Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.” And the king of Egypt said unto them, "Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, loose the people from their works? get you unto your burdens." And 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 labor 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, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, "Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task both yesterday and today, in making brick as heretofore?"

Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, "Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, 'Make brick:' and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people." But he said, "Ye are idle, ye are

idle: therefore ye say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to Jehovah.' Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the number of bricks." And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, when it was said, “Ye shall not diminish aught from your bricks, your daily tasks." And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: and they said unto them, "Jehovah look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savor to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us."

And Moses returned unto Jehovah, and said, "Lord, wherefore hast thou dealt ill with this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath dealt ill with this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.” And Jehovah said unto Moses, "Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for by a strong hand shall he let them go, and by a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land."

And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, "I am Jehovah and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name Jehovah1 I was not known to them. And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings, wherein they sojourned. And moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am Jehovah, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will

1. The Eternal One.

redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments: and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah your God, who bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land which I sware to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for a heritage: I am Jehovah." And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, "Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land." And Moses spake before Jehovah, saying, "Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?" And Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

XXIX

1

THE TEN PLAGUES

(Exodus vi: 28-xi: 10)

And it came to pass on the day when Jehovah spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt, that Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, "I am Jehovah: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak unto thee." And Moses said before Jehovah, "Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?"

1. Moses describes himself thus on account of the defect in his utter

ance.

And Jehovah said unto Moses, "See, I have made thee as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh will not hearken unto you, and I will lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am Jehovah, when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them." And Moses and Aaron did so; as Jehovah commanded them, so did they. And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

6

And Jehovah spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, "When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Show a wonder for you;' then thou shalt say unto Aaron, 'Take thy rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent."" And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so, as Jehovah had commanded; and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers: and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. And Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as Jehovah had spoken.

And Jehovah said unto Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is stubborn, he refuseth to let the people go. Get thee unto

Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thy hand. And thou shalt say unto him, 'Jehovah, the God of the Hebrews, hath sent me unto thee, saying, "Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou hast not hearkened.' Thus saith Jehovah, 'In this thou shalt know that I am Jehovah: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in my hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall become foul; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink water from the river.""" And Jehovah said unto Moses, "Say unto Aaron, 'Take thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their ponds of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.""

And Moses and Aaron did so, as Jehovah commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that were in the river died; and the river became foul, and the Egyptians could not drink water from the river; and the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians of Egypt did in like manner with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as Jehovah had spoken. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he lay even this to heart. And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of

« FöregåendeFortsätt »