave birth to Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
24 The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph.
These were the families descended from Korah.
25 Eleazar, son of Aaron, married one of the daughters of Putiel. She gave birth to Phinehas.
These were the heads of Levite households listed by their families.
26 This was the same Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypt in organized family groups.” 27 They—this same Moses and Aaron—told Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) to let the Israelites leave Egypt.
Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake
28 At that time the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt. 29 He said to Moses, “I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) everything I tell you.”
30 But Moses said to the Lord, “Why would Pharaoh listen to me?”
7 The Lord answered Moses, “I have made you a god to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron is your prophet. 2 Tell your brother Aaron everything I command you, and he must tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave the country. 3 But I will make Pharaoh stubborn. Even though I will do many miraculous signs and amazing things in Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will use my power to punish Egypt severely, and I will bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt in organized family groups. 5 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I use my power against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of there.”
6 Moses and Aaron did as the Lord had commanded them. 7 Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they talked to Pharaoh.
8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Give me a sign to prove that God has sent you,’ tell Aaron, ‘Take your shepherd’s staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh,’ and it will become a large snake.”
10 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the Lord had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a large snake. 11 Then Pharaoh sent for his wise men and sorcerers. These Egyptian magicians did the same thing using their magic spells. 12 Each of them threw his staff down, and they all became large snakes. But Aaron’s staff swallowed theirs. 13 Yet, Pharaoh continued to be stubborn and would not listen to them, as the Lord had predicted.
The First Plague—the Nile River Turns into Blood
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh is being stubborn. He refuses to let my people go. 15 In the morning meet Pharaoh when he’s on his way to the Nile. Wait for him on the bank of the river. Take along the staff that turned into a snake. 16 Say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to tell you, “Let my people go to worship me in the desert.” So far you have not listened. 17 Here is what the Lord says: This is the way you will recognize that I am the Lord: With this staff in my hand, I’m going to strike the Nile, and the water will turn into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink any water from the Nile.’ ”
19 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—its rivers, canals, ponds, and all its reservoirs—so that they turn into blood. There will be blood everywhere in Egypt, even in the wooden and stone containers.’ ”
20 Moses and Aaron did as the Lord had commanded. In front of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised his staff and struck the Nile. All the water in the river turned into blood. 21 The fish in the Nile died, and it smelled so bad that the Egyptians couldn’t drink any water from the river. There was blood everywhere in Egypt.
22 But the Egyptian magicians did the same thing using their magic spells. So Pharaoh continued to be stubborn and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, as the Lord had predicted. 23 Pharaoh turned and went back to his palace. He dismissed the entire matter from his mind.
24 All the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink because they couldn’t drink any of the water from the river.
25 Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.
Exodus 10-17
GOD’S WORD Translation
The Eighth Plague—Locusts
10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh. I have made him and his officials stubborn so that I can do these miraculous signs among them. 2 You will be able to tell your children and grandchildren exactly how I treated the Egyptians and what miraculous signs I did among them. This is how you will all know that I am the Lord.”
3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the Lord God of the Hebrews says: How long will you refuse to humble yourself in my presence? Let my people go to worship me. 4 If you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country. 5 They will cover the land so that the ground can’t be seen. They will eat everything left by the hail, including every tree still standing in the fields. 6 They will fill your houses and the houses of all your officials and those of all the Egyptians. Your parents and ancestors never saw anything like this from the time they first came here until now.” Moses turned and left Pharaoh.
7 Then Pharaoh’s officials asked him, “How long will this man hold us in his grip? Let the Israelite men go to worship the Lord their God. When will you realize that Egypt is ruined?”
8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the Lord your God,” he said to them. “But exactly who will be going?”
9 Moses answered, “Everyone! We’ll be taking our young and old, our sons and daughters, our flocks and herds with us. For us it’s a pilgrimage festival in the Lord’s honor.”
10 Pharaoh said to them, “The Lord would have to be with you if I would ever let you take your women and children along. I know you’re up to no good! 11 No! Only the men may go to worship the Lord, since that’s what you’ve been asking for.” Then Moses and Aaron were thrown out of Pharaoh’s palace.
12 The Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over Egypt to bring locusts. They will invade Egypt and eat up every plant in the land—everything left by the hail.”
