Moses and the Burning Bush

3 Moses was taking care of the flock of his father-in-law Jethro. Jethro was the priest of Midian. Moses led the flock to the western side of the desert. He came to Horeb. It was the mountain of God. ² There the angel of the Lord appeared to him from inside a burning bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire. But it didn’t burn up. ³ So Moses thought, “I’ll go over and see this strange sight. Why doesn’t the bush burn up?”

⁴ The Lord saw that Moses had gone over to look. So God spoke to him from inside the bush. He called out, “Moses! Moses!”

“Here I am,” Moses said.

⁵ “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals. The place you are standing on is holy ground.” ⁶ He continued, “I am the God of your father. I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard that, he turned his face away. He was afraid to look at God.

⁷ The Lord said, “I have seen how my people are suffering in Egypt. I have heard them cry out because of their slave drivers. I am concerned about their suffering. ⁸ So I have come down to save them from the Egyptians. I will bring them up out of that land. I will bring them into a good land. It has a lot of room. It is a land that has plenty of milk and honey. The Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites live there. ⁹ And now Israel’s cry for help has reached me. I have seen how badly the Egyptians are treating them. ¹⁰ So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh. I want you to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. They are my people.”

¹¹ But Moses spoke to God. “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” he said. “Who am I that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

¹² God said, “I will be with you. I will give you a sign. It will prove that I have sent you. When you have brought the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship me on this mountain.”

¹³ Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the people of Israel. Suppose I say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ And suppose they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?”

¹⁴ God said to Moses, “I am who I am. Here is what you must say to the Israelites. Tell them, ‘I am has sent me to you.’ ”

¹⁵ God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord is the God of your fathers. He has sent me to you. He is the God of Abraham. He is the God of Isaac. And he is the God of Jacob.’ My name will always be The Lord. Call me this name for all time to come.

¹⁶ “Go. Gather the elders of Israel together. Say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, appeared to me. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. God said, “I have watched over you. I have seen what the Egyptians have done to you. ¹⁷ I have promised to bring you up out of Egypt where you are suffering. I will bring you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. It is a land that has plenty of milk and honey.” ’

¹⁸ “The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders must go to the king of Egypt. You must say to him, ‘The Lord has met with us. He is the God of the Hebrews. Let us take a journey that lasts about three days. We want to go into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.’ ¹⁹ But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you and your people go. Only a mighty hand could make him do that. ²⁰ So I will reach out my hand. I will strike the Egyptians with all the amazing things I will do. After that, their king will let you go.

²¹ “I will cause the Egyptians to treat you in a kind way. Then when you leave, you will not go with your hands empty. ²² Every woman should ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for things made out of silver and gold. Ask them for clothes too. Put them on your children. In that way, you will take the wealth of Egypt along with you.”

Signs for Moses to Do

4 Moses answered, “What if the elders of Israel won’t believe me? What if they won’t listen to me? Suppose they say, ‘The Lord didn’t appear to you.’ Then what should I do?”

² The Lord said to him, “What do you have in your hand?”

“A walking stick,” he said.

³ The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.”

So Moses threw it on the ground. It turned into a snake. He ran away from it. ⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach your hand out. Take the snake by the tail.” So he reached out and grabbed the snake. It turned back into a walking stick in his hand. ⁵ The Lord said, “When they see this sign, they will believe that I appeared to you. I am the Lord, the God of their fathers. I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob.”

⁶ Then the Lord said, “Put your hand inside your coat.” So Moses put his hand inside his coat. When he took it out, the skin had become as white as snow. His hand was covered with a skin disease.

⁷ “Now put it back into your coat,” the Lord said. So Moses put his hand back into his coat. When he took it out, the skin was healthy again. His hand was like the rest of his skin.

⁸ Then the Lord said, “Suppose they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign. Then maybe they will believe the second one. ⁹ But suppose they do not believe either sign. Suppose they will not listen to you. Then get some water from the Nile River. Pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will turn into blood on the ground.”

¹⁰ Moses spoke to the Lord. He said, “Lord, I’ve never been a good speaker. And I haven’t gotten any better since you spoke to me. I don’t speak very well at all.”

