Jacob Blesses His Sons

49:1–28Ref—Dt 33:1–29

49 Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.v

2 “Assemblew and listen, sons of Jacob;

listen to your father Israel.x

3 “Reuben, you are my firstborn,y

my might, the first sign of my strength,z

excelling in honor,a excelling in power.

4 Turbulent as the waters,b you will no longer excel,

for you went up onto your father’s bed,

onto my couch and defiled it.c

5 “Simeond and Levie are brothers—

their swordsa are weapons of violence.f

6 Let me not enter their council,

let me not join their assembly,g

for they have killed men in their angerh

and hamstrungi oxen as they pleased.

7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce,

and their fury,j so cruel!k

I will scatter them in Jacob

and disperse them in Israel.l

8 “Judah,b m your brothers will praise you;

your hand will be on the neckn of your enemies;

your father’s sons will bow down to you.o

9 You are a lion’sp cub,q Judah;r

you return from the prey,s my son.

Like a lion he crouches and lies down,

like a lioness—who dares to rouse him?

10 The scepter will not depart from Judah,t

nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,c

until he to whom it belongsd shall comeu

and the obedience of the nations shall be his.v

11 He will tether his donkeyw to a vine,

his colt to the choicest branch;x

he will wash his garments in wine,

his robes in the blood of grapes.y

12 His eyes will be darker than wine,

his teeth whiter than milk.e z

13 “Zebuluna will live by the seashore

and become a haven for ships;

his border will extend toward Sidon.b

14 “Issacharc is a rawbonedf donkey

lying down among the sheep pens.g d

15 When he sees how good is his resting place

and how pleasant is his land,e

he will bend his shoulder to the burdenf

and submit to forced labor.g

16 “Danh h will provide justice for his people

as one of the tribes of Israel.i

17 Danj will be a snake by the roadside,

a viper along the path,k

that bites the horse’s heelsl

so that its rider tumbles backward.

18 “I look for your deliverance,m Lord.n

19 “Gadi o will be attacked by a band of raiders,

but he will attack them at their heels.p

20 “Asher’sq food will be rich;r

he will provide delicacies fit for a king.s

21 “Naphtalit is a doe set free

that bears beautiful fawns.j u

22 “Josephv is a fruitful vine,w

a fruitful vine near a spring,

whose branchesx climb over a wall.k

23 With bitterness archers attacked him;y

they shot at him with hostility.z

24 But his bow remained steady,a

his strong armsb stayedl limber,

because of the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob,c

because of the Shepherd,d the Rock of Israel,e

25 because of your father’s God,f who helpsg you,

because of the Almighty,m h who blesses you

with blessings of the skies above,

blessings of the deep springs below,i

blessings of the breastj and womb.k

26 Your father’s blessings are greater

than the blessings of the ancient mountains,

thann the bounty of the age-old hills.l

Let all these rest on the head of Joseph,m

on the brow of the prince amongo his brothers.n

27 “Benjamino is a ravenous wolf;p

in the morning he devours the prey,q

in the evening he divides the plunder.”r

28 All these are the twelve tribes of Israel,s and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, giving each the blessingt appropriate to him.

The Death of Jacob

29 Then he gave them these instructions:u “I am about to be gathered to my people.v Bury me with my fathersw in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,x 30 the cave in the field of Machpelah,y near Mamrez in Canaan, which Abraham bought along with the fielda as a burial placeb from Ephron the Hittite. 31 There Abrahamc and his wife Sarahd were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekahe were buried, and there I buried Leah.f 32 The field and the cave in it were bought from the Hittites.p g”

33 When Jacob had finished giving instructions to his sons, he drew his feet up into the bed, breathed his last and was gathered to his people.h

50 Joseph threw himself on his father and wept over him and kissed him.i 2 Then Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So the physicians embalmed him,j 3 taking a full forty days, for that was the time required for embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.k

4 When the days of mourningl had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court,m “If I have found favor in your eyes,n speak to Pharaoh for me. Tell him, 5 ‘My father made me swear an oatho and said, “I am about to die;p bury me in the tomb I dug for myselfq in the land of Canaan.”r Now let me go up and bury my father;s then I will return.’ ”

6 Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”

7 So Joseph went up to bury his father. All Pharaoh’s officialst accompanied him—the dignitaries of his courtu and all the dignitaries of Egypt—8 besides all the members of Joseph’s household and his brothers and those belonging to his father’s household.v Only their children and their flocks and herds were left in Goshen.w 9 Chariotsx and horsemena also went up with him. It was a very large company.

