Israel Increases Greatly in Egypt

EXODUS 1 [†] a These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2[†]Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5[†]All the descendants of Jacob were  b seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6Then  c Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7[†] d But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

Pharaoh Oppresses Israel

8[†]Now there arose a new king over Egypt,  e who did not know Joseph. 9And he said to his people, “Behold,  f the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 g Come,  h let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11[†]Therefore they set taskmasters over them  i to afflict them with heavy  j burdens. They built for Pharaoh  k store cities, Pithom and  l Raamses. 12But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel  m work as slaves 14and  n made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

15[†]Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16“When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17But the midwives  o feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. 18So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19[†]The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 p So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21And because the midwives feared God,  q he gave them families. 22[†]Then Pharaoh commanded all his people,  r “Every son that is born to the Hebrews [1] you shall cast into  s the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

The Birth of Moses

EXODUS 2 [†]Now a  t man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2[†]The woman conceived and bore a son, and  u when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes [1] and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the  v reeds by the river bank. 4And  w his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 5Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took 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 you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9And 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[†]When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became  x her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I  y drew him out of the water.” [2]

Moses Flees to Midian

11[†]One day,  z when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their  a burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. [3] 12He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he  b struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13When  c he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” 14[†]He answered,  d “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” 15[†]When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But  e Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by  f a well.

16Now the  g priest of Midian had seven daughters, and  h they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and  i watered their flock. 18[†]When they came home to their father  j Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” 19[†]They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and  i watered the flock.” 20He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may  k eat bread.” 21And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter  l Zipporah. 22She gave birth to a son, and he called his name  m Gershom, for he said, “I have been a  n sojourner [4] in a foreign land.”

God Hears Israel’s Groaning

23[†] o During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel  p groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help.  q Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24[†]And  r God heard their groaning, and God  s remembered his covenant with  t Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25God  u saw the people of Israel—and God  v knew.

The Burning Bush

EXODUS 3 [†]Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the  w mountain of God. 2[†] x And  y the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. 3And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.” 4When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see,  z God called to him  a out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5[†]Then he said, “Do not come near;  b take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6[†]And he said,  c “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for  d he was afraid to look at God.

7[†]Then the LORD said,  e “I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their  f taskmasters. I know their sufferings, 8and  g I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and  h to bring them up out of that land to a  i good and broad land, a land  j flowing with milk and honey, to the place of  k the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9And now, behold,  l the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the  m oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. 10 n Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11[†]But Moses said to God,  o “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?” 12He said,  p “But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt,  q you shall serve God on this mountain.”

13[†]Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?” 14[†]God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” [1] And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel,  r ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” 15[†]God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel, ‘The LORD, [2] the  s God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is  t my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 16[†]Go and  u gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying,  v “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, 17and I promise that  w I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land  w flowing with milk and honey.”’ 18[†]And  x they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel  y shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has  z met with us; and now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.’ 19[†]But I know that the king of Egypt  a will not let you go unless compelled  b by a mighty hand. [3] 20So  c I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with  d all the wonders that I will do in it;  e after that he will let you go. 21And  f I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, 22but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for  g silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So  h you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

Moses Given Powerful Signs

EXODUS 4 Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you.’” 2The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said,  i “A staff.” 3And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. 4But the LORD said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5“that they may  j believe that the LORD,  k the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6Again, the LORD said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” [1] And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was  l leprous [2] like snow. 7Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold,  m it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8“If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. 9If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile  n will become blood on the dry ground.”

10[†]But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but  o I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12Now therefore go, and  p I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 14[†]Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold,  q he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 r You shall speak to him and  s put the words in his mouth, and  p I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16[†] t He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and  u you shall be as God to him. 17And take in your hand  v this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

Moses Returns to Egypt

18[†]Moses went back to  w Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for  x all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” 20So Moses took  y his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took  z the staff of God in his hand.

21[†]And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the  a miracles that I have put in your power. But  b I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22[†]Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD,  c Israel is my  d firstborn son, 23and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I  e will kill your firstborn son.’”

