Blessing during the Bondage in Egypt
1:11 These2 are the names3 of the sons of Israel4 who entered Egypt--each man with his household5 entered with Jacob: 1:2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 1:3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 1:4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 1:5 All the people6 who were directly descended7 from Jacob numbered seventy8 (Joseph was already in Egypt).9 1:6 In time10 Joseph11 and his brothers and all that generation died. 1:7 But12 the Israelites13 were fruitful, increased abundantly, multiplied, and became exceedingly strong,14 so that the land was filled with them.
1:8 Then a new king,15 who did not know16 Joseph, came to power17 over Egypt. 1:9 He said18 to his people, "Because19 the Israelites are more numerous and strong than we are, 1:10 come, let's deal shrewdly20 with them. Otherwise21 they will continue to multiply,22 and if23 a war breaks out, they will ally themselves with24 our enemies and fight against us and escape25 out of the land."
1:11 So they installed26 captains of work forces27 over them to oppress28 them with hard labor. As a result29 they built Pithom and Rameses30 as store cities for Pharaoh. 1:12 But the more the Egyptians31 oppressed them, the more they multiplied and spread.32 As a result the Egyptians loathed33 the Israelites, 1:13 and they34 made the Israelites serve rigorously.35 1:14 So they made36 their lives bitter by37 hard service in mortar and bricks and by all kinds of service38 in the fields. Every kind of service the Israelites were required to give was rigorous.39
1:15 The king of Egypt said40 to the Hebrew midwives,41 one of whom was named Shiphrah, and the other Puah,42 1:1643 "When you assist44 the Hebrew women in childbirth, observe at the delivery:45 if it is a boy, kill him,46 but if it is a girl, then she may live."47 1:17 But48 the midwives feared God, and they did not do what the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.49
1:18 Then the king of Egypt summoned50 the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this, and let the boys live?"51 1:19 And the midwives replied to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew52 women are not like the Egyptian women--for the Hebrew women53 are vigorous; they give birth before the midwives54 come to them!"55 1:20 So God treated the midwives well,56 and the people multiplied and became exceedingly strong. 1:21 And because the midwives feared God, he made57 households58 for them.
1:22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "All sons59 that are born you must throw60 into the river, but all daughters you may let live."61
The Birth of the Deliverer
2:11 A man from the tribe2 of Levi married3 a woman who was a descendant of Levi.4 2:2 And the woman became pregnant5 and gave birth to a son. When6 she saw that7 he was a healthy8 child, she hid him for three months. 2:3 But when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a papyrus basket9 for him and sealed it with bitumin and pitch. Then she put the child in it and set it among the reeds along the edge of the Nile.10 2:4 And his sister stationed herself11 at a distance, to find out12 what would13 be happen to him.
2:5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh14 came down to wash herself15 by the Nile, and her attendants were walking along the side of the river.16 When she saw17 the basket among the reeds, she sent her servant,18 who retrieved it.19 2:6 She opened it20 and saw the child21--and there he22 was, crying!23 And she had compassion24 on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."
2:7 Then his sister spoke to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get25 a nurse for you from the Hebrew women,26 so that she may nurse27 the child for you?" 2:8 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Yes, do so."28 So the young girl29 went and got30 the child's mother.31 2:9 And the Pharaoh's daughter said to the woman,32 "Take this child33 and nurse him for me, and I will pay your34 wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him.
2:10 When the child grew older35 she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son.36 She called his name Moses, saying, "Because I drew him from the water."37
The Presumption of the Deliverer
2:1138 And it happened in those days,39 when40 Moses had grown up, that he went out to his people41 and observed42 their hard labor. And he saw an Egyptian man attacking43 a Hebrew man, one of his fellow countrymen.44 2:12 He looked this way and that45 and saw that no one was there,46 and then he killed47 the Egyptian and hid the body48 in the sand. 2:13 When he went out49 the next day,50 there were51 two Hebrew men fighting. So he said to the one who was in the wrong,52 "Why are you striking53 your fellow Hebrew?"54
2:14 And the man55 replied, "Who made you a ruler56 and a judge over us? Are you planning57 to kill me just as you killed that58 Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid, thinking,59 "Surely what I did60 has become known." 2:15 When Pharaoh heard61 about this event,62 he sought to kill63 Moses. So Moses fled64 from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian;65 he settled66 by a certain well.67
2:16 Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came and began to draw68 water69 and fill70 the troughs in order to water their father's flock. 2:17 And then some71 shepherds came and drove them away,72 but Moses came up and defended them73 and then watered their flock. 2:18 So when they came home74 to Reuel75 their father, he asked, "Why have you come home so early76 today?" 2:19 And they said, "An Egyptian man rescued us77 from the hand of the shepherds, and he actually78 drew water for us and watered the flock!" 2:20 He said79 to his daughters, "So where is he?80 Why in the world81 did you leave him? Call him, so that he may eat82 a meal."83
2:21 Moses agreed84 to stay with the man. And he gave Zipporah, his daughter, to Moses. 2:22 When85 she bore a son, Moses86 called his name Gershom, for he said, "I have become a resident alien in a foreign land."87
The Call of the Deliverer
2:2388 It happened89 during that long period of time90 that the king of Egypt died. And the Israelites91 groaned because of the slave labor and cried out, and their desperate cry92 about their slave labor went up to God. 2:24 And God heard their groaning,93 and God remembered94 his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 2:25 God saw95 the Israelites and God had compassion.96
3:1 Now Moses1 was shepherding the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert2 and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb.3 3:2 And the Angel of the LORD4 appeared5 to him in6 a flame of fire from within a bush.7 He looked8--and9 the bush was ablaze with fire, but it was not being consumed!10 3:3 So Moses thought,11 "I will turn aside to see12 this amazing13 sight, why the bush does not burn up."14 3:4 And when the LORD15 saw that16 he had turned aside to look, God called to him from within the bush and said, "Moses, Moses!"17 And Moses18 said, "Here I am." 3:5 And God19 said, "Do not come near here.20 Take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy21 ground."22 3:6 He also said, "I am the God of your father,23 the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Then Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look24 at God.
3:7 Then the LORD said, "I have surely seen25 the affliction of my people who are in Egypt. I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.26 3:8 I have come down27 to deliver them28 from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up from that land to a land that is both good and large,29 to a land flowing with milk and honey,30 to the territory of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.31 3:9 And now, indeed,32 the cry33 of the Israelites has come to me, and I have also seen how severely the Egyptians oppress them.34 3:10 So now, go, and I will send you35 to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt."
3:11 But Moses said36 to God,37 "Who am I, that I should go38 to Pharaoh, or that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?" 3:12 And God39 said, "Surely I will be with you;40 and this will be the sign41 to you that I have sent you: When you bring the people out of Egypt, you will serve42 God on this mountain."
3:13 But Moses said43 to God, "If44 I go to the Israelites and say to them, `The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they say to me, `What is his name?'45--what should I say46 to them?"
3:14 So God said to Moses, "I AM that I AM."47 And he said, "You must say this48 to the Israelites, `I AM has sent me to you.'" 3:15 God also said to Moses, "You must say this to the Israelites, `The LORD,49 the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name50 forever, and this is my memorial from generation to generation.'51
3:16 "Go and call together52 the elders of Israel and say to them, `The LORD, the God of your fathers,53 appeared54 to me--the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--saying, "I have attended carefully to55 you and to56 what has been done57 to you in Egypt. 3:17 And I promised58 that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites,59 to a land flowing with milk and honey."'
3:18 "And the elders60 will listen61 to you; and then you and the elders of Israel must go to the king of Egypt, and say to him, `The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met62 with us. And now, let us go63 three days' journey into the wilderness, so that we may offer sacrifice64 to the LORD our God.' 3:19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go,65 unless compelled to do so by overwhelming force.66 3:20 So I will extend my hand67 and strike Egypt with all my wonders68 that I will do among them; and after that he will let you go.
3:21 "And I will give this people favor with69 the Egyptians, so that when70 you depart you will not go out empty-handed.71 3:22 Every72 woman will ask her neighbor and the one who happens to be staying73 in her house for gold items, silver items,74 and clothing. And you will put these articles on your sons and on your daughters--thus you will plunder the Egyptians!"75
The Source of Sufficiency
4:11 Moses answered again,2 "And if3 they do not believe me or pay attention to me, 4 but say, `The LORD has not appeared to you'?" 4:2 And the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He replied, "A rod."5 4:3 And the LORD6 said, "Throw it to the ground." So he threw it to the ground, and it became a snake,7 and Moses fled from it. 4:4 But the LORD said to Moses, "Put out your hand and grab it by the tail"--so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand8-- 4:5 "that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you."
4:6 And the LORD also said to him, "Put your hand into your robe."9 So he put his hand into his robe; and when he brought it out--it10 was leprous as snow!11 4:7 And he said, "Put your hand back into your robe." So he put his hand back into his robe; and when he brought it out from his robe--it was restored12 like the rest of his skin.13 4:8 "And if14 they do not believe you or pay attention to the former sign,15 then they may16 believe the latter sign.17 4:9 And if18 they do not believe even these two signs or listen to you,19 then take20 some water from the Nile and pour it out on the dry ground. The water that you take out of the Nile will become blood on the dry ground."21
4:10 Then Moses said to the LORD,22 "O23 my Lord,24 I am not an eloquent man,25 neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of mouth and slow of tongue."26
4:11 And the LORD said to him, "Who gave27 a mouth to man, or who makes a person mute or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?28 4:12 So now, go, and I will be with your mouth,29 and will teach you30 what you must say."31
4:13 But Moses said,32 "O33 my Lord, please send anyone else whom you wish to send!"34
4:14 Then the LORD became angry with35 Moses, and he said, "What about36 your brother Aaron the Levite?37 I know that he can speak very well.38 Moreover, he is coming39 to meet you, and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart.40
4:15 "So you are to speak to him, and you will put the words in his mouth. And as for me, I will be with your mouth41 and with his mouth,42 and I will teach you both43 what you must do.44 4:16 And he45 will speak for you to the people. It will be as if46 he, even he,47 were your mouth,48 and you, you were his God.49 4:17 And take in your hand this rod, with which you will do the signs."50
The Return of Moses
4:1851 So Moses went back52 to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, "Let me go, so that I may return53 to my relatives54 in Egypt and see55 if they are still alive." And Jethro replied to Moses, "Go in peace." 4:19 And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, "Go back56 to Egypt, because all the men who were seeking your life are dead."57 4:20 Then Moses took58 his wife and his sons59 and put them on a donkey and headed back60 to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand. 4:21 The LORD said61 to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt,62 see that you63 do before Pharaoh all the wonders I have put under your control.64 But I will harden65 his heart66 and67 he will not let the people go. 4:22 And you must say68 to Pharaoh, `Thus says69 the LORD, "Israel is my firstborn son,70 4:23 and I said to you, `Let my son go that he may serve71 me, but since you have refused to let him go,72 I will surely kill73 your firstborn son!'"'"
4:24 Now on the way, at a place where they stopped for the night,74 the LORD met Moses and sought to kill him.75 4:25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off the foreskin of her son and touched it to Moses' feet,76 and said, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood77 to me." 4:26 So the LORD78 let him alone. (At that time79 she said, "A bridegroom of blood," referring to80 the circumcision.)
4:27 The LORD said81 to Aaron, "Go to the wilderness to meet Moses. So he went and met him at the mountain of God82 and greeted him with a kiss.83 4:28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had84 sent him and all the signs that he had commanded him. 4:29 Then Moses and Aaron went and summoned all the elders85 of the Israelites. 4:30 Aaron spoke86 all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. 4:31 And the people believed. When they heard87 that the LORD had attended to88 the Israelites and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed down close to the ground.89
Opposition to the Plan of God
5:11 And afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "Thus says the LORD,2 the God of Israel, `Release3 my people so that they may hold a pilgrim feast4 to me in the desert.'" 5:2 But Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD5 that6 I should obey him7 by releasing8 Israel? I do not know the LORD,9 and I will not release Israel." 5:3 And they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Let us go a three-day journey10 into the desert so that we may sacrifice11 to the LORD our God, so that he does not strike us with plague or the sword."12 5:4 Then the king of Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why do you cause the people to refrain from their work?13 Return to your labor!" 5:5 Pharaoh was thinking,14 "The people of the land are now many, and you are giving them rest from their labor."
5:6 That same day Pharaoh commanded15 the slavemasters and foremen16 who were17 over the people:18 5:7 "You must no longer19 give straw to the people for making bricks,20 as previously. Let them go21 and gather straw for themselves. 5:8 But you must require22 of them the same quota of bricks that they were making before.23 Do not reduce it, for they are slackers;24 that is why they are crying, `Let us go sacrifice to our God.' 5:9 Let the work be harder25 for the men so they will keep at it26 and pay no attention to lying words!"27
5:10 So the slavemasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, "Thus says Pharaoh: `I am not giving28 you straw. 5:11 You29 go get straw for yourselves wherever you can30 find it; but your workload will not be reduced.'" 5:12 So the people spread out31 through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 5:13 And the slavemasters were pressuring32 them, saying "Complete33 your work for each day, just like when there was straw!" 5:14 And the foremen of the Israelites whom Pharaoh's slavemasters set over them were beaten and were asked,34 "Why did you not fulfill your quota35 of making bricks in the past few days, yesterday, or today?"36
5:1537 The foremen of the Israelites went and cried out to Pharaoh, "Why are you treating38 your servants this way? 5:16 No straw is given to your servants, but we are told,39 `Make bricks!' Your servants are even40 being beaten, but the fault41 is with your people."
5:17 But he said,42 "You are slackers! Slackers! That is why you are saying, `Let us go sacrifice to the LORD.' 5:18 So now, get back to work!43 You will not be given straw, but you must still produce44 your quota45 of bricks!" 5:19 The foremen of the Israelites realized46 that they47 were in trouble when they were told,48 "You must not reduce the daily quota of your bricks."
5:20 When they went out from Pharaoh, they encountered Moses and Aaron standing there to meet them.49 5:21 And they said to them, "May the LORD look on you and judge,50 because you have made us odious51 in the opinion52 of Pharaoh and in the opinion of his servants, so that you have put53 a sword in their hand to kill us!"
The Assurance of Deliverance
5:2254 Moses returned55 to the LORD, and said, "Lord,56 why have you brought trouble to this people?57 Why did you ever58 send me? 5:23 From the time I went to speak to Pharaoh in your name, he has caused trouble59 for this people, and you have certainly not rescued60 your people!"
6:1Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh,1 for compelled by my strong hand2 he will release them,3 and forced by my strong hand he will drive them out of his land."
6:2 God spoke4 to Moses and said to him, "I am the LORD,5 6:3 and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as6 God Almighty,7 but by8 my name "the LORD"9 I was not known to them.10 6:4 And I also established my covenant with them11 to give them the land of Canaan, in which they were living as resident aliens.12 6:5 I13 have also heard14 the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving,15 and I have remembered my covenant.16 6:6 Therefore, say to the Israelites, `I am the LORD, and I will bring you out17 from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rescue you from their hard labor, and I will redeem you by my outstretched arm and with great judgments. 6:7 And I will take you to myself for a people, and I will become your God.18 Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 6:8 And I will bring you to the land I swore19 to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob--and I will give it to you20 as a possession. I am the LORD!'"
6:921 Moses told this22 to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him23 because of their discouragement24 and harsh labor. 6:10 Then the LORD said to Moses, 6:11 "Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to release25 the Israelites from his land." 6:12 But Moses responded to26 the LORD, "If the Israelites did not listen to me, then27 how will Pharaoh listen to me, since28 I speak with difficulty?"29
6:13 The LORD spoke30 to Moses and Aaron, and gave them a charge31 to the Israelites and to Pharaoh king of Egypt--he charged them to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.
The Ancestry of the Deliverer
6:1432 These are the heads of their fathers' households:33
The sons34 of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel, were Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These were the families35 of Reuben.
6:15 And the sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the families of Simeon.
6:16 And these are the names of the sons of Levi, according to their records:36 Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Now the length of Levi's life was one hundred and thirty-seven years.
6:17 The sons of Gershon, by their families, were Libni and Shimei.
6:18 The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Now the length of Kohath's life was one hundred and thirty-three years.
6:19 And the sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were the clans of Levi, according to their records.
6:20 And Amram married37 his father's sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Now the length of Amram's life was one hundred and thirty-seven years.
6:21 And the sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zikri.
6:22 And the sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
6:23 And Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
6:24 And the sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These were the Korahite clans.
6:25 Now Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel and she bore him Phinehas.
These are the heads of the families of Levi according to their clans.
