Exodus 4:18-7:13

New International Version

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 kill^(A) you are dead.^(B)” ²⁰ So Moses took his wife and sons,^(C) put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff^(D) of God in his hand.

²¹ The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders^(E) I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart^(F) so that he will not let the people go.^{(G) 22} Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son,^{(H) 23} and I told you, “Let my son go,^(I) so he may worship^(J) me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’”^(K)

²⁴ At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses^[a] and was about to kill^(L) him. ²⁵ But Zipporah^(M) took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin^(N) and touched Moses’ feet with it.^[b] “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 mountain^(O) of God and kissed^(P) 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 elders^(Q) of the Israelites, ³⁰ and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs^(R) before the people, ³¹ and they believed.^(S) And when they heard that the Lord was concerned^(T) about them and had seen their misery,^(U) they bowed down and worshiped.^(V)

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,^(W) so that they may hold a festival^(X) to me in the wilderness.’”

² Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord,^(Y) that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go.”^(Z)

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

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

⁶ That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers^(AE) and overseers in charge of the people: ⁷ “You are no longer to supply the people with straw for making bricks;^(AF) 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.^(AG) They are lazy;^(AH) that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’^{(AI) 9} Make the work harder for the people so that they keep working and pay no attention to lies.”

¹⁰ Then the slave drivers^(AJ) 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 reduced^(AK) 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,^(AL) 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!^(AM) That is why you keep saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ ¹⁸ Now get to work.^(AN) 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 judge^(AO) you! You have made us obnoxious^(AP) to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword^(AQ) in their hand to kill us.”^(AR)

God Promises Deliverance

²² Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Why, Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people?^(AS) 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 rescued^(AT) 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 hand^(AU) he will let them go;^(AV) because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”^(AW)

² God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord.^{(AX) 3} I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty,^[c](AY) but by my name^(AZ) the Lord^[d](BA) I did not make myself fully known to them. ⁴ I also established my covenant^(BB) with them to give them the land^(BC) of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners.^{(BD) 5} Moreover, I have heard the groaning^(BE) of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.^(BF)

⁶ “Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.^(BG) I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem^(BH) you with an outstretched arm^(BI) and with mighty acts of judgment.^{(BJ) 7} I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.^(BK) Then you will know^(BL) 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 land^(BM) I swore^(BN) with uplifted hand^(BO) to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.^(BP) I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”^(BQ)

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

¹⁰ Then the Lord said to Moses, ¹¹ “Go, tell^(BS) Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.”^(BT)

¹² But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listen^(BU) to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips^[e]?”^(BV)

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.^(BW)

²⁶ It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypt^(CS) by their divisions.”^{(CT) 27} They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh^(CU) king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt—this same Moses and Aaron.^(CV)

Aaron to Speak for Moses

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

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

7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God^(CY) to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.^{(CZ) 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,^(DA) and though I multiply my signs and wonders^(DB) in Egypt, ⁴ he will not listen^(DC) to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment^(DD) I will bring out my divisions,^(DE) my people the Israelites. ⁵ And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord^(DF) when I stretch out my hand^(DG) against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

⁶ Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded^(DH) them. ⁷ Moses was eighty years old^(DI) 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,^(DJ)’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”^(DK)

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,^(DL) and the Egyptian magicians^(DM) also did the same things by their secret arts:^{(DN) 12} Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. ¹³ Yet Pharaoh’s heart^(DO) became hard and he would not listen^(DP) to them, just as the Lord had said.