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.'"

Then God said, "Throw it to the ground." He threw it to the ground and it became a snake. Moses ran away from it.

God said, "I've done this so that they may believe that the LORD God of their ancestors the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has appeared to you."

Then God said, "Put your hand back into your bosom." He returned it to his bosom and as soon as he brought it out, it was restored like the rest of his skin.

"Then if they don't believe you and respond to the first sign, they may respond to the second sign.

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."

Then Moses told the LORD, "Please, LORD, I'm not eloquent. I never was in the past nor am I now since you spoke to your servant. In fact, I talk too slowly and I have a speech impediment."

Then God asked him, "Who gives a person a mouth? Who makes him unable to speak, or deaf, or able to see, or blind, or lame? Is it not I, the LORD?

Now, go! I myself will help you with your speech, and I'll teach you what you are to say."

Then the LORD was angry with Moses and said, "There's your brother Aaron, a descendant of Levi, isn't there? I know that he certainly is eloquent. Right now he's coming to meet you and he will be pleased to see you.

You're to speak to him and tell him what to say. I'll help both you and him with your speech, and I'll teach both of you what you are to do.

He is to speak to the people for you as your spokesman and you are to act in the role of God for him.

Now pick up that staff with your hand. You'll use it to perform the signs."

Moses left and returned to his father-in-law Jethro. Moses told him, "Please let me go and return to my own people in Egypt so I can see whether they're still alive." Jethro told Moses, "Go in peace."

The LORD told Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, because all the men who wanted to kill you are dead."

So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on donkeys, and headed back to the land of Egypt. Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

Then the LORD told Moses, "When you set out to return to Egypt, keep in mind all the wonders that I've put in your power, so that you may do them before Pharaoh. But I'll harden his heart so that he won't let the people go.

You are to say to Pharaoh, "This is what the LORD says: "Israel is my firstborn son.

And I say to you, "Let my son go so he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, then I will kill your firstborn son.'"'"

But later on, at the lodging place along the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.

Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin, and touched Moses' feet with it, saying while doing so, ""because you are a bridegroom of blood to me."

Moses told Aaron all of the LORD's messages that he had sent with Moses, and all of the signs that he commanded him to do.

Aaron spoke everything that the LORD had spoken to Moses, and Moses performed the miracles before the very eyes of the people.

The people believed and understood that the LORD had paid attention to the Israelis and had seen their affliction. They bowed their heads and prostrated themselves in worship.

Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD that I should listen to him and let Israel go? I don't know about the LORD, nor will I let Israel go!"

Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God so he does not strike us with pestilence or sword."

The king of Egypt replied to them, "Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping the people from their labor? Go back to your work!"

That day Pharaoh ordered the taskmasters of the people and their officials,

"You're no longer to give the people straw for making bricks, as in the past. They must gather straw for themselves.

But you're to impose the previous quota of bricks that they're making. You're not to reduce it! It is because they're lazy that they're crying out, "Let's go offer sacrifices to our God.'

So increase the work load on the people, and let them do it so they don't pay attention to deceptive speeches."

Go get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work quotas won't be reduced at all.'"

So the people scattered throughout the entire land of Egypt to collect stubble for straw.

The taskmasters pressured them by saying, "Finish your work each day's quota just as when you were given straw."

The Israeli supervisors whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had appointed over them were beaten and told, "Why didn't you, both yesterday and today, fulfill your quota for making bricks as before?"

The Israeli supervisors came and cried out to Pharaoh, "Why are you doing this to us?

No straw is being given to us, yet they're saying to us, "Make bricks!' Look, we are being beaten. It's wrong how you are treating your people!"

Then Pharaoh said, "You are lazy, lazy! That's why you're saying, "Let's go offer sacrifices to the LORD.'

Now, go! Get to work! And straw won't be given to you, but you are to deliver the same number of bricks!"

The Israeli supervisors realized they were in trouble when he said, "You won't reduce each day's quota of bricks!"

The supervisors told them, "May the LORD look on you and judge you! You have made us repulsive to Pharaoh and his servants. You have put a sword in their hands to kill us."

So Moses returned to the LORD and asked him, "LORD, why have you caused trouble for this people? Why have you sent me here?

Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has caused trouble for this people, and you have done nothing to deliver your people."

The LORD told Moses, "Now you're about to see what I'll do to Pharaoh. Indeed, he'll send them out under compulsion and he'll drive them out of his land violently."

I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, and did I not reveal to them my name "LORD'?

I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they lived as resident aliens for a time.

Also, I've heard the groaning of the Israelis whom the Egyptians have forced to labor for them, and I've remembered my covenant.

I'll bring you to the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I'll give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD.'"

Then Moses reported this to the Israelis, but they did not listen to Moses due to their irritation and impatience because there was no deliverance and because of the cruel bondage.

"Go, speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, that he should let the Israelis go out of his land."

