The Israelites Oppressed
1These are the names of the sons of Israela who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: 2Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; 3Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; 4Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.b 5The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy1 in all;c Joseph was already in Egypt.
6Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,d 7but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numberse and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.
8Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.f 9“Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerousg for us.h 10Come, we must deal shrewdlyi with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”j Egyptian Kings of the New Kingdom
11So they put slave mastersk over them to oppress them with forced labor,l and they built Pithom and Ramesesm as store citiesn for Pharaoh. 12But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13and worked them ruthlessly.o 14They made their lives bitter with harsh laborp in brickq and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.r
15The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives,s whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16“When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.”t 17The midwives, however, fearedu God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do;v they let the boys live. 18Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”
19The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”w
20So God was kind to the midwivesx and the people increased and became even more numerous. 21And because the midwives fearedy God, he gave them familiesz of their own.
22Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile,a but let every girl live.”b
The Birth of Moses
1Now a man of the tribe of Levia married a Levite woman,b 2and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a finec child, she hid him for three months.d 3But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyruse basket1 for him and coated it with tar and pitch.f Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reedsg along the bank of the Nile. 4His sisterh stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
5Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank.i She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. 6She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.
7Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”
8“Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. 9Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She namedj him Moses,2 saying, “I drewk him out of the water.”
Moses Flees to Midian
11One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own peoplel were and watched them at their hard labor.m He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?”n
14The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us?o Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.”
15When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to killp Moses, but Moses fledq from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian,r where he sat down by a well. 16Now a priest of Midians had seven daughters, and they came to draw watert and fill the troughsu to water their father’s flock. 17Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescuev and watered their flock.w
18When the girls returned to Reuelx their father, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”
19They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”
20“And where is he?” Reuel asked his daughters. “Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat.”y
21Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporahz to Moses in marriage. 22Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom,3,a saying, “I have become a foreignerb in a foreign land.”
23During that long period,c the king of Egypt died.d The Israelites groaned in their slaverye and cried out, and their cryf for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24God heard their groaning and he rememberedg his covenanth with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25So God looked on the Israelites and was concernedi about them.
Moses and the Burning Bush
1Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethroa his father-in-law, the priest of Midian,b and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb,c the mountaind of God. 2There the angel of the LORDe appeared to him in flames of firef from within a bush.g Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”
4When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God calledh to him from within the bush,i “Moses! Moses!”
And Moses said, “Here I am.”j
5“Do not come any closer,”k God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”l 6Then he said, “I am the God of your father,1 the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.”m At this, Moses hidn his face, because he was afraid to look at God.o
7The LORD said, “I have indeed seenp the miseryq of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concernedr about their suffering.s 8So I have come downt to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land,u a land flowing with milk and honeyv—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivitesw and Jebusites.x 9And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressingy them. 10So now, go. I am sendingz you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”a
11But Moses said to God, “Who am Ib that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”
12And God said, “I will be with you.c And this will be the signd to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you2 will worship God on this mountain.e”
13Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’f Then what shall I tell them?”
14God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.3 This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AMg has sent me to you.’ ” God’s Name
15God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD,4 the God of your fathersh—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacobi—has sent me to you.’
16“Go, assemble the eldersl of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacobm—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seenn what has been done to you in Egypt. 17And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypto into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’p
18“The elders of Israel will listenq to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews,r has mets with us. Let us take a three-day journeyt into the wilderness to offer sacrificesu to the LORD our God.’ 19But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty handv compels him. 20So I will stretch out my handw and strike the Egyptians with all the wondersx that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.y
21“And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposedz toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed.a 22Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silverb and goldc and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunderd the Egyptians.”e
Signs for Moses
1Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listena to me and say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you’?”
2Then the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
“A staff,”b he replied.
3The LORD said, “Throw it on the ground.”
Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake,c and he ran from it. 4Then the LORD said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5“This,” said the LORD, “is so that they may believed that the LORD, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”
6Then the LORD said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous1—it had become as white as snow.e
7“Now put it back into your cloak,” he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored,f like the rest of his flesh.
8Then the LORD said, “If they do not believeg you or pay attention to the first sign,h they may believe the second. 9But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become bloodi on the ground.”
10Moses said to the LORD, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”j
11The LORD said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute?k Who gives them sight or makes them blind?l Is it not I, the LORD? 12Now go;m I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”n
13But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”o
14Then the LORD’s anger burnedp against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meetq you, and he will be glad to see you. 15You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth;r I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouths and as if you were God to him.t 17But take this staffu in your handv so you can perform the signsw with it.”
Moses Returns to Egypt
18Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.”
Jethro said, “Go, and I wish you well.”
19Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to killx you are dead.y” 20So Moses took his wife and sons,z put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staffa of God in his hand.
21The LORD said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wondersb I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heartc so that he will not let the people go.d 22Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son,e 23and I told you, “Let my son go,f so he may worshipg me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’ ”h
24At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses2 and was about to killi him. 25But Zipporahj took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskink and touched Moses’ feet with it.3 “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. 26So the LORD let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)
27The LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he met Moses at the mountainl of God and kissedm him. 28Then Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform.
29Moses and Aaron brought together all the eldersn of the Israelites, 30and Aaron told them everything the LORD had said to Moses. He also performed the signso before the people, 31and they believed.p And when they heard that the LORD was concernedq about them and had seen their misery,r they bowed down and worshiped.s
Bricks Without Straw
1Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go,a so that they may hold a festivalb to me in the wilderness.’ ”
2Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD,c that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go.”d
3Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journeye into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, or he may strike us with plaguesf or with the sword.”
4But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor?g Get back to your work!” 5Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous,h and you are stopping them from working.”
6That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave driversi and overseers in charge of the people: 7“You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks;j let them go and gather their own straw. 8But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota.k They are lazy;l that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’m 9Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”
10Then the slave driversn and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. 11Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reducedo at all.’ ” 12So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. 13The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” 14And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed,p demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”
15Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? 16Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”
17Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy!q That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.’ 18Now get to work.r You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”
19The Israelite overseers realized they were in trouble when they were told, “You are not to reduce the number of bricks required of you for each day.” 20When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, 21and they said, “May the LORD look on you and judges you! You have made us obnoxioust to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a swordu in their hand to kill us.”v
God Promises Deliverance
22Moses returned to the LORD and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people?w Is this why you sent me? 23Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescuedx your people at all.”