¹¹ The Lord said to him, “Who makes human beings able to talk? Who makes them unable to hear or speak? Who makes them able to see? Who makes them blind? It is I, the Lord. ¹² Now go. I will help you speak. I will teach you what to say.”

¹³ But Moses said, “Lord, please send someone else to do it.”

¹⁴ Then the Lord became very angry with Moses. He said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you. He will be glad to see you. ¹⁵ Speak to him. Tell him what to say. I will help both of you speak. I will teach you what to do. ¹⁶ He will speak to the people for you. He will be like your mouth. And you will be like God to him. ¹⁷ But take this walking stick in your hand. You will be able to do signs with it.”

Moses Returns to Egypt

¹⁸ Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro. He said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt. I want to see if any of them are still alive.”

Jethro said, “Go. I hope everything goes well with you.”

¹⁹ The Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt. All those who wanted to kill you are dead.” ²⁰ So Moses got his wife and sons. He put them on a donkey. Together they started back to Egypt. And he took the walking stick in his hand. It was the stick God would use in a powerful way.

²¹ The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “When you return to Egypt, do all the amazing things I have given you the power to do. Do them in the sight of Pharaoh. But I will make him stubborn. He will not let the people go. ²² Then say to Pharaoh, ‘The Lord says, “Israel is like an oldest son to me. ²³ I told you, ‘Let my son go. Then he will be able to worship me.’ But you refused to let him go. So I will kill your oldest son.” ’ ”

²⁴ On the way to Egypt, Moses stopped for the night. There the Lord met him and was about to kill him. ²⁵ But Zipporah got a knife made out of flint. She circumcised her son with it. Then she touched Moses’ feet with the skin she had cut off. “Surely, you are a husband who has forced me to spill my son’s blood,” she said. ²⁶ So the Lord didn’t kill Moses. When she said “husband who has forced me to spill my son’s blood,” she was talking about circumcision.

²⁷ The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the desert to see Moses.” So Aaron greeted Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him. ²⁸ Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say. Moses also told him about all the signs the Lord had commanded him to do.

²⁹ Moses and Aaron gathered all the elders of Israel together. ³⁰ Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs in the sight of the people. ³¹ And they believed. They heard that the Lord was concerned about them. He had seen their suffering. So they bowed down and worshiped him.

Bricks Without Straw

5 Later on, Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They said, “The Lord is the God of Israel. He says, ‘Let my people go. Then they will be able to hold a feast to honor me in the desert.’ ”

² Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord? Why should I obey him? Why should I let Israel go? I don’t even know the Lord. And I won’t let Israel go.”

³ Then Moses and Aaron said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a journey that lasts about three days. We want to go into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don’t, he might strike us with plagues. Or he might let us be killed by swords.”

⁴ But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Get back to work!” ⁵ Pharaoh continued, “There are large numbers of your people in the land. But you are stopping them from working.”

⁶ That same day Pharaoh gave orders to the slave drivers and the overseers in charge of the people. ⁷ He said, “Don’t give the people any more straw to make bricks. Let them go and get their own straw. ⁸ But require them to make the same number of bricks as before. Don’t lower the number they have to make. They are lazy. That’s why they are crying out, ‘Let us go. We want to offer sacrifices to our God.’ ⁹ Make them work harder. Then they will be too busy to pay attention to lies.”

¹⁰ The slave drivers and the overseers left. They said to the people, “Pharaoh says, ‘I won’t give you any more straw. ¹¹ Go and get your own straw anywhere you can find it. But you still have to make the same number of bricks.’ ” ¹² So the people scattered all over Egypt. They went to gather any pieces of straw left in the fields. ¹³ Pharaoh’s slave drivers kept making the people work hard. They said, “Finish the work you are required to do each day. Make the same number of bricks you made when you had straw.” ¹⁴ The slave drivers whipped the Israelite overseers they had appointed. The slave drivers asked, “Why haven’t you made the same number of bricks yesterday or today, just as before?”

¹⁵ Then the Israelite overseers appealed to Pharaoh. They asked, “Why have you treated us like this? ¹⁶ You didn’t give us any straw. But you told us, ‘Make bricks!’ We are being whipped. But it’s the fault of your own people.”