Then Moses said right in front of the LORD, "Look, the Israelis didn't listen to me, so how will Pharaoh? I'm not a persuasive speaker."

Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, issuing orders to them regarding the Israelis for delivery to Pharaoh, king of Egypt; that is, to bring the Israelis out of the land of Egypt.

These are the names of Levi's sons according to their genealogies: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.

Gershon's sons were Libni and Shimei, according to their families.

The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the descendants of Levi, according to their genealogies.

Aaron's son Eleazar married one of Putiel's daughters, and she bore him Phineas. These are the heads of the ancestors of the descendants of Levi, according to their families.

This is the same Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, "Bring the Israelis out of the land of Egypt by their tribal divisions."

They were the ones speaking to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to bring the Israelis out of Egypt; this is that same Moses and Aaron.

And it happened when the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt

that the LORD told Moses, "I am the LORD. Tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, everything that I'm saying to you."

Moses said in the presence of the LORD, "Look, I'm not a persuasive speaker, so how will Pharaoh listen to me?"

The LORD told Moses, "Listen! I've positioned you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.

You are to speak everything that I've commanded you, and then your brother Aaron will speak to Pharaoh, telling him to let the Israelis go out of his land.

WhenPharaoh won't listen to you, I'll let loose my power upon Egypt. I'll bring out my tribal divisions my people the Israelis from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment.

The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand over Egypt to bring the Israelis out from among them."

Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they spoke to Pharaoh.

"When Pharaoh says to you, "Perform a miraculous sign,' then you are to say to Aaron, "Take your staff and throw it in front of Pharaoh.' It will become a serpent."

So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and did what the LORD had commanded them. Aaron threw his staff in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent.

Yet Pharaoh's heart was stubborn and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said would happen.

Then the LORD told Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is hard. He has refused to let the people go.

Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he's going down to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile River and meet him. Be sure to take with you the staff that was turned into a snake.

Then say to him, "The LORD God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you. He says, "Let my people go so they may serve me in the desert, but until now you haven't obeyed."'

""This is what the LORD says: "This is how you'll know that I am the LORD: Right now I'm going to strike the water of the Nile River with the staff that's in my hand, and it will be turned to blood.

The fish in the Nile River will die and the river will stink. The Egyptians will be unable to drink water from the Nile River."'"

Moses and Aaron did just what the LORD had commanded. Aaron raised his staff and struck the water in the Nile River in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and all the water in the Nile River turned to blood.

The fish in the Nile River died and the river stank. The Egyptians were not able to drink water from the Nile River, and blood was throughout the land of Egypt.

But the Egyptian magicians did the same thing with their secret arts. Pharaoh's heart was stubborn, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

Then Pharaoh turned away, went to his palace, and paid no attention to any of this.

All the Egyptians dug around the Nile River for water to drink because they could not drink from the water in the Nile River.

he told Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him, "This is what the LORD says: "Let my people go so they may serve me.

And if you refuse to let them go, then I'm going to strike all your territory with frogs.

Then Pharaoh called to Moses and Aaron and said, "Plead with the LORD so that he may remove the frogs from me and my people. I'll let the people go so they can offer sacrifices to the LORD."

Moses told Pharaoh, "You decide when I should plead for you, your servants, and your people to remove the frogs from you and your household. They'll remain only in the Nile River."

Then Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh's presence, and Moses cried out to the LORD about the frogs which he had sent on Pharaoh.

But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, just as the LORD had predicted.

The magicians tried to do the same thing with their secret arts, but they were unable to bring out the gnats. The gnats were on the people and the animals.

The magicians told Pharaoh, "It is the finger of God!" But Pharaoh's heart was stubborn and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had predicted.

The LORD told Moses, "Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he's going down to the water. You are to say to him, "This is what the LORD says: "Let my people go so they can serve me.

But if you don't let my people go, I'll send swarms of insects upon you, your servants, your people, and your households. The houses of Egypt and even the ground on which they stand will be filled with swarms of insects.

On that day I'll treat the land of Goshen where my people live differently so that swarms of insects won't be there. As a result, you will know that I the LORD am in the midst of the land.

Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, offer sacrifices to your God in the land."

"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?

We must go a three-day journey into the desert, and we'll offer sacrifices to the LORD our God just as he has told us."

Then Pharaoh said, "I'll let you go so you can offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the desert. But you must not go very far away. Pray for me."

Moses said, "Right now I'm going to leave you, and I'll pray to the LORD that the swarms of insects may depart from Pharaoh, from his officials, and from his people tomorrow. But Pharaoh, don't continue lying by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD."

Then Moses left Pharaoh's presence and prayed to the LORD.

Then the LORD told Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, "This is what the LORD God of the Hebrews says: "Let my people go so they may serve me.

But if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them,

The LORD will distinguish between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of the Egyptians, so that nothing that belongs to the Israelis will die."'"

The LORD set the time: "Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land."