13 Moses held his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord made a wind from the east blow over the land all that day and all that night. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts. 14 They invaded all of Egypt and landed all over the country in great swarms. Never before had there been so many locusts like this, nor would there ever be that many again. 15 They covered all the ground until it was black ⌞with them⌟. They ate all the plants and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant anywhere in Egypt.
16 Then Pharaoh quickly called for Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. 17 Please forgive my sin one more time. Pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”
18 Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. 19 Then the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind. It picked up the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea. Not one locust was left anywhere in Egypt.
20 But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn, so he did not let the Israelites go.
The Ninth Plague—Darkness
21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward the sky, and a darkness ⌞so thick⌟ that it can be felt will come over Egypt.” 22 Moses lifted his hand toward the sky, and throughout Egypt there was total darkness for three days. 23 People couldn’t see each other, and no one went anywhere for three days. But all the Israelites had light where they were living.
24 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and said, “Go, worship the Lord! Even your women and children may go with you, but your flocks and herds must stay behind.”
25 But Moses said, “You must allow us to take ⌞our animals⌟ for the sacrifices and burnt offerings we have to make to the Lord our God. 26 All our livestock must go with us. Not one animal must be left behind. We’ll have to use some of them for worshiping the Lord our God, and we won’t know what we’ll need until we get there.”
27 But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn, so he refused to let them go. 28 Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Don’t ever let me see your face again. The day I do, you will die.”
29 “You’re right!” Moses answered. “You’ll never see my face again.”
The Tenth Plague—the Death of the Firstborn
11 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and Egypt. After that he will let you go. When he does, he will be certain to force all of you out of here. 2 Now announce to the people ⌞of Israel⌟ that each man and woman must ask the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry.”
3 The Lord made the Egyptians kind to the people. And Moses was highly respected by Pharaoh’s officials and all the Egyptians.
4 Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: About midnight I will go out among the Egyptians. 5 Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who rules the land, to the firstborn children of female slaves who use their handmills, including every firstborn domestic animal. 6 There will be loud crying throughout Egypt, such as there has never been or ever will be again. 7 But where the Israelites are, not even a dog will be startled by any person or animal. This is how you will see that the Lord shows the distinction between Egypt and Israel. 8 Then all these officials of yours will come, bow down to me, and say, ‘You and all the people who follow you, get out!’ After that I will leave.” Burning with anger, Moses left Pharaoh.
9 The Lord had said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you. This is why I will do more amazing things in Egypt.” 10 Moses and Aaron showed Pharaoh all these amazing things. Yet, the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn, so he wouldn’t let the Israelites leave his country.
Passover
12 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 “This month will be the very first month of the year for you. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel: On the tenth ⌞day⌟ of this month each man must take a lamb or a young goat for his family—one animal per household. 4 A household may be too small to eat a whole animal. That household and the one next door can share one animal. Choose your animal based on the number of people and what each person can eat. 5 Your animal must be a one-year-old male that has no defects. You may choose a lamb or a young goat. 6 Take care of it until the fourteenth ⌞day⌟ of this month.
“Then at dusk, all the assembled people from the community of Israel must slaughter their animals. 7 They must take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they will eat the animals. 8 The meat must be eaten that same night. It must be roasted over a fire and eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. 9 Don’t eat any of it raw or boiled but roast the whole animal over a fire. 10 Don’t leave any of it until morning. Anything left over in the morning must be burned up. 11 This is how ⌞you should be dressed when⌟ you eat it: with your belt on, your sandals on your feet, and your shepherd’s staff in your hand. You must eat it in a hurry. It is the Lord’s Passover.
12 “On that same night I will go throughout Egypt and kill every firstborn male, both human and animal. I will severely punish all the gods of Egypt, ⌞because⌟ I am the Lord. 13 But the blood on your houses will be a sign for your protection. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. Nothing will touch or destroy you when I strike Egypt.
14 “This day will be one for you to remember. This is a permanent law for generations to come: You will celebrate this day as a pilgrimage festival in the Lord’s honor. 15 For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the very first day you must remove any yeast that you have in your houses. Whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh day must be excluded from Israel. 16 You must have a holy assembly on the first day and another one on the seventh. You must not work on these days except to prepare your own meals. That’s all you may do.
17 You must celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread because it was on this very day that I brought you out of Egypt in organized family groups. This is a permanent law for future generations: You must celebrate this day. 18 From the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day you must eat unleavened bread. 19 There should be no yeast in your houses for seven days. Whoever eats anything with yeast in it must be excluded from the community of Israel, whether he is an Israelite or not. 20 Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live, you must eat ⌞only⌟ unleavened bread.”