¹⁷ Pharaoh said, “You are lazy! That’s why you keep saying, ‘Let us go. We want to offer sacrifices to the Lord.’ ¹⁸ Now get to work. We won’t give you any straw. But you still have to make the same number of bricks.”

¹⁹ The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble. They knew it when they were told, “Don’t reduce the number of bricks you are required to make each day.” ²⁰ When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them. ²¹ They said to Moses and Aaron, “We want the Lord to look at what you have done! We want him to judge you for it! We are like a very bad smell to Pharaoh and his officials. You have given them an excuse to kill us with their swords.”

The Lord Promises to Save the Israelites

²² Moses returned to talk to the Lord. He said to him, “Why, Lord? Why have you brought trouble on these people? Is this why you sent me? ²³ I went to Pharaoh to speak to him in your name. Ever since then, he has brought nothing but trouble on these people. And you haven’t saved your people at all.”

6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. Because of my powerful hand, he will let the people of Israel go. Because of my mighty hand, he will drive them out of his country.”

² God continued, “I am the Lord. ³ I appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as the Mighty God. But I did not show them the full meaning of my name, The Lord. ⁴ I also made my covenant with them. I promised to give them the land of Canaan. That is where they lived as outsiders. ⁵ Also, I have heard the groans of the Israelites. The Egyptians are keeping them as slaves. But I have remembered my covenant.

⁶ “So tell the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord. I will throw off the heavy load the Egyptians have put on your shoulders. I will set you free from being slaves to them. I will reach out my arm and save you with mighty acts when I judge Egypt. ⁷ I will take you to be my own people. I will be your God. I throw off the load the Egyptians have put on your shoulders. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God. ⁸ I will bring you to the land I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. I lifted up my hand and promised it to them. The land will belong to you. I am the Lord.’ ”

⁹ Moses reported these things to the Israelites. But they didn’t listen to him. That’s because they had lost all hope and had to work very hard.

¹⁰ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹¹ “Go. Tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to let the people of Israel leave his country.”

¹² But Moses said to the Lord, “The people won’t listen to me. So why would Pharaoh listen to me? After all, I don’t speak very well.”

7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I have made you like God to Pharaoh. And your brother Aaron will be like a prophet to you. ² You must say everything I command you to say. Then your brother Aaron must tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his country. ³ But I will make Pharaoh stubborn. I will multiply the signs and amazing things I will do in Egypt. ⁴ In spite of that, he will not listen to you. So I will use my powerful hand against Egypt. When I judge them with mighty acts, I will bring my people Israel out like an army on the march. ⁵ Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. I will reach out my powerful hand against them. I will bring the people of Israel out of Egypt.”

⁶ Moses and Aaron did exactly as the Lord had commanded them. ⁷ Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Walking Stick Becomes a Snake

⁸ The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. ⁹ He said, “Pharaoh will say to you, ‘Do a miracle.’ When he does, speak to Aaron. Tell him, ‘Take your walking stick and throw it down in front of Pharaoh.’ It will turn into a snake.”

¹⁰ So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They did exactly as the Lord had commanded them. Aaron threw the stick down in front of Pharaoh and his officials. It turned into a snake. ¹¹ Then Pharaoh sent for wise men and people who do evil magic. By doing their magic tricks, the Egyptian magicians did the same things Aaron had done. ¹² Each one threw down his walking stick. Each stick turned into a snake. But Aaron’s walking stick swallowed theirs up. ¹³ In spite of that, Pharaoh became stubborn. He wouldn’t listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Blood

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh is very stubborn. He refuses to let the people go. ¹⁵ In the morning Pharaoh will go down to the Nile River. Go and meet him on the bank of the river. Take in your hand the walking stick that turned into a snake. ¹⁶ Say to Pharaoh, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you. He says, “Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me in the desert. But up to now you have not listened.” ¹⁷ The Lord says, “Here is how you will know that I am the Lord. I will strike the water of the Nile River with the walking stick that is in my hand. The river will turn into blood. ¹⁸ The fish in the river will die. The river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.” ’ ”

¹⁹ The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Get your walking stick. Reach your hand out over the waters of Egypt. The streams, canals, ponds and all the lakes will turn into blood. There will be blood everywhere in Egypt. It will even be in the wooden buckets and stone jars.’ ”

²⁰ Moses and Aaron did exactly as the Lord had commanded them. Aaron held out his staff in front of Pharaoh and his officials. He struck the water of the Nile River. And all the water turned into blood. ²¹ The fish in the Nile died. The river smelled so bad the Egyptians couldn’t drink its water. There was blood everywhere in Egypt.