6:26 It was the same Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, "Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt according to their divisions.38 6:27 They were the men who were speaking to Pharaoh king of Egypt, in order to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. It was the same Moses and Aaron.
The Authentication of the Word
6:2839 When40 the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 6:29 he said to him,41 "I am the LORD. Tell42 Pharaoh king of Egypt all that43 I am telling44 you." 6:30 But Moses said before the LORD, "Since I speak with difficulty,45 why should Pharaoh listen to me?"
7:1 So the LORD replied to Moses, "See, I have made you like God1 to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.2 7:2 You are to speak3 all that I command you;4 and Aaron your brother is tell Pharaoh to release5 the Israelites from his land. 7:3 But I will harden6 Pharaoh's heart. And although I will multiply7 my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt, 7:4 Pharaoh will not listen to you.8 And I will lay my hand9 on Egypt and bring out my regiments,10 my people the Israelites, from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment. 7:5 Then11 the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I extend my hand12 over Egypt and bring out the Israelites from among them.
7:6 And Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the LORD commanded them. 7:7 Now Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.
7:8 The LORD said13 to Moses and Aaron,14 7:9 "When Pharaoh says to you, `Do15 a miracle,' then you are to say to Aaron, `Take your rod and throw it down16 before Pharaoh, and it will become17 a snake." 7:10 When18 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, they did so, just as the LORD had commanded them--Aaron threw19 down his rod before Pharaoh and his servants and it became a snake.20 7:11 Then Pharaoh also summoned wise men and sorcerers,21 and the magicians22 of Egypt by their secret arts23 did the same thing. 7:12 Each man24 threw down his staff, and the staffs became snakes. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs! 7:13 Yet Pharaoh's heart was hardened,25 and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had predicted.
The First Blow: Water to Blood
7:1426 And the LORD said to Moses, "The heart of Pharaoh is hardened;27 he refuses to release28 the people. 7:15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning when29 he goes out to the water. Position yourself30 to meet him by the edge of the Nile,31 and take32 in your hand the rod33 that was turned into a snake. 7:16 Say to him, `The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you to say,34 `Release my people, that they may serve me35 in the desert!' But up till now36 you have not complied. 7:17 Thus says the LORD: `In this you will know that I am the LORD: I am going to strike37 the water of the Nile with the rod that is in my hand, and it will be turned into blood.38 7:18 And fish39 in the Nile will die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable40 to drink the water of the Nile." 7:19 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, `Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers and canals,41 and over their ponds and all their reservoirs,42 that they may become43 blood.' And blood will be throughout44 the land of Egypt, even in the containers of wood and stone." 7:20 And Moses and Aaron did so,45 as the LORD had commanded. Moses raised46 the rod47 and struck the water of the Nile right before Pharaoh's eyes48 and before the eyes of his servants,49 and all the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood.50 7:21 When the fish51 that were in the Nile died, the Nile began52 to stink, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. Blood53 was throughout all the land of Egypt! 7:22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same54 by their secret arts, and so55 the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not listen to Moses and Aaron56--just as the LORD had said. 7:23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. He did not even take this to heart.57 7:24 All the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink,58 because they could not drink the water of the Nile.
The Second Blow: Frogs
7:251 Seven full days passed2 after the LORD struck3 the Nile. 8:1(7:26)4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, `Thus says the LORD: "Release my people in order that they may serve me. 8:2 But if you refuse to release them, then I am going to plague5 all your territory with frogs6 from border to border.7 8:3 And the Nile will swarm8 with frogs, and they will go up and enter your palace,9 and your bedroom, and your bed, and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading troughs.10 8:4 Frogs11 will go up against you, and against your people, and against all your servants."'"12
8:5 And the LORD spoke to Moses, "Say to Aaron, `Extend your hand with your staff13 over the rivers, over the canals, and over the ponds, and bring the frogs up over the land of Egypt.'" 8:6 So Aaron extended his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs14 came up and covered the land of Egypt.
8:7 But the magicians did the same15 with their secret arts, and brought up frogs too.16 So frogs17 went up over the land of Egypt.
8:8 Then Pharaoh summoned18 Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray19 to the LORD that he may take away20 the frogs from me and my people, and I will release21 the people that they may sacrifice22 to the LORD." 8:9 And Moses said to Pharaoh, "You may have the honor over me23--when shall I pray for you and your servants and your people, for the frogs to be removed24 from you and from your houses, so that25 only in the Nile they will be left?"26 8:10 And he said, "Tomorrow." So Moses said,27 "It will be28 according to your word, so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God. 8:11 And the frogs will depart from you, and from your palace,29 and from your servants, and from your people; only in the Nile will they be left."
8:12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh; and Moses cried30 to the LORD because of31 the frogs which he had brought on32 Pharaoh. 8:13 And the LORD did according to Moses' word--the33 frogs died out of their houses, out of their villages, and out of their fields. 8:14 The Egyptians34 piled them together in countless heaps,35 and the land stank. 8:15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief,36 he hardened37 his heart and did not listen to them, just as the LORD had predicted.38
The Third Blow: Gnats
8:1639 And the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, `Extend your staff and strike the dust of the ground, and it will become40 gnats41 in all the land of Egypt'." 8:17 And they did so; and Aaron extended his hand with his staff and he struck the dust of the ground, and it became gnats, on people42 and on animals. All the dust of the ground became gnats in all the land of Egypt. 8:18 When43 the magicians tried to do44 the same, to bring forth45 gnats with their secret arts, they could not. So there were gnats on people and on animals. 8:19 The magicians said46 to Pharaoh, "It is the finger47 of God!" But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had predicted.
The Fourth Blow: Flies
8:2048 The LORD49 said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and take your position before Pharaoh as he goes out to the water; and say to him, `Thus says the LORD, "Release my people that they may serve me. 8:21 If you do not release50 my people, then I am going to send51 swarms of flies52 on you and on your servants and on your people and in your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies, and even the ground where they stand.53 8:22 But on that day I will make a distinction54 with the land of Goshen where my people are staying,55 so that no swarms of flies will be there, that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. 8:23 And I will put a division56 between my people and your people. This sign will be seen57 tomorrow."'" 8:24 And the LORD did so. A58 thick59 swarm of flies came into60 Pharaoh's palace and into the houses61 of his servants,62 and throughout the land of Egypt63 the land was ruined64 because of the swarms of flies.
8:25 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God in the this land."65 8:26 But Moses said, "That would not be the right thing to do,66 for the sacrifices we make67 to the LORD our God would be an abomination68 to the Egyptians.69 And if we make sacrifices that are an abomination in the eyes of the Egyptians,70 will they not stone us?71 8:27 We must go72 on a three day journey73 into the desert and sacrifice74 to the LORD our God, just as he is telling us."75
8:28 And Pharaoh said, "I will release you76 so that you may sacrifice77 to the LORD your God in the desert, but you must not go very far.78 Only79 pray for me."
8:29 And Moses said, "I am going to go out80 from you, and then I will pray to the LORD, and the swarms of flies will depart from Pharaoh and from his servants and from his people tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh deal falsely again81 by not releasing82 the people to sacrifice to the LORD." 8:30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. 8:31 And the LORD did according to Moses' word, and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh and from his servants and from his people. Not one remained. 8:32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not release the people.
The Fifth Blow: Disease
9:11 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him, `Thus says the LORD the God of the Hebrews, "Release my people that they may serve me. 9:2 For if you refuse to release them2 and continue holding them,3 9:3 then the hand of the LORD will surely bring4 a very terrible plague5 on your livestock in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels,6 on the herds and on the flocks. 9:4 But the Lord will put a division7 between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing8 will die of all that the Israelites have.9
9:5 The LORD set10 an appointed time, saying, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this11 in the land." 9:6 And the LORD did it12 on the next day,13 and all14 the livestock of the Egyptians15 died, but of the Israelites' livestock not one died! 9:7 And Pharaoh sent representatives to investigate,16 and indeed, none17 of the livestock of Israel had died. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened,18 and he did not release the people.
The Sixth Blow: Boils
9:819 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot20 from a furnace, and have Moses throw it21 into the air while Pharaoh is watching.22 9:9 It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and will cause boils to break out and fester23 on both people and animals in all the land of Egypt." 9:10 So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh; Moses threw it into the air, and it caused festering boils to break out on both people and animals.
9:11 But the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. 9:12 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had predicted to Moses.24
The Seventh Blow: Hail
9:1325 The LORD said26 to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and stand27 before Pharaoh, and say to him, `Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews: "Release my people so that they may serve me! 9:14 For this time I will send all my plagues28 on your very self29 and on your servants and on your people, so that you may know there is no one like me in all the earth. 9:15 For by now I could have extended30 my hand and struck you and your people with plague, and you would have been destroyed31 from the earth. 9:16 But32 for this purpose I have caused you to stand:33 to show you34 my strength, and that my name may be declared35 in all the earth. 9:17 You are still exalting36 yourself against my people by37 not releasing them. 9:18 I am going to cause it to rain38 a very severe hail about this time tomorrow, more severe than any seen39 in Egypt from the day it was founded40 until now. 9:19 So now, send instructions41 to gather42 your livestock and all your possessions in the fields to a safe place; every person43 or animal caught44 in the field and not brought into the house--the hail will come down on him, and he will die!"'"
9:20 Those45 of Pharaoh' servants who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their46 servants and livestock into the house, 9:21 but those47 who did not take48 the word of the LORD to heart left their servants and their cattle49 in the field.
9:22 Then the LORD said to Moses, Extend your hand toward the sky,50 that there may be51 hail in all the land of Egypt, on people and on animals,52 and on everything that grows53 in the field in the land of Egypt 9:23 When Moses extended54 his rod toward the sky, the LORD55 sent thunder56 and hail, and fire ran along the ground;57 so the LORD caused it to rain hail on the land of Egypt. 9:24 Hail fell,58 and fire mingled59 with hail; the storm60 was very severe, more severe than any seen61 in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. 9:25 And the hail struck everything in the open fields, both62 people and animals, throughout all the land of Egypt. Everything that grows63 in the field the hail struck, and it broke all the trees of the field in pieces. 9:26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were, was there no hail.
9:27 So Pharaoh sent and summoned Moses and Aaron and said to them, "I have sinned this time!64 The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are guilty.65 9:28 Pray to the LORD, for the mighty66 thunderings and hail are enough!67 I will release you and you will stay no longer.68
9:29 And Moses said to him, "When I leave the city69 I will spread my hands to the LORD; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the LORD.70 9:30 But as for you71 and your servants, I know that you do not fear72 the LORD God."
9:31 (Now the73 flax and the barley were struck74 by the hail,75 for the barley was in the ear, and the flax76 was in bud. 9:32 But the wheat and the spelt77 were not struck, for they are later crops.)78
9:33 So Moses left Pharaoh, went out of the city, and spread out his hands to the LORD, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain stopped pouring on the earth. 9:34 When Pharaoh saw79 that the rain and hail and thunder ceased, he sinned again:80 both he and his servants hardened their hearts. 9:35 So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened,81 and he did not release the Israelites, as the LORD had spoken by the hand of Moses.
The Eighth Blow: Locusts
10:11 The LORD said2 to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, in order to display3 these signs of mine before him,4 10:2 so that5 you may tell6 your son and your grandson how I made fools7 of the Egyptians,8 and about9 my signs that I displayed10 among them, and in order that you may know11 that I am the LORD."
10:3 So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews: `How long will you refuse12 to humble yourself before me?13 Release my people that they may serve me! 10:4 But if you refuse to release my people, I am going to bring14 locusts15 into your region16 tomorrow. 10:5 And they will cover17 the face18 of the earth, so that one19 will not be able to see the ground. They will eat the remainder of what was left20--what is left over21 for you from the hail--and they will eat every tree that grows for you from the field. 10:6 And they will fill your houses, and the houses of your servants, and all the houses of Egypt, such as22 neither23 your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen since they have been24 in the land until this day!'" Then Moses25 turned and went out from Pharaoh.
10:7 Then Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long26 will this man be a snare27 to us? Release the people so that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not know28 that Egypt is destroyed?"
10:8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, "Go, serve the LORD your God. Who all are going with you?"29 10:9 And Moses said, "We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our sheep and with our cattle, because we are to hold30 a pilgrim feast for the LORD."
10:10 And he said to them, "The LORD be with you in this way,31 if I release you and your little ones!32 Watch it!33 Trouble is facing34 you!35 10:11 No!36 Go, you men37 only, and serve the LORD, for that38 is what you want."39 Then Moses and Aaron40 were driven41 out of Pharaoh's presence.
10:12 And the LORD said to Moses, "Extend your hand over the land of Egypt for42 the locusts, that they may come up over the land of Egypt and eat everything that grows43 in the ground, all that the hail has left." 10:13 So Moses extended his rod over the land of Egypt, and then the LORD44 brought45 an east wind on the land all that day and all night.46 The morning came,47 and the east wind had brought up48 the locusts! 10:14 And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and settled down in all the territory49 of Egypt. They were without number.50 There had been no locusts like them before, nor will there be such ever again.51 10:15 They covered52 the surface of all the ground, so that the ground became dark.53 And they ate all the vegetation of the ground and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Nothing green remained on the trees or on anything that grew in the fields throughout all the land of Egypt.
10:1654 Then Pharaoh quickly55 summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned56 against the LORD your God and against you! 10:17 So now, forgive my sin this time only, and pray to the LORD your God that he may take away from me this death57 only."58 10:18 Moses59 went out60 from Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. 10:19 And the LORD turned a very strong sea wind61 and it picked up the locusts and threw them into the Sea of Reeds.62 Not one locust remained in all the territory of Egypt. 10:20 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not release the Israelites.
The Ninth Plague: Darkness
10:2163 And the LORD said to Moses, "Extend your hand toward heaven64 so that there may be65 darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness that could be felt."66
10:22 So Moses extended his hand toward heaven, and there was a thick darkness67 in all the land of Egypt for three days.68 10:23 No one69 could see70 another person, and no one could rise from his place for three days. But the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.
10:24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, "Go, serve the LORD--only let your flocks and herds be detained. Even your women and children71 may go with you."
10:25 But Moses said, "Will you also72 provide us73 with sacrifices and burnt offerings that we may present them74 to the LORD our God? 10:26 Our livestock must75 also go with us! Not a hoof is to be left behind! For we must take76 these animals77 to serve the LORD our God. And until we arrive there we do not know what we must use to serve the LORD."78
10:27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he was not willing to release them. 10:28 And Pharaoh said to him, "Go from me!79 Take heed to yourself! Do not appear before me80 again,81 for when82 you see my face you will die!" 10:29 And Moses said, "As you wish!83 I will not see your face again."84
The Tenth Blow: Death
11:11 And the LORD said to Moses, "I will bring one more2 plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt; after this he will release you from this place. When he releases you,3 he will drive you out completely4 from this place. 11:2 Instruct5 the people that each man is to request6 from his neighbor, and each woman from her neighbor,7 articles of silver and gold."8
11:3 (Now the LORD granted the people favor with9 the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, respected by Pharaoh's servants and by the Egyptian people.)10
11:4 And Moses said, "Thus says the LORD: `About midnight11 I will go out into the midst of Egypt, 11:5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh12 who sits on his throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl who is at her handmill, and all the firstborn of the cattle. 11:6 And there will be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been,13 nor ever will be again.14 11:7 But against any of the Israelites not even a dog will bark15 against either people or animals,16 that you may know that the LORD makes a distinction17 between Egypt and Israel.' 11:8 And all these your servants will come down to me and bow down18 to me, saying, `Go, you and all the people who follow19 you'; and after that I will go out." And he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.
11:9 And the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that my wonders20 may be multiplied in the land of Egypt."
11:10 So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; but the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not release the Israelites from his land.