1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty handa he will let them go;b because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”c
2God also said to Moses, “I am the LORD.d 3I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty,1,e but by my namef the LORD2,g I did not make myself fully known to them. 4I also established my covenanth with them to give them the landi of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners.j 5Moreover, I have heard the groaningk of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.l Historicity of the Exodus
6“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.m I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeemn you with an outstretched armo and with mighty acts of judgment.p 7I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.q Then you will knowr that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8And I will bring you to the lands I sworet with uplifted handu to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.v I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.’ ”w
9Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.x
10Then the LORD said to Moses, 11“Go, telly Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.”z
12But Moses said to the LORD, “If the Israelites will not listena to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips3?”b
Family Record of Moses and Aaron
13Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.c The Timing of the Exodus
14These were the heads of their families4:d
The sons of Reubene the firstborn son of Israel were Hanok and Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. These were the clans of Reuben.
15The sons of Simeonf were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon.
16These were the names of the sons of Levig according to their records: Gershon,h Kohath and Merari.i Levi lived 137 years.
17The sons of Gershon, by clans, were Libni and Shimei.j
18The sons of Kohathk were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.l Kohath lived 133 years.
19The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi.m
These were the clans of Levi according to their records.
20Amramn married his father’s sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses.o Amram lived 137 years.
21The sons of Izharp were Korah, Nepheg and Zikri.
22The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphanq and Sithri.
23Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadabr and sister of Nahshon,s and she bore him Nadab and Abihu,t Eleazaru and Ithamar.v
24The sons of Korahw were Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. These were the Korahite clans.
25Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas.x
These were the heads of the Levite families, clan by clan.
26It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypty by their divisions.”z 27They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoha king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt—this same Moses and Aaron.b
Aaron to Speak for Moses
28Now when the LORD spoke to Moses in Egypt, 29he said to him, “I am the LORD.c Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.”
30But Moses said to the LORD, “Since I speak with faltering lips,d why would Pharaoh listen to me?”
1Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have made you like Goda to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.b 2You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 3But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,c and though I multiply my signs and wondersd in Egypt, 4he will not listene to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgmentf I will bring out my divisions,g my people the Israelites. 5And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORDh when I stretch out my handi against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”
6Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commandedj them. 7Moses was eighty years oldk and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake
8The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, 9“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,l’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”m
10So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers,n and the Egyptian magicianso also did the same things by their secret arts:p 12Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13Yet Pharaoh’s heartq became hard and he would not listenr to them, just as the LORD had said.
The Plague of Blood
14Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding;s he refuses to let the people go. 15Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river.t Confront him on the bank of the Nile,u and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16Then say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worshipv me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.w 17This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD:x With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.y 18The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink;z the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’ ”a Interpreting the Plagues
19The LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staffb and stretch out your handc over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels1 of wood and stone.”
20Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded.d He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile,e and all the water was changed into blood.f 21The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.
22But the Egyptian magiciansg did the same things by their secret arts,h and Pharaoh’s hearti became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said. 23Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. 24And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking waterj, because they could not drink the water of the river.
The Plague of Frogs
25Seven days passed after the LORD struck the Nile.
1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worshipa me. 2If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogsb on your whole country. 3The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people,c and into your ovens and kneading troughs.d 4The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’ ”
5Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staffe over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogsf come up on the land of Egypt.’ ”
6So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogsg came up and covered the land. 7But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts;h they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.
8Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Prayi to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrificesj to the LORD.”
9Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the timek for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.”
10“Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.
Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the LORD our God.l 11The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”
12After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the LORD about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. 13And the LORD did what Moses asked.m The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. 14They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. 15But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief,n he hardened his hearto and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said. The Hardening of Pharaoh’s Heart
The Plague of Gnats
16Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staffp and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.” 17They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnatsq came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. 18But when the magiciansr tried to produce gnats by their secret arts,s they could not.
Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, 19the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the fingert of God.” But Pharaoh’s heartu was hard and he would not listen,v just as the LORD had said.
The Plague of Flies
20Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morningw and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may worshipx me. 21If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.
22“ ‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen,y where my people live;z no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will knowa that I, the LORD, am in this land. 23I will make a distinction2 between my people and your people.b This sign will occur tomorrow.’ ”
24And the LORD did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials; throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies.c
25Then Pharaoh summonedd Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”
26But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians.e And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? 27We must take a three-day journeyf into the wilderness to offer sacrificesg to the LORD our God, as he commands us.”
28Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now prayh for me.”
29Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the LORD, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only let Pharaoh be sure that he does not act deceitfullyi again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD.”
30Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD,j 31and the LORD did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. 32But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heartk and would not let the people go.
The Plague on Livestock
1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worshipa me.” 2If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, 3the handb of the LORD will bring a terrible plaguec on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. 4But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt,d so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’ ”
5The LORD set a time and said, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land.” 6And the next day the LORD did it: All the livestocke of the Egyptians died,f but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. 7Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heartg was unyielding and he would not let the people go.h
The Plague of Boils
8Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. 9It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boilsi will break out on people and animals throughout the land.”
10So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals. 11The magiciansj could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians. 12But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heartk and he would not listenl to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said to Moses.
The Plague of Hail
13Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worshipm me, 14or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may known that there is no one likeo me in all the earth. 15For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your peoplep with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16But I have raised you up1 for this very purpose,q that I might show you my powerr and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorms that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now.t 19Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every person and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.’ ”
20Those officials of Pharaoh who fearedu the word of the LORD hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 21But those who ignoredv the word of the LORD left their slaves and livestock in the field.
22Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt—on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.” 23When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the LORD sent thunderw and hail,x and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt; 24hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation.y 25Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree.z 26The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen,a where the Israelites were.b
27Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,”c he said to them. “The LORD is in the right,d and I and my people are in the wrong. 28Praye to the LORD, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go;f you don’t have to stay any longer.”
29Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my handsg in prayer to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earthh is the LORD’s. 30But I know that you and your officials still do not feari the LORD God.”
31(The flax and barleyj were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. 32The wheat and spelt,k however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.)
33Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the LORD; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. 35So Pharaoh’s heartl was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.
The Plague of Locusts
1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his hearta and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signsb of mine among them 2that you may tell your childrenc and grandchildren how I dealt harshlyd with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the LORD.”e
3So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humblef yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 4If you refuseg to let them go, I will bring locustsh into your country tomorrow. 5They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have lefti after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields.j 6They will fill your housesk and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians—something neither your parents nor your ancestors have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.’ ”l Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.
7Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a snarem to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?”n
8Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worshipo the LORD your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.”
9Moses answered, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festivalp to the LORD.”
10Pharaoh said, “The LORD be with you—if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil.1 11No! Have only the men go and worship the LORD, since that’s what you have been asking for.” Then Moses and Aaron were driven out of Pharaoh’s presence.
12And the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your handq over Egypt so that locusts swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail.”
13So Moses stretched out his staffr over Egypt, and the LORD made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts;s 14they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts,t nor will there ever be again. 15They covered all the ground until it was black. They devouredu all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.
16Pharaoh quickly summonedv Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinnedw against the LORD your God and against you. 17Now forgivex my sin once more and prayy to the LORD your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”
18Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD.z 19And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea.2 Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt. 20But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart,a and he would not let the Israelites go.
The Plague of Darkness
21Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darknessb spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” 22So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darknessc covered all Egypt for three days. 23No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.d
24Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go,e worship the LORD. Even your women and childrenf may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.”g
25But Moses said, “You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offeringsh to present to the LORD our God. 26Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the LORD our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the LORD.”
27But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart,i and he was not willing to let them go. 28Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die.”
29“Just as you say,” Moses replied. “I will never appearj before you again.”
The Plague on the Firstborn
1Now the LORD had said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you goa from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely.b 2Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.”c 3(The LORD made the Egyptians favorably disposedd toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regardede in Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and by the people.)
4So Moses said, “This is what the LORD says: ‘About midnightf I will go throughout Egypt.g 5Every firstbornh son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at her hand mill,i and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. 6There will be loud wailingj throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. 7But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal.’ Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinctionk between Egypt and Israel. 8All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, ‘Go,l you and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will leave.”m Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh.
9The LORD had said to Moses, “Pharaoh will refuse to listenn to you—so that my wonderso may be multiplied in Egypt.” 10Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart,p and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country.
The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread
12:14-20pp — Lev 23:4–8; Nu 28:16–25; Dt 16:1–8
1The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2“This month is to be for you the first month,a the first month of your year. 3Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb1,b for his family, one for each household.c 4If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect,d and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month,e when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.f 7Then they are to take some of the bloodg and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. 8That same nighth they are to eat the meat roastedi over the fire, along with bitter herbs,j and bread made without yeast.k 9Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs.l 10Do not leave any of it till morning;m if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste;n it is the LORD’s Passover.o Passover
12“On that same night I will pass throughp Egypt and strike downq every firstbornr of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the godss of Egypt. I am the LORD.t 13The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass overu you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.v
14“This is a day you are to commemorate;w for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance.x 15For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast.y On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut offz from Israel. 16On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no worka at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do.
17“Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread,b because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt.c Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.d 18In the first monthe you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreignerf or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut offg from the community of Israel. 20Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live,h you must eat unleavened bread.”i
21Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passoverj lamb. 22Take a bunch of hyssop,k dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the bloodl on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. 23When the LORD goes through the land to strikem down the Egyptians, he will see the bloodn on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass overo that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyerp to enter your houses and strike you down. Hebrew Calendar and Selected Events
24“Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinanceq for you and your descendants. 25When you enter the landr that the LORD will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26And when your childrens ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27then tell them, ‘It is the Passovert sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’ ”u Then the people bowed down and worshiped.v 28The Israelites did just what the LORD commandedw Moses and Aaron.
29At midnightx the LORDy struck down all the firstbornz in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestocka as well. 30Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailingb in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.
The Exodus
31During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worshipc the LORD as you have requested. 32Take your flocks and herds,d as you have said, and go. And also blesse me.”
33The Egyptians urged the people to hurryf and leaveg the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!”h 34So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughsi wrapped in clothing. 35The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and goldj and for clothing.k 36The LORD had made the Egyptians favorably disposedl toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plunderedm the Egyptians.
37The Israelites journeyed from Ramesesn to Sukkoth.o There were about six hundred thousand menp on foot, besides women and children. 38Many other peopleq went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. 39With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven outr of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.
40Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt2 was 430 years.s 41At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the LORD’s divisionst left Egypt.u 42Because the LORD kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the LORD for the generations to come.v
Passover Restrictions
43The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the regulations for the Passover meal:w
“No foreignerx may eat it. 44Any slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcisedy him, 45but a temporary resident or a hired workerz may not eat it.
46“It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones.a 47The whole community of Israel must celebrate it.
48“A foreigner residing among you who wants to celebrate the LORD’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land.b No uncircumcisedc male may eat it. 49The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreignerd residing among you.”
50All the Israelites did just what the LORD had commandede Moses and Aaron. 51And on that very day the LORD brought the Israelites out of Egyptf by their divisions.g
Consecration of the Firstborn
1The LORD said to Moses, 2“Consecrate to me every firstborn male.a The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.”
3Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt,b out of the land of slavery, because the LORD brought you out of it with a mighty hand.c Eat nothing containing yeast.d 4Today, in the month of Aviv,e you are leaving. 5When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites,f Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusitesg—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honeyh—you are to observe this ceremonyi in this month: 6For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festivalj to the LORD. 7Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. 8On that day tell your son,k ‘I do this because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9This observance will be for you like a sign on your handl and a reminder on your foreheadm that this law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For the LORD brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.n 10You must keep this ordinanceo at the appointed timep year after year.
11“After the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanitesq and gives it to you, as he promised on oathr to you and your ancestors,s 12you are to give over to the LORD the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD.t 13Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey,u but if you do not redeem it, break its neck.v Redeemw every firstborn among your sons.x
14“In days to come, when your sony asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.z 15When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’a 16And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your foreheadb that the LORD brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.”
Crossing the Sea
17When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”c 18So God ledd the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.1 The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.e The Red Sea
19Moses took the bones of Josephf with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.”2,g
20After leaving Sukkothh they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.i 21By day the LORD went aheadj of them in a pillar of cloudk to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night leftl its place in front of the people.
1Then the LORD said to Moses, 2“Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdola and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon.b 3Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ 4And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,c and he will pursue them.d But I will gain glorye for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.”f So the Israelites did this.
