EXODUS

Chapter 1

Israel Multiplies in Egypt

1 Now these are the anames of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; they came each one 1with his household:

2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah;

3 Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin;

4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

5 All the 1persons who came from the loins of Jacob were aseventy 2in number, but Joseph was already in Egypt.

6 aJoseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation.

7 But the sons of Israel awere fruitful and 1increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly 2mighty, so that the land was filled with them.

8 Now a new aking arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

9 aHe said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are 1more and mightier than we.

10 “Come, let us adeal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and 1in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and 2depart from the land.”

11 So they appointed ataskmasters over them to afflict them with 1bhard labor. And they built for Pharaoh cstorage cities, Pithom and dRaamses.

12 But the more they afflicted them, athe more they multiplied and the more they 1spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel.

13 The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel ato labor rigorously;

14 and they made atheir lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously 1imposed on them.

15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom 1was named Shiphrah and the other 1was named Puah;

16 and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, aif it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”

17 But the midwives 1afeared God, and bdid not do as the king of Egypt had 2commanded them, but let the boys live.

18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?”

19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife 1can get to them.”

20 So aGod was good to the midwives, and bthe people multiplied, and became very 1mighty.

21 Because the midwives 1afeared God, He 2bestablished 3households for them.

22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “aEvery son who is born 1you are to cast into bthe Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive.”

Chapter 2

The Birth of Moses

1 Now a man from athe house of Levi went and 1married a daughter of Levi.

2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw 1that he was 2abeautiful, she hid him for three months.

3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a 1awicker 2basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the breeds by the bank of the Nile.

4 aHis sister stood at a distance to 1find out what would 2happen to him.

5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down ato bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the 1basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her.

6 When she opened it, she 1saw the child, and behold, the 2boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call 1a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?”

8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go ahead.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother.

9 Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.

10 The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and ahe became her son. And she named him 1Moses, and said, “Because I 2drew him out of the water.”

11 Now it came about in those days, awhen Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their 1bhard labors; and che saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren.

12 So he 1looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he astruck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

13 He went out athe next day, and behold, two Hebrews were 1fighting with each other; and he said to the 2offender, “Why are you striking your companion?”

14 But he said, “aWho made you a 1prince or a judge over us? Are you 2intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known.”

Moses Escapes to Midian

15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But aMoses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and 1settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down bby a well.

16 Now athe priest of Midian had seven daughters; and bthey came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

17 Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but aMoses stood up and helped them and watered their flock.

18 When they came to aReuel their father, he said, “Why have you come back so soon today?”

19 So they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and what is more, he even drew the water for us and watered the flock.”

20 He said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why is it that you have left the man behind? Invite him 1to have something to eat.”

21 aMoses was willing to dwell with the man, and he gave his daughter bZipporah to Moses.

22 Then she gave birth to aa son, and he named him 1Gershom, for he said, “I have been ba 2sojourner in a foreign land.”

23 Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel asighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and btheir cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God.

24 So aGod heard their groaning; and God remembered bHis covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

25 aGod saw the sons of Israel, and God 1took notice of them.

Chapter 3

The Burning Bush

1 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of aJethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the 1west side of the wilderness and came to bHoreb, the cmountain of God.

2 aThe angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of 1a bbush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not consumed.

3 So Moses said, “1aI must turn aside now and see this 2marvelous sight, why the bush is not burned up.”

4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, aGod called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

5 Then He said, “Do not come near here; aremove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.”

6 He said also, “aI am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” bThen Moses hid his face, for he was cafraid to look at God.

7 The Lord said, “I have surely aseen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have given heed to their cry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.

8 “So I have come down ato deliver them from the 1power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a bgood and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of cthe Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite.

9 “Now, behold, athe cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.

The Mission of Moses

10 “Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, aso that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”

11 But Moses said to God, “aWho am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”

12 And He said, “Certainly aI will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: bwhen you have brought the people out of Egypt, cyou shall 1worship God at this mountain.”

13 Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?”

14 God said to Moses, “1aI AM WHO 1I AM”; and He said, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘1I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

15 God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘aThe Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My bmemorial-name 1to all generations.

16 “Go and agather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘bThe Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “1cI am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt.

17 “So aI said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of bthe Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, to a land cflowing with milk and honey.” ’

18 “aThey will 1pay heed to what you say; and byou with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt and you will say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please, let us go a cthree days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’

19 “But I know that the king of Egypt awill not permit you to go, bexcept 1under compulsion.

20 “So I will stretch out aMy hand and strike Egypt with all My bmiracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and cafter that he will let you go.

21 “I will grant this people afavor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed.

22 “But every woman ashall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will bplunder the Egyptians.”

Chapter 4

Moses Given Powers

1 Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or alisten