21 Then Moses called for all the leaders of Israel. He said to them, “Pick out a lamb or a young goat for your families, and kill the Passover animal. 22 Take the branch of a hyssop plant, dip it in the blood which is in a bowl, and put some of the blood on the top and sides of the doorframes ⌞of your houses⌟. No one may leave the house until morning. 23 The Lord will go throughout Egypt to kill the Egyptians. When he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, he will pass over that doorway, and he will not let the destroyer come into your home to kill you.
24 “You must follow these instructions. They are a permanent law for you and your children. 25 When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 When your children ask you what this ceremony means to you, 27 you must answer, ‘It’s the Passover sacrifice in the Lord’s honor. The Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he killed the Egyptians.’ ”
Then the people knelt, bowing with their faces touching the ground. 28 The Israelites did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.
29 At midnight the Lord killed every firstborn male in Egypt from the firstborn son of Pharaoh who ruled the land to the firstborn son of the prisoner in jail, and also every firstborn animal. 30 Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the ⌞other⌟ Egyptians got up during the night. There was loud crying throughout Egypt because in every house someone had died.
Pharaoh Allows the Israelites to Leave Egypt
31 Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron during the night. He said, “You and the Israelites must leave my people at once. Go, worship the Lord as you asked. 32 Take your flocks and herds, too, as you asked. Just go! And bless me, too!”
33 The Egyptians begged the people to leave the country quickly. They said, “Soon we’ll all be dead!” 34 So the people picked up their bread dough before it had risen and carried it on their shoulders in bowls, wrapped up in their clothes.
35 The Israelites did what Moses had told them and asked the Egyptians for gold and silver jewelry and for clothes. 36 The Lord made the Egyptians generous to the people, and they gave them what they asked for. So the Israelites stripped Egypt of its wealth.
The Israelites Leave Egypt
37 The Israelites left Rameses to go to Succoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, plus all the women and children. 38 Many other people also went with them, along with large numbers of sheep, goats, and cattle.
39 With the dough they had brought from Egypt, they baked round, flat bread. The dough hadn’t risen because they’d been thrown out of Egypt and had no time to prepare food for the trip.
40 The Israelites had been living in Egypt for 430 years. 41 After exactly 430 years all the Lord’s people left Egypt in organized family groups. 42 That night the Lord kept watch to take them out of Egypt. (All Israelites in future generations must keep watch on this night, since it is dedicated to the Lord.)
Rules for the Passover
43 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the rules for the Passover:
“No foreigner may eat the Passover meal.
44 “Any male slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcised him.
45 “No foreigner visiting you may eat it.
“No hired worker may eat it.
46 “The meal must be eaten inside one house. Never take any of the meat outside the house.
“Never break any of the bones.
47 “The whole community of Israel must celebrate the Passover.
48 “Foreigners may want to celebrate the Lord’s Passover. First, every male in the household must be circumcised. Then they may celebrate the Passover like native-born Israelites. But no uncircumcised males may ever eat the Passover meal. 49 The same instructions apply to native-born Israelites as well as foreigners.”
50 All the Israelites did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 That very day the Lord brought all the Israelites out of Egypt in organized family groups.
13 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “Set apart every firstborn male for me. Every firstborn male offspring among the Israelites is mine, whether human or animal.”
3 Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day—the day when you left Egypt, the land of slavery. The Lord used his mighty hand to bring you out of there. Don’t eat anything made with yeast. 4 Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving Egypt. 5 The Lord swore to your ancestors that he would give you the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. When he brings you into that land flowing with milk and honey, you must observe this ceremony in this month.
6 “For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. The seventh day will be a pilgrimage festival in the Lord’s honor. 7 Only unleavened bread should be eaten during these seven days. No sourdough or yeast should be seen anywhere in your territory. 8 On that day tell your children, ‘We do this because of what the Lord did for us when we left Egypt.’ 9 This ⌞festival⌟ will be ⌞like⌟ a mark on your hand or a reminder on your forehead that the teachings of the Lord are ⌞always⌟ to be a part of your conversation. Because the Lord used his mighty hand to bring you out of Egypt, 10 you must follow these rules every year at this time.
