Genesis 46:1-4

New International Version

Jacob Goes to Egypt

46 So Israel^(A) set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba,^(B) he offered sacrifices^(C) to the God of his father Isaac.^(D)

²And God spoke to Israel^(E) in a vision at night^(F) and said, “Jacob! Jacob!”

“Here I am,”^(G) he replied.

³“I am God, the God of your father,”^(H) he said. “Do not be afraid^(I) to go down to Egypt,^(J) for I will make you into a great nation^(K) there.^(L) ⁴I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again.^(M) And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.^(N)”

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Genesis 46:1-4

King James Version

46 And Israel took his journey with all that he had, and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.

²And God spake unto Israel in the visions of the night, and said, Jacob, Jacob. And he said, Here am I.

³And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:

⁴I will go down with thee into Egypt; and I will also surely bring thee up again: and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes.

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Genesis 26:2

New International Version

²The Lord appeared^(A) to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt;^(B) live in the land where I tell you to live.^(C)

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Genesis 26:2

King James Version

²And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

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Genesis 46:3

New International Version

³“I am God, the God of your father,”^(A) he said. “Do not be afraid^(B) to go down to Egypt,^(C) for I will make you into a great nation^(D) there.^(E)

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Genesis 46:3

King James Version

³And he said, I am God, the God of thy father: fear not to go down into Egypt; for I will there make of thee a great nation:

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Proverbs 3:5-6

New International Version

⁵Trust in the Lord^(A) with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
⁶in all your ways submit to him,
and he will make your paths^(B) straight.^[a]^(C)

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Footnotes

Proverbs 3:6 Or will direct your paths

Proverbs 3:5-6

King James Version

⁵Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

⁶In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

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James 1:5-7

New International Version

⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,^(A) who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.^(B) ⁶But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt,^(C) because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. ⁷That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.

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James 1:5-7

King James Version

⁵If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

⁶But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

⁷For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

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Exodus 1-9

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: ²Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; ³Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; ⁴Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.^(B) ⁵The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy^[a] in all;^(C) Joseph was already in Egypt.

⁶Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,^(D) ⁷but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers^(E) and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.

⁸Then 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) ¹⁰Come, 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)

¹¹So 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. ¹²But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites ¹³and worked them ruthlessly.^(O) ¹⁴They 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)

¹⁵The 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) ¹⁷The 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. ¹⁸Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

¹⁹The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”^(W)

²⁰So God was kind to the midwives^(X) and the people increased and became even more numerous. ²¹And because the midwives feared^(Y) God, he gave them families^(Z) of their own.

²²Then 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) ²and 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) ³But 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. ⁴His sister^(AJ) stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

⁵Then 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. ⁶She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.

⁷Then 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. ⁹Pharaoh’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. ¹⁰When 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

¹¹One 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. ¹²Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. ¹³The 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)

¹⁴The 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.”

¹⁵When 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. ¹⁶Now 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. ¹⁷Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue^(AX) and watered their flock.^(AY)

¹⁸When the girls returned to Reuel^(AZ) their father, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”

¹⁹They 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)

²¹Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah^(BB) to Moses in marriage. ²²Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom,^[d]^(BC) saying, “I have become a foreigner^(BD) in a foreign land.”

²³During 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. ²⁴God heard their groaning and he remembered^(BI) his covenant^(BJ) with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. ²⁵So 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. ²There 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. ³So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

⁴When 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) ⁶Then 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)

⁷The 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) ⁸So 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) ⁹And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing^(CJ) them. ¹⁰So now, go. I am sending^(CK) you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”^(CL)

¹¹But Moses said to God, “Who am I^(CM) that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

¹²And 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)”

¹³Moses 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?”

¹⁴God 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.’”

¹⁵God 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. ¹⁷And 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.’ ¹⁹But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand^(DG) compels him. ²⁰So 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) ²²Every 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’?”

²Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

“A staff,”^(DR) he replied.

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

Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake,^(DS) and he ran from it. ⁴Then 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.”

⁶Then 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.

⁸Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe^(DW) you or pay attention to the first sign,^(DX) they may believe the second. ⁹But 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.”

