Let my peoplego.

Exodus 5

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

²Pharaoh said, “Who is Yahweh, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I don’t know Yahweh, and moreover I will not let Israel go.”

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

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

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

⁶The 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.

⁸The 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.’

⁹Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it; and don’t let them pay any attention to lying words.”

¹⁰The 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.

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

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

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

¹⁴The 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?”

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

¹⁶No 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.”

¹⁷But he said, “You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’

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

¹⁹The 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!”

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

²¹and they said to them, “May Yahweh 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.”

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

²³For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people; and you have not rescued your people at all.”

Exodus 6

¹Yahweh 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.”

²God spoke to Moses, and said to him, “I am Yahweh;

³and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Yahweh I was not known to them.

⁴I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their travels, in which they lived as aliens.

⁵Moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant.

⁶Therefore tell the children of Israel, ‘I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments:

⁷and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am Yahweh your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

⁸I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am Yahweh.’”

⁹Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they didn’t listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

¹⁰Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

¹¹“Go in, speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.”

¹²Moses spoke before Yahweh, saying, “Behold, the children of Israel haven’t listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, who am of uncircumcised lips?”

¹³Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a command to the children of Israel, and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁴These are the heads of their fathers’ houses. The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben.

¹⁵The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon.

¹⁶These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven years.

¹⁷The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families.

¹⁸The sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel; and the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred thirty-three years.

¹⁹The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations.

²⁰Amram took Jochebed his father’s sister to himself as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were a hundred and thirty-seven years.

²¹The sons of Izhar: Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri.

²²The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Sithri.

²³Aaron took Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as his wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

²⁴The sons of Korah: Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites.

²⁵Eleazar Aaron’s son took one of the daughters of Putiel as his wife; and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites according to their families.

²⁶These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom Yahweh said, “Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.”

²⁷These are those who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are that Moses and Aaron.

²⁸On the day when Yahweh spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,

²⁹Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, “I am Yahweh. Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak to you.”

³⁰Moses said before Yahweh, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh listen to me?”

Exodus 7

¹Yahweh said to Moses, “Behold, I have made you as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.

²You shall speak all that I command you; and Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.

³I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

⁴But Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring out my armies, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

⁵The Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh, when I stretch out my hand on Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.”

⁶Moses and Aaron did so. As Yahweh commanded them, so they did.

⁷Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

⁸Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

⁹“When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Perform a miracle!’ then you shall tell Aaron, ‘Take your rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent.’”

¹⁰Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, as Yahweh had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

¹¹Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers. They also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same thing with their enchantments.

¹²For they each cast down their rods, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

¹³Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them; as Yahweh had spoken.

¹⁴Yahweh said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn. He refuses to let the people go.

¹⁵Go to Pharaoh in the morning. Behold, he goes out to the water; and you shall stand by the river’s bank to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand.

¹⁶You shall tell him, ‘Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness:” and behold, until now you haven’t listened.

¹⁷Yahweh says, “In this you shall know that I am Yahweh. Behold, I will strike with the rod that is in my hand on the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

¹⁸The fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall become foul; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink water from the river.”’”

¹⁹Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your rod, and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their ponds of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’”

²⁰Moses and Aaron did so, as Yahweh commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.

²¹The fish that were in the river died; and the river became foul, and the Egyptians couldn’t drink water from the river; and the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt.

²²The magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them; as Yahweh had spoken.

²³Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he didn’t even take this to heart.

²⁴All the Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink; for they couldn’t drink the river water.

²⁵Seven days were fulfilled, after Yahweh had struck the river.

Exodus 8

¹Yahweh spoke to Moses, Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, “This is what Yahweh says, ‘Let my people go, that they may serve me.

²If you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your borders with frogs:

³and the river shall swarm with frogs, which shall go up and come into your house, and into your bedroom, and on your bed, and into the house of your servants, and on your people, and into your ovens, and into your kneading troughs:

⁴and the frogs shall come up both on you, and on your people, and on all your servants.’”

⁵Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your rod over the rivers, over the streams, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.’”

⁶Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

⁷The magicians did the same thing with their enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt.

⁸Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Entreat Yahweh, that he take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to Yahweh.”

⁹Moses said to Pharaoh, “I give you the honor of setting the time that I should pray for you, and for your servants, and for your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, and remain in the river only.”

¹⁰He said, “Tomorrow.” He said, “Be it according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like Yahweh our God.