24[†]At a lodging place on the way  f the LORD met him and  g sought to put him to death. 25Then  h Zipporah took a  i flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ [3] feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

27[†]The LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness  j to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the  k mountain of God and kissed him. 28And Moses  l told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which he had sent him to speak, and all  m the signs that he had commanded him to do. 29Then Moses and Aaron  n went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. 30 o Aaron spoke all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31And the people  p believed; and when they heard that the LORD had  q visited the people of Israel and that he had  r seen their affliction,  s they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Making Bricks Without Straw

EXODUS 5 [†]Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold  t a feast to me in the wilderness.’” 2[†]But Pharaoh said,  u “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and moreover,  v I will not let Israel go.” 3Then they said, “The  w God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” 4But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your  x burdens.” 5And Pharaoh said, “Behold,  y the people of the land are now many, [1] and you make them rest from their burdens!” 6The same day Pharaoh commanded the  z taskmasters of the people and their  a foremen, 7“You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ 9Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.”

10[†]So the  b taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw. 11Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.’” 12So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13The  c taskmasters were urgent, saying, “Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw.” 14And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s  c taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?”

15[†]Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants like this? 16No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.” 17But he said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ 18Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.” 19The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, “You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.” 20They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; 21and  d they said to them, “The LORD look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”

22[†]Then Moses turned to the LORD and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”

God Promises Deliverance

EXODUS 6 [†]But the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with  e a strong hand he will  f drive them out of his land.”

2God spoke to Moses and said to him,  g “I am the LORD. 3[†]I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as  h God Almighty, [1] but by my name the  i LORD I did not make myself known to them. 4 j I also established my covenant with them  k to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. 5Moreover,  l I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6[†]Say therefore to the people of Israel,  m ‘I am the LORD, and  n I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and  o I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7[†]I  p will take you to be my people, and  q I will be your God, and you shall know that  m I am the LORD your God, who has brought you out  n from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8I will bring you into  r the land that I  s swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession.  m I am the LORD.’” 9Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they  t did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.

10So the LORD said to Moses, 11“Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land.” 12[†]But Moses said to the LORD, “Behold, the people of Israel have  t not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for  u I am of uncircumcised lips?” 13But the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

The Genealogy of Moses and Aaron

14[†]These are the heads of their fathers’ houses: the  v sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the clans of Reuben. 15The  w sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the clans of Simeon. 16These are the names of the  x sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the years of the life of Levi being 137 years. 17The  y sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their clans. 18The  z sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, the years of the life of Kohath being 133 years. 19The  a sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations. 20 b Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father’s sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years. 21 c The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22The  d sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter of  e Amminadab and the sister of  f Nahshon, and she bore him  g Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24The  h sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the clans of the Korahites. 25Eleazar, Aaron’s son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and  i she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites by their clans.

26These are the Aaron and Moses  j to whom the LORD said: “Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt  k by their hosts.” 27It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron.

28On the day when the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29the LORD said to Moses,  l “I am the LORD;  m tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.” 30But Moses said to the LORD, “Behold,  n I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me?”

Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh

EXODUS 7 And the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have made you like  o God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your  p prophet. 2 q You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. 3But  r I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I  s multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5[†]The Egyptians  t shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” 6Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the LORD commanded them. 7Now Moses was  u eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

8[†]Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 9[†]“When Pharaoh says to you,  v ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’” 10So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11[†]Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the  w magicians of Egypt, also  x did the same by their secret arts. 12For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13[†]Still  r Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them,  r as the LORD had said.

The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood

14[†]Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. 15 y Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand  z the staff that turned into a  a serpent. 16[†]And you shall say to him, ‘The  b LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go,  c that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But so far, you have not obeyed. 17Thus says the LORD, “By this  d you shall know that I am the LORD: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and  e it shall turn into blood. 18The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will  f grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.”’” 19[†]And the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and  g stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’”

20Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he  h lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the  i water in the Nile turned into blood. 21And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians  j could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 22But  k the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So  l Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as  m the LORD had said. 23Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart. 24[†]And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.

