Day 28 of 730

¹Afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says, 'Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.'"

²Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord, that I should listen to his voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover I will not let Israel go."

³They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord, our God, lest he fall on us with pestilence, or with the sword."

⁴The king of Egypt said to them, "Why do you, Moses and Aaron, separate the people from their work? Get back to your burdens!"

⁵Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you make them rest from their burdens."

⁶The same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

⁷"You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

⁸The number of the bricks, which they made before, you require from them. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'

⁹Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may regard it; and do not let them regard lying words."

¹⁰The taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, This is what Pharaoh says: "I will not give you straw.

¹¹Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished."

¹²So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

¹³The taskmasters were urgent saying, "Fulfill your work quota daily, as when there was straw given to you!"

¹⁴The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, "Why haven't you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?"

¹⁵Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, "Why do you deal this way with your servants?

¹⁶No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us, 'Make brick!' and behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people."

¹⁷But he said, "You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.'

¹⁸Go therefore now, and work, for no straw shall be given to you, yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks!"

¹⁹The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble, when it was said, "You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!"

²⁰They met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

²¹and they said to them, "May the Lord look at you, and judge, because you have made us a stench to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us."

²²Moses returned to the Lord, and said, "Lord, why have you brought trouble on this people? Why is it that you have sent me?

²³For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has brought trouble on this people; neither have you delivered your people at all."

¹The Lord said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh, for by a strong hand he shall let them go, and by a strong hand he shall drive them out of his land."

²God spoke to Moses, and said to him, "I am the Lord;

³and I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty; but by my name the Lord I was not known to them.

⁴I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their travels, in which they lived as foreigners.

⁵Moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant.

⁶Therefore tell the children of Israel, 'I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments:

⁷and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

⁸I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am the Lord.'"

⁹Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

¹⁰The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

¹¹"Go in, speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land."

¹²Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, "Behold, the children of Israel haven't listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, who am of uncircumcised lips?"

¹³The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a command to the children of Israel, and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁴These are the heads of their fathers' houses. The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben.

¹⁵The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon.

¹⁶These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven years.

¹⁷The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families.

¹⁸The sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel; and the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred thirty-three years.

¹⁹The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations.

²⁰Amram took Jochebed his father's sister to himself as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were a hundred and thirty-seven years.

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

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

²³Aaron took Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as his wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

²⁴The sons of Korah: Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites.

²⁵Eleazar Aaron's son took one of the daughters of Putiel as his wife; and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites according to their families.

²⁶These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the Lord said, "Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies."

²⁷These are those who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are that Moses and Aaron.

²⁸It happened on the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,

²⁹that the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "I am the Lord. Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak to you."

³⁰Moses said before the Lord, "Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh listen to me?"

¹To you, Lord, I call. My rock, do not be deaf to me; lest, if you are silent to me, I would become like those who go down into the pit.

²Hear the voice of my petitions, when I cry to you, when I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place.

³Do not draw me away with the wicked, with the workers of iniquity who speak peace with their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts.

⁴Give them according to their work, and according to the wickedness of their doings. Give them according to the operation of their hands. Bring back on them what they deserve.

⁵Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, nor the operation of his hands, he will break them down and not build them up.

⁶Blessed be the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my petitions.

⁷The Lord is my strength and my shield. My heart has trusted in him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoices. With my song I will thank him.

⁸The Lord is their strength. He is a stronghold of salvation to his anointed.

⁹Save your people, and bless your inheritance. Be their shepherd also, and bear them up forever.

¹The wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

²In rebellion, a land has many rulers, but order is maintained by a man of understanding and knowledge.

³A needy man who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain which leaves no crops.

⁴Those who forsake the Law praise the wicked; but those who keep the Law contend with them.

⁵Evil men do not understand justice; but those who seek the Lord understand it fully.

⁶Better is the poor who walks in his integrity, than he who is perverse in his ways, and he is rich.

⁷Whoever keeps the Law is a wise son; but he who is a companion of gluttons shames his father.

⁸He who increases his wealth by excessive interest gathers it for one who has pity on the poor.

⁹He who turns away his ear from hearing the Law, even his prayer is an abomination.

¹⁰Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, he will fall into his own trap; but the blameless will inherit good.

¹¹The rich man is wise in his own eyes; but the poor who has understanding sees through him.

¹²When the righteous triumph, there is great glory; but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.

¹³He who conceals his sins doesn't prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

¹⁴Blessed is the man who always fears; but one who hardens his heart falls into trouble.

¹⁵As a roaring lion or a charging bear, so is a wicked ruler over helpless people.

¹⁶A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment. One who hates ill-gotten gain will have long days.

¹⁷A man who is tormented by life blood will be a fugitive until death; no one will support him.

¹⁸Whoever walks blamelessly is kept safe; but one with perverse ways will fall suddenly.

¹⁹One who works his land will have an abundance of food; but one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.

²⁰A faithful man is rich with blessings; but one who is eager to be rich will not go unpunished.

²¹To show partiality is not good; yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

²²A stingy man hurries after riches, and doesn't know that poverty waits for him.

²³One who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than one who flatters with the tongue.

²⁴Whoever robs his father or his mother, and says, "It's not wrong." He is a partner with a destroyer.

²⁵One who is greedy stirs up strife; but one who trusts in the Lord will prosper.

²⁶One who trusts in himself is a fool; but one who walks in wisdom is kept safe.

²⁷One who gives to the poor has no lack; but one who closes his eyes will have many curses.

²⁸When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous thrive.