²² But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by doing their magic tricks. So Pharaoh became stubborn. He wouldn’t listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. ²³ Even that miracle didn’t change Pharaoh’s mind. In fact, he turned around and went into his palace. ²⁴ All the Egyptians dug holes near the Nile River to get drinking water. They couldn’t drink water from the river.

The Plague of Frogs

²⁵ Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile River. 8 ¹ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh. Tell him, ‘The Lord says, “Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me. ² If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs on your whole country. ³ The Nile River will be full of frogs. They will come up into your palace. You will have frogs in your bedroom and on your bed. They will be in the homes of your officials and your people. They will be in your ovens and in the bowls for kneading your bread. ⁴ The frogs will be on you, your people and all your officials.” ’ ”

⁵ Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Tell Aaron, ‘Reach out your hand. Hold your walking stick over the streams, canals and ponds. Make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’ ”

⁶ So Aaron reached out his hand over the waters of Egypt. The frogs came up and covered the land. ⁷ But the magicians did the same things by doing their magic tricks. They also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

⁸ Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. He said to them, “Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I’ll let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

⁹ Moses said to Pharaoh, “You can have the honor of setting the time for me to pray. I will pray for you, your officials and your people. I’ll pray that the frogs will leave you and your homes. The only frogs left will be the ones in the Nile River.”

¹⁰ “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.

Moses replied, “It will happen just as you say. Then you will know that there is no one like the Lord our God. ¹¹ The frogs will leave you and your houses. They will leave your officials and your people. The frogs will remain only in the Nile River.”

¹² Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh. Then Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. ¹³ And the Lord did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, courtyards and fields. ¹⁴ The Egyptians piled them up. The land smelled very bad because of them. ¹⁵ But when Pharaoh saw that the frogs were dead, he became stubborn. He wouldn’t listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Gnats

¹⁶ Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Tell Aaron, ‘Reach out your walking stick. Strike the dust on the ground with it.’ Then all over the land of Egypt the dust will turn into gnats.” ¹⁷ So they did it. Aaron reached out the stick that was in his hand. He struck the dust on the ground with it. The dust all over the land of Egypt turned into gnats. They landed on people and animals alike. ¹⁸ The magicians tried to produce gnats by doing their magic tricks. But they couldn’t.

The gnats stayed on people and animals everywhere. ¹⁹ So the magicians said to Pharaoh, “God’s powerful finger has done this.” But Pharaoh remained stubborn. He wouldn’t listen, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Flies

²⁰ Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Get up early in the morning. Talk to Pharaoh as he goes down to the Nile River. Say to him, ‘The Lord says, “Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me. ²¹ If you do not let my people go, I will send large numbers of flies. I will send them on you and your officials. I will send them on your people and into your homes. 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 treat the area of Goshen differently from yours. That is where my people live. There will not be large numbers of flies in Goshen. Then you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land. ²³ I will treat my people differently from yours. This sign will take place tomorrow.” ’ ”

²⁴ So the Lord did it. Huge numbers of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace. They came into the homes of his officials. All over Egypt the flies destroyed the land.

²⁵ Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. He said to them, “Go. Offer sacrifices to your God here in the land.”

²⁶ But Moses said, “That wouldn’t be right. The sacrifices we offer to the Lord our God wouldn’t be accepted by the Egyptians because of their beliefs. For that reason, they would throw stones at us and try to kill us. ²⁷ We have to take a journey that lasts about three days. We want to go into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, just as he commands us.”

²⁸ Pharaoh said, “I will let you and your people go to offer sacrifices. You can offer them to the Lord your God in the desert. But you must not go very far. Now pray for me.”

