1   The Lord answered, ‘Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. In the end Pharaoh will let them go with a strong hand, nay, will drive them from his country with an outstretched arm.’ ^note

2    3   God spoke to Moses and said, ‘I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty. ^noteBut I did not let myself be known to them by my name Jehovah. ^note 4   Moreover, I made a covenant with them to give them Canaan, the land where they settled for a time as foreigners. 5   And now I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, enslaved by the Egyptians, and I have called my covenant to mind. 6   Say therefore to the Israelites, “I am the Lord. I will release you from your labours in Egypt. I will rescue you from slavery there. I will redeem you with arm outstretched and with mighty acts of judgement. 7   I will adopt you as my people, and I will become your God. You shall know that I, the Lord, am your God, the God who releases you from your labours in Egypt. 8   I will lead you to the land which I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it you for your possession. I am the Lord.”’

9   Moses repeated these words to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him; they had become impatient because of their cruel slavery.

10    11   Then the Lord spoke to Moses and said, ‘Go and tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to set the Israelites free to leave his country.’ 12   Moses made answer in the presence of the Lord, ‘If the Israelites do not listen to me, how will Pharaoh listen to such a halting speaker as I am ^note?’

13   Thus the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them their commission to the Israelites and to Pharaoh, namely that they should bring the Israelites out of Egypt.

14    ^noteThese were the heads of fathers' families:

Sons of Reuben, Israel's eldest son: Enoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi; these were the families of Reuben.

15   Sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Saul, who was the son of a Canaanite woman; these were the families of Simeon.

16   These were the names of the sons of Levi in order of seniority: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. Levi lived to be a hundred and thirty-seven.

17   Sons of Gershon, family by family: Libni and Shimei.

18   Sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. Kohath lived to be a hundred and thirty-three.

Israel enslaved in Egypt

19   Sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi.

20   These were the families of Levi in order of seniority. Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived to be a hundred and thirty-seven.

21   Sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg and Zichri.

22   Sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan and Sithri.

23   Aaron married Elisheba, who was the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

24   Sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph; these were the Korahite families.

25   Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These were the heads of the Levite families, family by family.

26   It was this Aaron, together with Moses, to whom the Lord said, ‘Bring the Israelites out of Egypt, mustered in their tribal hosts.’ 27   These were the men who told Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites leave Egypt. It was this same Moses and Aaron.

28    29   When the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt he said, ‘I am the Lord. 30   Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.’ Moses made answer in the presence of the Lord, ‘I am a halting speaker; how will Pharaoh listen to me?’

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