25Seven full days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile.

The Second Plague: Frogs

EXODUS 8  [1] Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let my people go, that  n they may serve me. 2But if you  o refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with  p frogs. 3[†]The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into  q your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, [2] and into your ovens and your kneading bowls. 4The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.”’” 5 [3] And the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron,  r ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt!’” 6So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and  s the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7[†]But  t the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

8[†]Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said,  u “Plead with the LORD to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and  v I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.” 9Moses said to Pharaoh, “Be pleased to command me when  u I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile.” 10And he said, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “Be it as you say, so  w that you may know that  x there is no one like the LORD our God. 11The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile.” 12So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD about the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh. [4] 13And the LORD did according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. 14[†]And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15[†]But when Pharaoh saw that there was a  y respite, he  z hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

The Third Plague: Gnats

16Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron,  a ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.’” 17And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and  b there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt. 18[†]The  c magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast. 19Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is  d the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

The Fourth Plague: Flies

20[†]Then the LORD said to Moses,  e “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD,  f “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 21Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. 22[†]But on that day  g I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there,  h that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. [5] 23Thus I will put a division [6] between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.”’” 24And the LORD did so.  i There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants’ houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.

25Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” 26But Moses said, “It would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the LORD our God are an  j abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings  j abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? 27We must go  k three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God  l as he tells us.” 28[†]So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away.  m Plead for me.” 29Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you and I will plead with the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh  n cheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.” 30So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. 31And the LORD did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. 32But Pharaoh  o hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.

The Fifth Plague: Egyptian Livestock Die

EXODUS 9 [†]Then the LORD said to Moses,  p “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says  q the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 2For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them, 3behold,  r the hand of the LORD will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks. 4 s But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die.”’” 5And the LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land.” 6And the next day the LORD did this thing.  t All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died. 7And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But  u the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

The Sixth Plague: Boils

8[†]And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh. 9[†]It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become  v boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.” 10So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast. 11And  w the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians. 12 x But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as  y the LORD had spoken to Moses.

The Seventh Plague: Hail

13[†]Then the LORD said to Moses,  z “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. 14[†]For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself, [1] and on your servants and your people, so  a that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. 15For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. 16 b But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so  c that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 d You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18[†]Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19Now therefore send,  e get your livestock and all that you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them.”’” 20Then whoever feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses, 21but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the LORD left his slaves and his livestock in the field.

22Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be  f hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and beast and every plant of the field, in the land of Egypt.” 23Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the  g LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt. 24There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail  h struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field. 26 i Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail.

27[†]Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, “This time  j I have sinned; the  k LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 l Plead with the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” 29Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city,  m I will stretch out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that  n the earth is the LORD’s. 30But as for you and your servants,  o I know that you do not yet fear the LORD God.” 31[†](The flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32But the wheat and the emmer [2] were not struck down, for they are late in coming up.) 33So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and  m stretched out his hands to the LORD, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured upon the earth. 34[†]But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and  p hardened his heart,  q he and his servants. 35[†]So  r the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.

The Eighth Plague: Locusts

EXODUS 10 [†]Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them, 2[†]and  s that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them,  t that you may know that I am the LORD.”

3So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to  u humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me. 4For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring  v locusts into your country, 5and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land. And they shall  w eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours that grows in the field, 6[†]and they shall fill  x your houses and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.’” Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

7[†]Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?” 8[†]So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. And he said to them,  y “Go, serve the LORD your God. But which ones are to go?” 9Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old. We will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, for  z we must hold a feast to the LORD.” 10But he said to them, “The LORD be with you, if ever I let you and your  a little ones go! Look, you have some evil purpose in mind. [1] 11No! Go, the men among you, and serve the LORD, for that is what you are asking.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

12Then the LORD said to Moses,  b “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come upon the land of Egypt and  c eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left.” 13So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind had brought the locusts. 14 d The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled on the whole country of Egypt,  e such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever will be again. 15They covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and  f they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through all the land of Egypt. 16Then Pharaoh hastily called Moses and Aaron and said,  g “I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you. 17[†]Now therefore, forgive my sin, please, only this once, and  h plead with the LORD your God only to remove this death from me.” 18So  i he went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with the LORD. 19[†]And the LORD turned the wind into a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them  j into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt. 20But the LORD  k hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go.