²⁹ Moses replied, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord. Tomorrow the flies will leave you. They will also leave your officials and your people. Just be sure you don’t try to trick us again. Let the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

³⁰ Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. ³¹ And the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh, his officials and his people. Not one fly remained. ³² But Pharaoh became stubborn this time also. He wouldn’t let the people go.

The Plague on Livestock

9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Go to Pharaoh. Tell him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, “Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me. ² Do not refuse to let them go. Do not keep holding them back. ³ If you refuse, my powerful hand will bring a terrible plague on you. I will strike your livestock in the fields. I will strike your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep and goats. ⁴ But I will treat Israel’s livestock differently from yours. No animal that belongs to the people of Israel will die.” ’ ”

⁵ The Lord set a time for the plague. He said, “Tomorrow I will send it on the land.” ⁶ So the next day the Lord sent it. All the livestock of the Egyptians died. But not one animal that belonged to the Israelites died. ⁷ Pharaoh searched and found out what had happened. He discovered that not even one animal that belonged to the Israelites had died. But he was still very stubborn. He wouldn’t let the people go.

The Plague of Boils

⁸ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, “Take handfuls of ashes from a furnace. Have Moses toss them into the air in front of Pharaoh. ⁹ The ashes will turn into fine dust over the whole land of Egypt. Then painful boils will break out on people and animals all over the land. Their bodies will be covered with them.”

¹⁰ So Moses and Aaron took ashes from a furnace and stood in front of Pharaoh. Moses tossed them into the air. Then boils broke out on people and animals alike. ¹¹ The bodies of all the Egyptians were covered with boils. The magicians couldn’t stand in front of Moses because of the boils that were all over them. ¹² But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn. Pharaoh wouldn’t listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.

The Plague of Hail

¹³ Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Get up early in the morning. Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, “Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me. ¹⁴ If you do not let them go, I will send the full force of my plagues against you this time. They will strike your officials and your people. Then you will know that there is no one like me in the whole earth. ¹⁵ By now I could have reached out my hand. I could have struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. ¹⁶ But I had a special reason for making you king. I decided to show you my power. I wanted my name to become known everywhere on earth. ¹⁷ But you are still against my people. You will not let them go. ¹⁸ So at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm ever to fall on Egypt in its entire history. ¹⁹ Give an order now to bring your livestock inside to a safe place. Bring in everything that is outside. The hail will fall on all the people and animals that are left outside. They will die.” ’ ”

²⁰ The officials of Pharaoh who had respect for what the Lord had said obeyed him. They hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. ²¹ But others didn’t pay attention to what the Lord had said. They left their slaves and livestock outside.

²² Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Reach out your hand toward the sky. Then hail will fall all over Egypt. It will beat down on people and animals alike. It will strike everything growing in the fields of Egypt.” ²³ Moses reached out his walking stick toward the sky. Then the Lord sent thunder and hail. Lightning flashed down to the ground. The Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. ²⁴ Hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in Egypt’s entire history. ²⁵ Hail struck everything in the fields all over Egypt. It fell on people and animals alike. It beat down everything growing in the fields. It tore all the leaves off the trees. ²⁶ The only place it didn’t hail was in the area of Goshen. That’s where the people of Israel were.

²⁷ Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. “This time I’ve sinned,” he said to them. “The Lord has done what is right. I and my people have done what is wrong. ²⁸ Pray to the Lord, because we’ve had enough thunder and hail. I’ll let you and your people go. You don’t have to stay here any longer.”

²⁹ Moses replied, “When I’ve left the city, I’ll lift up my hands and pray to the Lord. The thunder will stop. There won’t be any more hail. Then you will know that the earth belongs to the Lord. ³⁰ But I know that you and your officials still don’t have any respect for the Lord God.”

³¹ The barley was ripe. The flax was in bloom. So they were both destroyed. ³² But the wheat and spelt weren’t destroyed. That’s because they ripen later.

³³ Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. Moses lifted up his hands and prayed to the Lord. The thunder and hail stopped. The rain didn’t pour down on the land any longer. ³⁴ Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail and thunder had stopped. So he sinned again. He and his officials became stubborn. ³⁵ So Pharaoh was stubborn. He wouldn’t let the people of Israel go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.

