Exo 1:1-6:1 | NASB2020 | STEP | Now these are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob ; they came , each one with his household :

Exodus 1

Israel Multiplies in Egypt

1 Now these are the ^anames of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob; they came, each one ^{▼▼Lit and}with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 ^{▼▼Lit Every soul}All the people who descended from Jacob were ^dseventy ^{▼▼Lit souls}people, but Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 And ^fJoseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. 7 But the sons of Israel ^gwere fruitful and ^{▼▼Lit swarmed}increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly ^{▼▼Or numerous}mighty, so that the land was filled with them.

8 Now a new ^jking arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And ^khe said to his people, “Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are ^{▼▼Or more and mightier than we}too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us ^mdeal ^{▼▼Or wisely}shrewdly with them, otherwise they will multiply, and ^{▼▼Lit it will come about when war occurs that}in the event of war, they will also join those who hate us, and fight against us and ^{▼▼Lit go up from}depart from the land.” 11 So they appointed ^qtaskmasters over them to oppress them with ^{▼▼Lit their burdens
,} ^shard labor. And they built for Pharaoh ^tstorage cities, Pithom and ^uRaamses. 12 But the more they oppressed them, ^vthe more they multiplied and the more they ^{▼▼Lit broke forth}spread out, so that they dreaded the sons of Israel. 13 The Egyptians ^{▼▼Lit with violence compelled}used violence to compel the sons of Israel ^yto labor; 14 and they made ^ztheir lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they violently had them perform as slaves.

15 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom ^{▼▼Lit the name was}was named Shiphrah, and the other ^{▼▼Lit the name was}was named Puah; 16 and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, ^acif it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” 17 But the midwives ^{▼▼Or revered
,} ^aefeared God, and ^afdid not do as the king of Egypt had ^{▼▼Lit spoken to}commanded them, but let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife ^{▼▼Lit comes to}can get to them.” 20 So ^aiGod was good to the midwives, and ^ajthe people multiplied, and became very ^{▼▼Or numerous}mighty. 21 And because the midwives ^{▼▼Or revered
,} ^amfeared God, He ^{▼▼Lit made
,} ^aoestablished ^{▼▼Or families}households for them. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “ ^aqEvery son who is born, ^{▼▼Some ancient versions insert to the Hebrews}you are to throw into ^asthe Nile, but every daughter, you are to keep alive.”

Exodus 2

The Birth of Moses

1 Now a man from ^atthe house of Levi went and ^{▼▼Lit took}married a daughter of Levi. 2 And the woman conceived and gave birth to a son; and when she saw ^{▼▼Lit him that}that he was ^{▼▼Lit good
,} ^axbeautiful, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she got him a ^aypapyrus ^{▼▼Or chest}basket and covered it with tar and pitch. Then she put the child in it and set it among the ^bareeds by the bank of the Nile. 4 ^bbAnd his sister stood at a distance to ^{▼▼Lit know}find out what would ^{▼▼Lit be done}happen to him.

5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down ^beto bathe at the Nile, with her female attendants walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the ^{▼▼Or chest}basket among the reeds and sent her slave woman, and she brought it to her. 6 When she opened it, she ^{▼▼Heb saw it, the child}saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a woman for you who is nursing from the Hebrew women, so that she may nurse the child for you?” 8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go ahead.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and ^bhhe became her son. And she named him ^{▼▼Heb Mosheh, from a verb meaning to draw out}Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

11 Now it came about in those days, ^bjwhen Moses had grown up, that he went out to his ^{▼▼Lit brothers}fellow Hebrews and looked at their ^{▼▼Lit burdens
,} ^bmhard labors; and ^bnhe saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his ^{▼▼Lit brothers}fellow Hebrews. 12 So he ^{▼▼Lit turned}looked this way and that, and when he saw that there was no one around, he ^bqstruck and killed the Egyptian, and hid ^{▼▼Lit him}his body in the sand. 13 Now he went out ^bsthe next day, and behold, two Hebrews were ^{▼▼Or quarreling}fighting with each other; and he said to the ^{▼▼Or the guilty one}offender, “Why are you striking your companion?” 14 But he said, “ ^bvWho made you a ^{▼▼Lit man, a ruler}ruler and a judge over us? Do you ^{▼▼Lit say}intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known!”

Moses Escapes to Midian

15 When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But ^byMoses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and ^{▼▼Lit dwelt}settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down ^caby a well.

16 Now ^cbthe priest of Midian had seven daughters; and ^ccthey came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but ^cdMoses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. 18 When they came to their father ^ceReuel, he said, “Why have you come back so soon today?” 19 They said, “An Egyptian saved us from ^{▼▼Lit the hand of the}the shepherds, and what is more, he even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20 So he said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why is it that you have left the man behind? Invite him ^{▼▼Lit that he may eat bread}to have something to eat.” 21 And ^chMoses was willing to live with the man. And he gave his daughter ^ciZipporah to Moses. 22 Then she gave birth to ^cja son, and he named him ^{▼▼Cf. Heb ger sham, a stranger there}Gershom, for he said, “I have been ^cla stranger in a foreign land.”