The Ninth Plague: Darkness

21Then the LORD said to Moses,  l “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be  m darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.” 22So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. 23They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but  n all the people of Israel had light where they lived. 24[†]Then Pharaoh called Moses and said,  o “Go, serve the LORD;  p your little ones also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind.” 25But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God. 26Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take of them to serve the LORD our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the LORD until we arrive there.” 27[†]But the LORD  q hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. 28Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.” 29Moses said, “As you say!  r I will not see your face again.”

A Final Plague Threatened

EXODUS 11 [†]The LORD said to Moses, “Yet  s one plague more I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here.  t When he lets you go, he will drive you away completely. 2[†]Speak now in the hearing of the people, that  u they ask, every man of his neighbor and every woman of her neighbor, for silver and gold jewelry.” 3 v And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.

4[†]So Moses said, “Thus says the LORD:  w ‘About midnight I will go out in the midst of Egypt, 5[†]and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is  x behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. 6 y There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, nor ever will be again. 7[†]But not a dog shall growl  z against any of the people of Israel, either man or beast, that you may know that the LORD  a makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ 8And  b all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, you and all the people who follow you.’ And after that I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger. 9Then the LORD said to Moses,  c “Pharaoh will not listen to you, that  d my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”

10Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the LORD  e hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go out of his land.

The Passover

EXODUS 12 [†]The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2[†] f “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. 3Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb  g according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. 4And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. 5Your lamb shall be  h without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, 6and you shall keep it until the  i fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. [1]

7“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the  j two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8[†]They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with  k unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but  l roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. 10And  m you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. 11[†]In this manner you shall eat it: with  n your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste.  o It is the LORD’s Passover. 12[†]For  p I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on  q all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments:  r I am the LORD. 13[†] s The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

14[†]“This day shall be  t for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a  u statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. 15[†] v Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day,  w that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16On the first day you shall hold a  x holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. 17And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for  y on this very day I brought your  z hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. 18 a In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19[†] b For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened,  b that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel,  c whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. 20You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”

21Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves  d according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb. 22[†]Take a bunch of  e hyssop and  f dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch  g the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin.  h None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. 23[†] i For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on  g the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and  j will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you. 24You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever. 25And when you come to the land that the LORD will give you,  k as he has promised, you shall keep this service. 26And  l when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27you shall say,  m ‘It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people  n bowed their heads and worshiped.

28Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn

29 o At midnight the  p LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt,  q from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. 30And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians. And there was  r a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where someone was not dead. 31Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people,  s both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as you have said. 32 t Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!”

The Exodus

33 u The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” 34So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders. 35[†]The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had  v asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing. 36 w And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that  x they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

37[†]And the  y people of Israel journeyed from  z Rameses to Succoth,  a about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children. 38A  b mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds. 39[†]And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because  u they were thrust out of Egypt and  c could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.

40The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years. 41[†]At the end of  d 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt. 42It was a night of watching by the LORD, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a  e night of watching kept to the LORD by all the people of Israel throughout their generations.

Institution of the Passover

43[†]And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner shall eat of it, 44but every slave [2] that is  f bought for money may eat of it after you have circumcised him. 45 g No foreigner or hired worker may eat of it. 46It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and  h you shall not break any of its bones. 47 i All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 j If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he  k shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. 49There shall be  l one law for the native and for the  j stranger who sojourns among you.”

50All the people of Israel did just as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron. 51And on that very day the  m LORD brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their  n hosts.

