Exodus 6
1 Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Now you will see what I will do to the king [and his people]. I will powerfully [MTY] compel him to let my people go. In fact, by my power [MTY] [I will force] him to expel them from his land!”
And the Lord said to Moses: Now thou shalt see what I will do to Pharao: for by a mighty hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he cast them out of his land.
2 God also said to Moses/me, “I am Yahweh.
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: I am the Lord,
3 I am the one who appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and [told them that I] was God Almighty, but I did not [tell] them that my name [was Yahweh].
That appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of God Almighty; and my name ADONAI I did not shew them.
4 I also made my solemn agreement with them, promising to give them the Canaan region. That was the area in which they were living as foreigners.
And I made a covenant with them, to give them the land of Chanaan, the land of their pilgrimage wherein they were strangers.
5 Furthermore, I have heard the Israeli people as they were groaning [because of the hard work that] the Egyptians forced them to do as their slaves. I have thought about that solemn promise [that I made].
I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, wherewith the Egyptians have oppressed them: and I have remembered my covenant.
6 So tell the Israeli people that [I said this: ] ‘I am Yahweh. I will free you from the burdens [of heavy work] that the Egyptians [have given you]. I will free you from being their slaves. With my great power [MTY] and by punishing them [MTY] very severely, I will save you.
Therefore say to the children of Israel: I am the Lord who will bring you out from the work prison of the Egyptians, and will deliver you from bondage: and redeem you with a high arm, and great judgments.
7 I will cause you to be my own people, and I will be your God, [the one you worship]. You will truly know that I, Yahweh your God, am the one who has freed you from the burdens [of work as slaves] of the Egyptians.
And I will take you to myself for my people, I will be your God: and you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brought you out from the work prison of the Egyptians.
8 And I will bring you to the land that I solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. You will possess it [forever]. I, Yahweh, am [promising this].’”
And brought you into the land, concerning which I lifted up my hand to give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and I will give it you to possess, I am the Lord.
9 Moses/I told that to the Israeli people, but they did not believe what he/I said. They were very discouraged [IDM] because of the hard work [that they had been forced to do as slaves].
And Moses told all this to the children of Israel: but they did not hearken to him, for anguish of spirit, and most painful work.
10 Yahweh said to Moses/me,
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
11 “Go and tell the king of Egypt [again] that he must allow the Israeli people to leave his land!”
Go in, and speak to Pharao king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.
12 But Moses/I said to Yahweh, “Listen [to what I am saying]. [Even] the Israeli people have not paid attention to what I [told them]. But I am a poor speaker. [MET, MTY] So (why should the king pay attention to what I tell him?/the king will certainly not pay attention to what I [tell him]!)” [RHQ]
Moses answered before the Lord Behold the children of Israel do no hearken to me; and how will Pharao hear me, especially as I am of uncircumcised lips?
13 But Yahweh spoke to Aaron and Moses/me and commanded them/us, “Tell the Israeli people and the king of Egypt that I have [commissioned you two] to lead the Israeli people out of Egypt.”
And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and he gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharao the king of Egypt, that they should bring forth the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
14 (Here is/I will now give you) a list of the ancestors of [Moses/me and Aaron]: The sons of Reuben, who was Jacob’s oldest son, [were] Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. They were [ancestors of] the clans [that have those same names].
These are the heads of their house by their families. The sons of Rubel the firstborn of Israel: Henoch and Phallu, Hesron and Charmi.
15 The sons of Simeon [were] Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul. Shaul’s mother was a woman from the Canaan people-group. Those men also were [ancestors of] clans [that have those same names].
These are the kindreds of Ruben. The sons of Simeon: Jamuel, and Jamin and Ahod, and Jachin, and Soar, and Saul the son of a Chanaanitess: these are the families of Simeon.
16 These are the names of the sons of Levi, in the order in which they were born: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi was 137 years old [when he died].
And these are the names of the sons of Levi by their kindreds: Gerson, and Caath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were a hundred and thirty seven.
17 The sons of Gershon [were] Libni and Shimei. They were ancestors of clans that have those names.
The sons of Gerson: Lobni and Semei, by their kindreds.
18 The sons of Kohath [were] Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath was 133 years old [when he died].
The sons of Caath: Amram, and Isaar, and Hebron, and Oziel. And the years of Caath’s life were a hundred and thirty-three.
19 The sons of Merari [were] Mahli and Mushi. All of those people whose names [I have listed] belonged to tribes/clans descended from Levi, in the order in which they were born.
The sons of Merari: Moholi and Musi. These are the kindreds of Levi by their families.
20 Amram married his father’s sister, Jochebed. She was the mother of Aaron and Moses/me. Amram was 137 years old [when he died].
And Amram took to wife Jochabed his aunt by the father’s side: and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of Amram’s life were a hundred and thirty-seven.
21 The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.
The sons also of Isaar: Core, and Nepheg, and Zechri.
22 The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
The sons also of Oziel: Mizael, and Elizaphan, and Sethri.
23 Aaron married Elisheba. She was the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon. Elisheba gave birth to [four sons]: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
And Aaron took to wife Elizabeth the daughter of Aminadab, sister of Nahason, who bore him Nadab, and Abiu, and Eleazar, and Ithamar.
24 The sons of Korah [were] Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. They were the ancestors of the Korah people-group.
The sons also of Core: Aser, and Elcana, and Abiasaph. These are the kindreds of the Corites.
25 Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she gave birth to Phinehas. [That ends the list of] the families and clans that were descended from Levi.
But Eleazar the son of Aaron took a wife of the daughters of Phutiel: and she bore him Phinees. These are the heads of the Levitical families by their kindreds.
26 Aaron and Moses/I were the ones to whom Yahweh said, “Lead all the families and clans of the Israeli people out of Egypt.”
These are Aaron and Moses, whom the Lord commanded to bring forth the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their companies.
27 They/We were the ones who spoke to the king of Egypt about bringing the Israeli people out of Egypt.
These are they that speak to Pharao king of Egypt, in order to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron,
28 On the day that Yahweh spoke to Moses/me in Egypt,
In the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt.
29 he said, “I am Yahweh. You must tell the king everything that I say to you.”
And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: I am the Lord: speak thou to Pharao king of Egypt all that I say to thee.
30 But Moses/I said to Yahweh, “Listen to me. I am not a good speaker. [MET, MTY] So (the king will certainly not pay attention to what I say/why should the king pay attention to what I tell him?)!” [RHQ]
And Moses said before the Lord: Lo I am of uncircumcised lips, how will Pharao hear me?
