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 YHWH says to Moses, “Now you see that which I do to Pharaoh, for with a strong hand he sends them away, indeed, with a strong hand he casts them out of his land.”

2 God also said to Moses/me, “I am Yahweh.

And God speaks to Moses and says to him, “I [am] YHWH,

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].

and I appear to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty; as for My Name YHWH, I have not been known to 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 have also established My covenant with them, to give the land of Canaan to them, the land of their sojournings, wherein they have sojourned;

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].

and I have also heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, whom the Egyptians are causing to serve, and I remember 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 sons of Israel: I [am] YHWH, and I have brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and have delivered you from their service, and have redeemed you by an outstretched arm, and by 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 have taken you to Myself for a people, and I have been to you for God, and you have known that I [am] your God YHWH, who is bringing you out from under the burdens 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 I have brought you to the land which I have lifted up My hand to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and have given it to you—a possession; I [am] YHWH.”

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 speaks so to the sons of Israel, and they did not listen to Moses, for anguish of spirit, and for harsh service.

10 Yahweh said to Moses/me,

And YHWH speaks 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, speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he sends the sons of Israel 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]

and Moses speaks before YHWH, saying, “Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me, and how does Pharaoh hear me, and I 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 YHWH speaks to Moses and to Aaron, and charges them for the sons of Israel, and for Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the sons of Israel from 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] heads of the house of their fathers. Sons of Reuben firstborn of Israel: Enoch, and Phallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these [are] families of Reuben.

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].

And sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul, son of the Canaanite; these [are] 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, as to their births: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi [are] one hundred and thirty-seven years.

17 The sons of Gershon [were] Libni and Shimei. They were ancestors of clans that have those names.

The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimi, as to their families.

18 The sons of Kohath [were] Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath was 133 years old [when he died].

And the sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel; and the years of the life of Kohath [are] one hundred and thirty-three years.

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.

And the sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi; these [are] families of Levi, as to their births.

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 takes his aunt Jochebed to himself for a wife, and she bears Aaron and Moses to him; and the years of the life of Amram [are] one hundred and thirty-seven years.

21 The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.

And sons of Izhar: Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri.

22 The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.

And sons of Uzziel: Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Sithri.

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 takes Elisheba daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to himself for a wife, and she bears to him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

24 The sons of Korah [were] Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. They were the ancestors of the Korah people-group.

And sons of Korah: Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these [are] families of the Korahite.

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.

And Eleazar, Aaron’s son, has taken to himself [one] of the daughters of Putiel for a wife for himself, and she bears Phinehas to him; these [are] heads of the fathers of the Levites, as to their families.

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.”

This [is] Aaron—and Moses—to whom YHWH said, “Bring out the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, by their hosts”;

27 They/We were the ones who spoke to the king of Egypt about bringing the Israeli people out of Egypt.

these are they who are speaking to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the sons of Israel from Egypt, this [is] Moses—and Aaron.

28 On the day that Yahweh spoke to Moses/me in Egypt,

And it comes to pass in the day of YHWH’s speaking to Moses in the land of Egypt,

29 he said, “I am Yahweh. You must tell the king everything that I say to you.”

that YHWH speaks to Moses, saying, “I [am] YHWH, speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I am speaking to you.”

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 says before YHWH, “Behold, I [am] of uncircumcised lips, and how does Pharaoh listen to me?”