Exodus 6

International Standard Version

God Promises to Deliver Israel

6 The Lord told Moses, “Now you’re about to see what I’ll do to Pharaoh. Indeed, he’ll send them out under compulsion^[a] and he’ll drive them out of his land violently.”^[b]

² Later, God told Moses, “I am the Lord. ³ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty,^[c] and did I not reveal to them my name ‘Lord’? ⁴ I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they lived as resident aliens for a time. ⁵ Also, I’ve heard the groaning of the Israelis whom the Egyptians have forced to labor for them, and I’ve remembered my covenant. ⁶ Therefore, tell the Israelis, ‘I am the Lord. I’ll bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I’ll deliver you from their bondage. I’ll redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.^{[d] 7} I’ll take you for my own people,^[e] and I’ll be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. ⁸ I’ll bring you to the land that I swore^[f] to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I’ll give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”

⁹ Then Moses reported this to the Israelis, but they did not listen to Moses due to their irritation and impatience because there was no deliverance^[g] and because of the cruel bondage.

¹⁰ Then the Lord told Moses, ¹¹ “Go, speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, that he should let the Israelis go out of his land.”

¹² Then Moses said right in front of the Lord, “Look, the Israelis didn’t listen to me, so how will Pharaoh? I’m not a persuasive speaker.”^{[h] 13} Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, issuing orders to them regarding the Israelis for delivery to Pharaoh, king of Egypt; that is, to bring the Israelis out of the land of Egypt.

Genealogies of Moses and Aaron

¹⁴ These are the heads of their ancestors’ households: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch and Pallu; Hezron and Carmi.

These are the families of Reuben, including ¹⁵ Simeon’s sons Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the Canaanite woman’s son. These are the families of Simeon.

¹⁶ These are the names of Levi’s sons according to their genealogies: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived^[i] 137 years. ¹⁷ Gershon’s sons were Libni and Shimei, according to their families. ¹⁸ Kohath’s descendants included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Now Kohath lived for 133 years. ¹⁹ The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the descendants of Levi, according to their genealogies.

²⁰ Amram married Jochebed, his father’s sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived for 137 years. ²¹ The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. ²² The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.

²³ Then Aaron married Elisheba daughter of Amminadab, sister of Nahshon. She bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ²⁴ The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These were the families of the descendants of Korah. ²⁵ Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of Putiel’s daughters, and she bore him Phineas. These are the heads of the ancestors of the descendants of Levi, according to their families.

²⁶ This is the same Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelis out of the land of Egypt by their tribal divisions.” ²⁷ They were the ones speaking to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to bring the Israelis out of Egypt; this is that same Moses and Aaron.

Moses Doubts that Pharaoh will Listen

²⁸ And it happened when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt ²⁹ that the Lord told Moses, “I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, everything that I’m saying to you.”

³⁰ Moses said in the presence of the Lord, “Look, I’m not a persuasive speaker,^[j] so how will Pharaoh listen to me?”