5When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled,g Pharaoh and his officials changed their mindsh about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 6So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7He took six hundred of the best chariots,i along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8The LORD hardened the heartj of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.k 9The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horsesl and chariots, horsemen1 and troopsm—pursued the Israelites and overtookn them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.o
10As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and criedp out to the LORD. 11They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?q What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!”r
13Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.s Stand firm and you will seet the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never seeu again. 14The LORD will fightv for you; you need only to be still.”w
15Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?x Tell the Israelites to move on. 16Raise your staffy and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the waterz so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17I will harden the heartsa of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them.b And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18The Egyptians will know that I am the LORDc when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”
19Then the angel of God,d who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloude also moved from in front and stood behindf them, 20coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darknessg to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.
21Then Moses stretched out his handh over the sea,i and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east windj and turned it into dry land.k The waters were divided,l 22and the Israelites went through the seam on dry ground,n with a wallo of water on their right and on their left.
23The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemenp followed them into the sea. 24During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloudq at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.r 25He jammed2 the wheels of their chariots so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, “Let’s get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fightings for them against Egypt.”t
26Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen.” 27Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place.u The Egyptians were fleeing toward3 it, and the LORD swept them into the sea.v 28The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.w Not one of them survived.x
29But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground,y with a wallz of water on their right and on their left. 30That day the LORD saveda Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31And when the Israelites saw the mighty handb of the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people fearedc the LORD and put their trustd in him and in Moses his servant.
The Song of Moses and Miriam
1Then Moses and the Israelites sang this songa to the LORD:
“I will singb to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driverc
he has hurled into the sea.d Yahweh’s Victory
2“The LORD is my strengthe and my defense1;
he has become my salvation.f
He is my God,g and I will praise him,
my father’s God, and I will exalth him.
3The LORD is a warrior;i
the LORD is his name.j
4Pharaoh’s chariots and his armyk
he has hurled into the sea.
The best of Pharaoh’s officers
are drowned in the Red Sea.2
5The deep watersl have covered them;
they sank to the depths like a stone.m
was majestic in power.
Your right hand,o LORD,
shatteredp the enemy.
7“In the greatness of your majestyq
you threw down those who opposed you.
You unleashed your burning anger;r
it consumeds them like stubble.
8By the blast of your nostrilst
the waters piled up.u
The surging waters stood up like a wall;v
the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea.w
9The enemy boasted,
‘I will pursue,x I will overtake them.
I will divide the spoils;y
I will gorge myself on them.
I will draw my sword
and my hand will destroy them.’
10But you blew with your breath,z
and the sea covered them.
They sank like lead
in the mighty waters.a
11Who among the gods
is like you,b LORD?
Who is like you—
majestic in holiness,c
awesome in glory,d
working wonders?e
12“You stretch outf your right hand,
and the earth swallows your enemies.g
13In your unfailing love you will leadh
the people you have redeemed.i
In your strength you will guide them
to your holy dwelling.j
14The nations will hear and tremble;k
anguishl will grip the people of Philistia.m
15The chiefsn of Edomo will be terrified,
the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling,p
the people3 of Canaan will meltq away;
16terrorr and dread will fall on them.
By the power of your arm
they will be as still as a stones—
until your people pass by, LORD,
until the people you bought4,t pass by.u
17You will bringv them in and plantw them
on the mountainx of your inheritance—
the place, LORD, you made for your dwelling,y
the sanctuary,z Lord, your hands established.
18“The LORD reigns
for ever and ever.”a
19When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen5 went into the sea,b the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground.c 20Then Miriamd the prophet,e Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrelsf and dancing.g 21Miriam sangh to them:
The Waters of Marah and Elim
22Then Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went into the Desertk of Shur.l For three days they traveled in the desert without finding water.m 23When they came to Marah, they could not drink its water because it was bitter. (That is why the place is called Marah.6,n) 24So the people grumbledo against Moses, saying, “What are we to drink?”p
25Then Moses cried outq to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. He threwr it into the water, and the water became fit to drink.
There the LORD issued a ruling and instruction for them and put them to the test.s 26He said, “If you listen carefully to the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keept all his decrees,u I will not bring on you any of the diseasesv I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD, who healsw you.”
27Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs and seventy palm trees, and they campedx there near the water.
Manna and Quail
1The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin,a which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.b 2In the desert the whole community grumbledc against Moses and Aaron. 3The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt!d There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the foode we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”f
4Then the LORD said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaveng for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will testh them and see whether they will follow my instructions. 5On the sixth day they are to prepare what they bring in, and that is to be twicei as much as they gather on the other days.”
6So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, “In the evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of Egypt,j 7and in the morning you will see the gloryk of the LORD, because he has heard your grumblingl against him. Who are we, that you should grumble against us?”m 8Moses also said, “You will know that it was the LORD when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumblingn against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the LORD.”o
9Then Moses told Aaron, “Say to the entire Israelite community, ‘Come before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.’ ”
10While Aaron was speaking to the whole Israelite community, they looked toward the desert, and there was the gloryp of the LORD appearing in the cloud.q
11The LORD said to Moses, 12“I have heard the grumblingr of the Israelites. Tell them, ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.’ ”s
13That evening quailt came and covered the camp, and in the morning there was a layer of dewu around the camp. 14When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frostv on the ground appeared on the desert floor. 15When the Israelites saw it, they said to each other, “What is it?” For they did not knoww what it was.
Moses said to them, “It is the breadx the LORD has given you to eat. 16This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer1,y for each person you have in your tent.’ ”
17The Israelites did as they were told; some gathered much, some little. 18And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.z Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.
19Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”a
20However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell.b So Moses was angryc with them.
21Each morning everyone gathered as much as they needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away. 22On the sixth day, they gathered twiced as much—two omers2 for each person—and the leaders of the communitye came and reported this to Moses. 23He said to them, “This is what the LORD commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of sabbath rest, a holy sabbathf to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.’ ”
24So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it. 25“Eat it today,” Moses said, “because today is a sabbath to the LORD. You will not find any of it on the ground today. 26Six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath,g there will not be any.”
27Nevertheless, some of the people went out on the seventh day to gather it, but they found none. 28Then the LORD said to Moses, “How long will you3 refuse to keep my commandsh and my instructions? 29Bear in mind that the LORD has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where they are on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” 30So the people rested on the seventh day.