Consecration of the Firstborn

EXODUS 13 The LORD said to Moses, 2[†] o “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”

The Feast of Unleavened Bread

3[†]Then Moses said to the people,  p “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery,  q for by a strong hand the LORD brought you out from this place.  r No leavened bread shall be eaten. 4Today, in the month of  s Abib, you are going out. 5And when the LORD brings you into  t the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which  u he swore to your fathers to give you, a land  v flowing with milk and honey,  w you shall keep this service in this month. 6[†] x Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. 7Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. 8 y You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9[†]And it shall  z be to you as a sign on your hand and as  a a memorial  z between your eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the LORD has brought you out of Egypt. 10 b You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.

11[†]“When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites,  c as he swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you, 12 d you shall set apart to the LORD all that first opens the womb. All the firstborn of your animals that are males shall be the LORD’s. 13 e Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, or if you will not redeem it you shall break its neck. Every  f firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem. 14 g And when in time to come your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you shall say to him,  h ‘By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of  i slavery. 15For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the  j LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all the males that first open the womb, but  k all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 l It shall be as a mark on your hand or frontlets between your eyes, for  m by a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”

Pillars of Cloud and Fire

17[†]When Pharaoh let the people go, God did  n not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near. For God said, “Lest the people  o change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.” 18[†]But God  p led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the people of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt equipped for battle. 19[†]Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph [1] had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying,  q “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones with you from here.” 20And  r they moved on from Succoth and encamped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21[†]And  s the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. 22The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.

Crossing the Red Sea

EXODUS 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2[†]“Tell the people of Israel to  t turn back and encamp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between  u Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall encamp facing it, by the sea. 3For Pharaoh will say of the people of Israel, ‘They are wandering in the land; the wilderness has shut them in.’ 4[†]And  v I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, and I will  w get glory over Pharaoh and all his host,  x and the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD.” And they did so.

5[†]When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the  y mind of Pharaoh and his servants was changed toward the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?” 6So he made ready his chariot and took his army with him, 7[†]and took  z six hundred chosen chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with officers over all of them. 8And  v the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the people of Israel while  a the people of Israel were going out defiantly. 9The  b Egyptians pursued them, all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them  c encamped at the sea, by Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

10[†]When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel  d cried out to the LORD. 11They  e said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12[†]Is not this what  f we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13[†]And Moses said to the people,  g “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For  h the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 i The LORD will fight for you, and you have only  j to be silent.”

15The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 k Lift up your staff, and  k stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground. 17[†]And  l I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and  m I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen. 18And the Egyptians  n shall know that I am the LORD,  m when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

19[†] o Then the angel of God who was going before the host of Israel moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from before them and stood behind them, 20coming between the host of Egypt and the host of Israel. And there was the cloud and the darkness. And it lit up the night [1] without one coming near the other all night.

21Then Moses  k stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back by  p a strong east wind all night and  q made the sea dry land, and the waters were  r divided. 22[†]And  s the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being  t a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24And in the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25clogging [2] their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the  u LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.”

26Then the LORD said to Moses,  v “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the water may come back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” 27 w So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea  x returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the LORD  y threw [3] the Egyptians into the midst of the sea. 28The  z waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them into the sea,  a not one of them remained. 29But the  b people of Israel walked on dry ground through the sea, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

30Thus the LORD  c saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31[†] d Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they  e believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

The Song of Moses

EXODUS 15 [†]Then Moses and the people of Israel  f sang this song to the LORD, saying,

 g “I will sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;

the horse and his rider [1] he has thrown into the sea.

2[†]  h The LORD is my strength and my  i song,

and he has become  j my salvation;

this is my God, and I will praise him,

 k my father’s God, and  l I will exalt him.

3 The LORD is  m a man of war;

 n the LORD is his name.

4[†]  o “Pharaoh’s chariots and his host he cast into the sea,

and his chosen  p officers were sunk in the Red Sea.

5 The  q floods covered them;

they  r went down into the depths like a stone.

6[†]  s Your right hand, O LORD, glorious in power,

your right hand, O LORD,  t shatters the enemy.

7 In the  u greatness of your majesty you overthrow your adversaries;

you send out your fury; it  v consumes them like stubble.

