Jan 12 - Exodus 1-3
Exodus
1These are the names of the sons of Israel, who went into Egypt with Jacob. They entered, each one with his house2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher5Therefore, all the souls of those who went forth from Jacob’s thigh were seventy. Now Joseph was in Egypt6When he had died, along with all of his brothers and all of that generation7the sons of Israel increased, and they multiplied like seedlings. And having been strengthened exceedingly, they filled the land8Meanwhile, there arose a new king over Egypt, who was ignorant of Joseph9And he said to his people: "Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are many, and they are stronger than we are10Come, let us wisely oppress them, lest they multiply; and if any war should advance against us, they may be added to our enemies, and having fought against us, they might depart from the land.11And so he set over them masters of the works, in order to afflict them with burdens. And they built for Pharaoh the cities of the tabernacles: Pithom and Raamses12And the more they oppressed them, so much more did they multiply and increase13And the Egyptians hated the sons of Israel, and they afflicted them and mocked them14And they led their life directly into bitterness, with hard work in clay and brick, and with all kinds of servitude, so that they were being overwhelmed with the works of the land15Then the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews, (one of whom one was called Shiphrah, another Puah16instructing them: "When you will act as a midwife to the Hebrew women, and the time of delivery has arrived: if it is male, put it to death; if it is female, retain it.17But the midwives feared God, and so they did not act according to the precept of the king of Egypt, but they kept the males safe18And summoning them, the king said, "What did you intend to do, so that you would save the boys?19They responded: "The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. For they themselves have the wisdom of a midwife, and so they give birth before we can come to them.20Therefore, God acted favorably toward the midwives. And the people increased, and they were strengthened exceedingly21And because the midwives feared God, he built houses for them22Therefore, Pharaoh instructed all his people, saying: "Whatever will be born of the male sex, cast it into the river; whatever will be born of the female sex, retain it.
1After these things, a man from the house of Levi went out, and he took a wife from his own stock2And she conceived and bore a son. And seeing him to be handsome, she hid him for three months3And when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a small basket woven of bulrushes, and she smeared it with pitch as well as tar. And she placed the little infant inside, and she laid him in the sedges by the bank of the river4His sister was standing at a distance and was wondering what would happen5Then, behold, the daughter of Pharaoh descended to wash in the river. And her maids walked along the edge of the cove. And when she had seen the small basket among the papyruses, she sent one of her servants for it. And when it was brought6she opened it; and realizing that within it was a little one crying, she took pity on him, and she said: "This is one of the infants of the Hebrews.7And the sister of the boy said to her: "If you wish, I will go and call to you a Hebrew woman, who will be able nurse the infant.8She responded, "Go." The maid went directly and called her mother9And the daughter of Pharaoh said to her: "Take this boy and nurse him for me. I will give you your wages." The woman took and nursed the boy. And when he was mature, she delivered him to the daughter of Pharaoh10And she adopted him in place of a son, and she called his name Moses, saying, "Because I took him from the water.11In those days, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers. And he saw their affliction and an Egyptian man striking a certain one of the Hebrews, his brothers12And when he had looked around this way and that, and had seen no one nearby, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand13And going out the next day, he spotted two Hebrews quarrelling violently. And he said to him who was causing the injury, "Why do you strike your neighbor?14But he responded: "Who appointed you as leader and judge over us? Do you want to kill me, just as yesterday you killed the Egyptian?" Moses was afraid, and he said, "How has this word become known?15And Pharaoh heard this talk, and he sought to kill Moses. But fleeing from his sight, he stayed in the land of Midian, and he sat down next to a well16Now there was a priest of Midian with seven daughters, who came to draw water. And having filled the troughs, they desired to water their father’s flocks17The shepherds overcame them and drove them away. And Moses rose up, and defending the girls, he watered their sheep18And when they had returned to their father, Reuel, he said to them, "Why have you arrived sooner than usual?19They responded: "A man of Egypt freed us from the hands of the shepherds. Moreover, he also drew water with us and gave the sheep to drink.20But he said: "Where is he? Why have you dismissed the man? Call him, so that he may eat bread.21Therefore, Moses swore that he would live with him. And he accepted his daughter Zipporah as a wife22And she bore a son to him, whom he called Gershom, saying, "I have been a newcomer in a foreign land." In truth, she bore another, whom he called Eliezer, saying, "For the God of my father, my helper, has rescued me from the hand of Pharaoh.23In truth, after a long time, the king of Egypt was dead. And the sons of Israel, groaning, cried out because of the works. And their cry ascended to God from the works24And he heard their groaning, and he also remembered the covenant which he formed with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob25And the Lord looked with favor on the sons of Israel, and he knew them
1Now Moses was pasturing the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro, a priest of Midian. And when he had driven the flock into the interior of the desert, he came to the mountain of God, Horeb2And the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. And he saw that the bush was burning and was not burnt3Therefore, Moses said, "I will go and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.4Then the Lord, discerning that he proceeded on to see it, called to him from the midst of the bush, and he said, "Moses, Moses." And he responded, "Here I am.5And he said: "Lest you should approach here, remove the shoes from your feet. For the place on which you stand is holy ground.6And he said, "I am the God of your father: the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Moses hid his face, for he dared not look directly at God7And the Lord said to him: "I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their outcry because of the harshness of those who are over the works8And knowing their sorrow, I have descended in order to free them from the hands of the Egyptians, and to lead them from that land into a good and spacious land, into a land which flows with milk and honey, to the places of the Canaanite, and Hittite, and Amorite, and Perizzite, and Hivite, and Jebusite9And so, the outcry of the sons of Israel has come to me. And I have seen their affliction, with which they are oppressed by the Egyptians10But come, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may lead my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.11And Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should lead the sons of Israel out of Egypt?12And he said to him: "I will be with you. And you will have this as a sign that I have sent you: When you will have brought my people out of Egypt, you will offer sacrifice to God upon this mountain.13Moses said to God: "Behold, I will go to the sons of Israel, and I will say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you.’ If they say to me, ‘What is his name?’ What shall I say to them?14God said to Moses, "I AM WHO AM." He said: "Thus shall you say to the sons of Israel: ‘HE WHO IS has sent me to you.’ 15And God said again to Moses: "Thus shall you say to the sons of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is the name for me in eternity, and this is my memorial from generation to generation16Go and gather together the elders of Israel, and you shall say to them: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying: When visiting, I have visited you, and I have seen all that has befallen you in Egypt17And I have spoken in order to lead you out of the affliction of Egypt, into the land of the Canaanite, and Hittite, and Amorite, and Perizzite, and Hivite, and Jebusite, into a land flowing with milk and honey.18And they shall hear your voice. And you shall enter, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and you shall say to him: ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has called us. We shall go three days’ journey into the wilderness, in order to offer sacrifice to the Lord our God.19But I know that the king of Egypt will not release you, unless you go out by a powerful hand20For I will extend my hand, and I will strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will do in the midst of them. After these things, he will release you21And I will grant favor to this people in the sight of the Egyptians. And so, when you go forth, you shall not go out empty22But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and of her hostess vessels of silver and of gold, as well as garments. And you shall set them upon your sons and daughters, and you shall despoil Egypt.