¹⁰Moses 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)

¹¹The 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? ¹²Now go;^(EC) I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”^(ED)

¹³But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”^(EE)

¹⁴Then 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. ¹⁵You 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. ¹⁶He 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) ¹⁷But take this staff^(EK) in your hand^(EL) so you can perform the signs^(EM) with it.”

Moses Returns to Egypt

¹⁸Then 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.”

¹⁹Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill^(EN) you are dead.^(EO)” ²⁰So 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.

²¹The 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) ²²Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son,^(EU) ²³and 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)

²⁴At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses^[j] and was about to kill^(EY) him. ²⁵But 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. ²⁶So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)

²⁷The 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. ²⁸Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform.

²⁹Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders^(FD) of the Israelites, ³⁰and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs^(FE) before the people, ³¹and they believed.^(FF) And when they heard that the Lord was concerned^(FG) about them and had seen their misery,^(FH) they bowed down and worshiped.^(FI)

Bricks Without Straw

5 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go,^(FJ) so that they may hold a festival^(FK) to me in the wilderness.’”

²Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord,^(FL) that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”^(FM)

³Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journey^(FN) into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagues^(FO) or with the sword.”

⁴But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor?^(FP) Get back to your work!” ⁵Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous,^(FQ) and you are stopping them from working.”

⁶That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers^(FR) and overseers in charge of the people: ⁷“You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks;^(FS) let them go and gather their own straw. ⁸But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota.^(FT) They are lazy;^(FU) that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’^(FV) ⁹Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”

¹⁰Then the slave drivers^(FW) and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. ¹¹Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced^(FX) at all.’” ¹²So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. ¹³The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” ¹⁴And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed,^(FY) demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”

¹⁵Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? ¹⁶Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”

¹⁷Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy!^(FZ) That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ ¹⁸Now get to work.^(GA) You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”

¹⁹The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.” ²⁰When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, ²¹and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judge^(GB) you! You have made us obnoxious^(GC) to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword^(GD) in their hand to kill us.”^(GE)

God Promises Deliverance

²²Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people?^(GF) Is this why you sent me? ²³Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescued^(GG) your people at all.”

6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand^(GH) he will let them go;^(GI) because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”^(GJ)

²God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord.^(GK) ³I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty,^[l]^(GL) but by my name^(GM) the Lord^[m]^(GN) I did not make myself fully known to them. ⁴I also established my covenant^(GO) with them to give them the land^(GP) of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners.^(GQ) ⁵Moreover, I have heard the groaning^(GR) of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.^(GS)

⁶“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.^(GT) I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem^(GU) you with an outstretched arm^(GV) and with mighty acts of judgment.^(GW) ⁷I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.^(GX) Then you will know^(GY) that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. ⁸And I will bring you to the land^(GZ) I swore^(HA) with uplifted hand^(HB) to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.^(HC) I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”^(HD)

⁹Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.^(HE)

¹⁰Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹¹“Go, tell^(HF) Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.”^(HG)

¹²But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listen^(HH) to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips^[n]?”^(HI)

Family Record of Moses and Aaron

¹³Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.^(HJ)

¹⁴These were the heads of their families^[o]:^(HK)

The sons of Reuben^(HL) the firstborn son of Israel were Hanok and Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. These were the clans of Reuben.

¹⁵The sons of Simeon^(HM) were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon.

¹⁶These were the names of the sons of Levi^(HN) according to their records: Gershon,^(HO) Kohath and Merari.^(HP) Levi lived 137 years.

¹⁷The sons of Gershon, by clans, were Libni and Shimei.^(HQ)

¹⁸The sons of Kohath^(HR) were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.^(HS) Kohath lived 133 years.

¹⁹The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi.^(HT)

These were the clans of Levi according to their records.

²⁰Amram^(HU) married his father’s sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses.^(HV) Amram lived 137 years.

²¹The sons of Izhar^(HW) were Korah, Nepheg and Zikri.

²²The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan^(HX) and Sithri.

²³Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab^(HY) and sister of Nahshon,^(HZ) and she bore him Nadab and Abihu,^(IA) Eleazar^(IB) and Ithamar.^(IC)

²⁴The sons of Korah^(ID) were Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. These were the Korahite clans.