The Plague of Locusts

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh. I have made him stubborn. I have also made his officials stubborn so I can perform my signs among them. ² Then you will be able to tell your children and grandchildren how hard I was on the Egyptians. You can tell them I performed my signs among the people of Egypt. And all of you will know that I am the Lord.”

³ So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They said to him, “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, ‘How long will you refuse to obey me? Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me. ⁴ If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. ⁵ They will cover the ground so that it can’t be seen. They will eat what little you have left after the hail. That includes every tree growing in your fields. ⁶ They will fill your houses. They will be in the homes of all your officials and your people. Your parents and your people before them have never seen anything like it as long as they have lived here.’ ” Then Moses turned around and left Pharaoh.

⁷ Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a trap for us? Let the people go. Then they’ll be able to worship the Lord their God. After everything that’s happened, don’t you realize that Egypt is destroyed?”

⁸ Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go. Worship the Lord your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.”

⁹ Moses answered, “We’ll go with our young people and old people. We’ll go with our sons and daughters. We’ll take our flocks and herds. We are supposed to hold a feast to honor the Lord.”

¹⁰ Pharaoh said, “Suppose I ever let you go, along with your women and children. Then the Lord really will be with all of you! Clearly you are planning to do something bad. ¹¹ No! I’ll only allow the men to go and worship the Lord. After all, that’s what you have been asking for.” Then Pharaoh drove Moses and Aaron out of his sight.

¹² The Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand over Egypt so that locusts cover the land. They will eat up everything growing in the fields. They will eat up everything left by the hail.”

¹³ So Moses reached out his walking stick over Egypt. Then the Lord made an east wind blow across the land. It blew all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts. ¹⁴ Large numbers of them came down in every part of Egypt. There had never been a plague of locusts like it before. And there will never be one like it again. ¹⁵ The locusts covered the ground until it was black. They ate up everything left after the hail. They ate up everything growing in the fields. They ate up the fruit on the trees. There was nothing green left on any tree or plant in the whole land of Egypt.

¹⁶ Pharaoh quickly sent for Moses and Aaron. He said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God. I’ve also sinned against you. ¹⁷ Now forgive my sin one more time. Pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”

¹⁸ After Moses left Pharaoh, he prayed to the Lord. ¹⁹ The Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind. It picked up the locusts. It blew them into the Red Sea. Not even one locust was left anywhere in Egypt. ²⁰ But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn. So Pharaoh wouldn’t let the people of Israel go.

The Plague of Darkness

²¹ The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Reach out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt. It will be so dark that people can feel it.” ²² So Moses reached out his hand toward the sky. Then complete darkness covered Egypt for three days. ²³ No one could see anyone else or go anywhere for three days. But all the people of Israel had light where they lived.

²⁴ Then Pharaoh sent for Moses. He said to him, “Go. Worship the Lord. Even your women and children can go with you. Just leave your flocks and herds behind.”

²⁵ But Moses said, “You must allow us to take our animals. We need to offer them as sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord our God. ²⁶ Our livestock must also go with us. We have to use some of them to worship the Lord our God. We can’t leave even one animal behind. Until we get there, we won’t know what we are supposed to use to worship the Lord.”

²⁷ But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn. So he wouldn’t let the people go. ²⁸ Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you don’t come to see me again! If you do, you will die.”

²⁹ “I’ll do just as you say,” Moses replied. “I will never come to see you again.”

The Lord Announces the Tenth Plague

11 The Lord had spoken to Moses. He had said, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you and your people go. When he does, he will drive every one of you away. ² Tell the men and women alike to ask their neighbors for things made out of silver and gold.” ³ The Lord caused the Egyptians to treat the Israelites in a kind way. Pharaoh’s officials and the people had great respect for Moses.

⁴ Moses told Pharaoh, “The Lord says, ‘About midnight I will go through every part of Egypt. ⁵ Every oldest son in Egypt will die. The oldest son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, will die. The oldest son of every female slave, who works at her hand mill, will die. All the male animals born first to their mothers among the cattle will also die. ⁶ There will be loud crying all over Egypt. It will be worse than it’s ever been before. And nothing like it will ever be heard again. ⁷ But among the Israelites not even one dog will bark at any person or animal.’ Then you will know that the Lord treats Egypt differently from us. ⁸ All your officials will come and bow down to me. They will say, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you!’ After that, I will leave.” Moses was very angry when he left Pharaoh.

