Then Moses answered, "Look, they won't believe me and they won't listen to me. Instead, they'll say, "The LORD didn't appear to you.'"

Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid, for God has come to test you, so that you may fear him in order that you don't sin."

"If you loan money to my people, to the poor among you, don't be like a creditor to them and don't impose interest on them.

Stay far away from a false charge, and don't kill the innocent or the righteous, because I won't acquit the guilty.

"Be careful about everything I've told you, and don't mention the name of other gods. Don't let them be heard in your mouth!"

Be careful! Be sure to obey him. Don't rebel against him, because he won't forgive your transgression, since my Name is in him.

But if they don't believe even these two signs, and won't listen to you, then take some water out of the Nile River and pour it on the dry ground. The water you took from the Nile River will turn into blood on the dry ground."

"It wouldn't be right to sacrifice in this way," Moses replied, "because if we do, we will sacrifice to the LORD our God what is offensive to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are offensive to the Egyptians in front of them, they'll stone us, won't they?

Moses told him, "When I leave the city I'll spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease and the hail won't continue, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the LORD.

But as for you and your officials, I know that you don't yet fear the LORD God."

Then the officials of Pharaoh told him, "How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go so they may serve the LORD their God! Don't you realize yet that Egypt is about to be destroyed?"

And even our livestock must go with us. Not a hoof will be left behind because we will use some of them to serve the LORD our God, and until we get there we won't know what we need to serve the LORD."

Moses said, "Just as you have said, I won't see your face again!"

The LORD told Moses, "Pharaoh won't listen to you. As a result, my wonders will increase throughout the land of Egypt."

Don't eat any of it raw or boiled in water. Instead, roast it over the fire, with its head, legs, and internal organs.

Don't leave any of it until morning, and whatever does remain of it until morning you are to burn in the fire.

because the LORD will pass through to strike down the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the doorway, and won't allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you down.

You are to redeem every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you don't redeem it, you are to break its neck. You are to redeem every firstborn among your sons.

Moses told the people, "Don't be afraid! Stand still and watch how the LORD will deliver you today, because you will never again see the Egyptians whom you're looking at today.

There the LORD presented to them a statute and an ordinance, and there he tested them. He said, "If you will carefully obey the LORD your God, do what he sees to be right, listen to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, then I won't inflict on you all the diseases that I inflicted on the Egyptians, because I am the LORD your healer."

Moses also said, "When the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread in the morning to satisfy you, the LORD will hear your complaints directed against him. Who are we? Your complaints aren't against us, but rather against the LORD."

Moses said, "Eat it today, since today is a Sabbath to the LORD, and today you won't find it in the field.

For six days you are to gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there won't be any."

You are to set boundaries for the people all around: "Be very careful that you don't go up on the mountain or touch the side of it. Anyone who touches the mountain is certainly to be put to death.

He told the people, "Be ready for the third day; don't go near a woman."

The LORD told Moses, "Go down and warn the people so they don't break through to look at the LORD, and many of them perish.

They told Moses, "You speak to us and we will listen, but don't let God speak with us, or we may die.

But if the servant, in fact, says, "I love my master, my wife, and my children, and I won't go out a free man,'

"When a man sells his daughter as a servant, she won't go out as the male servants do.

If he didn't lie in wait, but God let him fall into his reach, then I'll appoint for you a place to which he may flee.

But if the ox has gored previously, and its owner has been warned about it but didn't restrain it, and it kills a man or woman, the ox is to be stoned and its owner also is to be put to death.

But if it was known that the ox had gored previously, and its owner didn't restrain it, he shall certainly repay ox for ox, and the dead ox will become his."

I won't drive them out before you in a single year, so that the land does not become desolate and so that wild animals do not overrun you.

They are to fasten the rings on the breast piece to the rings on the ephod with a blue cord so it will rest on the skillfully woven band of the ephod and so the breast piece won't come loose from the ephod.

Aaron is to wear the robe when he ministers so its sound may be heard when he enters and leaves the Holy Place in the LORD's presence, so that he won't die.

They shall be on Aaron and his sons when they enter the Tent of Meeting or when they approach the altar to minister in the Holy Place so they don't incur guilt and die. This is to be a perpetual ordinance for him and for his descendants after him."

"When you take a census of the Israelis to register them, each is to give a ransom for himself to the LORD when they're registered so there won't be a plague among them when they're registered.

When they enter the Tent of Meeting or when they approach the altar to minister to make an offering by fire to the LORD, they are to wash with water so they don't die.

They are to wash their hands and their feet so that they don't die, and it is to be for them a perpetual ordinance for Aaron and his seed from generation to generation."

When the people saw that Moses took a long time to come down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and told him, "Come here and make us a god who will go before us, because, as for this fellow Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt, we don't know what has become of him."

Aaron said, "Sir, don't be angry. You know the people that they're intent on evil.

They told me, "Make a god for us who will go before us because, as for this fellow Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we don't know what has become of him.'

Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey, but I won't go up among you, because you are an obstinate people, and otherwise I might consume you along the way."

Moses told the LORD, "Look, you have told me, "Bring up this people,' but you haven't let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, "I know you by name,' and also, "You have found favor in my sight.'

Then Moses told the LORD, "If your presence does not go with us, don't bring us up from here.

Then the LORD said, "I'm now going to make a covenant. I'll do miraculous deeds in full view of your people that haven't been done in all the earth or in any nation. All the people among whom you live will see the work of the LORD, because it's an awesome thing that I'll do with you.

"Be very careful not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you are going, so they won't be a snare among you.

You are to redeem the firstborn of a donkey with a sheep, and if you don't redeem it, you are to break its neck. You are to redeem every firstborn of your sons, and no one is to appear before me empty-handed.

Then Moses issued an order, and the message was taken throughout the camp, "Men and women, don't bring any more offerings for the sanctuary." The people were restrained from bringing any more,