from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." Moreover he said, "I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. And Jehovah said, “I have surely seen the affliction of my people that are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasteṛs; 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.2 And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: moreover I have seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt." And Moses said unto God, "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be the token unto thee, that I have sent thee: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain."

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3

And Moses said unto God, "Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, 'The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you;' and they

1. Removing the shoes was an act of reverence practiced by the Orientals.

2. These different tribes all had a common ancestor, Ham, one of the sons of Noah. The name Canaanite usually includes the others, just as Canaan is generally spoken of as comprising all the territory west of the Jordan River. (See note on page 35.)

3. This Pharaoh was Merneptah, son of Rameses II.

shall say to me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say unto them?" And God said unto Moses, "I AM THAT I AM:"1 and he said, “ Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, ‘I AM hath sent me unto you."" And God said moreover unto Moses, "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, 'Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you:' this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, 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, 'Jehovah 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 Jehovah our God.' And I know that the king of Egypt will not give you leave to go, no, not by a mighty hand.2 And I will put forth my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: but every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her that

1. That is, I am being itself, self-existent, eternal, and infinite; without beginning or end.

2. Except by a mighty hand.

sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall despoil the Egyptians."

And Moses answered and said, "But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, 'Jehovah hath not appeared unto thee."" And Jehovah 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 Jehovah 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 Jehovah, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee." And Jehovah 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.1 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 Jehovah, "Oh, Lord, I am not

1. In leprosy, a loathsome disease common among Oriental peoples, parts of the skin of the person affected turned white.

eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue." And Jehovah 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, Jehovah? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt speak." And he said, "Oh, Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send." And the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Moses, and he said, "Is there not Aaron thy brother the Levite?1 I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put the words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people; and it shall come to pass, that he shall be to thee a mouth, and thou shalt be to him as God. And thou shalt take in thy hand this rod, wherewith thou shalt do the signs."

And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-inlaw, and said unto him, "Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren that are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace." And Jehovah said unto Moses in Midian,

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Go, return into Egypt; for all the men are dead that 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 Moses took the rod of God in his hand. And Jehovah said unto Moses, "When thou goes back into Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in thy hand: but I will harden his

1. A descendant of Levi, one of the sons of Jacob. The Levites later became the priesthood of the Israelites.

heart, and he will not let the people go. And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, 'Thus saith Jehovah, "Israel is my son, my first-born: and I have said unto thee, 'Let my son go, that he may serve me;' and thou hast refused to let him go: behold, I will slay thy son, thy firstborn." 99999

And Jehovah said to Aaron," Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." And he went, and met him in the mountain of God, and kissed him. And Moses told Aaron all the words of Jehovah wherewith he had sent him, and all the signs wherewith he had charged him. And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: and Aaron spake all the words which Jehovah had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed: and when they heard that Jehovah had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

XXVIII

PHARAOH REFUSES TO LET THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL GO

(Exodus v: 1-vi: 13)

And afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said unto Pharaoh, "Thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, 'Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness."" And Pharaoh said, "Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto his voice to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go." And they said, "The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice unto Jehovah our God,