10 When they reached the threshing floory of Atad, near the Jordan, they lamented loudly and bitterly;z and there Joseph observed a seven-day perioda of mourningb for his father.c 11 When the Canaanitesd who lived there saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “The Egyptians are holding a solemn ceremony of mourning.”e That is why that place near the Jordan is called Abel Mizraim.b

12 So Jacob’s sons did as he had commanded them:f 13 They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave in the field of Machpelah,g near Mamre,h which Abraham had bought along with the fieldi as a burial place from Ephron the Hittite.j 14 After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.k

Joseph Reassures His Brothers

15 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudgel against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”m 16 So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructionsn before he died: 17 ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sinso and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’p Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.q” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.r

18 His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him.s “We are your slaves,”t they said.

19 But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?u 20 You intended to harm me,v but God intendedw it for goodx to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.y 21 So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.z” And he reassured them and spoke kindlya to them.

The Death of Joseph

22 Joseph stayed in Egypt, along with all his father’s family. He lived a hundred and ten yearsb 23 and saw the third generationc of Ephraim’sd children.e Also the children of Makirf son of Manassehg were placed at birth on Joseph’s knees.c h

24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die.i But God will surely come to your aidj and take you up out of this land to the landk he promised on oath to Abraham,l Isaacm and Jacob.”n 25 And Joseph made the Israelites swear an oatho and said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bonesp up from this place.”q

26 So Joseph diedr at the age of a hundred and ten.s And after they embalmed him,t he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.

Exodus

Exodus records how God rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and led them into the Desert of Sinai. In the desert on Mount Sinai God handed down to Moses the laws to govern the new nation.

The Israelites Oppressed

1 These are the names of the sons of Israela who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher.b 5 The descendants of Jacob numbered seventya in all;c Joseph was already in Egypt.

6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died,d 7 but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numberse and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.

8 Then 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 10 Come, 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

11 So they put slave mastersk over them to oppress them with forced labor,l and they built Pithom and Ramesesm as store citiesn for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly.o 14 They 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

15 The 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 17 The midwives, however, fearedu God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do;v they let the boys live. 18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”w

20 So God was kind to the midwivesx and the people increased and became even more numerous. 21 And because the midwives fearedy God, he gave them familiesz of their own.

22 Then 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

2 Now a man of the tribe of Levic married a Levite woman,d 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a finee child, she hid him for three months.f 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrusg basketa for him and coated it with tar and pitch.h Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reedsi along the bank of the Nile. 4 His sisterj stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

5 Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank.k She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. 6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.

7 Then 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. 9 Pharaoh’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. 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She namedl him Moses,b saying, “I drewm him out of the water.”

Moses Flees to Midian

11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own peoplen were and watched them at their hard labor.o He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?”p

14 The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us?q Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.”

15 When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to killr Moses, but Moses fleds from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian,t where he sat down by a well. 16 Now a priest of Midianu had seven daughters, and they came to draw waterv and fill the troughsw to water their father’s flock. 17 Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescuex and watered their flock.y

18 When the girls returned to Reuelz their father, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”

19 They 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.”a

21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporahb to Moses in marriage. 22 Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom,c c saying, “I have become a foreignerd in a foreign land.”

23 During that long period,e the king of Egypt died.f The Israelites groaned in their slaveryg and cried out, and their cryh for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he rememberedi his covenantj with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concernedk about them.

Moses and the Burning Bush

3 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethrol his father-in-law, the priest of Midian,m and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb,n the mountaino of God. 2 There the angel of the Lordp appeared to him in flames of fireq from within a bush.r Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.”