²⁵Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas.^(IE)

These were the heads of the Levite families, clan by clan.

²⁶It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypt^(IF) by their divisions.”^(IG) ²⁷They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh^(IH) king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt—this same Moses and Aaron.^(II)

Aaron to Speak for Moses

²⁸Now when the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt, ²⁹he said to him, “I am the Lord.^(IJ) Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.”

³⁰But Moses said to the Lord, “Since I speak with faltering lips,^(IK) why would Pharaoh listen to me?”

7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God^(IL) to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.^(IM) ²You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. ³But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,^(IN) and though I multiply my signs and wonders^(IO) in Egypt, ⁴he will not listen^(IP) to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment^(IQ) I will bring out my divisions,^(IR) my people the Israelites. ⁵And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord^(IS) when I stretch out my hand^(IT) against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

⁶Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded^(IU) them. ⁷Moses was eighty years old^(IV) and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake

⁸The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ⁹“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,^(IW)’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”^(IX)

¹⁰So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. ¹¹Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers,^(IY) and the Egyptian magicians^(IZ) also did the same things by their secret arts:^(JA) ¹²Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. ¹³Yet Pharaoh’s heart^(JB) became hard and he would not listen^(JC) to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Blood

¹⁴Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding;^(JD) he refuses to let the people go. ¹⁵Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river.^(JE) Confront him on the bank of the Nile,^(JF) and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. ¹⁶Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship^(JG) me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.^(JH) ¹⁷This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord:^(JI) With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.^(JJ) ¹⁸The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink;^(JK) the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’”^(JL)

¹⁹The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff^(JM) and stretch out your hand^(JN) over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels^[p] of wood and stone.”

²⁰Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded.^(JO) He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile,^(JP) and all the water was changed into blood.^(JQ) ²¹The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.

²²But the Egyptian magicians^(JR) did the same things by their secret arts,^(JS) and Pharaoh’s heart^(JT) became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. ²³Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. ²⁴And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water^(JU), because they could not drink the water of the river.

The Plague of Frogs

²⁵Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile. 8 ¹^[q]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship^(JV) me. ²If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs^(JW) on your whole country. ³The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people,^(JX) and into your ovens and kneading troughs.^(JY) ⁴The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”

⁵Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff^(JZ) over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs^(KA) come up on the land of Egypt.’”

⁶So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs^(KB) came up and covered the land. ⁷But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts;^(KC) they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

⁸Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray^(KD) to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices^(KE) to the Lord.”

⁹Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time^(KF) for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.”

¹⁰“Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.

Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God.^(KG) ¹¹The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”

¹²After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. ¹³And the Lord did what Moses asked.^(KH) The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. ¹⁴They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. ¹⁵But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief,^(KI) he hardened his heart^(KJ) and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Gnats

¹⁶Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff^(KK) and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.” ¹⁷They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats^(KL) came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. ¹⁸But when the magicians^(KM) tried to produce gnats by their secret arts,^(KN) they could not.

Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, ¹⁹the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger^(KO) of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart^(KP) was hard and he would not listen,^(KQ) just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Flies

²⁰Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning^(KR) and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship^(KS) me. ²¹If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.

²²“‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen,^(KT) where my people live;^(KU) no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know^(KV) that I, the Lord, am in this land. ²³I will make a distinction^[r] between my people and your people.^(KW) This sign will occur tomorrow.’”

²⁴And the Lord did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials; throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies.^(KX)

²⁵Then Pharaoh summoned^(KY) Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”

²⁶But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians.^(KZ) And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? ²⁷We must take a three-day journey^(LA) into the wilderness to offer sacrifices^(LB) to the Lord our God, as he commands us.”

²⁸Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray^(LC) for me.”

²⁹Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only let Pharaoh be sure that he does not act deceitfully^(LD) again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

³⁰Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord,^(LE) ³¹and the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. ³²But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart^(LF) and would not let the people go.