Rules Concerning the Firstborn Child
11 “When the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he swore to you and your ancestors, 12 sacrifice every firstborn male offspring to the Lord. The firstborn male offspring of each of your animals belongs to the Lord. 13 It will cost you a sheep or a goat to buy any firstborn donkey back from the Lord. If you don’t buy it back, then you must break the donkey’s neck. You must also buy every firstborn son back from the Lord.
14 “In the future when your children ask you what this means, tell them, ‘The Lord used his mighty hand to bring us out of slavery in Egypt. 15 When Pharaoh was too stubborn to let us go, the Lord killed every firstborn male in Egypt—human and animal. This is why we sacrifice every firstborn male to the Lord and buy every firstborn son back from the Lord.’ 16 So this ⌞festival⌟ will be ⌞like⌟ a mark on your hand and ⌞like⌟ a band on your forehead, because the Lord used his mighty hand to bring us out of Egypt.”
God Leads the People out of Egypt
17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God didn’t lead them on the road through Philistine territory, although that was the shortest route. God said, “If they see that they have to fight a war, they may change their minds and go back to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around the other way, on the road through the desert toward the Red Sea. The Israelites were ready for battle when they left Egypt.
19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, because Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear to do this. Joseph had said, “God will definitely come to help you. When he does, take my bones with you.”
20 They moved from Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the desert. 21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a column of smoke to lead them on their way. By night he went ahead of them in a column of fire to give them light so that they could travel by day or by night. 22 The column of smoke was always in front of the people during the day. The column of fire was always there at night.
Pharaoh Pursues Israel
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to go back and set up their camp facing Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. Set up your camp facing north—by the sea. 3 Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are ⌞just⌟ wandering around. The desert is blocking their escape.’ 4 I will make Pharaoh so stubborn that he will pursue them. Then, because of what I do to Pharaoh and his entire army, I will receive honor, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So that is what the Israelites did.
5 When Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) was told that the people had fled, he and his officials changed their minds about them. They said, “What have we done? We’ve lost our slaves because we’ve let Israel go.” 6 So Pharaoh prepared his chariot and took his army with him. 7 He took 600 of his best chariots as well as all the other chariots in Egypt, placing an officer in each of them. 8 The Lord made Pharaoh (the king of Egypt) so stubborn that he pursued the Israelites, who were boldly leaving Egypt. 9 The Egyptians pursued the Israelites. Pharaoh’s army, including all his horse-drawn chariots and cavalry, caught up with them as they were setting up their camp by the sea at Pi Hahiroth facing north.
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw that the Egyptians were coming after them. Terrified, the Israelites cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Did you bring us out into the desert to die because there were no graves in Egypt? Look what you’ve done by bringing us out of Egypt! 12 Didn’t we tell you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone! Let us go on serving the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”
The Lord Divides the Red Sea
13 Moses answered the people, “Don’t be afraid! Stand still, and see what the Lord will do to save you today. You will never see these Egyptians again. 14 The Lord is fighting for you! So be still!”
15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to start moving. 16 Raise your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide the water. Then the Israelites will go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I am making the Egyptians so stubborn that they will follow the Israelites. I will receive honor because of what I will do to Pharaoh, his entire army, his chariots, and cavalry. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I am honored for what I did to Pharaoh, his chariots, and his cavalry.”
19 The Messenger of God, who had been in front of the Israelites, moved behind them. So the column of smoke moved from in front of the Israelites and stood behind them 20 between the Egyptian camp and the Israelite camp. The ⌞column of⌟ smoke was there when darkness came, and it lit up the night. Neither side came near the other all night long.
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. All that night the Lord pushed back the sea with a strong east wind and turned the sea into dry ground. The water divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the middle of the sea on dry ground. The water stood like a wall on their right and on their left.
23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and cavalry followed them into the sea. 24 Just before dawn, the Lord looked down from the column of fire and smoke and threw the Egyptian camp into a panic. 25 He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they could hardly move. Then the Egyptians shouted, “Let’s get out of here! The Lord is fighting for Israel! He’s against us!”
26 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the water will flow back over the Egyptians, their chariots, and their cavalry.”
27 Moses stretched his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the water returned to its usual place. The Egyptians tried to escape, but the Lord swept them into the sea. 28 The water flowed back and covered Pharaoh’s entire army, as well as the chariots and the cavalry that had followed Israel into the sea. Not one of them survived.