4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God calleds to him from within the bush,t “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.”u

5 “Do not come any closer,”v God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”w 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father,a the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.”x At this, Moses hidy his face, because he was afraid to look at God.z

7 The Lord said, “I have indeed seena the miseryb of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concernedc about their suffering.d 8 So I have come downe to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land,f a land flowing with milk and honeyg—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivitesh and Jebusites.i 9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressingj them. 10 So now, go. I am sendingk you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”l

11 But Moses said to God, “Who am Im that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

12 And God said, “I will be with you.n And this will be the signo to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, youb will worship God on this mountain.p”

13 Moses 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?’q Then what shall I tell them?”

14 God said to Moses, “I am who I am.c This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I amr has sent me to you.’ ”

15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The Lord,d the God of your fatherss—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacobt—has sent me to you.’

“This is my nameu forever,

the name you shall call me

from generation to generation.v

16 “Go, assemble the eldersw of Israel and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacobx—appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seeny what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egyptz into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites—a land flowing with milk and honey.’a

18 “The elders of Israel will listenb 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,c has metd with us. Let us take a three-day journeye into the wilderness to offer sacrificesf to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty handg compels him. 20 So I will stretch out my handh and strike the Egyptians with all the wondersi that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.j

21 “And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposedk toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed.l 22 Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silverm and goldn and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plundero the Egyptians.”p

Signs for Moses

4 Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listenq to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”

2 Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

“A staff,”r he replied.

3 The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.”

Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake,s and he ran from it. 4 Then 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 believet 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.”

6 Then 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 leprousa—it had become as white as snow.u

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,v like the rest of his flesh.

8 Then the Lord said, “If they do not believew you or pay attention to the first sign,x they may believe the second. 9 But 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 bloody on the ground.”

10 Moses 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.”z

11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute?a Who gives them sight or makes them blind?b Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go;c I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”d

13 But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”e

14 Then the Lord’s anger burnedf 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 meetg you, and he will be glad to see you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth;h I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouthi and as if you were God to him.j 17 But take this staffk in your handl so you can perform the signsm with it.”

Moses Returns to Egypt

18 Then 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.”

19 Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to killn you are dead.o” 20 So Moses took his wife and sons,p put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staffq of God in his hand.

21 The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wondersr I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his hearts so that he will not let the people go.t 22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son,u 23 and I told you, “Let my son go,v so he may worshipw me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’ ”x

24 At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Mosesb and was about to killy him. 25 But Zipporahz took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskina and touched Moses’ feet with it.c “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. 26 So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)

27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he met Moses at the mountainb of God and kissedc him. 28 Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform.

29 Moses and Aaron brought together all the eldersd of the Israelites, 30 and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signse before the people, 31 and they believed.f And when they heard that the Lord was concernedg about them and had seen their misery,h they bowed down and worshiped.i

Bricks Without Straw

5 Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Let my people go,j so that they may hold a festivalk to me in the wilderness.’ ”

2 Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord,l that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”m

3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us take a three-day journeyn into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, or he may strike us with plagueso or with the sword.”

4 But the king of Egypt said, “Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their labor?p Get back to your work!” 5 Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are now numerous,q and you are stopping them from working.”

6 That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave driversr and overseers in charge of the people: 7 “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks;s let them go and gather their own straw. 8 But require them to make the same number of bricks as before; don’t reduce the quota.t They are lazy;u that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’v 9 Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”

10 Then the slave driversw and the overseers went out and said to the people, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will not give you any more straw. 11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reducedx at all.’ ” 12 So the people scattered all over Egypt to gather stubble to use for straw. 13 The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, “Complete the work required of you for each day, just as when you had straw.” 14 And Pharaoh’s slave drivers beat the Israelite overseers they had appointed,y demanding, “Why haven’t you met your quota of bricks yesterday or today, as before?”

15 Then the Israelite overseers went and appealed to Pharaoh: “Why have you treated your servants this way? 16 Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, ‘Make bricks!’ Your servants are being beaten, but the fault is with your own people.”

17 Pharaoh said, “Lazy, that’s what you are—lazy!z That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Now get to work.a You will not be given any straw, yet you must produce your full quota of bricks.”

19 The 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.” 20 When they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them, 21 and they said, “May the Lord look on you and judgeb you! You have made us obnoxiousc to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a swordd in their hand to kill us.”e

God Promises Deliverance

22 Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people?f Is this why you sent me? 23 Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people, and you have not rescuedg your people at all.”