The Plague on Livestock

9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship^(LG) me.” ²If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, ³the hand^(LH) of the Lord will bring a terrible plague^(LI) on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. ⁴But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt,^(LJ) so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’”

⁵The Lord set a time and said, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.” ⁶And the next day the Lord did it: All the livestock^(LK) of the Egyptians died,^(LL) but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. ⁷Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart^(LM) was unyielding and he would not let the people go.^(LN)

The Plague of Boils

⁸Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. ⁹It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils^(LO) will break out on people and animals throughout the land.”

¹⁰So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals. ¹¹The magicians^(LP) could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians. ¹²But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart^(LQ) and he would not listen^(LR) to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.

The Plague of Hail

¹³Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship^(LS) me, ¹⁴or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know^(LT) that there is no one like^(LU) me in all the earth. ¹⁵For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people^(LV) with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. ¹⁶But I have raised you up^[s] for this very purpose,^(LW) that I might show you my power^(LX) and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. ¹⁷You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. ¹⁸Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm^(LY) that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now.^(LZ) ¹⁹Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every person and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.’”

²⁰Those officials of Pharaoh who feared^(MA) the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. ²¹But those who ignored^(MB) the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.

²²Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt—on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.” ²³When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder^(MC) and hail,^(MD) and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt; ²⁴hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation.^(ME) ²⁵Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree.^(MF) ²⁶The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen,^(MG) where the Israelites were.^(MH)

²⁷Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,”^(MI) he said to them. “The Lord is in the right,^(MJ) and I and my people are in the wrong. ²⁸Pray^(MK) to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go;^(ML) you don’t have to stay any longer.”

²⁹Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands^(MM) in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth^(MN) is the Lord’s.

Footnotes

Exodus 1:5 Masoretic Text (see also Gen. 46:27); Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint (see also Acts 7:14 and note at Gen. 46:27) seventy-five
Exodus 2:3 The Hebrew can also mean ark, as in Gen. 6:14.
Exodus 2:10 Moses sounds like the Hebrew for draw out.
Exodus 2:22 Gershom sounds like the Hebrew for a foreigner there.
Exodus 3:6 Masoretic Text; Samaritan Pentateuch (see Acts 7:32) fathers
Exodus 3:12 The Hebrew is plural.
Exodus 3:14 Or I will be what I will be
Exodus 3:15 The Hebrew for Lord sounds like and may be related to the Hebrew for I am in verse 14.
Exodus 4:6 The Hebrew word for leprous was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
Exodus 4:24 Hebrew him
Exodus 4:25 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
Exodus 6:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai
Exodus 6:3 See note at 3:15.
Exodus 6:12 Hebrew I am uncircumcised of lips; also in verse 30
Exodus 6:14 The Hebrew for families here and in verse 25 refers to units larger than clans.
Exodus 7:19 Or even on their idols
Exodus 8:1 In Hebrew texts 8:1-4 is numbered 7:26-29, and 8:5-32 is numbered 8:1-28.
Exodus 8:23 Septuagint and Vulgate; Hebrew will put a deliverance
Exodus 9:16 Or have spared you

Exodus 1-9

King James Version

1 Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.

²Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

³Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

⁴Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

⁵And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.

⁶And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.

⁷And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

⁸Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

⁹And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:

¹⁰Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.

¹¹Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.

¹²But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

¹³And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:

¹⁴And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.

¹⁵And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:

¹⁶And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

¹⁷But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

¹⁸And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?

¹⁹And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.

²⁰Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

²¹And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.

²²And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

2 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.

²And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

³And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.

⁴And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

⁵And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

⁶And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.

⁷Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

⁸And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.

⁹And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and nursed it.

¹⁰And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

¹¹And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.

¹²And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

¹³And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?

¹⁴And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.

¹⁵Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

¹⁶Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.

¹⁷And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

¹⁸And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?

¹⁹And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.

²⁰And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.

²¹And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

²²And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

²³And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

²⁴And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

²⁵And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

3 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

²And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

³And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

⁴And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

⁵And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.

⁶Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

⁷And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;

⁸And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

⁹Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

¹⁰Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

¹¹And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

¹²And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

¹³And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?

¹⁴And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.

¹⁵And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

¹⁶Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:

¹⁷And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.

