Chronological
Moses Argues with God
4 Then Moses answered, “Look, they won’t believe me and they won’t listen to me.[a] Instead, they’ll say, ‘The Lord didn’t appear to you.’”
2 “What’s that in your hand?” the Lord asked him.
Moses[b] answered, “A staff.”[c]
3 Then God[d] said, “Throw it to the ground.” He threw it to the ground and it became a snake. Moses ran away from it.
4 Then God told Moses, “Reach out[e] and grab its tail.” So he reached out, grabbed it, and it became a staff[f] in his hand. 5 God said, “I’ve done this[g] so that they may believe that the Lord God of their ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”
6 Again the Lord told him, “Put your hand into your bosom.”[h] He put his hand into his bosom and as soon as he brought it out it was leprous, like snow.[i] 7 Then God[j] said, “Put your hand back into your bosom.” He returned it[k] to his bosom and as soon as he brought it out,[l] it was restored like the rest of[m] his skin.[n]
8 “Then if they don’t believe you and respond to the first sign, they may respond to the second[o] sign. 9 But if they don’t believe even these two signs, and won’t listen to you, then take some water out of the Nile River[p] and pour it on the dry ground. The water you took from the Nile River[q] will turn into blood on the dry ground.”
10 Then Moses told the Lord, “Please, Lord, I’m not eloquent.[r] I never was in the past[s] nor am I now since you spoke to your servant. In fact, I talk too slowly[t] and I have a speech impediment.”[u]
11 Then God asked him, “Who gives a person a mouth? Who makes him unable to speak, or deaf, or able to see, or blind, or lame? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now, go! I myself will help you with your speech,[v] and I’ll teach you what you are to say.”
13 Moses said, “Please, Lord, send somebody else.”[w]
14 Then the Lord was angry with Moses and said, “There’s your brother Aaron, a descendant of Levi, isn’t there? I know that he certainly is eloquent.[x] Right now he’s coming to meet you and he will be pleased to see you. 15 You’re to speak to him and tell him what to say.[y] I’ll help both you and him with your speech,[z] and I’ll teach both of you what you are to do. 16 He is to speak to the people for you as your spokesman[aa] and you are to act in the role of[ab] God for him. 17 Now pick up that staff with your hand. You’ll use it to perform the signs.”
Moses Decides to Return to Egypt
18 Moses left and returned to his father-in-law Jethro. Moses[ac] told him, “Please let me go and return to my own people[ad] in Egypt so I can see whether they’re still alive.”
Jethro told Moses, “Go in peace.”
19 The Lord told Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, because all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.” 20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on donkeys, and headed back to the land of Egypt. Moses took the staff of God in his hand.
21 Then the Lord told Moses, “When you set out to return to Egypt, keep in mind[ae] all the wonders that I’ve put in your power,[af] so that you may do them before Pharaoh. But I’ll harden his heart so that he won’t let the people go. 22 You are to say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Israel is my firstborn son. 23 And I say to you, ‘Let my son go so he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, then I will kill your firstborn son.’”’”
Zipporah Circumcises Moses’ Son
24 But later on, at the lodging place along the way, the Lord met Moses[ag] and was about to kill him. 25 Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched Moses’[ah] feet with it, saying while doing so,[ai] “…because you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” 26 Then the Lord[aj] withdrew from him, and she said, “…a bridegroom of blood because of circumcision.”
Moses and Aaron Meet and Return to Egypt
27 The Lord told Aaron, “Go meet Moses in the desert.” So Aaron[ak] went, found[al] him at the mountain of God, and embraced[am] him. 28 Moses told Aaron all of the Lord’s messages that he had sent with Moses, and all of the signs that he commanded him to do.[an] 29 Later, Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of Israel. 30 Aaron spoke everything that the Lord had spoken to Moses, and Moses[ao] performed the miracles[ap] before the very eyes of the people. 31 The people believed and understood[aq] that the Lord had paid attention to the Israelis and had seen their affliction. They bowed their heads and prostrated themselves in worship.
Pharaoh Refuses to Let the People Go
5 After Moses and Aaron arrived, they told Pharaoh, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Let my people go so they may make a pilgrimage for me in the desert.’”
2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord that I should listen to[ar] him and let Israel go? I don’t know about[as] the Lord, nor will I let Israel go!”
3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God so he does not strike us with pestilence or sword.”[at]
4 The king of Egypt replied to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping the people from their labor? Go back to your work!”[au] 5 Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people in the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”[av]
Pharaoh Increases the Israelis’ Work
6 That day Pharaoh ordered the taskmasters of the people and their officials, 7 “You’re no longer to give the people straw for making bricks, as in the past.[aw] They must gather straw for themselves. 8 But you’re to impose the previous quota[ax] of bricks that they’re making. You’re not to reduce it! It is because they’re lazy that they’re crying out, ‘Let’s go offer sacrifices to our God.’ 9 So increase the work load on the people,[ay] and let them do it so they don’t pay attention to deceptive speeches.”