6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty handh he will let them go;i because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”j

2 God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord.k 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty,a l but by my namem the Lordb n I did not make myself fully known to them. 4 I also established my covenanto with them to give them the landp of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners.q 5 Moreover, I have heard the groaningr of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.s

6 “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.t I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeemu you with an outstretched armv and with mighty acts of judgment.w 7 I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.x Then you will knowy that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you to the landz I sworea with uplifted handb to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.c I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’ ”d

9 Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.e

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Go, tellf Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.”g

12 But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listenh to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lipsc?”i

Family Record of Moses and Aaron

13 Now 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.j

14 These were the heads of their familiesd:k

The sons of Reubenl the firstborn son of Israel were Hanok and Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. These were the clans of Reuben.

15 The sons of Simeonm were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon.

16 These were the names of the sons of Levin according to their records: Gershon,o Kohath and Merari.p Levi lived 137 years.

17 The sons of Gershon, by clans, were Libni and Shimei.q

18 The sons of Kohathr were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.s Kohath lived 133 years.

19 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi.t

These were the clans of Levi according to their records.

20 Amramu married his father’s sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses.v Amram lived 137 years.

21 The sons of Izharw were Korah, Nepheg and Zikri.

22 The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphanx and Sithri.

23 Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadaby and sister of Nahshon,z and she bore him Nadab and Abihu,a Eleazarb and Ithamar.c

24 The sons of Korahd were Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. These were the Korahite clans.

25 Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas.e

These were the heads of the Levite families, clan by clan.

26 It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egyptf by their divisions.”g 27 They were the ones who spoke to Pharaohh king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt—this same Moses and Aaron.i

Aaron to Speak for Moses

28 Now when the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt, 29 he said to him, “I am the Lord.j Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.”

30 But Moses said to the Lord, “Since I speak with faltering lips,k why would Pharaoh listen to me?”

7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like Godl to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.m 2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,n and though I multiply my signs and wonderso in Egypt, 4 he will not listenp to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgmentq I will bring out my divisions,r my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lords when I stretch out my handt against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

6 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commandedu them. 7 Moses was eighty years oldv and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake

8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,w’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”x

10 So 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. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers,y and the Egyptian magiciansz also did the same things by their secret arts:a 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh’s heartb became hard and he would not listenc to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Blood

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding;d he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river.e Confront him on the bank of the Nile,f and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16 Then 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 worshipg me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.h 17 This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord:i With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.j 18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink;k the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’ ”l

19 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staffm and stretch out your handn 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 vesselsa of wood and stone.”

20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded.o He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile,p and all the water was changed into blood.q 21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.

22 But the Egyptian magiciansr did the same things by their secret arts,s and Pharaoh’s heartt became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. 23 Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking wateru, because they could not drink the water of the river.

The Plague of Frogs

25 Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.

8 a Then 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 worshipv me. 2 If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogsw on your whole country. 3 The 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,x and into your ovens and kneading troughs.y 4 The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’ ”

5 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staffz over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogsa come up on the land of Egypt.’ ”

6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogsb came up and covered the land. 7 But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts;c they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

8 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Prayd to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrificese to the Lord.”

9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the timef 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.g 11 The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”

12 After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. 13 And the Lord did what Moses asked.h The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. 14 They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief,i he hardened his heartj and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Gnats

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staffk and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.” 17 They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnatsl came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. 18 But when the magiciansm tried to produce gnats by their secret arts,n they could not.

Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, 19 the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the fingero of God.” But Pharaoh’s heartp was hard and he would not listen,q just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Flies

20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morningr 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 worships me. 21 If 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,t where my people live;u no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will knowv that I, the Lord, am in this land. 23 I will make a distinctionb between my people and your people.w This sign will occur tomorrow.’ ”

24 And 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.x

25 Then Pharaoh summonedy Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”

26 But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians.z And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must take a three-day journeya into the wilderness to offer sacrificesb to the Lord our God, as he commands us.”