¹¹The frogs shall depart from you, and from your houses, and from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only.”

¹²Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to Yahweh concerning the frogs which he had brought on Pharaoh.

¹³Yahweh did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courts, and out of the fields.

¹⁴They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank.

¹⁵But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and didn’t listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.

¹⁶Yahweh said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’”

¹⁷They did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were lice on man, and on animal; all the dust of the earth became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

¹⁸The magicians tried with their enchantments to produce lice, but they couldn’t. There were lice on man, and on animal.

¹⁹Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is God’s finger:” and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them; as Yahweh had spoken.

²⁰Yahweh said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; behold, he comes out to the water; and tell him, ‘This is what Yahweh says, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.

²¹Else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you, and on your servants, and on your people, and into your houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

²²I will set apart in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end you may know that I am Yahweh on the earth.

²³I will put a division between my people and your people: by tomorrow shall this sign be.”’”

²⁴Yahweh did so; and there came grievous swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses: and in all the land of Egypt the land was corrupted by reason of the swarms of flies.

²⁵Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land!”

²⁶Moses said, “It isn’t appropriate to do so; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to Yahweh our God. Behold, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and won’t they stone us?

²⁷We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to Yahweh our God, as he shall command us.”

²⁸Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to Yahweh your God in the wilderness, only you shall not go very far away. Pray for me.”

²⁹Moses said, “Behold, I go out from you, and I will pray to Yahweh that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow; only don’t let Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to Yahweh.”

³⁰Moses went out from Pharaoh, and prayed to Yahweh.

³¹Yahweh did according to the word of Moses, and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. There remained not one.

³²Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he didn’t let the people go.

Exodus 9

¹Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, that they may serve me.

²For if you refuse to let them go, and hold them still,

³behold, Yahweh’s hand is on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks with a very grievous pestilence.

⁴Yahweh will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt; and nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel.”’”

⁵Yahweh appointed a set time, saying, “Tomorrow Yahweh shall do this thing in the land.”

⁶Yahweh did that thing on the next day; and all the livestock of Egypt died, but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died.

⁷Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not so much as one of the livestock of the Israelites dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he didn’t let the people go.

⁸Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron, “Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh.

⁹It shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking out with boils on man and on animal, throughout all the land of Egypt.”

¹⁰They took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward the sky; and it became a boil breaking out with boils on man and on animal.

¹¹The magicians couldn’t stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were on the magicians, and on all the Egyptians.

¹²Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he didn’t listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken to Moses.

¹³Yahweh said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, that they may serve me.

¹⁴For this time I will send all my plagues against your heart, against your officials, and against your people; that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth.

¹⁵For now I would have stretched out my hand, and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth;

¹⁶but indeed for this cause I have made you stand: to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth;

¹⁷as you still exalt yourself against my people, that you won’t let them go.

¹⁸Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now.

¹⁹Now therefore command that all of your livestock and all that you have in the field be brought into shelter. Every man and animal that is found in the field, and isn’t brought home, the hail shall come down on them, and they shall die.”’”

²⁰Those who feared Yahweh’s word among the servants of Pharaoh made their servants and their livestock flee into the houses.

²¹Whoever didn’t respect Yahweh’s word left his servants and his livestock in the field.

²²Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man, and on animal, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.”

²³Moses stretched out his rod toward the heavens, and Yahweh sent thunder, hail, and lightning flashed down to the earth. Yahweh rained hail on the land of Egypt.

²⁴So there was very severe hail, and lightning mixed with the hail, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.

²⁵The hail struck throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and animal; and the hail struck every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field.

²⁶Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.

²⁷Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time. Yahweh is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

²⁸Pray to Yahweh; for there has been enough of mighty thunderings and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.”

²⁹Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands to Yahweh. The thunders shall cease, and there will not be any more hail; that you may know that the earth is Yahweh’s.

³⁰But as for you and your servants, I know that you don’t yet fear Yahweh God.”

³¹The flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was in bloom.

³²But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they had not grown up.

³³Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands to Yahweh; and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth.

³⁴When Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders had ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

³⁵The heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he didn’t let the children of Israel go, just as Yahweh had spoken through Moses.

Exodus 10

¹Yahweh said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may show these my signs among them,

²and that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your son’s son, what things I have done to Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that you may know that I am Yahweh.”

³Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and said to him, “This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.