⁹ The Lord had spoken to Moses. He had said, “Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you. So I will multiply the amazing things I will do in Egypt.” ¹⁰ Moses and Aaron performed all these amazing things in the sight of Pharaoh. But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn. He wouldn’t let the people of Israel go out of his country.

The First Passover Sacrifice

12 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in Egypt. ² He said, “From now on, this month will be your first month. Each of your years will begin with it. ³ Speak to the whole community of Israel. Tell them that on the tenth day of this month each man must get a lamb from his flock. A lamb should be chosen for each family and home. ⁴ Suppose there are not enough people in your family to eat a whole lamb. Then you must share some of it with your nearest neighbor. You must add up the total number of people there are. You must decide how much lamb is needed for each person. ⁵ The animals you choose must be males that are a year old. They must not have any flaws. You may choose either sheep or goats. ⁶ Take care of them until the 14th day of the month. Then the whole community of Israel must kill them when the sun goes down. ⁷ Take some of the blood. Put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where you eat the lambs. ⁸ That same night eat the meat cooked over a fire. Also eat bitter plants. And eat bread made without yeast. ⁹ Do not eat the meat when it is raw. Don’t boil it in water. Instead, cook it over a fire. Cook the head, legs and inside parts. ¹⁰ Do not leave any of it until morning. If some is left over until morning, burn it up. ¹¹ Eat the meat while your coat is tucked into your belt. Put your sandals on your feet. Take your walking stick in your hand. Eat the food quickly. It is the Lord’s Passover.

¹² “That same night I will pass through Egypt. I will strike down all those born first among the people and animals. And I will judge all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. ¹³ The blood on your houses will be a sign for you. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. No deadly plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

¹⁴ “Always remember this day. You and your children after you must celebrate this day as a feast to honor the Lord. You must do this for all time to come. It is a law that will last forever. ¹⁵ For seven days eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your homes. For the next seven days, anyone who eats anything with yeast in it must be separated from Israel. ¹⁶ On the first and seventh days, come together for a sacred assembly. Do not work at all on these days. The only thing you are allowed to do is prepare food for everyone to eat.

¹⁷ “Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. I brought you out of Egypt on this very day like an army on the march. It is a law that will last for all time to come. ¹⁸ In the first month eat bread made without yeast. Eat it from the evening of the 14th day until the evening of the 21st day. ¹⁹ For seven days do not let any yeast be found in your homes. Anyone who eats anything with yeast in it must be separated from the community of Israel. That applies to outsiders and Israelites alike. ²⁰ Do not eat anything made with yeast. No matter where you live, eat bread made without yeast.”

²¹ Then Moses sent for all the elders of Israel. He said to them, “Go at once. Choose the animals for your families. Each family must kill a Passover lamb. ²² Get a branch of a hyssop plant. Dip it into the blood in the bowl. Put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you can go out of the door of your house until morning. ²³ The Lord will go through the land to strike down the Egyptians. He’ll see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. He will pass over that house. He won’t let the destroying angel enter your homes to strike you down.

²⁴ “Obey all these directions. It’s a law for you and your children after you for all time to come. ²⁵ The Lord will give you the land, just as he promised. When you enter it, keep this holy day. ²⁶ Your children will ask you, ‘What does this holy day mean to you?’ ²⁷ Tell them, ‘It’s the Passover sacrifice to honor the Lord. He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. He spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’ ” Then the Israelites bowed down and worshiped. ²⁸ They did just what the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron.

²⁹ At midnight the Lord struck down every oldest son in Egypt. He killed the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne. He killed all the oldest sons of prisoners. He also killed all the male animals born first to their mothers among the livestock. ³⁰ Pharaoh and all his officials got up during the night. So did all the Egyptians. There was loud crying in Egypt because someone had died in every home.

The Exodus

³¹ During the night, Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. He said to them, “Get out of here! You and the Israelites, leave my people! Go. Worship the Lord, just as you have asked.