28 Pharaoh 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 prayc for me.”

29 Moses 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 deceitfullyd again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

30 Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord,e 31 and the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. 32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heartf and would not let the people go.

The Plague on Livestock

9 Then 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 worshipg me.” 2 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, 3 the handh of the Lord will bring a terrible plaguei on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. 4 But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt,j so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’ ”

5 The Lord set a time and said, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.” 6 And the next day the Lord did it: All the livestockk of the Egyptians died,l but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. 7 Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heartm was unyielding and he would not let the people go.n

The Plague of Boils

8 Then 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. 9 It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boilso will break out on people and animals throughout the land.”

10 So 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. 11 The magiciansp could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heartq and he would not listenr to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.

The Plague of Hail

13 Then 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 worships me, 14 or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may knowt that there is no one likeu me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your peoplev with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you upa for this very purpose,w that I might show you my powerx and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18 Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstormy that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now.z 19 Give 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.’ ”

20 Those officials of Pharaoh who feareda the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 21 But those who ignoredb the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.

22 Then 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.” 23 When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunderc and hail,d and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt; 24 hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation.e 25 Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree.f 26 The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen,g where the Israelites were.h

27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,”i he said to them. “The Lord is in the right,j and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Prayk to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go;l you don’t have to stay any longer.”

29 Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my handsm in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earthn is the Lord’s. 30 But I know that you and your officials still do not fearo the Lord God.”

31 (The flax and barleyp were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. 32 The wheat and spelt,q however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.)

33 Then 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. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. 35 So Pharaoh’s heartr was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.

The Plague of Locusts

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his hearts and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signst of mine among them 2 that you may tell your childrenu and grandchildren how I dealt harshlyv with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.”w

3 So 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 humblex yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 4 If you refusey to let them go, I will bring locustsz into your country tomorrow. 5 They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have lefta after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields.b 6 They will fill your housesc 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.’ ”d Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

7 Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a snaree to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?”f

8 Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worshipg the Lord your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.”

9 Moses 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 festivalh to the Lord.”

10 Pharaoh said, “The Lord be with you—if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil.a 11 No! 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.

12 And the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your handi over Egypt so that locusts swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail.”

13 So Moses stretched out his staffj 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;k 14 they 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,l nor will there ever be again. 15 They covered all the ground until it was black. They devouredm 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.

16 Pharaoh quickly summonedn Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinnedo against the Lord your God and against you. 17 Now forgivep my sin once more and prayq to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”

18 Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.r 19 And the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea.b Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt. 20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,s and he would not let the Israelites go.

The Plague of Darkness

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darknesst spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darknessu covered all Egypt for three days. 23 No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.v

24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go,w worship the Lord. Even your women and childrenx may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.”y

25 But Moses said, “You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offeringsz to present to the Lord our God. 26 Our 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.”

27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,a and he was not willing to let them go. 28 Pharaoh 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 appearb before you again.”

The Plague on the Firstborn

11 Now the Lord had said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you goc from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely.d 2 Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.”e 3 (The Lord made the Egyptians favorably disposedf toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regardedg in Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and by the people.)

4 So Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘About midnighth I will go throughout Egypt.i 5 Every firstbornj 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,k and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. 6 There will be loud wailingl throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. 7 But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal.’ Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinctionm between Egypt and Israel. 8 All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, ‘Go,n you and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will leave.”o Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh.

9 The Lord had said to Moses, “Pharaoh will refuse to listenp to you—so that my wondersq may be multiplied in Egypt.” 10 Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,r 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

12 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 “This month is to be for you the first month,s the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamba t for his family, one for each household.u 4 If 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. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect,v and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month,w when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.x 7 Then they are to take some of the bloody and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. 8 That same nightz they are to eat the meat roasteda over the fire, along with bitter herbs,b and bread made without yeast.c 9 Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs.d 10 Do not leave any of it till morning;e if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11 This 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;f it is the Lord’s Passover.g

12 “On that same night I will pass throughh Egypt and strike downi every firstbornj of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the godsk of Egypt. I am the Lord.l 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass overm you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.n

14 “This is a day you are to commemorate;o for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.p 15 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast.q 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 offr from Israel. 16 On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no works 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,t because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt.u Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.v 18 In the first monthw you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreignerx or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut offy from the community of Israel. 20 Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live,z you must eat unleavened bread.”a

21 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passoverb lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop,c dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the bloodd on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. 23 When the Lord goes through the land to strikee down the Egyptians, he will see the bloodf on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass overg that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyerh to enter your houses and strike you down.