31The people of Israel called the bread manna.4,i It was white like coriander seed and tasted like wafers made with honey. 32Moses said, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Take an omer of manna and keep it for the generations to come, so they can see the bread I gave you to eat in the wilderness when I brought you out of Egypt.’ ”
33So Moses said to Aaron, “Take a jar and put an omer of mannaj in it. Then place it before the LORD to be kept for the generations to come.”
34As the LORD commanded Moses, Aaron put the manna with the tablets of the covenant law,k so that it might be preserved. 35The Israelites ate mannal forty years,m until they came to a land that was settled; they ate manna until they reached the border of Canaan.n
Water From the Rock
1The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin,a traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim,b but there was no waterc for the people to drink. 2So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us waterd to drink.”e
Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?”f
3But the people were thirstyg for water there, and they grumbledh against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock diei of thirst?”
4Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stonej me.”
5The LORD answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staffk with which you struck the Nile,l and go. 6I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb.m Striken the rock, and watero will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7And he called the place Massah1,p and Meribah2,q because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, “Is the LORD among us or not?”
The Amalekites Defeated
8The Amalekitesr came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.s 9Moses said to Joshua,t “Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staffu of God in my hands.”
10So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hurv went to the top of the hill. 11As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning,w but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.x 13So Joshua overcame the Amalekitey army with the sword.
14Then the LORD said to Moses, “Writez this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot outa the name of Amalekb from under heaven.” Literacy
15Moses built an altarc and calledd it The LORD is my Banner. 16He said, “Because hands were lifted up against3 the throne of the LORD,4 the LORD will be at war against the Amalekitese from generation to generation.”f
Jethro Visits Moses
1Now Jethro,a the priest of Midianb and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.c
2After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah,d his father-in-law Jethro received her 3and her two sons.e One son was named Gershom,1 for Moses said, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land”;f 4and the other was named Eliezer,2,g for he said, “My father’s God was my helper;h he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
5Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the wilderness, where he was camped near the mountaini of God. 6Jethro had sent word to him, “I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons.”
7So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed downj and kissedk him. They greeted each other and then went into the tent. 8Moses told his father-in-law about everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel’s sake and about all the hardshipsl they had met along the way and how the LORD had savedm them.
9Jethro was delighted to hear about all the good thingsn the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the hand of the Egyptians. 10He said, “Praise be to the LORD,o who rescued you from the hand of the Egyptians and of Pharaoh, and who rescued the people from the hand of the Egyptians. 11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all other gods,p for he did this to those who had treated Israel arrogantly.”q 12Then Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law,r brought a burnt offerings and other sacrificest to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat a mealu with Moses’ father-in-law in the presencev of God.
13The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening. 14When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
15Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.w 16Whenever they have a dispute,x it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and instructions.”y
17Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good. 18You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.z 19Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you.a You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputesb to him. 20Teach them his decrees and instructions,c and show them the way they are to lived and how they are to behave.e 21But select capable menf from all the people—men who fearg God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gainh—and appoint them as officialsi over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. 22Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult casej to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will sharek it with you. 23If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”
24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. 25He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leadersl of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.m 26They served as judgesn for the people at all times. The difficult caseso they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves.p
27Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.q
At Mount Sinai
1On the first day of the third month after the Israelites left Egypta—on that very day—they came to the Desert of Sinai.b 2After they set out from Rephidim,c they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.d
3Then Moses went up to God,e and the LORD calledf to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt,g and how I carried you on eagles’ wingsh and brought you to myself.i 5Now if you obey me fullyj and keep my covenant,k then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.l Although the whole earthm is mine, 6you1 will be for me a kingdom of priestsn and a holy nation.’o These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” Covenants
7So Moses went back and summoned the eldersp of the people and set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him to speak.q 8The people all responded together, “We will do everything the LORD has said.”r So Moses brought their answer back to the LORD.
9The LORD said to Moses, “I am going to come to you in a dense cloud,s so that the people will hear me speakingt with you and will always put their trustu in you.” Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said.
10And the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecratev them today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothesw 11and be ready by the third day,x because on that day the LORD will come downy on Mount Sinaiz in the sight of all the people. 12Put limitsa for the people around the mountain and tell them, ‘Be careful that you do not approach the mountain or touch the foot of it. Whoever touches the mountain is to be put to death. 13They are to be stonedb or shot with arrows; not a hand is to be laid on them. No person or animal shall be permitted to live.’ Only when the ram’s hornc sounds a long blast may they approach the mountain.”d Mount Sinai
14After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.e 15Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstainf from sexual relations.”
16On the morning of the third day there was thunderg and lightning, with a thick cloudh over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast.i Everyone in the camp trembled.j 17Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.k 18Mount Sinai was covered with smoke,l because the LORD descended on it in fire.m The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace,n and the whole mountain2 trembledo violently. 19As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voicep of God answeredq him.3
20The LORD descended to the top of Mount Sinair and called Moses to the top of the mountain. So Moses went up 21and the LORD said to him, “Go down and warn the people so they do not force their way through to sees the LORD and many of them perish.t 22Even the priests, who approachu the LORD, must consecratev themselves, or the LORD will break out against them.”w
23Moses said to the LORD, “The people cannot come up Mount Sinai,x because you yourself warned us, ‘Put limitsy around the mountain and set it apart as holy.’ ”
24The LORD replied, “Go down and bring Aaronz up with you. But the priests and the people must not force their way through to come up to the LORD, or he will break out against them.”a
25So Moses went down to the people and told them.
The Ten Commandments
20:1-17pp — Dt 5:6–21
1And God spokea all these words:b
2“I am the LORD your God,c who brought you outd of Egypt,e out of the land of slavery.f
3“You shall have no other gods before1 me.g
4“You shall not make for yourself an imageh in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. 5You shall not bow down to them or worshipi them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,j punishing the children for the sin of the parentsk to the third and fourth generationl of those who hate me, 6but showing love to a thousandm generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7“You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.n
8“Remember the Sabbatho day by keeping it holy. 9Six days you shall labor and do all your work,p 10but the seventh day is a sabbathq to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. 11For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth,r the sea, and all that is in them, but he resteds on the seventh day.t Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Ancient Laws, Scripture and Modern Issues
12“Honor your father and your mother,u so that you may live longv in the landw the LORD your God is giving you.
14“You shall not commit adultery.y
16“You shall not give false testimonya against your neighbor.b
17“You shall not covetc your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”
18When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpetd and saw the mountain in smoke,e they trembled with fear.f They stayed at a distance 19and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speakg to us or we will die.”h
20Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid.i God has come to testj you, so that the feark of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.”l
21The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darknessm where God was.