The Institution of the Passover
12:11 The LORD said2 to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,3 12:2 "This month is to be4 the beginning of months for you; it is to be for you the first month of the year.5 12:3 Tell all the congregation of Israel, `In the tenth day of this month they each6 must take a lamb7 for themselves according to the house of their fathers--a lamb for a house.8 12:4 And if any household9 is too small10 for the lamb,11 the man12 and his neighbor who lives nearby13 are to take14 a lamb according to the number of people--you will make your count for the lamb according to how much each one can eat.15 12:5 You must take16 a perfect17 animal, a male that is one year old;18 you may take19 it from the sheep or from the goats. 12:6 And you must care for it20 until the fourteenth day of the same month,21 and then all the congregation of the assembly22 will kill them23 between the evenings.24 12:7 Then they will take some of the blood and put it on the two side posts and on the lintel of the houses in which they will eat it. 12:8 And they will eat the meat the same night;25 they will eat it roasted with fire, with unleavened cakes,26 and with bitter herbs. 12:9 Do not eat it raw27 or boiled in water, but roast it over the fire, its head, its legs, and its inner parts. 12:10 And you must leave nothing until morning, but you must burn28 with fire whatever remains of it until morning. 12:11 And this is how you are to eat it--dressed to travel,29 your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you are to eat it in haste.30 It is the Passover31 of the LORD.32
12:12 And I will pass through33 the land of Egypt in the same34 night, and I will kill35 all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both of humans and of animals,36 and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment.37 I am the LORD. 12:13 The blood will be38 a sign for you on your houses where you are: when I see39 the blood I will pass over you,40 and the plague41 will not be on you for destruction42 when I strike43 the land of Egypt.44
12:14 This day will become45 a memorial46 for you, and you will celebrate it as a festival47 to the LORD--you will celebrate the feast perpetually as a lasting ordinance.48 12:15 For seven days49 you must eat50 bread made without yeast.51 Surely52 on the first day you must put away the yeast from your houses, because anyone who eats leavened bread53 from the first day to the seventh day may be cut off54 from Israel.
12:16 And on the first day there will be a holy convocation,55 and on the seventh day there will be a holy convocation for you. You must do no work of any kind56 on them, only what every person must eat--that alone may be prepared for you. 12:17 And you will keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because on this same57 day I brought your multitudes58 out from the land of Egypt, and so you must keep this day perpetually as a lasting ordinance.59 12:18 In the first month,60 on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, you will eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month in the evening. 12:19 For seven days61 leaven must not be found in your houses, for whoever eats what is leavened--that person62 will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether a foreigner63 or one born64 in the land. 12:20 You will not eat anything leavened; in all the places where you live you must eat unleavened bread."
12:21 Then Moses summoned the elders of Israel, and said to them, "Draw out65 and take small animals66 for yourselves according to your families; and kill the Passover. 12:22 And you must take a bunch of hyssop,67 and dip it in the blood that is in the basin,68 and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you will go out69 the door of his house until morning. 12:23 For the LORD will pass through to strike Egypt; and when he sees70 the blood on the lintel and the two side posts, then the LORD will pass over the door, and he will not permit the destroyer71 to enter into your houses to strike you.72 12:24 And you will observe this event as an ordinance for you and for your children forever. 12:25 And when you enter the land that the LORD will give to you, just as he said, then you must observe73 this service. 12:26 And when your children say to you, "What does this service mean74 to you?"-- 12:27 then you will say, `It is the sacrifice75 of the LORD's Passover, when he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt, when he destroyed76 Egypt and delivered our households.'" And the people bowed down low77 to the ground. 12:28 And then the Israelites went away and did exactly as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron.78
The Deliverance from Egypt
12:2979 It happened80 at midnight--the LORD struck81 all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the prison, and all the firstborn of the cattle. 12:30 And Pharaoh got up82 in the night,83 along with all his servants and all Egypt, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no house84 in which there was not someone dead. 12:31 And he summoned Moses and Aaron in the night, and said, "Get up, get out85 from among my people, both you and your children! Go and serve the LORD as you have spoken!86 12:32 Also, take your flocks and your herds, just as you have spoken, and leave. But bless me also."87
12:33 And the Egyptians were urging88 on the people, in order to send them out of the land quickly,89 for they were saying, "We are all dead people!" 12:34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened,90 with their kneading troughs bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. 12:35 And the Israelites had done91 according to the word of Moses--they had asked from the Egyptians92 articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing. 12:36 The LORD93 gave favor to the people94 in the eyes of the Egyptians, and they gave them whatever they wanted,95 and so they plundered Egypt.96
12:37 The Israelites journeyed97 from Rameses98 and Sukkoth. There were about six hundred thousand men99 on foot, besides women and children.100 12:38 And a mixed multitude101 also went up with them, and flocks and herds--a very large number of cattle.102 12:39 And they baked cakes of unleavened bread with the dough they had brought from Egypt, for it was not leavened--because they were thrust out103 of Egypt and were not able to delay, they104 could not prepare105 food for themselves either.
12:40 Now the length of time the Israelites lived in Egypt was four hundred thirty years.106 12:41 And at the end of the four hundred thirty years, on the same day, all the divisions of the LORD went out of the land of Egypt. 12:42 It was a night of watching for the LORD to bring them out from the land of Egypt;107 and so108 on this night all Israel is to keep the vigil109 to the LORD for generations to come.
Participation in the Passover
12:43110 And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "This is the ordinance of the Passover. No foreigner may111 share in eating it.112 12:44 But everyone's servant who is bought for money, after you have circumcised him, may eat it. 12:45 A foreigner and a hired worker must not eat it. 12:46 It must be eaten in one house; you must not carry it around outside from one house to another. And you must not break a bone of it. 12:47 The congregation of Israel must observe it.
12:48 And when a foreigner lives113 with you, and wants to observe the Passover to the LORD, all his males must be circumcised,114 and then he may come near and observe it, and he will be as one who is born in the land115--for no uncircumcised person may eat of it. 12:49 The same law will apply116 to the person who is native-born and to the foreigner who lives among you.
12:50 So all the Israelites did exactly as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron.117 12:51 And on that very day the LORD brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt by their divisions.
The Law of the Firstborn
13:11 The LORD spoke2 to Moses: 13:2 "Sanctify3 to me every firstborn male--whatever opens4 every womb among the Israelites, whether human or animal, is mine."5
13:3 And Moses said to the people, "Remember6 this day in which you came out from Egypt, from the place where you were enslaved,7 for the LORD brought you out of there8 with a mighty hand--and no leavened bread may be eaten.9 13:4 On this day,10 in the month of Abib,11 you are going out.12
13:5 When13 the LORD brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey,14 then you will keep15 this service16 in this month. 13:6 For seven days17 you will eat18 unleavened bread; and on the seventh day there is to be19 a festival to the LORD. 13:7 Unleavened bread must be eaten20 for seven days;21 no leavened bread will be seen22 by you, nor will leaven be seen by you within any of your borders.
13:8 And you are to tell your son23 on that day,24 `It is25 because of what26 the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.' 13:927 And it28 will be a sign29 for you on your hand, and a memorial30 between your eyes,31 so that the law of the LORD may be32 in your mouth,33 for34 with a mighty hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt.
13:10 So you must keep35 this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.36
13:11 When the LORD brings you37 into the land of the Canaanites,38 as he swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it39 to you, 13:12 then you must give over40 to the LORD all that opens the womb,41 and every firstling42 of beasts that you have43--the males will be the LORD's.44 13:13 And everything that opens the womb45 of the donkey you must redeem46 with a lamb,47 and if you do not redeem it, then you must break its neck;48 and you must redeem every firstborn of49 your sons.
13:1450 And when your son asks you51 in time to come,52 `What is this?'53 then you are to say to him, `With a mighty hand54 the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the land of bondage.55 13:15 And when Pharaoh stubbornly refused56 to release us, then the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of people even to the firstborn of animals.57 That is why I am sacrificing58 to the LORD every male that opens the womb, but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.' 13:16 And it will be for a sign on your hand, and for frontlets59 between your eyes, for with a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt."60
The Leading of God
13:1761 When Pharaoh released62 the people, God did not lead them63 on the way to the land64 of the Philistines,65 although66 that was nearby, for God said,67 "Lest68 the people change their minds69 when they experience70 war, and return to Egypt." 13:18 And so God led the people around on the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea.71 And the Israelites went up from the land of Egypt prepared for battle.72
13:19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph73 had made the Israelites solemnly swear,74 "God will surely visit you, and you will carry75 my bones up from this place with you."
13:20 So they journeyed from Sukkoth, and camped in Etham, on the edge of the desert. 13:21 And the LORD was going before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them in the way; and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light,76 so that they could77 go by day and night.78 13:22 He did not take away from before the people79 the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of the fire by night.
The Victory at the Red Sea
14:11 And the LORD spoke to Moses: "Tell the Israelites that they may turn and camp2 before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea; opposite3 Baal Zephon you are to camp by the sea.4 14:3 And Pharaoh will think5 that the Israelites are wandering around confused6 in the land--the desert has closed in on them.7 14:4 And I will harden8 the heart of Pharaoh and he will chase after them, and I will be honored9 because of Pharaoh and because of his army; and the Egyptians will know10 that I am the LORD." So this is what they did.11
14:5 It was reported12 to the king of Egypt that the people had fled;13 and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people. So he said,14 "What in the world have we done?15 For we have released the people of Israel16 from serving17 us!" 14:6 Then he prepared18 his chariots and took his army19 with him. 14:7 And he took six hundred of the best20 chariots, and all21 the chariots of Egypt, and officers22 on all of them.
14:8 But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt; and he chased after the Israelites. Now the Israelites were going out defiantly.23 14:9 And the Egyptians chased after them, and all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, overtook them camping by the sea, beside Pa-hahiroth, opposite Baal-Zephon. 14:10 When24 Pharaoh got closer,25 the Israelites looked up26 and saw that27 the Egyptians were marching after them. They were terrified.28 Then the Israelites cried out to the LORD.29 14:11 And they said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt you took us away to die in the desert?30 What in the world31 have you done to us by bringing32 us out of Egypt? 14:12 Was this not what we told you33 in Egypt, `Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?'34 For it would have been35 better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"
14:13 And Moses said to the people, "Do not fear!36 Stand firm37 and see38 the salvation39 of the LORD that he will provide40 for you today; for the Egyptians that you see today you will never, ever see again.41 14:14 The LORD42 will fight for you, and you can be still."43
14:15 And the LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward.44 14:16 But as for you,45 lift up your rod and extend your hand toward the sea and divide it, so that46 the Israelites may go in the midst of the sea on dry ground. 14:17 But I am going to harden47 the hearts of the Egyptians so that48 they will pursue them, that I may be honored49 because50 of Pharaoh and because of his army and because of his chariots and because of his horsemen. 14:18 And the Egyptians will know51 that I am the LORD when I have gained my honor52 because of Pharaoh, because of his chariots, and because of his horsemen."
14:19 And the angel of God, who was going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them, and the pillar53 of the cloud moved from before them and stood behind them. 14:20 And it went between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; it was a dark cloud54 to them,55 but it lit up the night for these,56 and one camp did not come near the other57 camp the whole night.58 14:21 And Moses stretched out his hand toward the sea, and the LORD caused the sea to go apart59 by a strong east wind all that night, and he made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. 14:22 So the Israelites went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall60 for them on their right and on their left.
14:23 And the Egyptians chased after them;61 they went into the midst of the sea after them--all the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen. 14:24 And in the morning watch62 the LORD looked down63 on the host64 of Egyptians through the pillar of fire and cloud, and he threw the Egyptians into a panic.65 14:25 He jammed66 the wheels of their chariots so they had difficulty driving,67 and the Egyptians said, "Let's flee68 from the presence of Israel, for the LORD fights69 for them against Egypt."
14:26 And the LORD said to Moses, "Extend your hand toward the sea, so that the waters may flow70 back on the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen!" 14:27 So Moses extended his hand toward the sea, and the sea returned to its normal state71 when morning appeared.72 Now the Egyptians were fleeing73 before it, but the LORD overthrew74 the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 14:28 The waters returned75 and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh that was pursuing the Israelites into the sea76--not so much as one of them survived.77 14:29 But the Israelites walked on dry ground in the midst of the sea--the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left hand. 14:30 So the LORD saved78 Israel on that day from the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead79 on the shore of the sea. 14:31 When Israel saw80 the great power81 that the LORD had exercised82 over the Egyptians, they83 feared the LORD, and they believed in84 the LORD and in his servant Moses.85
The Song of Triumph
15:20 Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a hand-drum in her hand, and all the women went out after her with hand-drums and with dances.53 15:21 And Miriam sang antiphonally54 to them, "Sing to the LORD, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and its rider he has thrown into the sea."55
The Bitter Water
15:2256 Then Moses caused Israel to journey57 from Yam Suph, and they went out into the desert of Shur. They went three days58 into the desert, and they found no water. 15:23 Then they came to Marah,59 but they were not able to drink60 the waters of Marah, because61 they were bitter.62 (That is63 why its name was64 called Marah.)
15:24 So the people murmured65 against Moses, saying, "What can66 we drink?" 15:25 Moses67 cried out68 to the LORD, and the LORD showed him69 a tree.70 When he threw it into the waters, the waters became safe to drink. There he made for them71 a binding ordinance,72 and there he tested73 them, 15:26 and said, "If you will diligently obey74 the LORD your God, and do what is right75 in his eyes, and give ear76 to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, then all77 the diseases78 that I put on the Egyptians I will not put on you, for I, the LORD, am your healer."79
15:27 Then they came to Elim,80 where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees. And they camped there by the waters.
The Provision of Manna
16:11 When2 they journeyed from Elim, the entire company3 of Israelites came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their exodus4 from the land of Egypt. 16:2 And the entire company5 of Israelites murmured against Moses and Aaron in the desert. 16:3 The Israelites said to them, "Oh that we had died6 by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by7 the pots of meat, and when we ate bread to the full!8 But you have brought us out into this desert to kill9 this whole assembly with hunger!"
16:4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I am going to rain10 bread from heaven for you, and the people will go out11 and gather a certain amount each day, that I may test them,12 whether13 they will walk in my law14 or not. 16:5 And on the sixth day15 they will prepare what they bring in, and it will be twice as much as they gather each day."16
16:6 And Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites, "In the evening17 you will know that the LORD has brought you out of the land of Egypt. 16:7 And in the morning you will see18 the glory19 of the LORD, because he heard20 your murmurings against the LORD. And what are we,21 that you should murmur against us?"
16:8 And Moses said, "You will know this22 when the LORD gives you23 meat to eat in the evening, and bread in the morning to satisfy you, because the LORD heard your murmurings that you are murmuring against him. And what are we? Your murmurings are not against us,24 but against the LORD."
16:9 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Say to all the community25 of the Israelites,
`Come26 before the LORD, because he has heard your murmurings.'"
16:10 And as Aaron spoke27 to the whole community28 of the Israelites, they looked toward the desert, and there the glory of the LORD29 appeared30 in the cloud. 16:11 Then the LORD spoke to Moses: 16:12 "I have heard the murmurings of the Israelites. Tell them, `During the evening31 you will eat flesh,32 and in the morning you will be satisfied33 with bread, so that you may know34 that I am the LORD your God."35
16:13 And in the evening the quail36 came up and covered the camp; and in the morning a layer of dew was all around the camp. 16:14 When37 the layer of dew had evaporated,38 there were small round things39 on the surface of the desert, small like the frost on the earth. 16:15 When40 the Israelites saw it, they said to one another,41 "What is it?" because they did not know what it was.42 And Moses said to them, "It is the bread43 that the LORD has given you for food.44
16:16 "This is what45 the LORD has commanded:46 `Each person is to gather47 from it what he can eat, an omer48 per person49 according to the number50 of your people;51 each one will pick it up52 for whoever lives53 in his tent.'" 16:17 And the Israelites did so, and they gathered--some more, some less. 16:18 When54 they measured with an omer, the one who gathered much had nothing left over, and the one who gathered little lacked nothing; each one gathered what he could eat.
16:19 And Moses said to them, "No one55 is to keep any of it56 until morning." 16:20 But they did not listen to Moses, and some57 kept part of it until morning. It58 was full59 of worms and began to stink. And Moses was angry with them. 16:21 So they gathered it each morning,60 each person according to what he could eat; and when the sun got hot, it melted.61 16:22 And62 on the sixth day they gathered twice as much food, two omers63 per person;64 and all the leaders65 of the community66 came and told67 Moses. 16:23 And he said to them, "This is what the LORD has said: `Tomorrow is a time of cessation,68 a holy sabbath69 to the LORD. Whatever you want to70 bake, bake today;71 and whatever you want to boil, boil today; and whatever is left put aside for yourselves to be kept until morning.'"
16:24 So they put it aside until the morning, just as Moses had commanded, and it did not stink, nor was there any worm in it. 16:25 And Moses said, "Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to the LORD; today you will not find it in the area.72 16:26 Six days you will gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will not be any."
16:27 And on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather it, but they found nothing. 16:28 So the LORD said to Moses, "How long do you refuse73 to obey my commandments and my instructions? 16:29 See, because the LORD has given you the sabbath, that is why74 he is giving you food for two days on the sixth day. So75 each of you stay where he is;76 let no one77 go out of his place on the seventh day." 16:30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
16:31 So the Israelites78 called its name "manna."79 Now it was like coriander seed, white, and its taste was like wafers and honey.