24 “Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinancei for you and your descendants. 25 When you enter the landj that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 And when your childrenk ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passoverl sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’ ”m Then the people bowed down and worshiped.n 28 The Israelites did just what the Lord commandedo Moses and Aaron.

29 At midnightp the Lordq struck down all the firstbornr 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 livestocks as well. 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailingt in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.

The Exodus

31 During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worshipu the Lord as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds,v as you have said, and go. And also blessw me.”

33 The Egyptians urged the people to hurryx and leavey the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!”z 34 So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughsa wrapped in clothing. 35 The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and goldb and for clothing.c 36 The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposedd toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plunderede the Egyptians.

37 The Israelites journeyed from Ramesesf to Sukkoth.g There were about six hundred thousand menh on foot, besides women and children. 38 Many other peoplei went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. 39 With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven outj of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.

40 Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egyptb was 430 years.k 41 At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisionsl left Egypt.m 42 Because 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.n

Passover Restrictions

43 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the regulations for the Passover meal:o

“No foreignerp may eat it. 44 Any slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcisedq him, 45 but a temporary resident or a hired workerr 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.s 47 The 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.t No uncircumcisedu male may eat it. 49 The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreignerv residing among you.”

50 All the Israelites did just what the Lord had commandedw Moses and Aaron. 51 And on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egyptx by their divisions.y

Consecration of the Firstborn

13 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Consecrate to me every firstborn male.z The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.”

3 Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt,a out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand.b Eat nothing containing yeast.c 4 Today, in the month of Aviv,d you are leaving. 5 When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites,e Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusitesf—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honeyg—you are to observe this ceremonyh in this month: 6 For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festivali to the Lord. 7 Eat 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. 8 On that day tell your son,j ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 This observance will be for you like a sign on your handk and a reminder on your foreheadl that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.m 10 You must keep this ordinancen at the appointed timeo year after year.

11 “After the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanitesp and gives it to you, as he promised on oathq to you and your ancestors,r 12 you are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord.s 13 Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey,t but if you do not redeem it, break its neck.u Redeemv every firstborn among your sons.w

14 “In days to come, when your sonx 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.y 15 When 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.’z 16 And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your foreheada that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.”

Crossing the Sea

17 When 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.”b 18 So God ledc the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.a The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.d

19 Moses took the bones of Josephe 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.”b f

20 After leaving Sukkothg they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.h 21 By day the Lord went aheadi of them in a pillar of cloudj 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. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night leftk its place in front of the people.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdoll and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon.m 3 Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ 4 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,n and he will pursue them.o But I will gain gloryp for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”q So the Israelites did this.

5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled,r Pharaoh and his officials changed their mindss about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots,t along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 The Lord hardened the heartu of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.v 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horsesw and chariots, horsemena and troopsx—pursued the Israelites and overtooky them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.z

10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and crieda out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?b What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn’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!”c

13 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid.d Stand firm and you will seee the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never seef again. 14 The Lord will fightg for you; you need only to be still.”h

15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?i Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staffj and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the waterk so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the heartsl of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them.m And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lordn when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen.”

19 Then the angel of God,o who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloudp also moved from in front and stood behindq them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darknessr to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

21 Then Moses stretched out his hands over the sea,t and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east windu and turned it into dry land.v The waters were divided,w 22 and the Israelites went through the seax on dry ground,y with a wallz of water on their right and on their left.

23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots and horsemena followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloudb at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion.c 25 He jammedb 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 fightingd for them against Egypt.”e

26 Then 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.” 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place.f The Egyptians were fleeing towardc it, and the Lord swept them into the sea.g 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.h Not one of them survived.i

29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground,j with a wallk of water on their right and on their left. 30 That day the Lord savedl Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31 And when the Israelites saw the mighty handm of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people fearedn the Lord and put their trusto in him and in Moses his servant.