8 At the  w blast of your nostrils the waters piled up;

the  x floods stood up in a heap;

the deeps congealed in the heart of the sea.

9[†] The enemy said,  y ‘I will pursue, I will overtake,

I  z will divide the spoil, my desire shall have its fill of them.

I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.’

10 You  a blew with your wind; the  b sea covered them;

they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

11  c “Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods?

Who is like you, majestic in holiness,

awesome in  d glorious deeds,  e doing wonders?

12 You stretched out  f your right hand;

the earth swallowed them.

13[†] “You have  g led in your steadfast love the people whom  h you have redeemed;

you have  i guided them by your strength to your holy abode.

14  j The peoples have heard; they tremble;

pangs have seized the inhabitants of Philistia.

15 Now are the chiefs of Edom  k dismayed;

trembling seizes the leaders of  l Moab;

 m all the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.

16[†] Terror and  n dread fall upon them;

because of the greatness of your arm, they are still  o as a stone,

till your people, O LORD, pass by,

till the people pass by whom  p you have purchased.

17 You will bring them in and  q plant them on your own mountain,

the place, O LORD, which you have made for your abode,

 r the sanctuary, O Lord, which your hands have established.

18  s The LORD will reign forever and ever.”

19For when  t the horses of Pharaoh with his chariots and his horsemen went into the sea,  u the LORD brought back the waters of the sea upon them, but the people of Israel walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea. 20Then  v Miriam  w the prophetess, the  x sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and  y all the women went out after her with tambourines and dancing. 21And Miriam sang to them:

 z “Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously;

the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”

Bitter Water Made Sweet

22[†]Then Moses made Israel set out from the Red Sea, and they went into the wilderness of  a Shur. They went three days in the wilderness and found no water. 23When they came to  b Marah, they could not drink the water of Marah because it was bitter; therefore it was named Marah. [2] 24[†]And the people  c grumbled against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?” 25[†]And he  d cried to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log, [3] and he  e threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.

There the LORD [4] made for them a statute and a rule, and there he  f tested them, 26saying,  g “If you will diligently listen to the voice of the LORD your God, and do that which is right in his eyes, and give ear to his commandments and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the  h diseases on you that I put on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD,  i your healer.”

27[†]Then  j they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they encamped there by the water.

Bread from Heaven

EXODUS 16 They  k set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt. 2[†]And the whole congregation of the people of Israel  l grumbled against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, 3[†]and the people of Israel said to them,  m “Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt,  n when we sat by the meat pots and ate bread to the full, for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”

4[†]Then the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I am about to rain  o bread from heaven for you, and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may  p test them, whether they will walk in my law or not. 5On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in,  q it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” 6So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel,  r “At evening  s you shall know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, 7[†]and in the morning you shall see the  t glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against the LORD. For  u what are we, that you grumble against us?” 8And Moses said, “When the LORD gives you in the evening meat to eat and in the morning bread to the full, because the LORD has heard your grumbling that you grumble against him— v what are we? Your grumbling is not  w against us but against the LORD.”

9Then Moses  x said to Aaron, “Say to the whole congregation of the people of Israel,  y ‘Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.’” 10And as soon as Aaron spoke to the whole congregation of the people of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the  t glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. 11And the LORD said to Moses, 12“I  z have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At  a twilight you shall eat meat, and  b in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God.’”

13In the evening  c quail came up and covered the camp, and in the morning  d dew lay around the camp. 14And when the dew had gone up, there was on the face of the wilderness a fine, flake-like thing, fine as frost on the ground. 15[†]When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another,  e “What is it?” [1] For they  f did not know what it was. And Moses said to them,  g “It is the bread that the LORD has given you to eat. 16This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Gather of it, each one of you, as much as he can eat. You shall each take an  h omer, [2] according to the number of the persons that each of you has in his tent.’” 17And the people of Israel did so. They gathered, some more, some less. 18But when they measured it with an omer,  i whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack. Each of them gathered as much as he could eat. 19And Moses said to them, “Let no one leave any of it over till the morning.” 20[†]But they did not listen to Moses. Some left part of it till the morning, and  j it bred worms and stank. And Moses was angry with them. 21Morning by morning they gathered it, each as much as he could eat; but when the sun grew hot, it melted.