23 Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel ^cmgroaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and ^cntheir cry for help because of their bondage ascended to God. 24 So ^coGod heard their groaning; and God remembered ^cpHis covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 And ^cqGod saw the sons of Israel, and God ^{▼▼Lit knew them}took notice of them.

Exodus 3

The Burning Bush

1 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of his father-in-law ^csJethro, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the ^{▼▼Or rear part}west side of the wilderness and came to ^cuHoreb, the ^cvmountain of God. 2 Then ^cwthe angel of the Lord appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of ^{▼▼Lit the}a ^cybush; and he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, yet the bush was not being consumed. 3 So Moses said, “ ^czI must turn aside and see this ^{▼▼Lit great}marvelous sight, why the bush is not burning up!” 4 When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, ^dbGod called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” 5 Then He said, “Do not come near here; ^dcremove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” 6 And He said, “ ^ddI am the God of your father--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” ^deThen Moses hid his face, for he was ^dfafraid to look at God.

7 And the Lord said, “I have certainly ^dgseen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings. 8 So I have come down ^dhto rescue them from the ^{▼▼Lit hand}power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a ^djgood and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of ^dkthe Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 9 And now, behold, ^dlthe cry of the sons of Israel has come to Me; furthermore, I have seen the oppression with which the Egyptians are oppressing them.

The Mission of Moses

10 And now come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, ^dmso that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “ ^dnWho am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?” 12 And He said, “Assuredly ^doI will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: ^dpwhen you have brought the people out of Egypt, ^dqyou shall ^{▼▼Or serve}worship God at this mountain.”

13 Then Moses said to God, “Behold, I am going to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ Now they may say to me, ‘What is His name?’ What shall I say to them?” 14 And God said to Moses, “ ^{▼▼Related to the name of God, YHWH, rendered Lord, which is derived from the verb HAYAH, to be
,} ^dtI AM WHO ^{▼▼Related to the name of God, YHWH, rendered Lord, which is derived from the verb HAYAH, to be}I AM”; and He said, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘ ^{▼▼Related to the name of God, YHWH, rendered Lord, which is derived from the verb HAYAH, to be}I AM has sent me to you.’” 15 God furthermore said to Moses, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘ ^dwThe Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is the ^{▼▼I.e., name used in prayer, vows, and ceremony
,} ^dyname for ^{▼▼Lit generation of generation}all generations to use to call upon Me. 16 Go and ^eagather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘ ^ebThe Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has appeared to me, saying, “ ^{▼▼Lit Visiting I have visited
,} ^edI am indeed concerned about you and what has been done to you in Egypt. 17 So ^eeI said, I will bring you up out of the oppression of Egypt to the land of ^efthe Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, to a land ^egflowing with milk and honey.”’ 18 Then ^ehthey will ^{▼▼Lit hear your voice}pay attention to what you say; and ^ejyou with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt, and you will say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please let us go a ^ekthree days’ journey into the wilderness, so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt ^elwill not permit you to go, ^emexcept ^{▼▼Lit by a strong hand}under compulsion. 20 So I will reach out with ^eoMy hand and strike Egypt with all My ^epmiracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and ^eqafter that he will let you go. 21 I will grant this people ^erfavor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed. 22 But every woman ^esshall ask her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house for articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will ^etplunder the Egyptians.”

Exodus 4

Moses Given Signs

1 Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or ^eulisten ^{▼▼Lit to my voice}to what I say? For they may say, ‘ ^ewThe Lord has not appeared to you.’” 2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “ ^exA staff.” 3 Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and ^eyit turned into a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 But the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out with your hand and grasp it by its tail”--so he reached out with his hand and caught it, and it turned into a staff in his ^{▼▼Lit palm}hand-- 5 “so that ^fathey may believe that ^fbthe Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

6 The Lord furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand inside the fold of your robe.” So he put his hand inside the fold, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was ^fcleprous like snow. 7 Then He said, “Put your hand inside the fold of your robe again.” So he put his hand into the fold again, and when he took it out of the fold, behold, ^fdit was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 “So if they will not believe you nor ^{▼▼Lit listen to}pay attention to the ^{▼▼Lit voice}evidence of the first ^{▼▼I.e., confirming miracle}sign, they may believe the ^{▼▼Lit voice}evidence of the last ^{▼▼I.e., confirming miracle}sign. 9 But if they will not believe even these two ^{▼▼I.e., confirming miracles}signs nor pay attention to what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile ^fkwill turn into blood on the dry ground.”