16:32 Then Moses said, "This is what80 the LORD has commanded: `Fill an omer with it to be kept81 for generations to come,82 so that they may see83 the food I fed you in the desert, when I brought you out from the land of Egypt'." 16:33 Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar and put in it an omer full of manna, and place it before the LORD to be kept for generations to come." 16:34 Just as the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron placed it before the Testimony84 for safekeeping.85
16:35 Now the Israelites ate manna forty years, until they came to a land that was inhabited; they ate manna until they came to the border of the land of Canaan. 16:36 Now an omer is one tenth of an ephah.86
Water at Massa and Meribah
17:11 And all the community2 of the Israelites traveled on their journey3 from the Desert of Sin according to the instruction of the LORD, and they pitched camp in Rephidim.4 Now5 there was no water for the people to drink.6 17:2 So the people strove7 with Moses, and they said, "Give us water to drink."8 Moses said to them, "Why do you strive9 with me? Why do you test10 the LORD?" 17:3 But the people thirsted11 there for water, and they murmured against Moses and said, "Why in the world12 did you bring us up out of Egypt--to kill us and our sons and our cattle with thirst?"13
17:4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What will I do with14 this people?--a little more15 and they will stone me!"16 17:5 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go over before the people;17 take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand your rod with which you struck the Nile and go. 17:6 I will be standing18 before you there on19 the rock in Horeb, and you will strike20 the rock, and water will come out of it so that the people may drink."21 And Moses did so in plain view22 of the elders of Israel.
17:7 And he called the name of the place Massa, and Meribah, because of the striving of the Israelites, and because of their testing the LORD,23 saying, "Is the LORD in our midst or not?"
Victory over the Amalekites
17:824 Amalek came25 and attacked26 Israel in Rephidim. 17:9 So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our27 men and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand."
17:10 So Joshua fought against Amalek just as Moses had instructed him;28and Moses and Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 17:11 And whenever Moses would raise his hands,29 then Israel prevailed; but whenever he would rest30 his hands, then Amalek prevailed. 17:12 When31 the hands of Moses became heavy,32 they took a stone and put it under him, and Aaron and Hur held up his hands, one on one side and one on the other,33 and so his hands were steady34 until the sun went down. 17:13 So Joshua destroyed35 Amalek and his army36 with the edge37 of the sword.
17:14 And the LORD said to Moses, "Write this as a memorial in the38 book, and rehearse39 it in Joshua's hearing;40 for I will surely wipe out41 the remembrance42 of Amalek from under the heavens. 17:15 And Moses built an altar; and he called it "The LORD is my Banner,"43 17:16 for he said, "For a hand was lifted up to the throne of the LORD44--that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."45
The Advice of Jethro
18:11 Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard2 about all that God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, that3 he had brought Israel out of Egypt.4
18:2 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, had taken Zipporah, Moses wife, after he had sent her back, 18:3 and her two sons, one of whom was named Gershom (for Moses5 had said, "I have been an alien in a foreign land"), 18:4 and the other Eliezer (for Moses had said, "The God of my father has been my help,6 and delivered7 me from the sword of Pharaoh").
18:5 And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, together with his sons and his wife, came to Moses in the desert where he was camping by8 the mountain of God.9 18:6 And he said10 to Moses, "I,11 your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, along with your wife and her two sons with her." 18:7 And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him;12 they asked each other13 how they were,14 and then they went into the tent. 18:8 And Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt for Israel's sake, and all the hardship15 that had come on them16 along the way, and how17 the LORD had delivered them.
18:9 Then Jethro rejoiced18 because of all the good that the LORD had done for Israel, whom he had delivered from the hand of Egypt. 18:10 And Jethro said, "Blessed19 be the LORD who has delivered you from the hand of Egypt, and from the hand of Pharaoh, who has delivered the people from under the hand of Pharaoh! 18:11 Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods, for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly against them he has destroyed them."20 18:12 Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought21 a burnt offering and sacrifices for God;22 and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat food23 with the father-in-law of Moses before God.
18:13 And24 on the next day Moses sat to judge25 the people; and the people stood around Moses from morning until evening. 18:14 When his father-in-law saw all that he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this26 that your are doing for the people?27 Why are you sitting by yourself, and all the people stand around you from morning till evening?"
18:15 And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to inquire28 of God. 18:16 When they have a matter,29 they come to me and I decide30 between a man and his neighbor, and I make known the decrees of God and his laws."31
18:17 Then Moses' father-in-law said to him, "The thing you are doing is not good. 18:18 You will surely wear out,32 both you and this people who are with you, for this is too33 heavy for you; you are not able to do it by yourself. 18:19 Now listen to me,34 I will give you some advice, and may God be with you: You be for the people a representative to God,35 and bring36 their disputes37 to God. 18:20 And warn38 them of the statutes and the laws, and make known to them the way in which they must walk,39 and the work that they must do.40 18:21 But choose41 from the people capable men,42 God-fearers,43 men of truth,44 those who hate bribes,45 and put them over the people46 as rulers47 of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, and rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. 18:22 And they will judge48 the people all the time,49 and every great issue50 they will bring to you, but every small issue51 they themselves will judge, so that52 you may make it easier for yourself,53and they will bear the burden54 with you. 18:23 If you do this thing, and God so commands you,55 then you will be able56 to endure,57 and all these people58 will be able to go59 to their place satisfied."60
18:24 So Moses listened to61 his father-in-law and did all that he had said. 18:25 And Moses chose capable men from all Israel, and he made them heads over the people, rulers over thousands, rulers over hundreds, rulers over fifties, and rulers over tens. 18:26 And they judged the people at all times; the difficult matters they would bring62 to Moses, but every small matter they would judge themselves.
18:27 Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way,63 and so he went64 to his own land.65
Israel at Sinai
19:11 In the third month after the Israelites went out2 from the land of Egypt, on the very day,3 they came to the Desert of Sinai. 19:2 After they journeyed4 from Rephidim they came to the Desert of Sinai, and they camped in the desert; and there Israel camped in front of the mountain.5
19:3 Moses6 went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, "Thus you will say to the house of Jacob, and declare to the people7 of Israel: 19:4 `You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I lifted you up on eagles' wings8 and brought you to myself.9 19:5 And now, if you will diligently obey me10 and keep11 my covenant, then you will be my12 special possession13 out of all the nations, for all the earth is mine. 19:6 And you will be my14 kingdom of priests15 and a holy nation.'16 These are the words that you will speak to the Israelites."
19:7 So Moses came and summoned the elders of Israel. He set before them all these words which the LORD had commanded him. 19:8 And all the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD has commanded we will do."17 So Moses brought the words of the people back to the LORD.
19:9 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I am going to come18 to you in a dense cloud,19 that the people may hear when I speak with you, and will always believe in you."20 And Moses told the words of the people to the LORD.
19:10 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and sanctify them21 today and tomorrow, and make them wash22 their clothes 19:11 and be ready by the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. 19:12 And you will set boundaries23 for the people all around, saying, "Take heed24 to yourselves not to go up on the mountain nor touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain will surely be put to death! 19:13 No hand will touch him25--but he will surely be stoned or shot through, whether a beast or a human being;26 he must not live. When the ram's horn sounds a long blast they may27 go up on the mountain."
19:14 Then Moses went down from the mountain to the people, and sanctified the people, and they washed their clothes. 19:15 And he said to the people, "Be ready by the third day. Do not go near your wives."28
19:16 And29 on the third day in the morning there were thunders and lightning and a dense30 cloud on the mountain, and the sound of a very loud31 horn;32 and all the people who were in the camp trembled. 19:17 And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they took their place at the lower end of the mountain. 19:18 Now Mount Sinai was completely covered with smoke because the LORD had descended on it in fire; and its smoke went up like the smoke of a great furnace,33 and the whole mountain shook34 greatly. 19:19 When the sound of the horn grew louder and louder,35 Moses was speaking36 and God was answering him with a voice.37
19:20 And the LORD came down on Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain; and the LORD summoned Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up. 19:21 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go down and solemnly warn38 the people, lest they force their way through to the LORD to look, and many of them perish.39 19:22 And let the priests also, who draw near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break through40 against them."
19:23 And Moses said to the LORD, "The people are not able to come up to Mount Sinai, because you solemnly warned us,41 `Set boundaries for the mountain and set it apart.'"42 19:24 And the LORD said to him, "Go, get down. And you will come up, and Aaron with you; but do not let the priests and the people force their way through to come up to the LORD, lest he break through against them." 19:25 So Moses went down to the people and spoke to them.43
The Decalogue
20:11 And God spoke all these words:2
20:2 I,3 the LORD, am your God,4 who brought you5 from the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.6
20:3 You shall have no7 other gods before me.8
20:4 You shall not make for yourself a carved image9 or any likeness10 of anything11 that is in heaven above, or that is on earth under it, or that is in the water below.12 20:5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them,13 for I, the LORD, your God, am a jealous14 God, visiting15 the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations to those who hate me,16 20:6 but showing faithful love17 to thousands18 belonging to those who love me and to those who keep my commandments.
20:7 You shall not take19 the name of the LORD your God in vain,20 for the LORD will not hold guiltless21 whoever takes his name in vain.
20:8 Remember22 the sabbath23 day to sanctify it.24 20:9 For six days25 you may labor26 and do all your work,27 20:10 but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God; on it28 you shall not do any work, you,29 or your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your female servant, or your cattle, or your resident foreigner who is in your gates.30 20:11 For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and he rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and sanctified it.
20:12 Honor31 your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land32 the LORD your God is giving to you.
20:13 You shall not kill.33
20:14 You shall not commit adultery.34
20:15 You shall not steal.35
20:16 You shall not give36 false testimony37 against your neighbor.
20:17 You shall not covet38 your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that belongs to your neighbor.39
20:18 And all the people were seeing40 the thunderings and the lightning, and heard 41the sound of the horn, and the mountain smoking--and when42 they people saw it they trembled with fear43 and kept their distance.44 20:19 And they said to Moses, "You speak45 to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak with us, lest we die." 20:20 And Moses said to the people, "Do not fear, for God has come to test you,46 that the fear of him47 may be before you so that you do not48 sin." 20:21 The people kept49 their distance, but Moses drew near the thick darkness50 where God was.51
The Altar
20:2252 The LORD said53 to Moses: "Thus you will say to the Israelites: `You yourselves have seen that I have spoken with you from heaven. 20:23 You must not make alongside me54 gods of silver, nor make gods of gold for yourselves.55
20:24 You must make for me an altar made of earth,56 and you will sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings,57 your sheep and your cattle. In every place58 where I cause my name to be honored59 I will come to you and I will bless you. 20:25 And if you make me an altar of stone, you must not build it60 of hewn stone,61 for if you use your tool on it you will have defiled it.62 20:26 And you must not go up by steps to my altar, so that your nakedness is not exposed.'63
The Decisions
21:11 These are the decisions that you will set before them:
Hebrew Servants
21:22 If you buy3 a Hebrew servant,4 he is to serve you for six years, but in the seventh year he will go out free5 without paying anything.6 21:3 If he came7 in by himself8 he will go out by himself; if he had9 a wife when he comes in, then his wife will go out with him. 21:4 If his master gave10 him a wife, and she bore sons or daughters, the wife and the children will belong to her master, and he will go out by himself. 21:5 But if the servant should declare,11 `I love my master, and my wife, and my children; I will not go out12 free,' 21:6 then his master will bring him to the judges,13 and he will bring him to the door, or the doorposts, and his master will bore through his ear with an awl, and he shall serve him forever.14
21:7 If a man sells his daughter15 as a female servant,16 she will not go out as the men servants do. 21:8 If she does not please17 her master, who has desired her18 for himself, then he must let her be redeemed.19 He has no right20 to sell her to a foreign nation, because he has dealt deceitfully21 with her. 21:9 And if he designated her for his son, then he will deal with her after the manner22 of daughters. 21:10 If he takes another wife,23 he must not diminish her food,24 her clothing, and her marital rights.25 21:11 And if he does not provide her with these three things, then she will go out free, without paying money.26
Personal Injuries
21:1227 Whoever strikes someone28 so that he dies29 must surely be put to death.30 21:13 But if he does not do it with premeditation,31 but it comes about by accident, then I will appoint a place where he may flee. 21:14 But if a man willfully attacks his neighbor to kill him with guile,32 you will take him from my altar to die.
21:15 And whoever strikes33 his father and his mother must surely be put to death.
21:16 And whoever kidnaps someone34 and sells him,35 or he is found still holding him,36 must surely be put to death.
21:17 And whoever curses37 his father or his mother must surely be put to death.
21:18 And if men fight, and one strikes his neighbor with a stone, or with his fist, and he does not die, but must remain in bed,38 21:19 and then39 if he rises and walks about40 outside on his staff, then the one who struck him is innocent, except he must pay41 for the injured person's42 loss of time43 and see that he is fully healed.
21:20 And if a man strikes his servant or his female servant with a rod so that he or she44 dies as a result of the blow,45 he will surely be punished.46 21:21 However, if the injured servant47 survives a day or two days, the owner48 will not be punished, for he has suffered the loss.49
21:22 And if men fight and hit a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely,50 but there is no serious injury, he will surely be punished in accordance with what the woman's husband will put on him, and he will pay what the court decides.51 21:23 But if there is serious injury, then you will give a life for a life, 21:24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 21:25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.52
21:26 And if a man strikes the eye of his servant, or the eye of his female servant, so that he destroys it,53 he will let him go free54 for the sake of his eye. 21:27 And if he knocks out the tooth of his servant, or the tooth of his female servant, he will let him go free for the sake of the tooth.
Laws about Animals
21:2855 If a bull56 gores a man or a woman so that either dies,57 then the ox must surely58 be stoned and its flesh must not be eaten; but the owner of the bull will be acquitted. 21:29 But if the bull had the habit of goring, and its owner was warned,59 and he did not take the necessary precautions,60 and then it killed a man or a woman, the bull must be stoned and the man must be put to death. 21:30 If a ransom is set for him,61 then he must pay the redemption for his life according to whatever was set for him. 21:31 If it gores a son or a daughter, according to this judgment will it be done to him. 21:32 If the bull gores a male servant or a female servant, he must pay thirty shekels of silver,62 and the ox must be stoned.63
21:33 If a man opens a pit, or if he digs a pit, and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, 21:34 the owner of the pit must repay64 the loss. He must give money65 to the owner of them, and the dead animal66 will be his. 21:35 And if the bull of one man injures the bull of his neighbor so that it dies, then they will sell the live bull and divide its proceeds,67 and they will also divide the dead bull.68 21:36 Or if it is known that the bull had the habit of goring, and its owner did not take the necessary precautions, he must surely pay69 bull for bull, and the dead animal will be his.70
Laws about Property
22:11 (21:37)2 If a man steals an ox or a sheep and kills it or sells it, he must pay back3 five head of cattle for the ox, and four sheep for the one sheep.4
22:2 If a thief is caught5 breaking in6 and is struck so that he dies, there will be no bloodguilt for him.7 22:3 If the sun has risen on him, then there is bloodguilt for him. A thief8 must surely make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he will be sold for his theft. 22:4 If the stolen item should in fact be found9 alive in his possession,10 whether it be an ox, or a donkey, or a sheep, he must pay back double.11
22:5 If a man grazes12 his livestock13 in a field or a vineyard, and he lets the livestock loose and they graze in the field of another man, he must make restitution from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard.
22:6 If a fire breaks out and spreads14 to thornbushes,15 so that stacked grain or standing grain or the whole field is consumed, the one who started16 the fire must surely make restitution.
22:7 If a man gives his neighbor money or articles17 for safekeeping,18 and it is stolen from the man's house, if the thief is caught,19 he must repay double. 22:8 If the thief is not caught,20 then the owner of the house will be brought before the judges,21 to see22 whether he has laid23 his hand on his neighbor's goods. 22:9 In all cases of illegal possessions,24 whether for an ox, or a donkey, or a sheep, or a garment, or any kind of lost item, about which someone says "This belongs to me,"25 the matter of the two of them will come before the judges,26 and the one whom27 the judges declare guilty28 must repay double to his neighbor. 22:10 If a man gives his neighbor a donkey, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast to keep, and it dies, or is hurt,29 or carried away30 without anyone seeing it,31 22:11 then there will be an oath to the LORD32 between the two of them, that he has not laid his hand on his neighbor's goods, and its owner will accept this, and he will not have to make it good. 22:12 But if it was stolen33 from him,34 he will make it good to its owner. 22:13 If it is torn in pieces, then he will bring it for evidence,35 and he will not have to make good what was torn.
