Exodus

1 Now these are the names of the sons of Israel, who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with Ya’akov): ²Re’uven, Shim’on, Levi, and Y’hudah, ³Yissakhar, Z’vulun, and Binyamin, ⁴Dan and Naftali, Gad and Asher. ⁵And all the souls that came out of the loins of Ya’akov were seventy souls: and Yosef was in Egypt already. ⁶And Yosef 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 a new king over Egypt, who knew not Yosef. ⁹And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: ¹⁰come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and fight against us, and 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 store-cities, Pithom and Ra’amses. ¹²But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And they were grieved because of the children of Isra’el. ¹³And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor: ¹⁴and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, wherein they made them serve with rigor. 

¹⁵And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shifrah, and the name of the other Pu’ah: ¹⁶and he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birth-stool; 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 midwife come unto them. ²⁰And 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 households. 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 she put the child therein, and laid it in the flags by the river’s brink. ⁴And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. ⁵And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river-side; and she saw the ark among the flags, and sent her handmaid to fetch it. ⁶And she opened it, and 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 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 maiden 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 woman 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 Moshe, and said, Because I drew him out of the water. 

¹¹And it came to pass in those days, when Moshe was grown up, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he saw an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren. ¹²And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he smote the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. ¹³And he went out the second day, and, behold, two men of the Hebrews were striving 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? thinkest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moshe feared, and said, Surely the thing is known. ¹⁵Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moshe. But Moshe 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 Moshe 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 moreover he drew water 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 Moshe was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moshe Tzipporah his daughter. ²²And she bare a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land. 

²³And it came to pass in the course of those many days, 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 Avraham, with Yitz’chak, and with Ya’akov. ²⁵And God saw the children of Israel, and God took knowledge of them. 

3 Now Moshe was keeping the flock of Yitro his father-in-law, the priest of Midyan: and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God, unto Horev. ²And the angel of Yehovah 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 Moshe said, I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. ⁴And when Yehovah saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moshe, Moshe. 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 Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak, and the God of Ya’akov. And Moshe hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. ⁷And Yehovah said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people that 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 Kena’ani, and the Hitti, and the Emori, and the P’rizi, and the Hivi, and the Y’vusi. ⁹And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: moreover I have 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 Isra’el out of Egypt. ¹¹And Moshe 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 the 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 Moshe 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 Moshe, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Isra’el, I AM hath sent me unto you. ¹⁵And God said moreover unto Moshe, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, Yehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak, and the God of Ya’akov, 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 Isra’el together, and say unto them, Yehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, of Yitz’chak, and of Ya’akov, hath 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 Kena’ani, and the Hiti, and the Emori, and the P’rizi, and the Hivi, and the Y’vusi, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. ¹⁸And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Isra’el, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, Yehovah, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us: and now let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Yehovah our God. ¹⁹And I know that the king of Egypt will not give you leave to go, no, not by a mighty hand. ²⁰And I will put forth 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 favor 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 ask of her neighbor, 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 despoil the Egyptians. 

4 And Moshe answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, Yehovah hath not appeared unto thee. ²And Yehovah said unto him, What is that in thy 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 Moshe fled from before it. ⁴And Yehovah said unto Moshe, Put forth thy hand, and take it by the tail: (and he put forth his hand, and laid hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand); ⁵that they may believe that Yehovah, the God of their fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak, and the God of Ya’akov, hath appeared unto thee. ⁶And Yehovah said furthermore unto him, Put now thy hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. ⁷And he said, Put thy hand into thy bosom again. (And he put his hand into his bosom again; and when he took it out of his bosom, 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 even 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 Moshe said unto Yehovah, Oh, Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. ¹¹And Yehovah said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh a man dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? is it not I, Yehovah? ¹²Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt speak. ¹³And he said, Oh, Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. ¹⁴And the anger of Yehovah was kindled against Moshe, and he said, Is there not Aaron thy brother the Levite? 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 the 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 it shall come to pass, that he shall be to thee a mouth, and thou shalt be to him as God. ¹⁷And thou shalt take in thy hand this rod, wherewith thou shalt do the signs. 

¹⁸And Moshe went and returned to Yitro his father-in-law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren that are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Yitro said to Moshe, Go in peace. ¹⁹And Yehovah said unto Moshe in Midyan, Go, return into Egypt; for all the men are dead that sought thy life. ²⁰And Moshe took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moshe took the rod of God in his hand. ²¹And Yehovah said unto Moshe, When thou goest back into Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in thy hand: but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. ²²And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith Yehovah, Israel is my son, my first-born: ²³and I have said unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me; and thou hast refused to let him go: behold, I will slay thy son, thy first-born. ²⁴And it came to pass on the way at the lodging-place, that Yehovah met him, and sought to kill him. ²⁵Then Tzipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, Surely a bridegroom of blood art thou to me. ²⁶So he let him alone. Then she said, A bridegroom of blood art thou, because of the circumcision. 

²⁷And Yehovah said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moshe. And he went, and met him in the mountain of God, and kissed him. ²⁸And Moshe told Aaron all the words of Yehovah wherewith he had sent him, and all the signs wherewith he had charged him. ²⁹And Moshe and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Isra’el: ³⁰and Aaron spake all the words which Yehovah had spoken unto Moshe, and did the signs in the sight of the people. ³¹And the people believed: and when they heard that Yehovah had visited the children of Isra’el, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped. 

5 And afterward Moshe and Aaron came, and said unto Pharaoh, Thus saith Yehovah, the God of Isra’el, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness. ²And Pharaoh said, Who is Yehovah, that I should hearken unto his voice to let Israel go? I know not Yehovah, and moreover I will not 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 wilderness, and sacrifice unto Yehovah our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. ⁴And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moshe and Aaron, loose the people from their works? get you unto your burdens. ⁵And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land are now many, and ye make them rest from their burdens. ⁶And the same day Pharaoh commanded 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 number of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof: for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God. ⁹Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard lying 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 yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it: for nought of your work shall be diminished. ¹²So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. ¹³And the taskmasters were urgent saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw. ¹⁴And the officers of the children of Isra’el, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task both yesterday and to-day, in making brick as heretofore? 

¹⁵Then the officers of the children of Isra’el 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 sacrifice to Yehovah. ¹⁸Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the number of bricks. ¹⁹And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, when it was said, Ye shall not diminish aught from your bricks, your daily tasks. ²⁰And they met Moshe and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: ²¹and they said unto them, Yehovah look upon you, and judge: because ye have made our savor 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 Moshe returned unto Yehovah, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou dealt ill with this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? ²³For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath dealt ill with this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.

6 And Yehovah said unto Moshe, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for by a strong hand shall he let them go, and by a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.