10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, ^flI have never been ^{▼▼Lit a man of words}eloquent, neither ^{▼▼Lit yesterday}recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am ^{▼▼Lit heavy}slow of speech and ^{▼▼Lit heavy}slow of tongue.” 11 But the Lord said to him, “Who has made the human mouth? Or ^fqwho makes anyone unable to speak or deaf, or able to see or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now then go, and ^frI Myself will be with your mouth, and ^fsinstruct you in what you are to say.” 13 But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by ^{▼▼Lit the hand You send}whomever You will.”

Aaron to Be Moses’ Mouthpiece

14 Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that ^{▼▼Lit speaking he speaks}he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, ^fvhe is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be ^{▼▼Lit joyful in his heart}overjoyed. 15 So you are to speak to him and ^fxput the words in his mouth; and I Myself will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will instruct you in what you are to do. 16 ^fyHe shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him. 17 And you shall take in your hand ^fzthis staff, ^gawith which you shall perform the signs.”

18 Then Moses departed and returned to ^gbhis father-in-law ^{▼▼Heb Jether}Jethro, and said to him, “Please, let me go, that I may return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go ^{▼▼Lit return}back to Egypt, for ^geall the men who were seeking your life are dead.” 20 So Moses took his wife and his ^gfsons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the ^ggstaff of God in his hand.

21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go ^{▼▼Lit to return}back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all ^githe wonders which I have put in your ^{▼▼Lit hand}power; but ^gkI will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: “ ^glIsrael is My son, My firstborn. 23 So I said to you, ‘ ^gmLet My son go so that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, ^gnI am going to kill your son, your firstborn.”’”

24 But it came about at the overnight encampment on the way, that the Lord met ^{▼▼Lit him}Moses, and ^gpsought to put him to death. 25 So Zipporah took ^gqa flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and ^{▼▼Lit made it touch at his feet}threw it at Moses’ feet; and she said, “You are indeed a groom of blood to me!” 26 So He left him alone. At that time she said, “You are a groom of blood”-- ^{▼▼Lit with reference to}because of the circumcision.

27 ^gtNow the Lord said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met him at the ^gumountain of God and kissed him. 28 ^gvMoses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which He had sent him, and ^gwall the signs that He had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and ^gxassembled all the elders of the sons of Israel; 30 and ^gyAaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. He then performed the ^gzsigns in the sight of the people. 31 So ^hathe people believed; and when they heard that the Lord ^{▼▼Lit had visited
,} ^hcwas concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, ^hdthey bowed low and worshiped.

Exodus 5

Israel’s Labor Increased

1 And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “ ^heThis is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘ ^hfLet My people go so that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” 2 But Pharaoh said, “ ^hgWho is the Lord that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and besides, ^hhI will not let Israel go.” 3 Then they said, “ ^hiThe God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, otherwise He will strike us with plague or with the sword.” 4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you let the people neglect their ^{▼▼Lit works}work? Get back to your ^hklabors!” 5 Again Pharaoh said, “Look, ^hlthe people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!” 6 So the same day Pharaoh commanded ^hmthe taskmasters over the people and their ^hnforemen, saying, 7 “You are no longer to give the people straw to make bricks as previously; have them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But you shall impose on them the quota of bricks which they were making before; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are ^holazy, for that reason they cry ^{▼▼Lit out, saying,}out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let the labor be heavier on the men, and have them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words.”

10 So ^hqthe taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, “This is what Pharaoh says: ‘I am not going to give you any straw. 11 You go, get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it; but none of your labor will be reduced.’” 12 So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 And the taskmasters pressed them, saying, “Complete your ^{▼▼Lit works}work quota, ^{▼▼Lit the matter of a day in its day}your daily amount, just as when ^{▼▼Lit there was}you had straw.” 14 Moreover, ^huthe foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, ^hvwere beaten ^{▼▼Lit saying}and asked, “Why have you not completed your required task of making bricks either yesterday or today, as before?”

15 Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why do you deal this way with your servants? 16 There is no straw given to your servants, yet they keep saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are being beaten; but it is the fault of your own people.” 17 But he said, “You are ^hxlazy, very lazy; for that reason you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 So go now and work; for you will be given no straw, but you must deliver the quota of bricks.” 19 The foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble, ^{▼▼Lit saying}since they were told, “You must not reduce ^{▼▼Lit from your bricks the matter of a day in its day}your daily amount of bricks.” 20 When they left Pharaoh’s presence, they met Moses and Aaron as they were ^{▼▼Lit standing to meet}waiting for them. 21 And ^ibthey said to them, “ ^icMay the Lord look upon you and judge you, because you have ^idmade ^{▼▼Lit our odor stink}us repulsive in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us!”

22 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “ ^ifLord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me? 23 Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, ^igand You have not rescued Your people at all.”

Exodus 6:1

God Promises Action

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for ^{▼▼Lit by a strong hand
,} ⁱⁱunder compulsion he will let them go, and ^{▼▼Lit by a strong hand}under compulsion he will drive them out of his land.”