⁴Or else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,

⁵and they shall cover the surface of the earth, so that one won’t be able to see the earth. They shall eat the residue of that which has escaped, which remains to you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which grows for you out of the field.

⁶Your houses shall be filled, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; as neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.’” He turned, and went out from Pharaoh.

⁷Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve Yahweh, their God. Don’t you yet know that Egypt is destroyed?”

⁸Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve Yahweh your God; but who are those who will go?”

⁹Moses said, “We will go with our young and with our old; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast to Yahweh.”

¹⁰He said to them, “Yahweh be with you if I will let you go with your little ones! See, evil is clearly before your faces.

¹¹Not so! Go now you who are men, and serve Yahweh; for that is what you desire!” They were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

¹²Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail has left.”

¹³Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and Yahweh brought an east wind on the land all that day, and all night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

¹⁴The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt. They were very grievous. Before them there were no such locusts as they, nor will there ever be again.

¹⁵For they covered the surface of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened, and they ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. There remained nothing green, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

¹⁶Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and he said, “I have sinned against Yahweh your God, and against you.

¹⁷Now therefore please forgive my sin again, and pray to Yahweh your God, that he may also take away from me this death.”

¹⁸He went out from Pharaoh, and prayed to Yahweh.

¹⁹Yahweh turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the borders of Egypt.

²⁰But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he didn’t let the children of Israel go.

²¹Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.”

²²Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.

²³They didn’t see one another, and nobody rose from his place for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

²⁴Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, “Go, serve Yahweh. Only let your flocks and your herds stay behind. Let your little ones also go with you.”

²⁵Moses said, “You must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God.

²⁶Our livestock also shall go with us. Not a hoof shall be left behind, for of it we must take to serve Yahweh our God; and we don’t know with what we must serve Yahweh, until we come there.”

²⁷But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he wouldn’t let them go.

²⁸Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Be careful to see my face no more; for in the day you see my face you shall die!”

²⁹Moses said, “You have spoken well. I will see your face again no more.”

Exodus 11

¹Yahweh said to Moses, “Yet one plague more will I bring on Pharaoh, and on Egypt; afterwards he will let you go. When he lets you go, he will surely thrust you out altogether.

²Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man ask of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.”

³Yahweh gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people.

⁴Moses said, “This is what Yahweh says: ‘About midnight I will go out into the middle of Egypt,

⁵and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of livestock.

⁶There shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been, nor shall be any more.

⁷But against any of the children of Israel a dog won’t even bark or move its tongue, against man or animal; that you may know that Yahweh makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel.

⁸All these servants of yours will come down to me, and bow down themselves to me, saying, “Get out, with all the people who follow you”; and after that I will go out.’” He went out from Pharaoh in hot anger.

⁹Yahweh said to Moses, “Pharaoh won’t listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”

¹⁰Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he didn’t let the children of Israel go out of his land.

Exodus 12

¹Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

²“This month shall be to you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you.

³Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth day of this month, they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household;

⁴and if the household is too little for a lamb, then he and his neighbor next to his house shall take one according to the number of the souls; according to what everyone can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.

⁵Your lamb shall be without defect, a male a year old. You shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats:

⁶and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at evening.

⁷They shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two door posts and on the lintel, on the houses in which they shall eat it.

⁸They shall eat the meat in that night, roasted with fire, and unleavened bread. They shall eat it with bitter herbs.

⁹Don’t eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted with fire; with its head, its legs and its inner parts.

¹⁰You shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; but that which remains of it until the morning you shall burn with fire.

¹¹This is how you shall eat it: with your belt on your waist, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste: it is Yahweh’s Passover.

¹²For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and animal. Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am Yahweh.

¹³The blood shall be to you for a token on the houses where you are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and there shall no plague be on you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

¹⁴This day shall be to you for a memorial, and you shall keep it a feast to Yahweh: throughout your generations you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.

¹⁵“‘Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; even the first day you shall put away yeast out of your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

¹⁶In the first day there shall be to you a holy convocation, and in the seventh day a holy convocation; no kind of work shall be done in them, except that which every man must eat, that only may be done by you.

¹⁷You shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this same day I have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance forever.

¹⁸In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty first day of the month at evening.

¹⁹There shall be no yeast found in your houses for seven days, for whoever eats that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a foreigner, or one who is born in the land.

²⁰You shall eat nothing leavened. In all your habitations you shall eat unleavened bread.’”