22:14 If a man borrows an animal36 from his neighbor, and it is hurt or dies when its owner was not with it, he will surely make it good. 22:15 If its owner was with it, he will not have to make it good; if it was hired, what was paid for the hire covers it.37
Moral and Ceremonial Laws
22:1638 If a man seduces a virgin39 who is not engaged40 and has sexual relations with her, he must surely endow41 her to be his wife. 22:17 If her father refuses to give her to him, he must pay money for the bride price of virgins.
22:18 You must not allow a sorceress to live.42
22:19 Whoever has sexual relations43 with a beast must surely be put to death.
22:20 Whoever sacrifices to a god other than44 the LORD alone must be utterly destroyed.45
22:21 You must not wrong46 a resident foreigner47 nor crush him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
22:22 You must not afflict48 any widow or orphan. 22:23 If you afflict them49 in any way,50 and they cry51 to me, I will surely hear52 their cry. 22:24 And my anger will burn and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will be widows and you children will be fatherless.53
22:25 If you lend money to any of54 my people who is needy among you, do not be like a money-lender55 to him; do not charge56 him interest.57 22:26 If you do take58 the garment of your neighbor in pledge, you must return it to him by the time the sun goes down,59 22:27 for it is his only covering--it is his garment for his body.60 With what else can he lie down?61 And62 when he cries out to me, I will hear, for I am gracious.
22:28 You must not blaspheme63 God64 nor curse the ruler of your people.
22:29 Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats.65 You must give me the firstborn of your sons. 22:30 You must also do this for your oxen and for your sheep; seven days they may remain with their mothers, but give them to me on the eighth day.
22:31 And you will be holy66 people to me; you must not eat any meat torn by animals in the field.67 You must throw it to the dogs.
Justice
23:11 You must not take up2 a false report.3 Do not put your hand4 with the wicked5 to be a malicious6 witness.
23:2 You must not go after a crowd into evil things;7 you must not give testimony in a lawsuit by turning aside8 after a crowd to pervert justice. 23:3 And you must not show favor9 to a poor man in his lawsuit.
23:4 If you come on10 your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, you must by all means return11 it to him. 23:5 If you see the donkey of the one who hates you lying under its load, you must not forsake him,12 but be sure to help13 him with it.14
23:6 You must not turn away justice for your poor in their lawsuits. 23:7 Keep your distance15 from a false charge16--do not kill the innocent and the righteous,17 for I do not justify the wicked.18
23:8 And you must not receive a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see19 and subverts the words of the righteous.
23:9 And you must not oppress20 an resident foreigner, for you know the life21 of an resident foreigner, for you were resident foreigners in the land of Egypt.
Sabbaths and Feasts
23:1022 For six years23 you are to sow your land and gather in its produce. 23:11 And in the seventh year24 you must let it rest and lie unworked so that the poor of your people may eat, and what they leave the wild animals25 may eat. And you must do likewise with your vineyard and your olive grove. 23:12 For six days26 you may do your work, but on the seventh day you must cease, so your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female servant and your slave may refresh themselves.27
23:13 Take heed to do28 everything I have told you to do,29 and do not make mention30 of the names of other gods--do not let them be heard on your lips.31
23:14 Three times32 in the year you must make a pilgrim feast33 to me. 23:15 You are to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; seven days34 you must eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time of the month of Abib; for at that time35 you came out of Egypt. No one may appear before36 me empty.
23:16 You are also to observe37 the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors, which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering, at the end of the year38 when you have gathered in39 your labors40 out of the field. 23:17 At41 three times in the year all your males will appear before the Lord GOD.42
23:18 You must not offer43 the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; the fat of my festal sacrifice must not remain until morning.44 23:19 The first of the firstfruit of your soil you must bring to the house of the LORD your God.
You must not seethe a kid in its mother's milk.45
The Angel of the Presence
23:2046 I am going to send47 an angel48 before you, to protect you in the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.49 23:21 Take heed50 because of him, and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgressions, for my name51 is in him. 23:22 But if you diligently obey him,52 and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will be an adversary to your adversaries. 23:23 For my angel will go before you, and bring you in to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I will cut them off.
23:24 You must not bow down to their gods; you must not serve them nor do according to their practices. But you must completely overthrow them and smash their standing stones53 to pieces.54 23:25 But you must serve55 the LORD your God, and he56 will bless your bread and your water,57 and I will remove sickness from your midst. 23:26 None will miscarry her young58 or be barren in your land. I will fulfill59 the number of your days.
23:27 I will send my fear60 before you, and I will destroy61 all the people to whom you come; I will make all your enemies turn their backs62 to you. 23:28 I will send63 hornets before you that will drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite before you. 23:29 I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate, and the wild animals64 multiply against you. 23:30 Little by little65 I will drive them out before you, until you become fruitful and inherit the land. 23:31 And I will set66 your boundaries from the Red Sea67 as far as to the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the river,68 for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.
23:32 You must make no covenant with them or with their gods. 23:33 They must not live in your land, lest they make you sin against me, for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare69 to you.
The LORD Ratifies the Covenant
24:11 And the LORD2 said to Moses, "Come up3 to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from a distance.4 24:2 Moses5 alone may come6 near the LORD, but the others7 must not come near,8 nor may the people go up with him.
24:3 And Moses came9 and told the people all the LORD's words10 and all the decisions. All11 the people answered together,12 "We are willing to do13 all the words that the LORD has said." 24:4 Then Moses wrote all the words of the LORD. Early in the morning he built14 an altar at the foot15 of the mountain, and twelve standing stones16--according to the twelve tribes of Israel. 24:5 And he sent young Israelite men,17 and they offered burnt offerings and sacrificed young bulls for peace offerings18 to the LORD. 24:6 And Moses took half of the blood and put it in bowls, and half of the blood he dashed against the altar.19 24:7 And he took the Book of the Covenant20 and read it in the hearing21 of the people; and they said, "We are willing to do and obey22 all that the LORD has spoken." 24:8 So Moses took the blood and sprinkled it over23 the people and said, "This is the blood of the covenant24 that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words."
24:9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up,25 24:10 and they saw26 the God of Israel; and there was under his feet27 something like a pavement28 made of sapphire, and clear like the heaven itself.29
24:11 But he did not lay a hand30 on the leaders of the Israelites, so they saw God,31 and they ate and they drank. 32
24:1233 And the LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me to the mountain and be there,34 and I will give to you stone tablets,35 namely36 the law and the commandments that I have written, so that you may teach them.37 24:13 So Moses set out38 with39 Joshua his minister; and Moses ascended the Mount of God. 24:14 He said to the elders, "Remain in this place for us until we return to you. Aaron and Hur are here40 with you. Whoever has any matters of dispute41 can go42 to them."
24:15 Then Moses went up into the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. 24:16 And the glory of the LORD resided43 on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days.44 On the seventh day he called to Moses from the midst of the cloud. 24:17 Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in plain view45 of the people. 24:18 And Moses went into the midst of the cloud when he went up46 to the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.47
The Materials for the Sanctuary
25:11 And the LORD spoke to Moses: 25:2 "Tell the Israelites that they may take2 an offering3 for me; from every person whose heart makes him willing4 you are to receive my offering. 25:3 And this is the offering you are to receive from them: gold and silver, and bronze, 25:4 and blue,5 and purple,6 and scarlet,7 and fine linen,8 and goat's hair,9 25:5 and the skin of rams dyed red,10 and fine leather,11 and acacia12 wood, 25:6 olive oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for sweet incense, 25:7 onyx stones, and other gems to be set in the ephod and in the pouch.13 25:8 And let them make14 for me a sanctuary,15 that I may live in their midst. 25:9 According to all that I am showing you, the pattern of the tabernacle,16 and the pattern of all its furnishings, even so will you make it.17
The Ark of the Covenant
25:1018 And let them make a chest of acacia wood--its length is to be three feet nine inches, it width is to be two feet three inches wide, and its height is to be two feet three inches.19 25:11 And you are to overlay20 it with pure gold, inside and outside you must overlay it;21 and you are to make a crown22 of gold all around it. 25:12 And you are to cast four gold rings for it, and put them in its four corners,23 with two rings on one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it. 25:13 And you are to make poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold. 25:14 And you are to put the staves into the rings at the sides of the ark, with which to carry the ark. 25:15 The staves must remain in the rings of the ark; they must not be removed from it. 25:16 And you are to put into the ark the testimony24 which I will give to you.
25:17 And you are to make a propitiatory lid25 of pure gold;26 its length is to be three feet nine inches, and its width is to be two feet three inches. 25:18 And you are to make two cherubim27 of gold, you are to make them of beaten work on the two ends of the propitiatory lid. 25:19 And make28 one cherub on one end29 and one cherub on the other end; from the propitiatory lid30 you are to make the cherubim on the two ends. 25:20 And the cherubim are to be spreading forth their wings upward, overshadowing31 the propitiatory lid with their wings, and the cherubim are to face each other,32 looking33 to the propitiatory lid. 25:21 And you are to put the propitiatory lid on top of the ark; and in the ark you are to put the testimony I am giving you. 25:22 And I will meet with you there,34 and35 from above the propitiatory lid, from between the cherubim that are over the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you of all that I will command you for the Israelites.
The Table of Presence-Bread
25:2336 And you are to make a table of acacia wood; its length is to be three feet, its width is to be long, one foot six inches, and it height two feet three inches. 25:24 And you are to overlay it with37 pure gold; and you are to make a crown of gold all around it. 25:25 And you are to make for it a frame38 about three inches broad all around it, and you are to make a crown for the frame of it all around. 25:26 And you are to make four rings of gold for it, and you are to attach39 the rings at the four corners where its four legs are.40 25:27 The rings are to be close to the frame as places41 for the poles to carry the table. 25:28 And you are to make the poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, so that the table may be carried with them.42 25:29 And you are to make plates43 for it,44 and ladles45 for it, and pitchers for it, and bowls for it for the pouring out of offerings;46 you are to make them of pure gold. 25:30 And you are to set the Bread of Presence47 on the table before me continually.
The Lampstand
25:3148 And you are to make a lampstand49 of pure gold. The lampstand is to be made by hammering out50 its base and its shaft; its cups51--namely its buds and its blossoms--are to be of one piece with it.52 25:32 And six branches are to extend from the sides of the lampstand,53 three branches of the lampstand from one side and three branches of the lampstand from the other side.54 25:33 Three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms are to be on the next55 branch, and the same56 for the six branches extending out from the lampstand. 25:34 And on the lampstand there are to be four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms 25:35 --with a bud under the first57 two branches from it, and a bud under the next58 two branches from it, and a bud under the third59 two branches from it, according to the six branches that extend from the lampstand. 25:36 Their buds and their branches will be one piece,60 all of it one piece hammered out of pure gold.
25:37 And you are to make its seven lamps,61 and then put62 its seven lamps up on it, so that it will give light63 to the area in front of it. 25:38 And its trimmers and its trays64 are to be65 of pure gold. 25:39 About seventy-five pounds66 of pure gold is to be used for it67 and for all these utensils. 25:40 Now be sure to make68 them according to the pattern you were shown69 on the mountain.70
The Tabernacle
26:11 And you are to make the tabernacle2 with3 ten curtains of finely twined linen, and blue and purple and scarlet;4 you are to make them with5 cherubim, the work of an artistic designer. 26:2 The length of each6 curtain is to be forty-two feet long and the breadth of each curtain is to be six feet wide7--one measure for every one of the curtains. 26:3 Five curtains are to be joined together,8 one to another,9 and the other10 five curtains are to be joined together, one to another. 26:4 And you are to make loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and in the same way you are to make loops11 in the outer edge of the other curtain in the second set. 26:5 You are to make fifty loops in the one curtain, and you are to make fifty loops on the end curtain which is on the second set, so that the loops may take hold of one another.12 26:6 Then you are to make fifty gold clasps, and join the curtains together with the clasps, so that the tabernacle is a unit.13
26:7 And you are to make curtains of goats' hair14 for a tent over the tabernacle;15 you are to make16 eleven curtains. 26:8 The length of each17 curtain is to be forty-five feet, and the breadth of each curtain is to be six feet--one measure for the eleven curtains. 26:9 And you are to join five curtains together by themselves, and the six curtains by themselves. And you are to double over18 the sixth curtain at the front of the tent. 26:10 And you are to make fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and fifty loops along the edge of the curtain that joins the second set. 26:11 Then you are to make fifty bronze clasps and put the clasps into the loops and join the tent together so that it is a unit.19 26:12 Now the part that remains of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains, you are to let hang over at the backside of the tabernacle.20 26:13 And the foot and a half21 on the one side, and the foot and a half on the other side, of what remains in the length of the curtains of the tent, will hang over the sides of the tabernacle, on this side and that side, to cover it.22
26:14 And you are to make a covering23 for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and over that a covering of hides of fine leather.24
26:15 And you are to make frames25 for the tabernacle out of26 acacia wood standing upright. 26:16 Each27 frame is to be fifteen feet long, and each frame is to be two feet three inches wide, 26:17 with two projections28 for each board, set in order one against another.29 You are to make all the frames of the tabernacle in this way. 26:18 And you are to make the frames for the tabernacle: twenty frames for the south side,30 26:19 and you are to make forty silver bases to go under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two projections, and likewise 31 two bases under each frame for its two projections; 26:20 and for the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, twenty frames, 26:21 and their forty silver bases, two bases under the one frame, and two bases under each frame. 26:22 And for the back of the tabernacle that faces west32 you will make six frames. 26:23 And you are to make two frames for the corners of the tabernacle on the two back sides. 26:24 At these two corners33 they must be doubled from the lower end and completed together at the top in one ring. So it will be for both of the corners.34 26:25 So there are to be eight frames and their silver bases, sixteen bases, two bases under one frame, and two bases under each frame.
26:26 And you are to make bars out of acacia wood, five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle, 26:27 and five bars for the frames on the second side, and five bars for the frames on the back side facing west. 26:28 And the middle bar in the midst of the frames will reach from end to end.35 26:29 And the frames you are to overlay with gold, and you are to make their rings of gold to provide places for the bars, and you are to overlay the bars with gold. 26:30 And you are to set up the tabernacle according to the plan36 that you were shown on the mountain.
26:31 And you are to make a veil37 of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and finely twined linen; it is to be made38 with cherubim, the work of an artistic designer. 26:32 And you are to hang it39 with gold hooks40 on four posts of acacia wood overlaid with gold, set in41 four silver bases. 26:33 And you are to hang the veil under the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in there behind the veil.42 The veil will make a division for you between the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies.43 26:34 And you are to put the propitiatory lid44 on the ark of the testimony in the Holy of Holies. 26:35 And you are to put the table outside the veil, and the lampstand opposite the table on the side of the tabernacle facing south; and you are to place the table on the north side. 26:36 And you are to make a hanging45 for the entrance of the tent of blue and purple and scarlet yarn and finely twined linen, the work of an embroiderer. 26:37 And you are to make for the hanging five posts of acacia wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks will be46 gold; and you are to cast five bronze bases for them.47
The Altar
27:1 And you are to make the1 altar of acacia wood, seven feet six inches long,2 and seven feet six inches wide; it is to be square.3 And it is to be4 four feet six inches high. 27:2 And you are to make its four horns5 on its four corners; its horns will be part of it.6 And you are to overlay it with bronze. 27:3 And you are to make its pots for the ashes,7 and its shovels, and tossing bowls,8 meathooks, and firepans--you are to make all9 its utensils of bronze. 27:4 And you are to make a grating10 for it, a network of bronze; and you are to make on the network four bronze rings at the four corners of it. 27:5 And you are to put it under the ledge of the altar at the bottom, so that the network will come11 halfway up the altar.12 27:6 And you are to make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and you are to overlay them with bronze.
