1 When Jacob went to Egypt, he took his sons, and each son took his own family with him. These are the names of the sons of Israel:2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,3 Issachar, Zebulun, Benjamin,4 Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.5 There was a total of seventy people who were descendants of Jacob. Jacob's son Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Some time later, Joseph and his brothers died, along with all the people who had lived at that same time.7 But the people of Israel had many children, and their number grew greatly. They became very strong, and the country of Egypt was filled with them. 8 Then a new king began to rule Egypt, who did not know who Joseph was.9 This king said to his people, "Look! The people of Israel are too many and too strong for us to handle!10 If we don't make plans against them, the number of their people will grow even more. Then if there is a war, they might join our enemies and fight us and escape from the country!" 11 So the Egyptians made life hard for the Israelites. They put slave masters over them, who forced the Israelites to build the cities Pithom and Rameses as supply centers for the king.12 But the harder the Egyptians forced the Israelites to work, the more the Israelites grew in number and spread out. So the Egyptians became very afraid of them13 and demanded even more of them.14 They made their lives bitter. They forced the Israelites to work hard to make bricks and mortar and to do all kinds of work in the fields. The Egyptians were not merciful to them in all their painful work. 15 Two Hebrew nurses, named Shiphrah and Puah, helped the Israelite women give birth to their babies. The king of Egypt said to the nurses,16 "When you are helping the Hebrew women give birth to their babies, watch! If the baby is a girl, let her live, but if it is a boy, kill him!"17 But the nurses feared God, so they did not do as the king told them; they let all the boy babies live.18 Then the king of Egypt sent for the nurses and said, "Why did you do this? Why did you let the boys live?" 19 The nurses said to him, "The Hebrew women are much stronger than the Egyptian women. They give birth to their babies before we can get there."20 God was good to the nurses. And the Hebrew people continued to grow in number, so they became even stronger.21 Because the nurses feared God, he gave them families of their own. 22 So the king commanded all his people, "Every time a boy is born to the Hebrews, you must throw him into the Nile River, but let all the girl babies live."
Exodus 2 - New Century
1 Now a man from the family of Levi married a woman who was also from the family of Levi.2 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw how wonderful the baby was, she hid him for three months.3 But after three months she was not able to hide the baby any longer, so she got a basket made of reeds and covered it with tar so that it would float. She put the baby in the basket. Then she put the basket among the tall stalks of grass at the edge of the Nile River.4 The baby's sister stood a short distance away to see what would happen to him. 5 Then the daughter of the king of Egypt came to the river to take a bath, and her servant girls were walking beside the river. When she saw the basket in the tall grass, she sent her slave girl to get it.6 The king's daughter opened the basket and saw the baby boy. He was crying, so she felt sorry for him and said, "This is one of the Hebrew babies." 7 Then the baby's sister asked the king's daughter, "Would you like me to go and find a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby for you?" 8 The king's daughter said, "Go!" So the girl went and got the baby's own mother. 9 The king's daughter said to the woman, "Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you." So the woman took her baby and nursed him.10 When the child grew older, the woman took him to the king's daughter, and she adopted the baby as her own son. The king's daughter named him Moses, because she had pulled him out of the water. 11 Moses grew and became a man. One day he visited his people and saw that they were forced to work very hard. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew man, one of Moses' own people.12 Moses looked all around and saw that no one was watching, so he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. 13 The next day Moses returned and saw two Hebrew men fighting each other. He said to the one that was in the wrong, "Why are you hitting one of your own people?" 14 The man answered, "Who made you our ruler and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Moses was afraid and thought, "Now everyone knows what I did." 15 When the king heard what Moses had done, he tried to kill him. But Moses ran away from the king and went to live in the land of Midian. There he sat down near a well. 16 There was a priest in Midian who had seven daughters. His daughters went to that well to get water to fill the water troughs for their father's flock.17 Some shepherds came and chased the girls away, but Moses defended the girls and watered their flock. 18 When they went back to their father Reuel, he asked them, "Why have you come home early today?" 19 The girls answered, "The shepherds chased us away, but an Egyptian defended us. He got water for us and watered our flock." 20 He asked his daughters, "Where is this man? Why did you leave him? Invite him to eat with us." 21 Moses agreed to stay with Jethro, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses to be his wife.22 Zipporah gave birth to a son. Moses named him Gershom, because Moses was a stranger in a land that was not his own. 23 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The people of Israel groaned, because they were forced to work very hard. When they cried for help, God heard them.24 God heard their cries, and he remembered the agreement he had made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.25 He saw the troubles of the people of Israel, and he was concerned about them.