²¹Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said to them, “Draw out, and take lambs according to your families, and kill the Passover.

²²You shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two door posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.

²³For Yahweh will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood on the lintel, and on the two door posts, Yahweh will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to strike you.

²⁴You shall observe this thing for an ordinance to you and to your sons forever.

²⁵It shall happen when you have come to the land which Yahweh will give you, according as he has promised, that you shall keep this service.

²⁶It will happen, when your children ask you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’

²⁷that you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of Yahweh’s Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians, and spared our houses.’” The people bowed their heads and worshiped.

²⁸The children of Israel went and did so; as Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

²⁹At midnight, Yahweh struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of livestock.

³⁰Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

³¹He called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel; and go, serve Yahweh, as you have said!

³²Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also!”

³³The Egyptians were urgent with the people, to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, “We are all dead men.”

³⁴The people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs being bound up in their clothes on their shoulders.

³⁵The children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they asked of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing.

³⁶Yahweh gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. They plundered the Egyptians.

³⁷The children of Israel traveled from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot who were men, besides children.

³⁸A mixed multitude went up also with them, with flocks, herds, and even very much livestock.

³⁹They baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought out of Egypt; for it wasn’t leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt, and couldn’t wait, and they had not prepared any food for themselves.

⁴⁰Now the time that the children of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred thirty years.

⁴¹At the end of four hundred thirty years, to the day, all of Yahweh’s armies went out from the land of Egypt.

⁴²It is a night to be much observed to Yahweh for bringing them out from the land of Egypt. This is that night of Yahweh, to be much observed of all the children of Israel throughout their generations.

⁴³Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover. No foreigner shall eat of it,

⁴⁴but every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then shall he eat of it.

⁴⁵A foreigner and a hired servant shall not eat of it.

⁴⁶It must be eaten in one house. You shall not carry any of the meat outside of the house. Do not break any of its bones.

⁴⁷All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.

⁴⁸When a stranger shall live as a foreigner with you, and will keep the Passover to Yahweh, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one who is born in the land: but no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.

⁴⁹One law shall be to him who is born at home, and to the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you.”

⁵⁰All the children of Israel did so. As Yahweh commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

⁵¹That same day, Yahweh brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.

Exodus 13

¹Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

²“Sanctify to me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of animal. It is mine.”

³Moses said to the people, “Remember this day, in which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand Yahweh brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.

⁴Today you go out in the month Abib.

⁵It shall be, when Yahweh shall bring you into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month.

⁶Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to Yahweh.

⁷Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and no leavened bread shall be seen with you. No yeast shall be seen with you, within all your borders.

⁸You shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘It is because of that which Yahweh did for me when I came out of Egypt.’

⁹It shall be for a sign to you on your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that Yahweh’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand Yahweh has brought you out of Egypt.

¹⁰You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.

¹¹“It shall be, when Yahweh shall bring you into the land of the Canaanite, as he swore to you and to your fathers, and shall give it you,

¹²that you shall set apart to Yahweh all that opens the womb, and every firstborn that comes from an animal which you have. The males shall be Yahweh’s.

¹³Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and you shall redeem all the firstborn of man among your sons.

¹⁴It shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall tell him, ‘By strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage.

¹⁵When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Yahweh killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of livestock. Therefore I sacrifice to Yahweh all that opens the womb, being males; but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’

¹⁶It shall be for a sign on your hand, and for symbols between your eyes: for by strength of hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt.”

¹⁷When Pharaoh had let the people go, God didn’t lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and they return to Egypt”;

¹⁸but God led the people around by the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea; and the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁹Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the children of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones away from here with you.”

²⁰They took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.

²¹Yahweh went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them on their way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, that they might go by day and by night:

²²the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night, didn’t depart from before the people.

Exodus 14

¹Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

²“Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn back and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal Zephon. You shall encamp opposite it by the sea.

³Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are entangled in the land. The wilderness has shut them in.’

⁴I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will follow after them; and I will get honor over Pharaoh, and over all his armies; and the Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh.” They did so.

⁵The king of Egypt was told that the people had fled; and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was changed towards the people, and they said, “What is this we have done, that we have let Israel go from serving us?”

⁶He prepared his chariot, and took his army with him;

⁷and he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over all of them.

⁸Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; for the children of Israel went out with a high hand.

⁹The Egyptians pursued them. All the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen, and his army overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baal Zephon.