22[†]On  k the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers each. And when all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23he said to them, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of  l solemn rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.’” 24[†]So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and  m it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. 25Moses said, “Eat it today, for  l today is a Sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. 26Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath, there will be none.”

27On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. 28And the LORD said to Moses,  n “How long will you refuse to keep my commandments and my laws? 29See! The LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Remain each of you in his place; let no one go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30So the people  o rested on the seventh day.

31Now the house of Israel called its name  p manna. It was  q like coriander seed, white, and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. 32[†]Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Let an omer of it be kept throughout your generations, so that they may see the bread with which I fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.’” 33And Moses said to Aaron, “Take a  r jar, and put an omer of manna in it, and place it before the LORD to be kept throughout your generations.” 34As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before  s the testimony to be kept. 35[†]The people of Israel  t ate the manna forty years, till they came to a habitable land. They ate the manna till  u they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 36(An omer is  v the tenth part of an ephah.) [3]

Water from the Rock

EXODUS 17  w All the congregation of the people of Israel moved on from the wilderness of Sin by stages, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2[†] x Therefore the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” And Moses said to them, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you  y test the LORD?” 3But the people thirsted there for water, and  z the people grumbled against Moses and said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?” 4So Moses cried to the LORD, “What shall I do with this people? They are almost ready  a to stone me.” 5And the LORD said to Moses, “Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with  b which you struck the Nile, and go. 6[†] c Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink.” And Moses did so, in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7[†]And he called the name of the place  d Massah [1] and  e Meribah, [2] because of the quarreling of the people of Israel, and because they tested the LORD by saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”

Israel Defeats Amalek

8[†] f Then Amalek came and fought with Israel at Rephidim. 9[†]So Moses said to  g Joshua, “Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with  h the staff of God in my hand.” 10So  g Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought with Amalek, while Moses, Aaron, and  i Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11Whenever Moses  j held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and whenever he lowered his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12But Moses’ hands grew weary, so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and  i Hur held up his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side. So his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13And  g Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the sword.

14[†]Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this as a memorial in a book and recite it in the ears of  g Joshua, that  k I will utterly blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.” 15And Moses  l built an altar and called the name of it, The LORD Is My Banner, 16saying, “A hand upon the throne [3] of the LORD!  k The LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

Jethro’s Advice

EXODUS 18 [†] m Jethro,  n the priest of Midian, Moses’ father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel his people, how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt. 2[†]Now Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her home, 3[†]along with her  o two sons. The name of the one was Gershom ( p for he said,  q “I have been a sojourner [1] in a foreign land”), 4and the name of the other, Eliezer [2] (for he said, “The God of my father was my help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh”). 5[†]Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife to Moses in the wilderness where he was encamped at the  r mountain of God. 6And when he sent word to Moses, “I, [3] your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons with her,” 7Moses  s went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and  t kissed him. And they asked each other of their welfare and went into the tent. 8[†]Then Moses told his father-in-law  u all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the LORD had delivered them. 9And Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the LORD had done to Israel, in that he had delivered them out of the hand of the Egyptians.

10Jethro said,  v “Blessed be the LORD, who has delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh and has delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians. 11Now I know that  w the LORD is greater than all gods, because in this affair they  x dealt arrogantly with the people.” [4] 12And Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God; and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law  y before God.

