1. Now these are the names of the sons of  Israel , who came into Egypt (every man and his household came with  Jacob ):

2.  Reuben ,  Simeon ,  Levi , and  Judah ,

3.  Issachar , Zebulun , and Benjamin ,

4.  Dan  and Naphtali , Gad and Asher .

5. All the souls who came out of  Jacob 's body were seventy souls, and  Joseph was in Egypt already.

6.  Joseph died, as did all his brothers, and all that generation.

7. The children of  Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.

8. Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who didn't know  Joseph .

9. He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the children of  Israel are more and mightier than we.

10. Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it happen that when any war breaks out, they also join themselves to our enemies, and fight against us, and escape out of the land."

11. Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. They built storage cities for Pharaoh: Pithom and Raamses.

12. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They were grieved because of the children of  Israel .

13. The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of  Israel serve,

14. and they made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.

15. The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah , and the name of the other Puah .

16. and he said, "When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool; if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live."

17. But the midwives feared God, and didn't do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.

18. The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and have saved the boys alive?"

19. The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women aren't like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous, and give birth before the midwife comes to them."

20. God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.

21. It happened, because the midwives feared God, that he gave them families.

22. Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive."

Chapter 2

1. A man of the house of  Levi went and took a daughter of  Levi as his wife.

2. The woman conceived, and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.

3. When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with pitch. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river's bank.

4. His sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him.

5. Pharaoh's daughter came down to bathe at the river. Her maidens walked along by the riverside. She saw the basket among the reeds, and sent her handmaid to get it.

6. She opened it, and saw the child, and behold, the baby cried. She had compassion on him, and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."

7. Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Should I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?"

8. Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." The maiden went and called the child's mother.

9. Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages." The woman took the child, and nursed it.

10. The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him  Moses , and said, "Because I drew him out of the water."

11. It happened in those days, when  Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brothers, and looked at their burdens. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers.

12. He looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no one, he killed the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

13. He went out the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were fighting with each other. He said to him who did the wrong, "Why do you strike your fellow?"

14. He said, "Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?"  Moses was afraid, and said, "Surely this thing is known."

15. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill  Moses . But  Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.

16. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.

17. The shepherds came and drove them away; but  Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

18. When they came to Reuel , their father, he said, "How is it that you have returned so early today?"

19. They said, "An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock."

20. He said to his daughters, "Where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread."

21.  Moses was content to dwell with the man. He gave  Moses Zipporah , his daughter.

22. She bore a son, and he named him Gershom , for he said, "I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land."

23. It happened in the course of those many days, that the king of Egypt died, and the children of  Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage.

24. God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with  Abraham , with Isaac , and with  Jacob .

25. God saw the children of  Israel , and God was concerned about them.

Chapter 3

1. Now  Moses was keeping the flock of  Jethro , his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to God's mountain, to Horeb.

2. The angel of יהוה appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

3.  Moses said, "I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt."

4. When יהוה saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said, "  Moses !  Moses !" He said, "Here I am."

5. He said, "Don't come close. Take your sandals off of your feet, for the place you are standing on is holy ground."

6. Moreover he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of  Abraham , the God of Isaac , and the God of  Jacob ."  Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look at God.

7. יהוה said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.

8. I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the place of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.

9. Now, behold, the cry of the children of  Israel has come to me. Moreover I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

10. Come now therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people, the children of  Israel , out of Egypt."

11.  Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of  Israel out of Egypt?"

12. He said, "Certainly I will be with you. This will be the token to you, that I have sent you: when you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."

13.  Moses said to God, "Behold, when I come to the children of  Israel , and tell them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you;' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' What should I tell them?"

14. God said to  Moses , "I AM WHO I AM," and he said, "You shall tell the children of  Israel this: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"

15. God said moreover to  Moses , "You shall tell the children of  Israel this, ' יהוה, the God of your fathers, the God of  Abraham , the God of Isaac , and the God of  Jacob , has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and this is my memorial to all generations.

16. Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and tell them, ' יהוה, the God of your fathers, the God of  Abraham , of Isaac , and of  Jacob , has appeared to me, saying, "I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt;

17. and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land flowing with milk and honey."'

18. They will listen to your voice, and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall tell him, ' יהוה, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to יהוה, our God.'

19. I know that the king of Egypt won't give you permission to go, no, not by a mighty hand.

20. I will put forth my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in its midst, and after that he will let you go.

21. I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and it will happen that when you go, you shall not go empty-handed.

22. But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her who visits her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons, and on your daughters. You shall plunder the Egyptians."

Chapter 4

1.  Moses answered, "But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, ' יהוה has not appeared to you.'"

2. יהוה said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod."

3. He said, "Throw it on the ground." He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and  Moses ran away from it.

4. יהוה said to  Moses , "Put forth your hand, and take it by the tail." He put forth his hand, and laid hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.

5. "That they may believe that יהוה, the God of their fathers, the God of  Abraham , the God of Isaac , and the God of  Jacob , has appeared to you."

6. יהוה said furthermore to him, "Now put your hand inside your cloak." He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.

7. He said, "Put your hand inside your cloak again." He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh.

8. "It will happen, if they will neither believe you nor listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

9. It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs, neither listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land."

10.  Moses said to יהוה, "O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."

11. יהוה said to him, "Who made man's mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn't it I, יהוה?

12. Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak."

13. He said, "Oh, Lord, please send someone else."

14. The anger of יהוה was kindled against  Moses , and he said, "What about  Aaron , your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he comes forth to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

15. You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.

16. He will be your spokesman to the people; and it will happen, that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God.

17. You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs."

18.  Moses went and returned to  Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, "Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive."  Jethro said to  Moses , "Go in peace."

19. יהוה said to  Moses in Midian, "Go, return into Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead."

20.  Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt.  Moses took God's rod in his hand.

21. יהוה said to  Moses , "When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.

22. You shall tell Pharaoh, 'Thus says יהוה, Israel is my son, my firstborn,

23. and I have said to you, "Let my son go, that he may serve me;" and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.'"

24. It happened on the way at a lodging place, that יהוה met  Moses and wanted to kill him.

25. Then  Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me."

26. So he let him alone. Then she said, "You are a bridegroom of blood," because of the circumcision.

27. יהוה said to  Aaron , "Go into the wilderness to meet  Moses ." He went, and met him on God's mountain, and kissed him.

28.  Moses told  Aaron all the words of יהוה with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had instructed him.

29.  Moses and  Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of  Israel .

30.  Aaron spoke all the words which יהוה had spoken to  Moses , and did the signs in the sight of the people.

31. The people believed, and when they heard that יהוה had visited the children of  Israel , and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Chapter 5

1. Afterward  Moses and  Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, "This is what יהוה, the God of Israel, says, 'Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.'"

2. Pharaoh said, "Who is יהוה, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don't know יהוה, and moreover I will not let Israel go."

3. They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to יהוה, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword."

4. The king of Egypt said to them, "Why do you,  Moses and  Aaron , take the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!"

5. Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens."

6. The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

7. "You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

8. The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'

9. Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor therein; and don't let them pay any attention to lying words."

10. The taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, "This is what Pharaoh says: 'I will not give you straw.

11. Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished.'"

12. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

13. The taskmasters were urgent saying, "Fulfill your work quota daily, as when there was straw!"

14. The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, "Why haven't you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?"

15. Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, "Why do you deal this way with your servants?

16. No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us, 'Make brick!' and behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people."

17. But he said, "You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to יהוה.'

18. Go therefore now, and work, for no straw shall be given to you, yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks!"

19. The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble, when it was said, "You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!"

20. They met  Moses and  Aaron , who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

21. and they said to them, "May יהוה look at you, and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us."

22.  Moses returned to יהוה, and said, "Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me?

23. For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people; neither have you delivered your people at all."

Chapter 6

1. יהוה said to  Moses , "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh, for by a strong hand he shall let them go, and by a strong hand he shall drive them out of his land."