29 Meanwhile, the Israelites had gone through the sea on dry ground while the water stood like a wall on their right and on their left. 30 That day the Lord saved Israel from the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore. 31 When the Israelites saw the great power the Lord had used against the Egyptians, they feared the Lord and believed in him and in his servant Moses.
The Song of Moses
15 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:
“I will sing to the Lord.
He has won a glorious victory.
He has thrown horses and their riders into the sea.
2 The Lord is my strength and my song.
He is my Savior.
This is my God, and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will honor him.
3 The Lord is a warrior!
The Lord is his name.
4 He has thrown Pharaoh’s chariots and army into the sea.
Pharaoh’s best officers were drowned in the Red Sea.
5 The deep water covered them.
They sank to the bottom like a rock.
6 Your right hand, O Lord, wins glory because it is strong.
Your right hand, O Lord, smashes your enemies.
7 With your unlimited majesty, you destroyed those who attacked you.
You sent out your burning anger.
It burned them up like straw.
8 With a blast from your nostrils, the water piled up.
The waves stood up like a dam.
The deep water thickened in the middle of the sea.
9 “The enemy said, ‘I’ll pursue them!
I’ll catch up with them!
I’ll divide the loot!
I’ll take all I want!
I’ll use my sword!
I’ll take all they have!’
10 Your breath blew the sea over them.
They sank like lead in the raging water.
11 “Who is like you among the gods, O Lord?
Who is like you?
You are glorious because of your holiness
and awe-inspiring because of your splendor.
You perform miracles.
12 You stretched out your right hand.
The earth swallowed them.
13 “Lovingly, you will lead the people you have saved.
Powerfully, you will guide them to your holy dwelling.
14 People will hear of it and tremble.
The people of Philistia will be in anguish.
15 The tribal leaders of Edom will be terrified.
The powerful men of Moab will tremble.
The people of Canaan will be deathly afraid.
16 Terror and dread will fall on them.
Because of the power of your arm, they will be petrified
until your people pass by, O Lord,
until the people you purchased pass by.
17 You will bring them and plant them on your own mountain,
the place where you live, O Lord,
the holy place that you built with your own hands, O Lord.
18 The Lord will rule as king forever and ever.”
19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and cavalry went into the sea, the Lord made the water of the sea flow back over them. However, the Israelites had gone through the sea on dry ground.
The Song of Miriam
20 Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand. All the women, dancing with tambourines, followed her. 21 Miriam sang to them:
“Sing to the Lord.
He has won a glorious victory.
He has thrown horses and their riders into the sea.”
God Provides Water for the Israelites
22 Moses led Israel away from the Red Sea into the desert of Shur. For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water. 23 When they came to Marah, they couldn’t drink the water because it tasted bitter. That’s why the place was called Marah [Bitter Place]. 24 The people complained about Moses by asking, “What are we supposed to drink?”
25 Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed [a] him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.
There the Lord set down laws and rules for them to live by, and there he tested them. 26 He said, “If you will listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what he considers right, if you pay attention to his commands and obey all his laws, I will never make you suffer any of the diseases I made the Egyptians suffer, because I am the Lord, who heals you.”
27 Next, they went to Elim, where there were 12 springs and 70 palm trees. They camped there by the water.
The Lord Provides Manna and Quails for the Israelites to Eat
16 The whole community of Israelites moved from Elim and came to the desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai. This was on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt. 2 In the desert the whole community complained about Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, “If only the Lord had let us die in Egypt! There we sat by our pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted! You brought us out into this desert to let us all starve to death!”
4 The Lord said to Moses, “I’m going to send you food from heaven like rain. Each day the people should go out and gather only what they need for that day. In this way I will test them to see whether or not they will follow my instructions. 5 But on the sixth day when they prepare what they bring home, it should be twice as much as they gather on other days.”
6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the Lord who brought you out of Egypt. 7 In the morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard you complaining about him. Why are you complaining about us?” 8 Moses also said, “The Lord will give you meat to eat in the evening and all the food you want in the morning. The Lord has heard you complaining about him. Who are we? You’re not complaining about us but about the Lord.”
9 Moses said to Aaron, “Tell the whole community of Israelites, ‘Come into the Lord’s presence. He has heard you complaining.’ ”
10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole community of Israelites, they looked toward the desert. Suddenly, they saw the glory of the Lord in the ⌞column of⌟ smoke.