27:7 And the poles are to be put13 into the rings; and the poles are to be on two sides of the altar when carrying it.14 27:8 You are to make the altar hollow, out of boards. Just as it was shown you15 on the mountain, so they must make it.16
The Courtyard
27:9 And you are to make the courtyard17 of the tabernacle. For the south side18 there are to be hangings19 for the courtyard of fine twined linen, one hundred fifty feet long for one side,20 27:10 with21 its twenty posts and their twenty bronze bases, with silver hooks and bands on the posts. 27:11 And likewise22 for its length on the north side, there are to be23 hangings for one hundred fifty feet, with its twenty posts and their twenty bronze bases, with silver hooks and bands24 on the posts. 27:12 And the width of the court on the west side is to be seventy-five feet with hangings, with their ten posts and their ten bases. 27:13 And the width of the court on the east side, toward the sunrise, is to be seventy-five feet. 27:14 The hangings of one side25 are to be26 twenty-two and a half feet long, with their three posts and their three bases. 27:15 And on the second side27 there are to be28 hangings twenty-two and a half feet long, with their three posts and their three bases. 27:16 And for the gate of the courtyard there is to be a curtain of thirty feet, of blue and purple and scarlet yarn and finely twined linen, the work of an embroiderer, with their four posts and their four bases. 27:17 All the posts around the courtyard are to have silver bands;29 their hooks are to be30 silver, and their bases bronze. 27:18 The length of the courtyard is to be one hundred fifty feet,31 and the width seventy-five feet32 in the west and in the east,33 and the height of the fine twined linen hangings34 is to be35 seven and a half feet, with their bronze bases. 27:19 All36 the furnishings of the tabernacle used37 in all its service, even all its tent pins and all the tent pins of the courtyard, are to be of bronze.38
Offering the Oil
27:20 And you are to command the Israelites that they bring39 to you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, so that the lamps40 will burn41 regularly.42 27:21 In the tent of meeting43 outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons are to arrange it from evening44 to morning before the LORD. This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for generations to come.45
The Clothing of the Priests
28:11 And you, bring near2 to you your brother Aaron and his sons with him from among the Israelites, that they may minister to me as priests3 before me--Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons. 28:2 And you are to make holy garments4 for your brother Aaron, for glory and for beauty.5 28:3 And you6 are to tell all who are specially skilled,7 whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom,8 that they may make9 the garments of Aaron to sanctify him10 so that he may minister to me as a priest. 28:4 Now these are the garments which they are to make: a pouch,11 and an ephod, and a robe, and a woven tunic, and a turban, and a sash. They are to make holy garments for your brother Aaron and for his sons, that they may minister to me as priests. 28:5 And they are to take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.
28:6 And they are to make the ephod12 of gold, of blue, of purple, and of fine twined linen, the work of an artistic designer. 28:7 It is to have two shoulder pieces attached to two of its corners,13 so it can be joined together.14 28:8 And the artistically woven waistband15 of the ephod that is on it is to be like it, of one piece with the ephod,16 of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and of fine twined linen.
28:9 And you are to take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel,17 28:10 six18 of their names on one stone, and the six remaining names on the second stone, according to the order of their birth.19 28:11 You are to engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel with the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a seal;20 you are to make them to be set21 in gold filigree22 settings 28:12 And you are to put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod, stones of memorial for the sons of Israel; and Aaron will bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for a memorial.23 28:13 And you are to make filigree settings of gold, 28:14 and two braided chains of pure gold, like a cord, and attach the chains to the settings.
28:15 And you are to make a pouch of decision,24 the work of an artistic designer; you are to make it after the manner of the ephod; you are to make it of gold, of blue, of purple, of scarlet, and of fine twined linen. 28:16 It is to be square25 when26 doubled, nine inches27 long and nine inches wide. 28:17 And you are to set in it a setting for stones, four rows of stones, a row of ruby, a topaz, and a beryl--the first row; 28:18 and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald; 28:19 and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 28:20 and the fourth row, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper.28 They are to be enclosed in gold in their filigree settings. 28:21 And the stones are to be for the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, according to the number of29 their names. Each name according to the twelve tribes is to be like30 the engravings of a seal.
28:22 And you are to make for the pouch braided chains like cords of pure gold. 28:23 And you are to make for the pouch two gold rings, and you are to attach31 the two rings to the upper32 two ends of the pouch. 28:24 And you are to attach the two gold chains to the two rings at the ends of the pouch; 28:25 and the other33 two ends of the two chains you will attach to the two settings, and you are to attach them34 to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it. 28:26 And you are to make two rings of gold, and put them on the other35 two ends of the pouch, on its edge that is on the inner side of the ephod. 28:27 And you are to make two more36 gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the juncture above the waistband of the ephod. 28:28 And they are to tie the pouch by its rings to the rings of the ephod by blue cord, so that it may be above the waistband of the ephod, and so that the pouch will not be loose from the ephod. 28:29 And Aaron will bear the names of the sons of Israel in the pouch of decision on his heart,37 when he goes into the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.
28:30 And you are to put into the pouch of decision the Urim and the Thummim;38 and they are to be on Aaron's heart when he goes in before the LORD. And Aaron is to bear the judgment39 of the Israelites on his heart before the LORD continually.
28:31 And you are to make the robe40 of the ephod completely blue. 28:32 And there is to be an opening41 in its top42 in the center of it. There is to be an edge all around the opening of it, the work of a weaver,43 like the opening of a collar,44 so that it cannot be torn.45 28:33 And you are to make pomegranates46 of blue and of purple and of scarlet all around its hem;47 and bells of gold between them all around.
28:34 The pattern is to be48 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe. 28:35 And the robe49 is to be on Aaron as he ministers,50and his sound will be heard51 when he enters the Holy Place before the LORD and when he leaves, so that he does not die.
28:36 And you are to make a plate52 of pure gold and engrave on it after the fashion of53 the engravings of a seal: "Holiness to the LORD."54 28:37 And you are to attach to it a blue cord so that it may be55 on the turban; it is to be56 on the front of the turban. 28:38 And it is to be on Aaron's forehead; and Aaron will bear the iniquity of the holy things,57 which the Israelites are to sanctify by all their holy gifts;58 and it will always be on his forehead, for their acceptance59 before the LORD. 28:39 And you are to embroider60 the tunic of fine linen, and you are to make the turban of fine linen, and you are to make the sash, the work of the variegator.
28:40 And for Aaron's sons you are to make tunics; and you are to make sashes for them, and you are to make headbands61 for them, for glory and for beauty.
28:41 And you are to clothe them, your brother Aaron and his sons with him. You are to anoint them62 and consecrate them, and sanctify them so that they may minister to me as priests. 28:42 And make for them linen undergarments to cover the body;63 they must cover64 from the loins to the thighs. 28:43 And they must be on Aaron and his sons when they go in65 to the tent of meeting, or when they approach66 the altar to minister in the holy place, so that they bear no iniquity and die.67 It is to be a perpetual ordinance for him and for his descendants68 after him.69
The Consecration of Aaron
29:11 Now this is the ritual2 that you are to do to them to sanctify them so that they may minister to me as priests. Take a young3 bull and two rams without blemish;4 29:2 and5 unleavened bread, and perforated unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread6 with oil--you are to make them using7 fine wheat flour. 29:3 And you are to put them in one basket, and present8 them in the basket, along with9 the bull and the two rams.
29:4 And you are to bring Aaron and his sons near10 to the entrance of the tent of meeting; and you are to wash11 them with water.
29:5 And you are to take the garments and clothe Aaron with the tunic,12 the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the pouch; you are to fasten the ephod on him by using the skillfully woven waistband.13 29:6 And put the turban on his head, and put the holy crown14 on the turban.
29:7 And you are to take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him.15
29:8 And you are to bring his sons near and clothe them with tunics
29:9 and wrap the sashes around them, Aaron and his sons,16 and put headbands on them; and so the ministry of priesthood will belong to them by a perpetual ordinance. Thus17 you are to consecrate18 Aaron and his sons.
29:10 And you are to bring the bull in front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons are to put19 their hands on the head20 of the bull; 29:11 and you are to kill the bull before the LORD at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 29:12 And you are to take some of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar21 with your finger, and all the rest of22 the blood you are to pour out at the base of the altar. 29:13 And you are to take all the fat that covers the inward parts, and the lobe that is above the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and burn them23 on the altar. 29:14 But the meat of the bull, its skin, and its offal you are to burn with fire outside the camp.24 It is the purification offering.25
29:15 And you are to take one ram, and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on its head, 29:16 and you are to kill the ram and take its blood and dash it against the altar all around. 29:17 Then you are to cut the ram into pieces, and wash the inward parts and its legs, and put them on its pieces and on its head. 29:18 And you are to burn26 the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering27 to the LORD, a soothing aroma; it is an offering made by fire28 to the LORD.29
29:19 And you are to take the second ram; and Aaron and his sons are to lay their hands on the head of the ram. 29:20 Then you are to kill the ram and take some of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and on the tip of the right ear of his sons, and on the thumb of their right hand, and on the big toe of their right foot,30 and then dash the blood against the altar all around. 29:21 And you are to take some of the blood that is on the altar and some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle31 it32 on Aaron and on his garments and on his sons and on the garments of his sons with him, so that he may be holy,33 he and his garments, and his sons, and the garments of his sons with him.
29:22 And you are to take from the ram the fat, and the fat tail, and the fat that covers the inner parts, the lobe34 above the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them, and the right thigh--for it is the ram for ordination;35 29:23 and one round flat cake of bread, and one perforated cake of oiled bread, and one wafer, from the basket of unleavened bread that is before the LORD. 29:24 And you are to put all these36 in Aaron's hands37 and in his sons' hands, and you are to wave them as a wave offering38 before the LORD. 29:25 Then you are to take them from their hands and burn39 them40 on the altar for a burnt offering, for a soothing aroma before the LORD. It is an offering made by fire to the LORD. 29:26 And you are to take the breast of the ram of Aaron's ordination, and you are to wave it as a wave offering before the LORD; and it is to be your share. 29:27 And you are to sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the thigh of the contribution,41 which were waved and lifted up as a contribution from the ram of ordination, from what belongs to Aaron and to his sons. 29:28 And it is to be the share42 for Aaron and for his sons from the Israelites, by a perpetual ordinance; for it is a contribution; and it is to be a contribution from the Israelites from their peace offerings, their contribution to the LORD.
29:29 And the holy garments that belong to Aaron are to belong to his sons after him, so that they may be anointed43 in them and ordained44 in them. 29:30 The priest who succeeds him45 from his sons, when he first comes46 to the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place, is to wear them for47 seven days.
29:31 You are to take the ram of the ordination and cook48 its flesh in a holy place.49 29:32 And Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread that was in the basket at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 29:33 And they are to eat those things by which atonement was made,50 to ordain and to sanctify them; but no one else51 may eat them, for they are holy. 29:34 And if any of the meat of the ordination offerings52 or any of the bread is left over53 until morning, then you are to burn what is left over with fire. It must not be eaten,54 because it is holy.
29:35 And thus you are to do to Aaron and his sons, according to all that I have commanded you; you are to ordain them for55 seven days. 29:36 And every day you are to prepare a bull for a sin offering56 for atonement.57 You are to purge58 the altar by making atonement59 for it, and you are to anoint it to sanctify it. 29:37 For60 seven days you are to make atonement for the altar and sanctify it. Then the altar will be most holy.61 Anything that touches the altar will be holy.62
29:38 Now this is what you are to prepare63 on the altar every day continually: two lambs a year old. 29:39 The one lamb you are to prepare in the morning, and the second lamb you are to prepare between the evenings.64 29:40 And with the first lamb offer a tenth65 of fine flour mixed with a fourth of a hin66 of oil from pressed olives, and a fourth of a hin of wine as a drink offering. 29:41 And the second lamb you are to offer between the evenings; you are to prepare it like the meal offering of the morning and like its drink offering, for a soothing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.
29:42 This will be a regular67 burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet68 with you to speak to you there. 29:43 And there I will meet69 with the Israelites, and it will be sanctified by my glory.70
29:44 So I will sanctify71 the tent of meeting and the altar; and I will sanctify Aaron and his sons, that they may minister as priests to me. 29:45 And I will reside72 among the Israelites, and I will be their God. 29:46 And they will know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out from the land of Egypt, so that I may reside among them. I am the LORD their God.
The Altar of Incense
30:11 And you are to make an altar for burning incense;2 you are to make it out of3 acacia wood.4 30:2 Its length is to be a foot and a half5 and its width is to be a foot and a half; it is to be square. And its height is to be three feet.6 Its horns are to be of one piece with it.7 30:3 And you are to overlay it with pure gold--its top,8 and its sides, and its horns. And you are to make a crown of gold for it on all four sides.9 30:4 And you are to make two gold rings for it under its crown, on its two sides, you are to make them on the two sides.10 And the rings11 are to be places for the poles to carry it with. 30:5 You are to make the poles out of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
30:6 And you are to put it in front of the veil that is before the ark of the testimony (before the place of propitiation that is over the testimony), where I will meet you.
30:7 And Aaron is to burn sweet incense12 on it morning by morning; when he attends13 to the lamps he is to burn incense.14 30:8 And when Aaron sets up the lamps between the evenings he is to burn incense on it; it is to be a regular incense offering15 before the LORD throughout your generations. 30:9 You must not offer strange incense on it, nor burnt offering, nor meal offering, and you must not pour out a drink offering on it. 30:10 And Aaron is to make atonement on its horns once in the year from the blood of the sin offering of atonements;16 once in the year17 he is to make atonement on it throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD."18
The Ransom Money
30:1119 The LORD spoke20 to Moses: "When you take a census21 of the Israelites according to their number,22 then each man is to pay a ransom23 for his life to the LORD when you number them,24 so that there will be no plague among them when you number them. 30:13 Every one who crosses over to those who are numbered25 is to pay this: a half shekel26 according to the shekel of the sanctuary27 (a shekel weighs twenty gerah). The half shekel is to be an offering28 to the LORD. 30:14 Everyone who crosses over to those numbered, from twenty years old and up, is to pay an offering to the LORD. 30:15 The rich are not to increase it,29 and the poor are not to pay less than the half shekel when giving30 the offering of the LORD, to make atonement31 for your lives. 30:16 And you are to receive the atonement money32 from the Israelites, and give it for the service33 of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial34 for the Israelites before the LORD, to make atonement35 for your lives."
The Bronze Laver
30:1736 And the LORD spoke to Moses: 30:18 "You are also to make a bronze37 laver with38 a bronze stand for washing. And you are to put it between the tent of meeting and the altar; and you are to put water in it.39 30:19 And Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and their feet from it.40 30:20 When they enter41 the tent of meeting, they must wash with42 water so that they do not die.43 Also, when they draw near44 to minister by burning incense45 as an offering made by fire46 to the LORD, 30:21 they must wash47 their hands and their feet so that they do not die. And this48 will be a perpetual ordinance for them and for their descendants49 throughout their generations."50
Oil and Incense
30:2251 And the LORD spoke to Moses: 30:23 "Take52 choice spices:53 twelve and a half pounds54 of liquid myrrh, and sweet-smelling cinnamon, about half of that, about six and a quarter pounds, and sweet-smelling cane, six and a quarter pounds; 30:24 and cassia, twelve and a half pounds, according to the standard55 of the sanctuary, and four quarts56 of olive oil. 30:25 And you are to make this57 into58 a sacred anointing oil, a perfume of ointment-mixture, the work of the perfumer. It will be sacred anointing oil.
30:26 And with it you are to anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony, 30:27 and the table with59 all its utensils, and the lampstand with its accessories, and the altar of incense, 30:28 and the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the laver with its base. 30:29 So you are to sanctify them,60 and they will be most holy;61 anything that touches them will be holy.62
30:30 And you are to anoint Aaron and his sons and63 sanctify them, so that they may minister to me as priests. 30:31 And you are to tell the Israelites: `This is to be my sacred anointing oil throughout your generations. 30:32 It must not be poured64 on people's bodies, and you must not make any like it with the same composition. It is holy, and it must be holy to you. 30:33 Whoever makes perfume like it, and whoever puts any of it on a stranger,65 will be cut off66 from his people'."
30:34 And the LORD said to Moses: "Take67 spices, gum resin,68 onycha,69 galbanum,70 and pure frankincense71 of equal amounts.72 30:35 And you are to make it into an incense,73 a perfume,74 the work of the perfumer. It is to be finely ground,75 and pure and sacred. 30:36 And you are to beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the ark of the testimony in the tent of meeting where I will meet with you; it is to be most holy to you. 30:37 And the perfume you are to make, you must not make for yourselves using the same composition; it is to be for you holy to the LORD. 30:38 Whoever makes anything like it, to use as perfume,76 will be cut of from his people."
Willing Artisans
31:11 And the LORD spoke to Moses: 31:2 "See, I have called by name2 Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31:3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God3 in skill,4 in understanding, in knowledge, and in all kinds5 of workmanship, 31:4 to make artistic designs6 for work with gold, with silver, and with bronze, 31:5 and with cutting and setting stone, and with cutting wood, to work in every kind of craftsmanship. 31:6 Moreover,7 I have also given him Oholiab8 son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all the specially skilled I have put wisdom,9 that they might make10 everything I have commanded you: 31:7 the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the place of propitiation that is on it, all the furnishings11 of the tent, 31:8 the table with its utensils, the pure lampstand with all its accessories, the altar of incense, 31:9 the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, the laver with its base, 31:10 and also the woven garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons, to minister as priests, 31:11 the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place, according to all that I have commanded them.