Exodus 3 - New Century
1 One day Moses was taking care of Jethro's flock. (Jethro was the priest of Midian and also Moses' father-in-law.) When Moses led the flock to the west side of the desert, he came to Sinai, the mountain of God.2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire coming out of a bush. Moses saw that the bush was on fire, but it was not burning up.3 So he said, "I will go closer to this strange thing. How can a bush continue burning without burning up?" 4 When the Lord saw Moses was coming to look at the bush, God called to him from the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." 5 Then God said, "Do not come any closer. Take off your sandals, because you are standing on holy ground.6 I am the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." Moses covered his face because he was afraid to look at God. 7 The Lord said, "I have seen the troubles my people have suffered in Egypt, and I have heard their cries when the Egyptian slave masters hurt them. I am concerned about their pain,8 and I have come down to save them from the Egyptians. I will bring them out of that land and lead them to a good land with lots of room—a fertile land. It is the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.9 I have heard the cries of the people of Israel, and I have seen the way the Egyptians have made life hard for them.10 So now I am sending you to the king of Egypt. Go! Bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt!" 11 But Moses said to God, "I am not a great man! How can I go to the king and lead the Israelites out of Egypt?" 12 God said, "I will be with you. This will be the proof that I am sending you: After you lead the people out of Egypt, all of you will worship me on this mountain." 13 Moses said to God, "When I go to the Israelites, I will say to them, 'The God of your ancestors sent me to you.' What if the people say, 'What is his name?' What should I tell them?" 14 Then God said to Moses, "I AM who I AM. When you go to the people of Israel, tell them, 'I AM sent me to you.' " 15 God also said to Moses, "This is what you should tell the people: 'The Lord is the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He sent me to you.' This will always be my name, by which people from now on will know me. 16 "Go and gather the elders and tell them this: 'The Lord, the God of your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me. He said, I care about you, and I have seen what has happened to you in Egypt.17 I promised I would take you out of your troubles in Egypt. I will lead you to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—a fertile land.' 18 "The elders will listen to you. And then you and the elders of Israel will go to the king of Egypt and tell him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, appeared to us. Let us travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.' 19 "But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go. Only a great power will force him to let you go,20 so I will use my great power against Egypt. I will strike Egypt with all the miracles that will happen in that land. After I do that, he will let you go.21 I will cause the Egyptians to think well of the Israelites. So when you leave, they will give gifts to your people.22 Each woman should ask her Egyptian neighbor and any Egyptian woman living in her house for gifts—silver, gold, and clothing. You should put those gifts on your children when you leave Egypt. In this way you will take with you the riches of the Egyptians."