11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 “I’ve heard the Israelites complaining. Tell them, ‘At dusk you will eat meat, and in the morning you will eat all the food you want. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God.’ ”
13 That evening quails came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dew around the camp. 14 When the dew was gone, the ground was covered with a thin layer of flakes like frost on the ground. 15 When the Israelites saw it, they asked each other, “What is this?” because they didn’t know what it was.
Moses said to them, “It’s the food the Lord has given you to eat. 16 This is what the Lord has commanded: Each of you should gather as much as you can eat. Take two quarts for each person in your tent.”
17 So that is what the Israelites did. Some gathered more, some less. 18 They measured it into two-quart containers. Those who had gathered more didn’t have too much. Those who had gathered less didn’t have too little. They gathered as much as they could eat.
19 Then Moses said to them, “No one may keep any of it until morning.”
20 But some of them didn’t listen to Moses. They kept part of it until morning, and it was full of worms and smelled bad. So Moses was angry with them.
21 Each morning they gathered as much food as they could eat. When the sun was hot, it melted away. 22 But on the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, four quarts per person. All the leaders of the community came to Moses and told him about it.
23 He said to them, “This is what the Lord said: Tomorrow is a day of rest—a holy day dedicated to the Lord. Bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil. Save all that’s left over, and keep it until tomorrow morning.”
24 So they saved it until the next morning as Moses had commanded, but it didn’t smell or have worms in it. 25 “Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a day of rest—a holy day dedicated to the Lord. You won’t find anything on the ground today. 26 You can gather food on six days, but on the seventh day, the day of rest, you won’t find any.”
27 On the seventh day some people went out to gather food, but they didn’t find any. 28 The Lord said to Moses, “How long will you refuse to do what I have commanded and instructed you to do? 29 Remember: The Lord has given you this day of rest as a holy day. That’s why he gives you enough food on the sixth day for two days. On the seventh day stay in your place—no one is to go out. Everyone, stay where you are.” 30 So the people never worked on the seventh day of the week.
31 The Israelites called the food manna. It was like coriander seeds. It was white and tasted like wafers made with honey.
32 Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded: Take two quarts of manna to be kept for your descendants. This way they will see the food that I gave you to eat in the desert when I brought you out of Egypt.”
33 Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar, put two quarts of manna in it, and put it in the Lord’s presence to be kept for your descendants.” 34 Aaron put the jar of manna in front of the words of God’s promise to be kept there, as the Lord commanded Moses.
35 The Israelites ate manna for 40 years until they came to a place to settle. They ate manna until they came to the border of Canaan.
36 (Now, the standard dry measure at that time held 20 quarts.)
The Lord Provides Water for the Israelites from a Rock
17 The whole community of Israelites left the desert of Sin and traveled from place to place as the Lord commanded them. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they complained to Moses by saying, “Give us water to drink!”
Moses said to them, “Why are you complaining to me? Why are you testing the Lord?”
3 But the people were thirsty for water there. They complained to Moses and asked, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Was it to make us, our children, and our livestock die of thirst?”
4 So Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? They’re almost ready to stone me!”
5 The Lord answered Moses, “Bring some of the leaders of Israel with you, and go to where the people can see you. Take the staff you used to strike the Nile River. 6 I’ll be standing in front of you there by a rock at Mount Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.”
Moses did this while the leaders of Israel watched him.
7 He named that place Massah [Testing] and Meribah [Complaining] because the Israelites complained and because they tested the Lord, asking, “Is the Lord with us or not?”
God Defeats the Amalekites
8 The Amalekites fought Israel at Rephidim. 9 Moses said to Joshua, “Choose some of our men. Then fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill. I will hold in my hand the staff God told me to take along.”
10 Joshua did as Moses told him and fought the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, Israel would win, but as soon as he put his hands down, the Amalekites would start to win. 12 Eventually, Moses’ hands felt heavy. So Aaron and Hur took a rock, put it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron held up one hand, and Hur held up the other. His hands remained steady until sunset. 13 So Joshua defeated the Amalekite army in battle.
14 The Lord said to Moses, “Write this reminder on a scroll, and make sure that Joshua hears it, too: I will completely erase any memory of the Amalekites from the earth.”
15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord Is My Banner. 16 He said, “Because a hand was lifted against the Lord’s throne, he will be at war against the Amalekites from one generation to the next.”
Notas al pie
- 15:25 Samaritan Pentateuch, Syriac, Targum, Latin; Masoretic Text “taught.”
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