Sabbath Observance
31:1212 And the LORD spoke to Moses: 31:13 "Tell the Israelites, `Surely you must keep my sabbaths,13 for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.14 31:14 So15 you must keep the sabbath, for it is holy for you. Everyone who defiles it16 must surely be put to death; indeed,17 anyone who does18 any19 work on it, then that life will be cut off from among his20 people. 31:15 Six days21 work may be done,22 but on the seventh day is a sabbath of complete rest,23 holy to the LORD; anyone who does work on the seventh day must surely be put to death. 31:16 And the Israelites must keep the sabbath to observe the sabbath throughout their generations as a perpetual covenant. 31:17 It is a sign between me and the Israelites forever; for in six days24 the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested and was refreshed."25
31:18 And he gave to Moses two tablets of testimony when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, tablets of stone written with the finger of God.26
The Sin of the Golden Calf
32:11 When the people saw that Moses delayed2 in coming down3 from the mountain, they4 gathered together around Aaron and said to him, "Get up,5 make us gods6 that will go before us. As for this fellow Moses,7 the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what8 has become of him!"
32:2 So Aaron said to them, "Break off the gold earrings that are on the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me."9 32:3 So all10 the people broke off the gold earrings that were on their ears, and they brought them to Aaron. 32:4 And he received them11 from their hand, fashioned12 it with an engraving tool, and made a molten calf.13 Then they said, "These are your gods,14 O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."15
32:5 When16 Aaron saw this,17 he built an altar before it,18 and Aaron made a proclamation19 and said, "Tomorrow will be a feast20 to the LORD." 32:6 So they got up early on the next day and offered up burnt offerings, and they brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink,21 and they rose up to play.22
32:7 And the LORD spoke to Moses: "Go, descend,23 because your24 people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly. They have turned aside quickly25 from the way that I commanded them--they have made for themselves a molten calf, and have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it, and said, `These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt.'"
32:9 Then the LORD said to Moses: "I have seen this people,26 that27 they are a stiff-necked people.28 32:10 So now, leave me alone29 so that my anger can burn against them and that I may consume them; and I will make from you a great nation."
32:11 But Moses sought the favor30 of the LORD his God. And he said, "O LORD, why does your anger burn against your people, whom you have brought out from the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 32:12 Why31 should the Egyptians say,32 `For evil33 he led them out to kill them in the mountains, and to destroy34 them from the face of the earth'? Turn from your burning anger, and relent35 of this evil against your people. 32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants, to whom you swore by yourself, and spoke to them, `I will multiply your descendants36 like the stars of the heavens, and all this land that I have spoken about37 I will give to your descendants,38 and they will inherit it forever.'" 32:14 Then the LORD relented over the evil that he had said he was going to do39 to his people.
32:15 And Moses turned and went down from the mountain with40 the two tablets of the testimony in his hands. The tablets were written on both sides--on the one side and on the other they were written. 32:16 Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. 32:17 When Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted,41 he said to Moses, "It is the sound of war in the camp." 32:18 And Moses42 said, "It is not the sound of those who shout for victory,43 nor is it the sound of those who cry because they are overcome,44 but the sound of singing45 I hear."46
32:19 And when he drew near the camp he saw the calf and the dancing, and Moses became extremely angry.47 He threw the tablets from his hands and broke them to pieces at the bottom of the mountain.48 32:20 And then he took the calf they had made and burned it in the fire, and ground it49 to powder, and poured it out on the water and made the Israelites drink it.50
32:21 And Moses said to Aaron, "What did this people do to you, that you have brought on them so great a sin?" 32:22 And Aaron said, "Do not let the anger of my lord51 burn hot; you know the people, that they tend to evil.52 32:23 And they said to me, `Make us gods that will go before us, for as for this fellow Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him.' 32:24 So I said to them, `Whoever has gold, break it off.' So they gave it53 to me, and I threw it into the fire, and this calf came out."54
32:25 And Moses saw that the people were running wild,55 for Aaron had let them get out of control, to the derision from their enemies.56 32:26 So Moses stood at the entrance of the camp, and said, "Whoever is for the LORD, come57 to me."58 And all the Levites gathered themselves to him. 32:27 And he said to them, "Thus says the LORD the God of Israel, `Each man fasten59 his sword on his side, and go in and out60 from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and each one kill his brother, his friend and neighbor.'"61
32:28 And the Levites did what Moses ordered,62 and that day about three thousand men of the people died.63 32:29 And Moses said, "Your hand was filled64 today to the LORD, for each of you was against his son or against his brother, so he has given a blessing to you today.65
32:30 And on the next day Moses said to the people,66 "You have committed a very serious sin;67 but now I will go up to the LORD--perhaps I can make atonement68 on behalf of your sin."
32:31 So Moses returned to the LORD, and he said, "Alas, this people has committed a very serious sin,69 and they have made for themselves gods of gold. 32:32 But now, if you will forgive their sin...,70 but if not, blot me out71 from your book that you have written."72 32:33 And the LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me--that person I will blot out of my book." 32:34 So now go, lead the people to the place I have spoken to you about. Indeed,73 my angel will go before you. But on the day that I visit, then I will visit their sin on them.74
32:35 And the LORD plagued the people, because they had made the calf75--the one Aaron made.76
33:1 And the LORD said to Moses, "Go up1 from here, you and the people whom you brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land I promised on oath2 to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, `I will give it to your descendants.'3 33:2 And I will send an angel4 before you, and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.5 33:3 Go up6 to a land flowing with milk and honey. But7 I will not go up among you, for you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you8 on the way."
33:4 When the people heard this troubling word9 they mourned;10 no one put on his ornaments. 33:5 For11 the LORD had said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, `You are a stiff-necked people. If I went up among you for a moment,12 I might destroy you. Now take off your ornaments,13 that I may know14 what I should do to you.'"15 33:6 So the Israelites stripped off their ornaments by Mount Horeb.
The Presence of the LORD
33:716 Moses took17 the tent18 and pitched it outside the camp, at a good distance19 from the camp; and he called it the tent of meeting. And20 anyone seeking21 the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting that was outside the camp.
33:8 And when Moses went out22 to the tent, all the people would get up23 and stand at the entrance to their tents,24 and they would watch25 Moses until he entered the tent.26 33:9 And27 whenever Moses entered the tent, the pillar of cloud would descend and stand at the entrance of the tent, and the LORD28 would speak with Moses.29 33:10 When all the people would see the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, all the people, each one at the entrance of his tent, would rise and worship.30 33:11 And the LORD would speak to Moses face to face,31 as a man speaks32 to his friend. And then Moses33 would return to the camp; but his servant, Joshua son of Nun, a young man, did not leave the tent.34
33:12 Then Moses said to the LORD, "See, you have been saying to me, `Bring this people up,'35 but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. But you said, `I know you by name,36 and also you have found favor in my sight.' 33:13 And now, if I have found favor in your sight, show me37 your way, that I may know you,38 that I may continue to find39 favor in your sight. And see40 that this nation is your people.
33:14 And he said, "My presence41 will go with you,42 and I will give you rest."43
33:15 And he said to him, "If your presence does not go44 with us,45 do not take us up from here.46 33:16 For in what way will it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we will be distinguished, I and your people, from all the people who are on the face of the earth?"47
33:17 And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do this thing also that you have spoken, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know48 you by name."
33:18 And he said, "Show me your glory."49
33:19 And he said, "I will make all my goodness50 pass before your face, and I will proclaim the LORD by name51 before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy."52 33:20 And he said, "You cannot see my face, for no one can53 see me and live."54 33:21 And the LORD said, "Here55 is a place by me; you will station yourself56 on a rock. 33:22 And when my glory passes by,57 then I will put you in a cleft in the rock and will cover58 you with my hand59 while I pass by.60 33:23 Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back,61 but my face must not be seen.62
The New Tablets of the Covenant
34:11 And the LORD said to Moses, "Cut out2 two tablets of stone like the first, and I will write3 on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you smashed. 34:2 And be prepared4 in the morning, and go up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and station yourself5 for me there on the top of the mountain. 34:3 And no man is to come up with you, nor let any man be seen throughout the mountain, nor let the flocks or the herds graze before that mountain." 34:4 So Moses6 cut out two tablets of stone like the first;7 and early in the morning he went up8 to Mount Sinai, just as the LORD had commanded him; and he took in his hand two tablets of stone.
34:5 And the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there; and he made proclamation of the LORD by name.9 34:6 And the LORD passed by before him and proclaimed:10 "The LORD, the LORD,11 the compassionate and gracious12 God, slow to anger,13 and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness,14 34:7 keeping loyal love for thousands,15 forgiving iniquity, and transgression and sin. But he by no means leaves the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity16 of the fathers on the children and on the children's children, to the third and fourth generation."
34:8 And Moses quickly bowed17 to the ground, and worshiped. 34:9 And he said, "If now I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, let my Lord18 go among us, for it is a stiff-necked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for your inheritance."
34:10 And he said, "I am going to make19 a covenant; before all your people. I will do wonders such as have not been done20 in all the earth, nor in any nation. And all the people among whom you are will see the work of the LORD, for it is a fearful thing that I am doing with you.21
34:11 Keep22 what I am commanding you this day. I am going to drive out23 before you the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite. 34:12 Be careful not to make24 a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it become a snare25 among you. 34:13 But you must destroy their altars, smash their images, and cut down their Asherah poles.26 34:14 For you must not worship27 any other god,28 for the LORD, whose name29 is Jealous, is a jealous God. 34:15 Be careful30 not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, for when31 they prostitute themselves32 to their gods and sacrifice to their gods, then you will be invited,33 and you will eat from his sacrifice; 34:16 and you then take34 their daughters for your sons, and their daughters prostitute themselves to their gods, they will make your sons prostitute themselves to their gods. 34:17 You must not make yourselves molten gods.
34:18 You must keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days35 you must eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you; do this36 at the appointed time of the month Abib, for in the month Abib you came out of Egypt.
34:19 Every firstborn37 of the womb belongs to me, even every firstborn38 of your cattle that is a male,39 whether ox or sheep. 34:20 Now the firstling40 of a donkey you may redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then break its neck.41 You must redeem all the firstborn of your sons.
No one will appear before me empty-handed.42
34:21 On six days43 you may labor, but on the seventh day you must rest;44 in the plowing time and in the harvest45 you are to rest.46
34:22 And you must observe47 the Feast of Weeks--the first fruits of the harvest of wheat--and the Feast of Ingathering at the end48 of the year. 34:23 At three times49 in the year all your men50 must appear before the Lord GOD,51 the God of Israel. 34:24 For I will drive out52 the nations before you, and enlarge your borders; no man will covet53 your land when you go up54 to appear before the LORD your God three times55 in the year.
34:25 You must not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; the sacrifice from the feast of Passover must not remain until the following morning.56
34:26 The first of the first fruits of your land you must bring to the house of the LORD your God.
You must not cook a young goat in its mother's milk."57
34:27 And the LORD said to Moses, "Write58 these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel." 34:28 So he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights;59 he did not eat bread, and he did not drink water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten words.
The Radiant Face of Moses
34:2960 Now when Moses came down61 from Mount Sinai with62 the two tablets of the testimony in his hand63--when he came down64 from the mountain, Moses65 did not know that the skin of his face shone66 while he talked with him. 34:30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face shone;67 and they were afraid to approach him. 34:31 But Moses called to them, so Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him. Then Moses spoke to them. 34:32 And after this all the Israelites approached; and he commanded them all that the LORD had spoken to him on Mount Sinai. 34:33 When Moses finished68 speaking69 with them, he would70 put a veil on his face. 34:34 But when Moses went in71 before the LORD to speak with him, he would remove the veil until he came out.72 Then he would come out and tell the Israelites what he had been commanded.73 34:35 When the Israelites would see74 the face of Moses, that75 the skin of Moses' face shone, Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in76 to speak with him.
Sabbath Regulations
35:1 And Moses assembled all the community of the Israelites and said to them, "These are the words that the LORD has commanded you to do.1 35:2 In six days2 work may be done, but on the seventh day there must be a holy day3 for you, a sabbath of complete rest to the LORD.4 Anyone who does work on it will be put to death. 35:3 You must not kindle a fire5 in all your homes6 on the sabbath day.7
Willing Workers
35:48 And Moses spoke to all the community of the Israelites, "This is the word that the LORD has commanded: 35:5 `Take from you9 an offering for the LORD. Let everyone who has a willing heart10 bring11 an offering to the LORD,12 gold, silver, bronze, 35:6 blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, fine linen, goat's hair, 35:7 ram's skins dyed red, fine leather,13 acacia wood, 35:8 olive oil for the light, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, 35:9 onyx stones, and other gems14 for mounting15 on the ephod and the pouch. 35:10 And every skilled person16 among you is to come and make all that the LORD has commanded: 35:11 the tabernacle with17 its tent, its covering, its clasps, its frames, its crossbars, its posts, and its bases; 35:12 the ark, with18 its poles, the propitiatory lid, and the veil that conceals; 35:13 the table with19 its poles and all its vessels, and the bread of the Presence; 35:14 the lampstand for20 the light and its accessories, its lamps, and oil for the light; 35:15 and the altar of incense with21 its poles, and the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense, and the hanging for the door at the entrance of the tabernacle; 35:16 the altar for the burnt offering with22 its bronze grating that is on it, its poles, and all its utensils; the laver and its pedestal; 35:17 the hangings of the courtyard, its posts and its bases, and the curtain for the gateway to the courtyard; 35:18 tent pegs for the tabernacle and tent pegs for the courtyard and their ropes; 35:19 the woven garments for serving in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to minister as priests."
35:20 So all the community of the Israelites went out from the presence of Moses. 35:21 And they came forward--every one23 whose heart stirred him up,24 and every one whose spirit was willing;25 they brought the offering for the LORD for the work of the tent of meeting, and for all its service, and for the holy garments.26 35:22 And they came forward, men and women alike,27 all who had willing hearts; they brought brooches, earrings, rings and ornaments, all kinds of gold jewelry,28 and every one who waved29 a wave offering of gold to the LORD.
35:23 And every one who had30 blue or31 or purple or scarlet yarn, or fine linen, or goats' hair, or rams' skin dyed red, or fine leather,32 brought them.33 35:24 Everyone making an offering of silver or bronze brought it as34 an offering to the LORD, and everyone who had acacia wood35 for any work of the service brought it.36 35:25 And every woman who was skilled37 spun with her hands, and brought what she had spun, blue, or purple, or scarlet yarn, or fine linen. 35:26 And all the women whose heart stirred them up and who were skilled,38 spun goats' hair.
35:27 And the leaders brought onyx stones, and other gems for mounting39 for the ephod and the pouch; 35:28 and spices, and olive oil for the light and for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense.
35:29 The Israelites brought a freewill offering to the LORD, every man and woman whose heart was willing to bring for all the work which the LORD had commanded them40 to do through41 Moses.
35:30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, "See, the LORD has called by name42 Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. 35:31 He has filled him with the Spirit of God--with skill, with understanding, with knowledge, and with all kinds of work, 35:32 to design artistic designs, to work in gold, in silver, and in bronze, 35:33 and in cutting stones for their setting,43 and in cutting wood, to do work in every artistic craft.44 35:34 And he has put it in his heart45 to teach, he and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35:35 He has filled them with skill46 to do all kinds of work47 as craftsmen, designers, embroiderers in blue and purple and scarlet yarn and in fine linen, and weavers. They were48 craftsmen in all the work49 and artistic designers.50
36:1 "So Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person1 in whom the LORD had put skill2 and ability3 to know how4 to do all the work of the service5 of the sanctuary, are to do the work6 according to all that the LORD had commanded." 36:2 Then Moses called7 Bazalel and Oholiab and every skilled person in whom8 the LORD had put skill--everyone whose heart stirred him up9 to volunteer10 for the work, to do it. 36:3 And they received from Moses all the offering the Israelites had brought to do the work of the service of the sanctuary, 11and they still brought him a freewill offering each morning.12 36:4 So all the skilled people who were doing all the work of the sanctuary came from their work13 they were doing, 36:5 and told Moses, "The people are bringing much more than14 is needed for the service of the work which the LORD commanded us to do."15
36:6 Moses16 instructed them to take17 his message18 throughout the camp, saying, "Let no man or woman do any more work for the offering for the sanctuary." So the people were restrained from bringing any more.19 36:7 Now the materials were more than enough20 for them to do all the work.21
The Building of the Tabernacle
36:8 And every skilled person among those who were doing the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn, with cherubim woven in22 by the work of the designer. 36:9 The length of one curtain was forty-two feet, and its width was six feet; all the curtains were the same size.23 36:10 And he joined24 five of the curtains one to another, and the other25 five curtains he joined one to another. 36:11 Then he made loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in one set; he did the same along the edge of the end curtain in the second set. 36:12 He made fifty loops on the one curtain, and he made fifty loops at the end curtain that was in the second set, with the loops opposite one another. 36:13 Then he made fifty gold clasps and joined the curtains together one to another with the clasps, so that the tabernacle was one unit.26
36:14 He made27 curtains of goats' hair for a tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven curtains.28 36:15 The length of one curtain was forty-five feet, and its width was six feet; the eleven curtains were the same size.29 36:16 And he joined five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. 36:17 And he made fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain in one set, and fifty loops along the edge of the curtain that couples the second. 36:18 And he made fifty clasps of bronze to join the tent together so that it might be a unit.30 36:19 And he made a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of fine leather31 over that.