Idols and Altars
22Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell the Israelites this: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven:n 23Do not make any gods to be alongside me;o do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.p
24“ ‘Make an altarq of earth for me and sacrifice on it your burnt offeringsr and fellowship offerings, your sheep and goats and your cattle. Wherever I cause my names to be honored, I will come to you and blesst you. 25If you make an altar of stones for me, do not build it with dressed stones, for you will defile it if you use a toolu on it. 26And do not go up to my altar on steps, or your private partsv may be exposed.’
1“These are the lawsa you are to set before them:
Hebrew Servants
21:2-6pp — Dt 15:12–18
21:2-11Ref — Lev 25:39–55
2“If you buy a Hebrew servant,b he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free,c without paying anything. 3If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. 4If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.
5“But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’d 6then his master must take him before the judges.1,e He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and piercef his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.g
7“If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as male servants do. 8If she does not please the master who has selected her for himself,2 he must let her be redeemed. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has broken faith with her. 9If he selects her for his son, he must grant her the rights of a daughter. 10If he marries another woman, he must not deprive the first one of her food, clothing and marital rights.h 11If he does not provide her with these three things, she is to go free, without any payment of money.
Personal Injuries
12“Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death.i 13However, if it is not done intentionally, but God lets it happen, they are to flee to a placej I will designate. 14But if anyone schemes and kills someone deliberately,k that person is to be taken from my altar and put to death.l
15“Anyone who attacks3 their father or mother is to be put to death.
16“Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death,m whether the victim has been soldn or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.
17“Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.o
18“If people quarrel and one person hits another with a stone or with their fist4 and the victim does not die but is confined to bed, 19the one who struck the blow will not be held liable if the other can get up and walk around outside with a staff; however, the guilty party must pay the injured person for any loss of time and see that the victim is completely healed.
20“Anyone who beats their male or female slave with a rod must be punished if the slave dies as a direct result, 21but they are not to be punished if the slave recovers after a day or two, since the slave is their property.p
22“If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely5 but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demandsq and the court allows. 23But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life,r 24eye for eye, tooth for tooth,s hand for hand, foot for foot, 25burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
26“An owner who hits a male or female slave in the eye and destroys it must let the slave go free to compensate for the eye. 27And an owner who knocks out the tooth of a male or female slave must let the slave go free to compensate for the tooth.
28“If a bull gores a man or woman to death, the bull is to be stoned to death,t and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the bull will not be held responsible. 29If, however, the bull has had the habit of goring and the owner has been warned but has not kept it penned upu and it kills a man or woman, the bull is to be stoned and its owner also is to be put to death. 30However, if payment is demanded, the owner may redeem his life by the payment of whatever is demanded.v 31This law also applies if the bull gores a son or daughter. 32If the bull gores a male or female slave, the owner must pay thirty shekels6,w of silver to the master of the slave, and the bull is to be stoned to death.
33“If anyone uncovers a pitx or digs one and fails to cover it and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 34the one who opened the pit must pay the owner for the loss and take the dead animal in exchange.
35“If anyone’s bull injures someone else’s bull and it dies, the two parties are to sell the live one and divide both the money and the dead animal equally. 36However, if it was known that the bull had the habit of goring, yet the owner did not keep it penned up,y the owner must pay, animal for animal, and take the dead animal in exchange.
Protection of Property
1“Whoever steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it must pay backa five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.
2“If a thief is caught breaking inb at night and is struck a fatal blow, the defender is not guilty of bloodshed;c 3but if it happens after sunrise, the defender is guilty of bloodshed.
“Anyone who steals must certainly make restitution,d but if they have nothing, they must be solde to pay for their theft. 4If the stolen animal is found alive in their possessionf—whether ox or donkey or sheep—they must pay back double.g
5“If anyone grazes their livestock in a field or vineyard and lets them stray and they graze in someone else’s field, the offender must make restitutionh from the best of their own field or vineyard.
6“If a fire breaks out and spreads into thornbushes so that it burns shocksi of grain or standing grain or the whole field, the one who started the fire must make restitution.j
7“If anyone gives a neighbor silver or goods for safekeepingk and they are stolen from the neighbor’s house, the thief, if caught, must pay back double.l 8But if the thief is not found, the owner of the house must appear before the judges,m and they must2 determine whether the owner of the house has laid hands on the other person’s property. 9In all cases of illegal possession of an ox, a donkey, a sheep, a garment, or any other lost property about which somebody says, ‘This is mine,’ both parties are to bring their cases before the judges.3,n The one whom the judges declare4 guilty must pay back double to the other. Divine Verdict
10“If anyone gives a donkey, an ox, a sheep or any other animal to their neighbor for safekeepingo and it dies or is injured or is taken away while no one is looking, 11the issue between them will be settled by the taking of an oathp before the LORD that the neighbor did not lay hands on the other person’s property. The owner is to accept this, and no restitution is required. 12But if the animal was stolen from the neighbor, restitutionq must be made to the owner. 13If it was torn to pieces by a wild animal, the neighbor shall bring in the remains as evidence and shall not be required to pay for the torn animal.r
14“If anyone borrows an animal from their neighbor and it is injured or dies while the owner is not present, they must make restitution.s 15But if the owner is with the animal, the borrower will not have to pay. If the animal was hired, the money paid for the hire covers the loss.t
Social Responsibility
16“If a man seduces a virginu who is not pledged to be married and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride-price,v and she shall be his wife. 17If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he must still pay the bride-price for virgins.
18“Do not allow a sorceressw to live.
19“Anyone who has sexual relations with an animalx is to be put to death.
20“Whoever sacrifices to any gody other than the LORD must be destroyed.5,z
21“Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner,a for you were foreignersb in Egypt.
22“Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless.c 23If you do and they cry outd to me, I will certainly hear their cry.e 24My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.f
25“If you lend money to one of my people among you who is needy, do not treat it like a business deal; charge no interest.g 26If you take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge,h return it by sunset, 27because that cloak is the only covering your neighbor has. What else can they sleep in?i When they cry out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate.j
28“Do not blaspheme God6,k or cursel the ruler of your people.m
29“Do not hold back offeringsn from your granaries or your vats.7
“You must give me the firstborn of your sons.o 30Do the same with your cattle and your sheep.p Let them stay with their mothers for seven days, but give them to me on the eighth day.q
31“You are to be my holy people.r So do not eat the meat of an animal torn by wild beasts;s throw it to the dogs.