¹⁰When Pharaoh came near, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them; and they were very afraid. The children of Israel cried out to Yahweh.

¹¹They said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you treated us this way, to bring us out of Egypt?

¹²Isn’t this the word that we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians?’ For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

¹³Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of Yahweh, which he will work for you today: for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you shall never see them again.

¹⁴Yahweh will fight for you, and you shall be still.”

¹⁵Yahweh said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Speak to the children of Israel, that they go forward.

¹⁶Lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go into the middle of the sea on dry ground.

¹⁷Behold, I myself will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall go in after them: and I will get myself honor over Pharaoh, and over all his armies, over his chariots, and over his horsemen.

¹⁸The Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh, when I have gotten myself honor over Pharaoh, over his chariots, and over his horsemen.”

¹⁹The angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud moved from before them, and stood behind them.

²⁰It came between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel; and there was the cloud and the darkness, yet gave it light by night: and one didn’t come near the other all night.

²¹Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and Yahweh caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

²²The children of Israel went into the middle of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left.

²³The Egyptians pursued, and went in after them into the middle of the sea: all of Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

²⁴In the morning watch, Yahweh looked out on the Egyptian army through the pillar of fire and of cloud, and confused the Egyptian army.

²⁵He took off their chariot wheels, and they drove them heavily; so that the Egyptians said, “Let’s flee from the face of Israel, for Yahweh fights for them against the Egyptians!”

²⁶Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come again on the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.”

²⁷Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it. Yahweh overthrew the Egyptians in the middle of the sea.

²⁸The waters returned, and covered the chariots and the horsemen, even all Pharaoh’s army that went in after them into the sea. There remained not so much as one of them.

²⁹But the children of Israel walked on dry land in the middle of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand, and on their left.

³⁰Thus Yahweh saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.

³¹Israel saw the great work which Yahweh did to the Egyptians, and the people feared Yahweh; and they believed in Yahweh, and in his servant Moses.

Exodus 15

¹Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to Yahweh, and said, “I will sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.

²Yah is my strength and song. He has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.

³Yahweh is a man of war. Yahweh is his name.

⁴He has cast Pharaoh’s chariots and his army into the sea. His chosen captains are sunk in the Red Sea.

⁵The deeps cover them. They went down into the depths like a stone.

⁶Your right hand, Yahweh, is glorious in power. Your right hand, Yahweh, dashes the enemy in pieces.

⁷In the greatness of your excellency, you overthrow those who rise up against you. You send out your wrath. It consumes them as stubble.

⁸With the blast of your nostrils, the waters were piled up. The floods stood upright as a heap. The deeps were congealed in the heart of the sea.

⁹The enemy said, ‘I will pursue. I will overtake. I will divide the plunder. My desire shall be satisfied on them. I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.’

¹⁰You blew with your wind. The sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.

¹¹Who is like you, Yahweh, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

¹²You stretched out your right hand. The earth swallowed them.

¹³“You, in your loving kindness, have led the people that you have redeemed. You have guided them in your strength to your holy habitation.

¹⁴The peoples have heard. They tremble. Pangs have taken hold on the inhabitants of Philistia.

¹⁵Then the chiefs of Edom were dismayed. Trembling takes hold of the mighty men of Moab. All the inhabitants of Canaan have melted away.

¹⁶Terror and dread falls on them. By the greatness of your arm they are as still as a stone— until your people pass over, Yahweh, until the people you have purchased pass over.

¹⁷You shall bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, the place, Yahweh, which you have made for yourself to dwell in; the sanctuary, Lord, which your hands have established.

¹⁸Yahweh shall reign forever and ever.”

¹⁹For the horses of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and Yahweh brought back the waters of the sea on them; but the children of Israel walked on dry land in the middle of the sea.

²⁰Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines and with dances.

²¹Miriam answered them, “Sing to Yahweh, for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”

²²Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

²³When they came to Marah, they couldn’t drink from the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore its name was called Marah.

²⁴The people murmured against Moses, saying, “What shall we drink?”

²⁵Then he cried to Yahweh. Yahweh showed him a tree, and he threw it into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There he made a statute and an ordinance for them, and there he tested them;

²⁶and he said, “If you will diligently listen to Yahweh your God’s voice, and will do that which is right in his eyes, and will pay attention to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you, which I have put on the Egyptians; for I am Yahweh who heals you.”

²⁷They came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water, and seventy palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.

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