36:20 And he made for the tabernacle frames that stood upright32 out of acacia wood. 36:21 The length of each33 frame was fifteen feet, the width of the same34 frame was two and a quarter feet. 36:22 Each frame had35 two projections set in order one against the other;36 he did this for all the frames of the tabernacle. 36:23 So he made frames for the tabernacle, twenty frames for the south side facing south; 36:24 and he made forty silver bases under the twenty frames--two bases under one frame for its two projections. 36:25 And for the second side of the tabernacle facing north, he made twenty frames, 36:26 and their forty silver bases, two bases under the one frame, and two bases under each of37 the other frames. 36:27 And for the side of the tabernacle facing westward, he made six frames; 36:28 and he made two frames for the corners of the tabernacle on the back side. 36:29 And they were doubled at the lower end and38 completed together at the top in one ring; he did the same for the two of them, for the two corners. 36:30 So there were eight frames, and their silver bases were sixteen bases, two bases under each frame.39 36:31 And he made bars of acacia wood, five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle 36:32 and five bars for the frames on the second side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the frames of the tabernacle on the back side facing west. 36:33 And he made the middle bar to reach from end to end in the midst of the frames. 36:34 And he overlaid the frames with gold, and he made their rings of gold to provide places40 for the bars; and he overlaid the bars with gold.
36:35 Then he made the veil of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and finely twined linen; he embroidered41 it with cherubim, the work of an artistic designer. 36:36 And he made for it four posts of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold, with gold hooks.42 Then he cast for them four silver bases. 36:37 And he made a hanging for the entrance of the tent, of blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine twined linen, the work of an embroiderer, 36:38 and its five posts with43 their hooks. And he overlaid their tops44 and their bands with gold; but their five bases were bronze.45
The Making of the Ark
37:1 And Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood; its length was three feet nine inches, its width was two feet three inches, and its height was two feet three inches. 37:2 And he overlaid it with pure gold, inside and outside. Then he made for it a gold crown1 all around it. 37:3 And he cast for it four gold rings to be fastened2 at its four corners,3 with4 two rings on its one side, and two rings on its second side. 37:4 And he made poles of acacia wood, and overlaid them with gold. 37:5 And he put the poles into the rings at the sides of the ark, in order to carry the ark.
37:6 He also made5 a propitiatory lid of pure gold; its length was three feet nine inches and its width was two feet three inches. 37:7 And he made two cherubim of gold; he made them of hammered work on the two ends of the propitiatory lid, 37:8 one cherub on one end6 and one cherub on the other end.7 He made the cherubim from the propitiatory lid on its two ends. 37:9 And the cherubim were spreading their wings8 upward, overshadowing the propitiatory lid with their wings. And the cherubim9 faced each other;10 they were looking toward the propitiatory lid.11
The Making of the Table
37:10 And he made the table of acacia wood; its length was three feet, its width was one foot six inches, and its height was two feet three inches. 37:11 And he overlaid it with pure gold; and he made for it a gold crown all around it. 37:12 He also made a frame for it about three inches wide all around it, and he made a gold crown for its frame all around. 37:13 Then he cast four gold rings for it, and he attached the rings at the four corners where its four legs were. 37:14 The rings were close to the frame to provide places for the poles to carry the table. 37:15 And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold, to carry the table. 37:16 And he made the vessels which were on the table out of pure gold, its12 plates, its ladles, its pitchers and its bowls, to be used in pouring out offerings.
The Making of the Lampstand
37:17 And he made the lampstand of pure gold; he made the lampstand of hammered work, its base and its shaft, its flower-like cups with its buds and blossoms were from the same piece.13 37:18 And six branches were extending from its sides, three branches of the lampstand from the one side of it, and three branches of the lampstand from the second side of it. 37:19 Three cups shaped like flowers with buds and blossoms were on one branch, and three cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms were on the next14 branch, and the same for all15 six branches that were extending from the lampstand. 37:20 And on the lampstand there were four cups shaped like almond flowers with buds and blossoms, 37:21 with a bud under the first two branches from it, and a bud under the next two branches from it, and a bud under the third two branches from it; according to the six branches that extended from it.16 37:22 Their buds and their branches were of one piece;17 all of it was one hammered piece of pure gold. 37:23 And he made seven lamps, as well as its trimmers and trays, of pure gold. 37:24 He made the lampstand18 and all its accessories with seventy-five pounds of pure gold.
The Making of the Altar of Incense
37:25 And he made an incense altar of acacia wood. Its length was a foot and a half, its width was a foot and a half--it was square--and its height was three feet. Its horns were one piece with it.19 37:26 And he overlaid it with pure gold, its top and its sides all around and its horns, and he made for it a gold crown around it. 37:27 He also made20 two gold rings for it under its crown, on its two flanks, on its two sides, to provide places for poles with which to carry it. 37:28 And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with gold.
37:29 He made21 the sacred anointing oil and the pure fragrant incense, the work of the perfumer.
The Making of the Altar of Burnt Offering
38:1 And he made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. Its length was seven and a half feet, its width was seven and a half feet--it was square--and its height was four and a half feet. 38:2 He made1 its horns at its four corners; its horns were part of it.2 And he overlaid it with bronze. 38:3 Then he made all the utensils of the altar--pots, shovels, tossing-bowls, meathooks, and firepans--he made all its utensils of bronze. 38:4 And he made for the altar a grating, a network of bronze, to be under its ledge, half way up from the bottom. 38:5 He cast3 four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating, to provide places for the poles. 38:6 And he made the poles of acacia wood and overlaid them with bronze. 38:7 Then he put the poles into the rings at the side of the altar, with which to carry it. And he made the altar4 hollow, out of boards.
38:8 And he made the laver of bronze and its pedestal of bronze, from the mirrors of the women who served5 at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
The Construction of the Courtyard
38:9 Then he made the courtyard. On the south side6 the hangings of the courtyard were of fine twined linen, one hundred fifty feet long, 38:10 with7 their twenty posts and their twenty bronze bases, and with silver hooks and their bands on the posts. 38:11 And for the north side the hangings were8 one hundred fifty feet, with their twenty posts and their twenty bronze bases, and with silver hooks and their bands on the posts.
38:12 And for the west side there were9 hangings seventy-five feet long, with10 their ten posts and their ten bases; and with silver hooks and their bands on the posts. 38:13 And for the east side, toward the sunrise, it was seventy-five feet wide.11 38:14 The hangings on one side12 were twenty-two and a half feet long, with their three posts and their three bases. 38:15 And for the second side of the gate of the courtyard, on this hand and that,13 the hangings were twenty-two and a half feet long, with their three posts and their three bases. 38:16 All the hangings around the courtyard were of finely twined linen. 38:17 The bases14 for the posts were bronze. And the hooks of the posts and their bands were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver, and all the posts of the courtyard had silver bands.15 38:18 And the curtain16 for the gate of the courtyard was of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and finely twined linen, the work of an embroiderer. It was thirty feet long, and like the hangings in the courtyard, it was seven and a half feet high, 38:19 with their four posts and their four bronze bases. Their hooks and their bands were silver, and their tops were overlaid with silver. 38:20 And all the tent pins of the tabernacle and of the courtyard all around were bronze.
The Materials of the Construction
38:21 This is the inventory17 of the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, which was counted18 at the instruction19 of Moses, being the work20 of the Levites under the direction21 of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest. 38:22 Now Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made everything that the LORD had commanded Moses; and with him was Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an artisan, and a designer, and an embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen.
38:24 All the gold that was used for the work, in all the work of the sanctuary,22 namely23 the gold of the wave offering, was twenty-nine talents and seven hundred thirty shekels,24 according to the sanctuary shekel.
38:25 And the silver of those who were numbered of the community was one hundred talents and 1,775 shekels,25 according to the sanctuary shekel, 38:26 one beka per person, that is, a half shekel,26 according to the sanctuary shekel, for every one who crossed over to those numbered, from twenty years old or older,27 for a number of28 603,550. 38:27 The one hundred talents of silver were used for casting the bases of the sanctuary, and the bases of the veil--one hundred bases for one hundred talents, one talent per base. 38:28 From the 1,775 shekels29 he made hooks for the posts, and overlaid their tops, and made bands for them.
38:29 And the bronze of the wave offering was seventy talents and 2,400 shekels.30 38:30 And with it he made the bases for the door of the tent of meeting, and the bronze altar, and the bronze grating for it, and all the utensils of the altar, 38:31 and the bases for the courtyard all around, and the bases for the gate of the courtyard, and all the tent pins of the tabernacle, and all the tent pins of the courtyard all around.31
The Making of the Priestly Garments
39:1 And from the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn they made woven garments for serving in the sanctuary; they made holy garments that were for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.1
The Ephod
39:2 He made2 the ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and finely twined linen. 39:3 And they hammered the gold into thin sheets, and cut it into narrow strips, to weave3 them into the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and into the fine linen, the work of an artistic designer. 39:4 They made shoulder pieces for it, attached to two of its corners, so it could be joined together. 39:5 And the artistically woven waistband of the ephod that was on it was like it, of one piece with it,4 of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and finely twined linen, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
39:6 And they set the onyx stones in gold filigree settings, engraved as with the engravings of a seal5 with the names of the sons of Israel.6 39:7 And he put7 them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, stones of memorial for the sons of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
The Pouch of Decision
39:8 Then he made the pouch, the work of an artistic designer, in the same fashion as the ephod, of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and finely twined linen. 39:9 It was square--they made the pouch doubled, nine inches long and nine inches wide when doubled. 39:10 And they set on it8 four rows of stones: a row of a ruby, a topaz, and a beryl--the first row; 39:11 and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald; 39:12 and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 39:13 and the fourth row, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in gold filigree settings. 39:14 And the stones were for the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, according to the number of9 their names, each name according to the twelve tribes was like the engraving of a seal.
39:15 And they made for the pouch braided chains like cords of pure gold. 39:16 And they made two gold filigree settings and two gold rings, and they attached the two rings to the upper10 two ends of the pouch. 39:17 And they attached the two gold chains to the rings at the ends of the pouch, 39:18 and the other11 two ends of the two chains they attached to the two settings, and they attached them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it. 39:19 And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the other12 two ends of the pouch on its edge, which is on the inner side of the ephod.13 39:20 And they made two more14 gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces on the front of the ephod, close to the juncture above the waistband of the ephod. 39:21 And they tied the pouch by its rings to the rings of the ephod by blue cord, so that it was above the waistband of the ephod, so that the pouch would not be loose from the ephod, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
The Other Garments
39:22 And he made the robe of the ephod completely blue, the work of a weaver. 39:23 And there was an opening in the center of the robe, like the opening of a collar, with an edge all around the opening so that it could not be torn. 39:24 And they made around the hem of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and twined linen.15 39:25 And they made bells of pure gold, and attached the bells between the pomegranates around the hem of the robe between the pomegranates. 39:26 There was16 a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe, to be used in ministering,17 just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
39:27 And they made tunics of fine linen for Aaron and for his sons, the work of a weaver, 39:28 and the turban of fine linen, the linen headbands, and the undergarments of fine twined linen. 39:29 And the sash was of fine twined linen and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, the work of an embroiderer, just as the LORD had commanded Moses. 39:30 And they made a plate, the holy diadem, of pure gold, and they wrote on it an inscription, after the fashion of the engravings of a seal, "Holiness to the LORD." 39:31 Then they attached to it a blue cord, to attach it to the turban above, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Moses Inspects the Sanctuary
39:3218 So all the work of the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was completed. And the Israelites did according to all that the LORD had commanded Moses--so they did. 39:33 And they brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, its frames, its bars, its posts, and its bases; 39:34 and the coverings of the rams' skins dyed red, the covering of fine leather,19 and the protecting20 veil; 39:35 the ark of the testimony and its poles, and the propitiatory lid; 39:36 the table, all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence; 39:37 the pure21 lampstand, its lamps, even the lamps set in order, and all its accessories, and oil for the light; 39:38 and the gold altar, and the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense; and the curtain for the entrance to the tent; 39:39 the bronze altar and its bronze grating, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin with its pedestal; 39:40 the hangings of the courtyard, its posts and its bases, and the curtain for the gateway of the courtyard, its ropes and its tent pins, and all the furnishings22 of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of meeting; 39:41 the woven garments for serving23 in the sanctuary, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to minister as priests.
39:42 According to all that the LORD had commanded Moses, so the Israelites did all the work. 39:43 When Moses saw24 all the work, that25 they had done it just as the LORD had commanded--they done it just so--he blessed them.26
Setting Up the Sanctuary
40:11 Then the LORD spoke to Moses: 40:2 "On the first day of the first month you are to set up2 the tabernacle, the tent of meeting. 40:3 And you are to place the ark of the testimony in it, and you are to shield the ark with the veil. 40:4 And you are to bring in the table and set in order the things that are to be set in order on it;3 then you are to bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 40:5 And you are to put4 the gold altar for incense in front of the ark of the testimony, and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. 40:6 And you are to put the altar for the burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting. 40:7 And you are to put the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar; and you are to put water in it.5 40:8 And you are to set up the courtyard around it, and you are to put the curtain at the gate of the courtyard. 40:9 And take6 the anointing oil, and anoint7 the tabernacle and all that is in it, and consecrate8 it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. 40:10 Then you are to anoint the altar for the burnt offering with9 all its utensils; you are to sanctify the altar, and it will be the most holy altar. 40:11 You must also anoint the laver and its pedestal, and you are to sanctify it.10
40:12 And you are to bring11 Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting, and you are to wash them with water. 40:13 Then you are to clothe Aaron with the holy garments, and you are to anoint him and sanctify him that he may minister to me as a priest. 40:14 And you are to bring12 his sons and clothe them with tunics. 40:15 And you are to anoint them just as you anointed their father, that they may minister to me as priests; and their anointing will be to them a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations. 40:16 This is what Moses did, according to all the LORD had commanded him--so he did.
40:17 So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month, in the second year. 40:18 When Moses set up the tabernacle and put its bases in place, he set13 up its frames, attached its bars, and set up its posts. 40:19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering of the tent over it, as the LORD had commanded Moses. 40:20 And he took the testimony and put it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark, and then put the propitiatory lid on the ark. 40:21 And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung14 the protecting veil,15 and shielded the ark of the testimony, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
40:22 And he put the table in the tent of meeting, on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil. 40:23 And he set the bread in order on it16 before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
40:24 And he put the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table, on the south side of the tabernacle. 40:25 Then he set up the lamps before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
40:26 And he put the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the veil, 40:27 and he burned fragrant incense on it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
40:28 Then he put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. 40:29 He also put the altar of burnt offering by the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the meal offering, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
40:30 Then he put the laver between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it17 for washing. 40:31 Moses18 and Aaron and his sons would wash their hands and their feet from it. 40:32 Whenever they entered19 the tent of meeting, and whenever they approached20 to the altar, they would wash,21 just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
40:33 And he set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and the altar, and put the curtain at the gate of the courtyard. So Moses finished the work.
40:34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 40:35 And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. 40:36 But when the cloud was taken up22 from on the tabernacle, the Israelites would set out23 on all their journeys; 40:37 but if the cloud was not lifted up, then they would not journey on until the day it was taken up.24 40:38 For the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, but fire would be25 on it at night, in plain view26 of all the house of Israel, in all their journeys.
Jacob says that in order to designate that this altar be used only for incense, the Torah prepared the second word for this passage alone. It specifies the kind of altar this is (p. 828).