Exodus 4 - New Century
1 Then Moses answered, "What if the people of Israel do not believe me or listen to me? What if they say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?" 2 The Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" Moses answered, "It is my walking stick." 3 The Lord said, "Throw it on the ground." So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake. Moses ran from the snake,4 but the Lord said to him, "Reach out and grab the snake by its tail." When Moses reached out and took hold of the snake, it again became a stick in his hand.5 The Lord said, "This is so that the Israelites will believe that the Lord appeared to you. I am the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." 6 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Put your hand inside your coat." So Moses put his hand inside his coat. When he took it out, it was white with a skin disease. 7 Then he said, "Now put your hand inside your coat again." So Moses put his hand inside his coat again. When he took it out, his hand was healthy again, like the rest of his skin. 8 Then the Lord said, "If the people do not believe you or pay attention to the first miracle, they may believe you when you show them this second miracle.9 After these two miracles, if they still do not believe or listen to you, take some water from the Nile River and pour it on the dry ground. The water will become blood when it touches the ground." 10 But Moses said to the Lord, "Please, Lord, I have never been a skilled speaker. Even now, after talking to you, I cannot speak well. I speak slowly and can't find the best words." 11 Then the Lord said to him, "Who made a person's mouth? And who makes someone deaf or not able to speak? Or who gives a person sight or blindness? It is I, the Lord.12 Now go! I will help you speak, and I will teach you what to say." 13 But Moses said, "Please, Lord, send someone else." 14 The Lord became angry with Moses and said, "Your brother Aaron, from the family of Levi, is a skilled speaker. He is already coming to meet you, and he will be happy when he sees you.15 You will speak to Aaron and tell him what to say. I will help both of you to speak and will teach you what to do.16 Aaron will speak to the people for you. You will tell him what God says, and he will speak for you.17 Take your walking stick with you, and use it to do the miracles." 18 Moses went back to Jethro, his father-in-law, and said to him, "Let me go back to my people in Egypt. I want to see if they are still alive." Jethro said to Moses, "Go! I wish you well." 19 While Moses was still in Midian, the Lord said to him, "Go back to Egypt, because the men who wanted to kill you are dead now." 20 So Moses took his wife and his sons, put them on a donkey, and started back to Egypt. He took with him the walking stick of God. 21 The Lord said to Moses, "When you get back to Egypt, do all the miracles I have given you the power to do. Show them to the king of Egypt. But I will make the king very stubborn, and he will not let the people go.22 Then say to the king, 'This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son.23 I told you to let my son go so he may worship me. But you refused to let Israel go, so I will kill your firstborn son.' " 24 As Moses was on his way to Egypt, he stopped at a resting place for the night. The Lord met him there and tried to kill him.25 But Zipporah took a flint knife and circumcised her son. Taking the skin, she touched Moses' feet with it and said to him, "You are a bridegroom of blood to me."26 She said, "You are a bridegroom of blood," because she had to circumcise her son. So the Lord let Moses alone. 27 Meanwhile the Lord said to Aaron, "Go out into the desert to meet Moses." When Aaron went, he met Moses at Sinai, the mountain of God, and kissed him.28 Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had said to him when he sent him to Egypt. He also told him about the miracles which the Lord had commanded him to do. 29 Moses and Aaron gathered all the elders of the Israelites, 30 and Aaron told them everything that the Lord had told Moses. Then Moses did the miracles for all the people to see.
Exodus 5 - New Century
1 After Moses and Aaron talked to the people, they went to the king of Egypt and said, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go so they may hold a feast for me in the desert.' " 2 But the king of Egypt said, "Who is the Lord? Why should I obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and I will not let Israel go." 3 Then Aaron and Moses said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Now let us travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God. If we don't do this, he may kill us with a disease or in war." 4 But the king said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Go back to your jobs!5 There are very many Hebrews, and now you want them to quit working!" 6 That same day the king gave a command to the slave masters and foremen.7 He said, "Don't give the people straw to make bricks as you used to do. Let them gather their own straw.8 But they must still make the same number of bricks as they did before. Do not accept fewer. They have become lazy, and that is why they are asking me, 'Let us go to offer sacrifices to our God.'9 Make these people work harder and keep them busy; then they will not have time to listen to the lies of Moses." 10 So the slave masters and foremen went to the Israelites and said, "This is what the king says: I will no longer give you straw.11 Go and get your own straw wherever you can find it. But you must make as many bricks as you made before."12 So the people went everywhere in Egypt looking for dry stalks to use for straw.13 The slave masters kept forcing the people to work harder. They said, "You must make just as many bricks as you did when you were given straw."14 The king's slave masters had made the Israelite foremen responsible for the work the people did. The Egyptian slave masters beat these men and asked them, "Why aren't you making as many bricks as you made in the past?" 15 Then the Israelite foremen went to the king and complained, "Why are you treating us, your servants, this way?16 You give us no straw, but we are commanded to make bricks. Our slave masters beat us, but it is your own people's fault." 17 The king answered, "You are lazy! You don't want to work! That is why you ask to leave here and make sacrifices to the Lord.18 Now, go back to work! We will not give you any straw, but you must make just as many bricks as you did before." 19 The Israelite foremen knew they were in trouble, because the king had told them, "You must make just as many bricks each day as you did before."20 As they were leaving the meeting with the king, they met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them.21 So they said to Moses and Aaron, "May the Lord punish you. You caused the king and his officers to hate us. You have given them an excuse to kill us." 22 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, "Lord, why have you brought this trouble on your people? Is this why you sent me here?23 I went to the king and said what you told me to say, but ever since that time he has made the people suffer. And you have done nothing to save them."