Laws of Justice and Mercy
1“Do not spread false reports.a Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.b
2“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justicec by siding with the crowd,d 3and do not show favoritisme to a poor person in a lawsuit.
4“If you come across your enemy’sf ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it.g 5If you see the donkeyh of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.
6“Do not deny justicei to your poor people in their lawsuits. 7Have nothing to do with a false chargej and do not put an innocentk or honest person to death,l for I will not acquit the guilty.m
8“Do not accept a bribe,n for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the innocent.
9“Do not oppress a foreigner;o you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt.
Sabbath Laws
10“For six years you are to sow your fields and harvest the crops, 11but during the seventh year let the land lie unplowed and unused.p Then the poor among your people may get food from it, and the wild animals may eat what is left. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.
12“Six days do your work,q but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and so that the slave born in your household and the foreigner living among you may be refreshed.r
13“Be carefuls to do everything I have said to you. Do not invoke the names of other gods;t do not let them be heard on your lips.u
The Three Annual Festivals
14“Three timesv a year you are to celebrate a festival to me.
15“Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread;w for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv,x for in that month you came out of Egypt.
“No one is to appear before me empty-handed.y
16“Celebrate the Festival of Harvestz with the firstfruitsa of the crops you sow in your field.
“Celebrate the Festival of Ingatheringb at the end of the year, when you gather in your crops from the field.c
17“Three timesd a year all the men are to appear before the Sovereign LORD.
18“Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me along with anything containing yeast.e
“The fat of my festival offerings must not be kept until morning.f
19“Bring the best of the firstfruitsg of your soil to the house of the LORD your God.
“Do not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.h
God’s Angel to Prepare the Way
20“See, I am sending an angeli ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.j 21Pay attention to him and listenk to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgivel your rebellion,m since my Namen is in him. 22If you listen carefully to what he says and doo all that I say, I will be an enemyp to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. 23My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites,q and I will wipe them out. 24Do not bow down before their gods or worshipr them or follow their practices.s You must demolisht them and break their sacred stonesu to pieces. 25Worship the LORD your God,v and his blessingw will be on your food and water. I will take away sicknessx from among you, 26and none will miscarry or be barreny in your land. I will give you a full life span.z
27“I will send my terrora ahead of you and throw into confusionb every nation you encounter. I will make all your enemies turn their backs and run.c 28I will send the hornetd ahead of you to drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittitese out of your way. 29But I will not drive them out in a single year, because the land would become desolate and the wild animalsf too numerous for you. 30Little by little I will drive them out before you, until you have increased enough to take possessiong of the land.
31“I will establish your borders from the Red Sea1 to the Mediterranean Sea,2 and from the desert to the Euphrates River.h I will give into your hands the people who live in the land, and you will drive them outi before you. 32Do not make a covenantj with them or with their gods. 33Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snarek to you.”
The Covenant Confirmed
1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron,a Nadab and Abihu,b and seventy of the eldersc of Israel. You are to worship at a distance, 2but Moses alone is to approachd the LORD; the others must not come near. And the people may not come up with him.”
3When Moses went and told the people all the LORD’s words and laws,e they responded with one voice, “Everything the LORD has said we will do.”f 4Moses then wroteg down everything the LORD had said.
He got up early the next morning and built an altarh at the foot of the mountain and set up twelve stone pillarsi representing the twelve tribes of Israel. 5Then he sent young Israelite men, and they offered burnt offeringsj and sacrificed young bulls as fellowship offeringsk to the LORD. 6Mosesl took half of the bloodm and put it in bowls, and the other half he splashedn against the altar. 7Then he took the Book of the Covenanto and read it to the people. They responded, “We will do everything the LORD has said; we will obey.”p
8Moses then took the blood, sprinkled it on the peopleq and said, “This is the blood of the covenantr that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”
9Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elderss of Israel went up 10and sawt the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli,u as bright blue as the sky.v 11But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saww God, and they ate and drank.x
12The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and stay here, and I will give you the tablets of stoney with the law and commandments I have written for their instruction.”
13Then Moses set out with Joshuaz his aide, and Moses went up on the mountaina of God. 14He said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hurb are with you, and anyone involved in a disputec can go to them.”
15When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloudd covered it, 16and the glorye of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai.f For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud.g 17To the Israelites the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fireh on top of the mountain. 18Then Moses entered the cloud as he went on up the mountain. And he stayed on the mountain fortyi days and forty nights.j
Offerings for the Tabernacle
25:1-7pp — Ex 35:4–9
1The LORD said to Moses, 2“Tell the Israelites to bring me an offering. You are to receive the offering for me from everyone whose heart promptsa them to give. 3These are the offerings you are to receive from them: gold, silver and bronze; 4blue, purple and scarlet yarnb and fine linen; goat hair; 5ram skins dyed red and another type of durable leather1;c acacia wood;d 6olive oile for the light; spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense;f 7and onyx stones and other gems to be mounted on the ephodg and breastpiece.h
8“Then have them make a sanctuaryi for me, and I will dwellj among them. 9Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the patternk I will show you.
The Ark
25:10-20pp — Ex 37:1–9
10“Have them make an ark2,l of acacia wood—two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.3 11Overlaym it with pure gold, both inside and out, and make a gold molding around it. 12Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, with two ringsn on one side and two rings on the other. 13Then make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.o 14Insert the polesp into the rings on the sides of the ark to carry it. 15The poles are to remain in the rings of this ark; they are not to be removed.q 16Then put in the ark the tablets of the covenant law,r which I will give you.
17“Make an atonement covers of pure gold—two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide. 18And make two cherubimt out of hammered gold at the ends of the cover. 19Make one cherub on one end and the second cherub on the other; make the cherubim of one piece with the cover, at the two ends. 20The cherubimu are to have their wings spread upward, overshadowingv the cover with them. The cherubim are to face each other, looking toward the cover. 21Place the cover on top of the arkw and put in the ark the tablets of the covenant lawx that I will give you. 22There, above the cover between the two cherubimy that are over the ark of the covenant law, I will meetz with you and give you all my commands for the Israelites.a
The Table
25:23-29pp — Ex 37:10–16
23“Make a tableb of acacia wood—two cubits long, a cubit wide and a cubit and a half high.4 24Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it. 25Also make around it a rim a handbreadth5 wide and put a gold molding on the rim. 26Make four gold rings for the table and fasten them to the four corners, where the four legs are. 27The rings are to be close to the rim to hold the poles used in carrying the table. 28Make the poles of acacia wood, overlay them with goldc and carry the table with them. 29And make its plates and dishes of pure gold, as well as its pitchers and bowls for the pouring out of offerings.d 30Put the bread of the Presencee on this table to be before me at all times.
