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EXODUS

THE STORY OF MOSES

And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.

Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, "Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: come, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land." Therefore they did set over them task-masters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh store-cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown up, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he saw an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he smote the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. And he went out the second day, and, behold, two men of the Hebrews were striving together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?" And he said, "Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? thinkest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian?" And Moses feared, and said, "Surely the thing is known." Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

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Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their

father's flock. And the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, “How is it that ye are come so soon to-day?" And they said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock." And he said unto his daughters, "And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread." And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. And she bare a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.

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And it came to pass in the course of those many days, that the king of Egypt died. . . . And the angel of Yahweh appeared unto Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, "I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt." And Yahweh saw that he turned aside to see, and Moses said, Here am I." And he said, "Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." And Yahweh said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people that are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their task-masters; for I know their sorrows; and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, Yahweh, the God of your fathers, the God of Abram, of Isaac, and of Jacob, hath appeared unto me, saying, "I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt: and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, unto a land flowing with milk and honey." And they shall hearken to

thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, 'Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us: and now let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God.""

And Moses answered and said, "But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, Yahweh hath not appeared unto thee." And Yahweh said unto him, "What is that in thy hand?" And he said, "A rod.” And he said, "Cast it on the ground." And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And Yahweh said unto Moses, "Put forth thy hand, and take it by the tail": (and he put forth his hand, and laid hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand:) "that they may believe that Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the God of Abram, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee." And Yahweh said furthermore unto him, "Put now thy hand into thy bosom." And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. And he said, "Put thy hand into thy bosom again." (And he put his hand into his bosom again; and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh). "And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe even these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land."

And Moses said unto Yahweh, "Oh, Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." And Yahweh said unto him, "Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh a man dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? is it not I, Yahweh? Now therefore, go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt speak."

And Yahweh said unto Moses in Midian, "Go, return into

Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life." And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And it came to pass on the way at the lodging-place, that Yahweh met him, and sought to kill him. Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, "Surely a bridegroom of blood art thou to me." So he let him alone. Then art thou, because of the cir

she said, "A bridegroom of blood cumcision."

And Moses went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed: and when they heard that Yahweh had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

And they said, 66 The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto Yahweh our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword." And the king of Egypt, Pharaoh said, “Behold, the people of the land are now many, and ye make them rest from their burdens." And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, "Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. And the number of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard lying words."

And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, "Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. Go yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it: for nought of your work shall be diminished." So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. And the taskmasters were urgent, saying, "Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw. And the officers of the children of Israel,

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