Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

¹⁷ `Then it was almost time for God to do what he had promised to Abraham. The family of Jacob had become very large in Egypt.

¹⁸ Then a new king who did not know Joseph ruled over Egypt.

¹⁹ This king was not kind to our fathers but he gave them a hard time. They had to put their babies outside to die.

²⁰ `Moses was born during that time. He was a very fine baby. For three months he was raised in his own father's home.

²¹ When he was put outside to die, Pharaoh's daughter took him. She raised him as her own son.

²² Moses was taught all the things the Egyptians knew. He knew how to talk and could do great things.

²³ `When he was forty years old he decided to visit his own family, the people of Israel.

²⁴ There he saw one of them being hurt by an Egyptian. So he helped him. He fought for him and knocked down the Egyptian.

²⁵ He thought his people would know that God wanted him to make them free. But they did not understand.

²⁶ The next day he saw two of his own people fighting and he wanted to make peace. "You are brothers," he said. "Why are you fighting?"

²⁷ But the one who was fighting his neighbour pushed Moses away. He said, "Who made you our ruler and our judge?

²⁸ Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?"

²⁹ When Moses heard these words, he left Egypt at once. He lived as a stranger in the country of Midian. While he was there, two sons were born to him.

³⁰ `When forty years had passed, he was in the wilderness near the hill called Sinai. There he saw fire in a small tree. An angel of the Lord was in the fire.

³¹ Moses looked at it. He was very much surprised. He came closer to look at it better. Then he heard the Lord speak to him.

³² The Lord said, "I am the God of your fathers. I am the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob." Moses began to shake. He was afraid to look.

³³ Then the Lord said, "Take off your shoes. You are standing on holy ground.

³⁴ I have looked and seen the trouble my people have in Egypt. I have heard them crying and I have come to make them free. Now come, I will send you to Egypt."

³⁵ `This is the same Moses the people would not accept when they said, "Who made you our ruler and our judge?" This is the one God sent to be their ruler and to make them free when he spoke through the angel in the small tree.

³⁶ It was Moses who led the people out of Egypt. He had done wonderful things and signs there, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness, for forty years.

³⁷ `This is the same Moses who said, "God will raise up one of your brothers to be a prophet, as he did me. Listen to him."

³⁸ This is the same Moses who was with God's people in the wilderness at the hill called Mount Sinai. He was with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers of long ago . It was he who received the words of life to give to us.

³⁹ `Our fathers would not obey Moses. They did not want him to lead them. They wished they were back in Egypt.

⁴⁰ They said to Aaron, "Make gods to lead us. We do not know what has happened to this Moses who brought us out of Egypt."