The Lampstand
25:31-39pp — Ex 37:17–24
31“Make a lampstandf of pure gold. Hammer out its base and shaft, and make its flowerlike cups, buds and blossoms of one piece with them. 32Six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other. 33Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, three on the next branch, and the same for all six branches extending from the lampstand. 34And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms. 35One bud shall be under the first pair of branches extending from the lampstand, a second bud under the second pair, and a third bud under the third pair—six branches in all. 36The buds and branches shall all be of one piece with the lampstand, hammered out of pure gold.g
37“Then make its seven lampsh and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. 38Its wick trimmers and traysi are to be of pure gold. 39A talent6 of pure gold is to be used for the lampstand and all these accessories. 40See that you make them according to the patternj shown you on the mountain.
The Tabernacle
26:1-37pp — Ex 36:8–38
1“Make the tabernaclea with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubimb woven into them by a skilled worker. 2All the curtains are to be the same sizec—twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide.1 3Join five of the curtains together, and do the same with the other five. 4Make loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and do the same with the end curtain in the other set. 5Make fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the end curtain of the other set, with the loops opposite each other. 6Then make fifty gold clasps and use them to fasten the curtains together so that the tabernacle is a unit.d
7“Make curtains of goat hair for the tent over the tabernacle—eleven altogether. 8All eleven curtains are to be the same sizee—thirty cubits long and four cubits wide.2 9Join five of the curtains together into one set and the other six into another set. Fold the sixth curtain double at the front of the tent. 10Make fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in one set and also along the edge of the end curtain in the other set. 11Then make fifty bronze clasps and put them in the loops to fasten the tent together as a unit.f 12As for the additional length of the tent curtains, the half curtain that is left over is to hang down at the rear of the tabernacle. 13The tent curtains will be a cubit3 longer on both sides; what is left will hang over the sides of the tabernacle so as to cover it. 14Make for the tent a coveringg of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of the other durable leather.4,h
15“Make upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle. 16Each frame is to be ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide,5 17with two projections set parallel to each other. Make all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. 18Make twenty frames for the south side of the tabernacle 19and make forty silver basesi to go under them—two bases for each frame, one under each projection. 20For the other side, the north side of the tabernacle, make twenty frames 21and forty silver basesj—two under each frame. 22Make six frames for the far end, that is, the west end of the tabernacle, 23and make two frames for the corners at the far end. 24At these two corners they must be double from the bottom all the way to the top and fitted into a single ring; both shall be like that. 25So there will be eight frames and sixteen silver bases—two under each frame.
26“Also make crossbars of acacia wood: five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, 27five for those on the other side, and five for the frames on the west, at the far end of the tabernacle. 28The center crossbar is to extend from end to end at the middle of the frames. 29Overlay the frames with gold and make gold rings to hold the crossbars. Also overlay the crossbars with gold.
30“Set up the tabernaclek according to the planl shown you on the mountain.
31“Make a curtainm of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen, with cherubimn woven into it by a skilled worker. 32Hang it with gold hooks on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold and standing on four silver bases.o 33Hang the curtain from the clasps and place the ark of the covenant law behind the curtain.p The curtain will separate the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place.q 34Put the atonement coverr on the ark of the covenant law in the Most Holy Place. 35Place the tables outside the curtain on the north side of the tabernacle and put the lampstandt opposite it on the south side.
36“For the entrance to the tent make a curtainu of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroiderer.v 37Make gold hooks for this curtain and five posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold. And cast five bronze bases for them.
The Altar of Burnt Offering
27:1-8pp — Ex 38:1–7
1“Build an altara of acacia wood, three cubits1 high; it is to be square, five cubits long and five cubits wide.2 2Make a hornb at each of the four corners, so that the horns and the altar are of one piece, and overlay the altar with bronze. 3Make all its utensils of bronze—its pots to remove the ashes, and its shovels, sprinkling bowls,c meat forks and firepans.d 4Make a grating for it, a bronze network, and make a bronze ring at each of the four corners of the network. 5Put it under the ledge of the altar so that it is halfway up the altar. 6Make poles of acacia wood for the altar and overlay them with bronze.e 7The poles are to be inserted into the rings so they will be on two sides of the altar when it is carried.f 8Make the altar hollow, out of boards. It is to be made just as you were showng on the mountain. The Tabernacle
The Courtyard
27:9-19pp — Ex 38:9–20
9“Make a courtyardh for the tabernacle. The south side shall be a hundred cubits3 long and is to have curtains of finely twisted linen, 10with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts. 11The north side shall also be a hundred cubits long and is to have curtains, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases and with silver hooks and bands on the posts.
12“The west end of the courtyard shall be fifty cubits4 wide and have curtains, with ten posts and ten bases. 13On the east end, toward the sunrise, the courtyard shall also be fifty cubits wide. 14Curtains fifteen cubits5 long are to be on one side of the entrance, with three posts and three bases, 15and curtains fifteen cubits long are to be on the other side, with three posts and three bases.
16“For the entrance to the courtyard, provide a curtaini twenty cubits6 long, of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twisted linen—the work of an embroidererj—with four posts and four bases. 17All the posts around the courtyard are to have silver bands and hooks, and bronze bases. 18The courtyard shall be a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide,7 with curtains of finely twisted linen five cubits8 high, and with bronze bases. 19All the other articles used in the service of the tabernacle, whatever their function, including all the tent pegs for it and those for the courtyard, are to be of bronze.
Oil for the Lampstand
27:20-21pp — Lev 24:1–3
20“Command the Israelites to bring you clear oilk of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning. 21In the tent of meeting,l outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law,m Aaron and his sons are to keep the lampsn burning before the LORD from evening till morning. This is to be a lasting ordinanceo among the Israelites for the generations to come. Tabernacle Furnishings