13[†]The next day Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood around Moses from morning till evening. 14When Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, “What is this that you are doing for the people? Why do you sit alone, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?” 15And Moses said to his father-in-law, “Because  z the people come to me to inquire of God; 16 a when they have a dispute, they come to me and I decide between one person and another, and I  b make them know the statutes of God and his laws.” 17Moses’ father-in-law said to him, “What you are doing is not good. 18You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you.  c You are not able to do it alone. 19Now obey my voice; I will give you advice, and God be with you! You shall  d represent the people before God and  e bring their cases to God, 20and you shall warn them about the statutes and the laws, and make them know  f the way in which they must walk and  g what they must do. 21Moreover, look for  h able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 22And  i let them judge the people at all times.  j Every great matter they shall bring to you, but any small matter they shall decide themselves. So it will be easier for you, and they will  k bear the burden with you. 23If you do this, God will direct you, you will be  l able to endure, and all this people also will go to their place in peace.”

24So Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 25 m Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people, chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. 26And  n they judged the people at all times. Any hard case they brought to Moses, but any small matter they decided themselves. 27Then Moses let his father-in-law depart, and  o he went away to his own country.

Israel at Mount Sinai

EXODUS 19 [†]On the third new moon after the people of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on that day they  p came into the wilderness of Sinai. 2They set out from  q Rephidim and came into the wilderness of Sinai, and they encamped in the wilderness. There Israel encamped before  r the mountain, 3while  s Moses went up to God.  t The LORD called to him out of the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: 4[†] u You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how  v I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be  w my treasured possession among all peoples, for  x all the earth is mine; 6[†]and you shall be to me a  y kingdom of priests and  z a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

7So Moses came and called the elders of the people and set before them all these words that the LORD had commanded him. 8 a All the people answered together and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.” And Moses reported the words of the people to the LORD. 9And the LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I am coming to you  b in a thick cloud, that  c the people may hear when I speak with you, and may also  d believe you forever.”

When Moses told the words of the people to the LORD, 10[†]the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and  e consecrate them today and tomorrow, and let them  f wash their garments 11and be ready for the third day. For on the third day  g the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 12And you shall set limits for the people all around, saying, ‘Take care not to go up into the mountain or touch the edge of it.  h Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. 13No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot; [1] whether beast or man, he shall not live.’ When  i the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up to the mountain.” 14So Moses  j went down from the mountain to the people and  e consecrated the people;  f and they washed their garments. 15[†]And he said to the people, “Be ready for the  k third day;  l do not go near a woman.”

16[†]On the morning of the  k third day there were  m thunders and lightnings and  n a thick cloud on the mountain and a very loud  o trumpet blast, so that all the people in the camp  p trembled. 17Then  q Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. 18Now  r Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln, and  s the whole mountain trembled greatly. 19And as the  o sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and  t God answered him in thunder. 20The LORD came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the LORD called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

21And the LORD said to Moses, “Go down and warn the people, lest they break through to the LORD  u to look and many of them perish. 22[†]Also let the priests who come near to the LORD  v consecrate themselves, lest the LORD  w break out against them.” 23And Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai, for you yourself warned us, saying,  x ‘Set limits around the mountain and consecrate it.’” 24And the LORD said to him, “Go down, and come up bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests and the people  y break through to come up to the LORD, lest he break out against them.” 25So Moses went down to the people and told them.

The Ten Commandments

EXODUS 20 [†] z And  a God spoke all these words, saying,

2[†] b “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3[†] c “You shall have no other gods before [1] me.

4[†] d “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5[†] e You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am  f a jealous God,  g visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6but showing steadfast love to thousands [2] of those who love me and keep my commandments.

7[†] h “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.

8[†] i “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 j Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10but the  k seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the  l sojourner who is within your gates. 11For  m in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.

12[†] n “Honor your father and your mother,  o that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.

13[†] p “You shall not murder. [3]

14 q “You shall not commit adultery.

15 r “You shall not steal.

16[†] s “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17[†] t “You shall not covet  u your neighbor’s house;  v you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”

18Now when all the people saw  w the thunder and the flashes of lightning and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking, the people were afraid [4] and trembled, and they stood far off 19and said to Moses,  x “You speak to us, and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, lest we die.” 20 y Moses said to the people, “Do not fear, for God has come to  z test you, that the fear of him may be before you, that you may not sin.” 21The people stood far off, while Moses drew near to the  a thick darkness where God was.