10 Then the taskmasters of the people and their officials went out and told the people, “This is Pharaoh’s response: ‘I’ll no longer give you any[az] straw. 11 Go get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work quotas won’t be reduced at all.’”[ba] 12 So the people scattered throughout the entire land of Egypt to collect stubble[bb] for straw.
13 The taskmasters pressured them by saying, “Finish your work—each day’s quota[bc]—just as when you were given straw.”[bd]
14 The Israeli supervisors whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had appointed over them were beaten and told,[be] “Why didn’t you, both yesterday and today, fulfill[bf] your quota[bg] for making bricks as before?”
The Israelis’ Appeal Rejected by Pharaoh
15 The Israeli supervisors came and cried out to Pharaoh, “Why are you doing this to us?[bh] 16 No straw is being given to us, yet they’re saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, we are being beaten. It’s wrong how you are treating your people!”
17 Then Pharaoh[bi] said, “You are lazy, lazy! That’s why[bj] you’re saying, ‘Let’s go offer sacrifices to the Lord.’ 18 Now, go! Get to work! And straw won’t be given to you, but you are to deliver the same[bk] number of bricks!” 19 The Israeli supervisors realized they were in trouble when he said,[bl] “You won’t reduce each day’s quota of bricks!”[bm]
The Israelis Blame Moses and Moses Complains to God
20 As they left Pharaoh’s presence,[bn] they met Moses and Aaron standing there.[bo] 21 The supervisors[bp] told them, “May the Lord look on you and judge you![bq] You have made us repulsive to[br] Pharaoh and his servants. You have put[bs] a sword in their hands to kill us.”
22 So Moses returned to the Lord and asked him, “Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? Why have you sent me here? 23 Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has caused trouble for this people, and you have done nothing to deliver your people.”
God Promises to Deliver Israel
6 The Lord told Moses, “Now you’re about to see what I’ll do to Pharaoh. Indeed, he’ll send them out under compulsion[bt] and he’ll drive them out of his land violently.”[bu]
2 Later, God told Moses, “I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty,[bv] and did I not reveal to them my name ‘Lord’? 4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they lived as resident aliens for a time. 5 Also, I’ve heard the groaning of the Israelis whom the Egyptians have forced to labor for them, and I’ve remembered my covenant. 6 Therefore, tell the Israelis, ‘I am the Lord. I’ll bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I’ll deliver you from their bondage. I’ll redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.[bw] 7 I’ll take you for my own people,[bx] and I’ll be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I’ll bring you to the land that I swore[by] to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I’ll give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”
9 Then Moses reported this to the Israelis, but they did not listen to Moses due to their irritation and impatience because there was no deliverance[bz] and because of the cruel bondage.
10 Then the Lord told Moses, 11 “Go, speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, that he should let the Israelis go out of his land.”
12 Then Moses said right in front of the Lord, “Look, the Israelis didn’t listen to me, so how will Pharaoh? I’m not a persuasive speaker.”[ca] 13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, issuing orders to them regarding the Israelis for delivery to Pharaoh, king of Egypt; that is, to bring the Israelis out of the land of Egypt.
Genealogies of Moses and Aaron
14 These are the heads of their ancestors’ households: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch and Pallu; Hezron and Carmi.
These are the families of Reuben, including 15 Simeon’s sons Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the Canaanite woman’s son. These are the families of Simeon.
16 These are the names of Levi’s sons according to their genealogies: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived[cb] 137 years. 17 Gershon’s sons were Libni and Shimei, according to their families. 18 Kohath’s descendants included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Now Kohath lived for 133 years. 19 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the descendants of Levi, according to their genealogies.
20 Amram married Jochebed, his father’s sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived for 137 years. 21 The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
23 Then Aaron married Elisheba daughter of Amminadab, sister of Nahshon. She bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24 The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These were the families of the descendants of Korah. 25 Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of Putiel’s daughters, and she bore him Phineas. These are the heads of the ancestors of the descendants of Levi, according to their families.
26 This is the same Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelis out of the land of Egypt by their tribal divisions.” 27 They were the ones speaking to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to bring the Israelis out of Egypt; this is that same Moses and Aaron.
Moses Doubts that Pharaoh will Listen
28 And it happened when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt 29 that the Lord told Moses, “I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, everything that I’m saying to you.”
30 Moses said in the presence of the Lord, “Look, I’m not a persuasive speaker,[cc] so how will Pharaoh listen to me?”
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