And God said unto Moses, "I AM THAT I AM"…"This shall you say unto the children of Israel, I AM has sent me unto you." And God said furthermore unto Moses, "This shall you say unto the children of Israel, ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me unto you’: this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations. And they shall listen to your voice: and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and you shall say unto him, "The LORD God of the Hebrews has met with us: and now let us go…three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God." And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.’

"And I will stretch out my hand, and strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the…land and after that he will let you go."

And Moses answered and said, "But, look, they will not believe me, nor listen unto my voice: for they will say, ‘The LORD has not appeared unto you.’"

And the LORD said unto him, "What is that in your hand?"

And Moses said, "A rod."

And God said, "Throw it on the ground." And he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

And the LORD said unto Moses, "Put out your hand, and take the serpent by the tail." And Moses put out his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand.

And the LORD said furthermore unto him, "Put now your hand into your robe." And he put his hand into his robe: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.

And the LORD said, "Put your hand into your robe again." And he put his hand into his robe again; and brought it out of his robe, and, look, it was turned again as his other flesh. And the LORD said, "It shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither listen unto your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which you take out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land."

And Moses said unto the LORD, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before, nor since you have spoken unto your servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."

And the LORD said unto him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall say."

And Moses said, "O my Lord, send, I pray you, by the hand of another…."

And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, "Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, look, he comes out to meet you: and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. And you shall speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.

"Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt…."

"Therefore say unto 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 a stretched out arm, and with great judgments: And 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, which brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.’"

And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said unto him, "Let me go, I pray you, and return unto my people who are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive."

And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace." And he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

And the LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." And Aaron went, and met Moses in the mount of God, and kissed him. And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs, which he had commanded him.

And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: And Aaron spoke all the words, which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, "This says the LORD God of Israel, ‘let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.’"

And Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go."

And Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land now are many, and you make them rest from their burdens. Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labor in it; and let them not regard false words."

And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, "Lord, why have you so evil treated this people? Why is it that you have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have you delivered your people at all."

Then the LORD said unto Moses, "Now shall you see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land."

And the LORD said unto Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he refuses to let the people go. Get…unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goes out unto the water; and you shall stand by the river's edge until he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shall you take in your hand. And you shall say unto him, ‘The LORD God of the Hebrews has sent me unto you, saying, "Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, look, until now you would not hear." Therefore says the LORD, "In this you shall know that I am the LORD: look, I will strike with the rod that is in my hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.’"

And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and Moses lifted up the rod, and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that were in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house; neither did he set his heart to this also.

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, "Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, this says the LORD, ‘Let my people go, that they may serve me. And if you refuse to let them go, look, I will strike all your borders with frogs: And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into your house, and into your bedroom, and upon your bed, and into the house of your servants, and upon your people, and into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls: And the frogs shall come up both on you, and upon your people, and upon all your servants.’"

And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, "Appeal to the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD."

And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields. But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart, and listened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

And the LORD said unto Moses, "Say unto Aaron, stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt." And they did so…and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast…throughout all the land of Egypt.

Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God": and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he listened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

REFERENCES

Exodus 3:14-15, 18-20; Exodus 4:1-4, 6-7, 8a, 9b-15; Exodus 3:16; Exodus 6:6-8; Exodus 4:18, 20b, 27-31; Exodus 5:1-2, 5, 9, 22-23; Exodus 6:1; Exodus 7:14-17, 20-21, 23; Exodus 8:1-4, 6, 8, 13, 15-17, 19.

CHAPTER 6