¹⁸And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.

¹⁹And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.

²⁰And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.

²¹And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty.

²²But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.

4 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.

²And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.

³And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

⁴And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:

⁵That they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.

⁶And the Lord said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.

⁷And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.

⁸And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

⁹And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.

¹⁰And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

¹¹And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?

¹²Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

¹³And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.

¹⁴And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.

¹⁵And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.

¹⁶And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.

¹⁷And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.

¹⁸And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

¹⁹And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.

²⁰And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

²¹And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

²²And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:

²³And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.

²⁴And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him.

²⁵Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.

²⁶So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

²⁷And the Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.

²⁸And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.

²⁹And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:

³⁰And Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.

³¹And the people believed: and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

5 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

²And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

³And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.

⁴And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.

⁵And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.

⁶And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

⁷Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

⁸And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

⁹Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

¹⁰And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.

¹¹Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.

¹²So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

¹³And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

¹⁴And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?

¹⁵Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

¹⁶There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.

¹⁷But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord.

¹⁸Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.

¹⁹And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.

²⁰And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

²¹And they said unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

²²And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?

²³For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.

6 Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.

²And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord:

³And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.

⁴And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.

⁵And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.

⁶Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:

⁷And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

⁸And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord.

⁹And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

¹⁰And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,

¹¹Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.

¹²And Moses spake before the Lord, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?

¹³And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁴These be the heads of their fathers' houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben.

¹⁵And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman: these are the families of Simeon.

¹⁶And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.

¹⁷The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families.

¹⁸And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years.

¹⁹And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations.

²⁰And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.

²¹And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri.

²²And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri.

²³And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

²⁴And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites.

²⁵And Eleazar Aaron's son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families.

²⁶These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the Lord said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.

²⁷These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron.

²⁸And it came to pass on the day when the Lord spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt,

²⁹That the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, I am the Lord: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee.

³⁰And Moses said before the Lord, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?

7 And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.

²Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.

³And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

⁴But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

⁵And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

⁶And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them, so did they.

⁷And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

⁸And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

⁹When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.

¹⁰And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

¹¹Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

¹²For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

¹³And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.

¹⁴And the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.

¹⁵Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.

¹⁶And thou shalt say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.

¹⁷Thus saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

¹⁸And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.

¹⁹And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.

²⁰And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.

²¹And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

²²And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the Lord had said.

²³And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.

²⁴And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.

²⁵And seven days were fulfilled, after that the Lord had smitten the river.

8 And the Lord spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

²And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:

³And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs:

⁴And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.

⁵And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.

⁶And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

⁷And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

⁸Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the Lord, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord.

⁹And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?

¹⁰And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God.

¹¹And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only.

¹²And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the Lord because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.

¹³And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.

¹⁴And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.

¹⁵But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.

¹⁶And the Lord said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

¹⁷And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

¹⁸And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.

¹⁹Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.

²⁰And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

²¹Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

²²And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.

²³And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.

²⁴And the Lord did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.

²⁵And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.

²⁶And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?

²⁷We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our God, as he shall command us.

²⁸And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.

²⁹And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.

³⁰And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the Lord.

³¹And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one.

³²And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.

9 Then the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

²For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,

³Behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.

⁴And the Lord shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children's of Israel.

⁵And the Lord appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the Lord shall do this thing in the land.

⁶And the Lord did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.

⁷And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

⁸And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.

⁹And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.

¹⁰And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.

¹¹And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.

¹²And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had spoken unto Moses.

¹³And the Lord said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

¹⁴For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.

¹⁵For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.

¹⁶And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.

¹⁷As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?

¹⁸Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.

¹⁹Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.

²⁰He that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses:

²¹And he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his servants and his cattle in the field.

²²And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.

²³And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt.

²⁴So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.

²⁵And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.

²⁶Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.

²⁷And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

²⁸Intreat the Lord (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.

²⁹And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the Lord; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the Lord's.

³⁰But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the Lord God.

³¹And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled.

³²But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up.

³³And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the Lord: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth.

³⁴And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

³⁵And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the Lord had spoken by Moses.

'Exodus 1-12' not found for the version: New International Version.