Exodus 6 - New Century
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to the king of Egypt. I will use my great power against him, and he will let my people go. Because of my power, he will force them out of his country." 2 Then God said to Moses, "I am the Lord.3 I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by the name God Almighty, but they did not know me by my name, the Lord.4 I also made my agreement with them to give them the land of Canaan. They lived in that land, but it was not their own.5 Now I have heard the cries of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are treating as slaves, and I remember my agreement.6 So tell the people of Israel that I say to them, 'I am the Lord. I will save you from the hard work the Egyptians force you to do. I will make you free, so you will not be slaves to the Egyptians. I will free you by my great power, and I will punish the Egyptians terribly.7 I will make you my own people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am the Lord your God, the One who saves you from the hard work the Egyptians force you to do.8 I will lead you to the land that I promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give you that land to own. I am the Lord.' " 9 So Moses told this to the Israelites, but they would not listen to him. They were discouraged, and their slavery was hard. 10 Then the Lord said to Moses,11 "Go tell the king of Egypt that he must let the Israelites leave his land." 12 But Moses answered, "The Israelites will not listen to me, so surely the king will not listen to me either. I am not a good speaker." 13 But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them orders about the Israelites and the king of Egypt. He commanded them to lead the Israelites out of Egypt. 14 These are the leaders of the families of Israel:
Israel's first son, Reuben, had four sons: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. These are the family groups of Reuben. 15 Simeon's sons were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. These are the family groups of Simeon. 16 Levi lived one hundred thirty-seven years. These are the names of his sons according to their family history: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. 17 Gershon had two sons, Libni and Shimei, with their families. 18 Kohath lived one hundred thirty-three years. The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. 19 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the family groups of Levi, according to their family history. 20 Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, who gave birth to Aaron and Moses. Amram lived one hundred thirty-seven years. 21 Izhar's sons were Korah, Nepheg, and Zicri. 22 Uzziel's sons were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23 Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon. Elisheba gave birth to Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24 The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the family groups of the Korahites. 25 Eleazar son of Aaron married a daughter of Putiel, and she gave birth to Phinehas. These are the leaders of the family groups of the Levites. 26 This was the Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, "Lead the people of Israel out of Egypt by their divisions."27 Aaron and Moses are the ones who talked to the king of Egypt and told him to let the Israelites leave Egypt. 28 The Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt29 and said, "I am the Lord. Tell the king of Egypt everything I tell you." 30 But Moses answered, "I am not a good speaker. The king will not listen to me."
Exodus 7 - New Century
1 The Lord said to Moses, "I have made you like God to the king of Egypt, and your brother Aaron will be like a prophet for you.2 Tell Aaron your brother everything that I command you, and let him tell the king of Egypt to let the Israelites leave his country.3 But I will make the king stubborn. I will do many miracles in Egypt,4 but he will still refuse to listen. So then I will punish Egypt terribly, and I will lead my divisions, my people the Israelites, out of that land.5 I will punish Egypt with my power, and I will bring the Israelites out of that land. Then they will know I am the Lord." 6 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded them.7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three when they spoke to the king. 8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,9 "Moses, when the king asks you to do a miracle, tell Aaron to throw his walking stick down in front of the king, and it will become a snake." 10 So Moses and Aaron went to the king as the Lord had commanded. Aaron threw his walking stick down in front of the king and his officers, and it became a snake. 11 So the king called in his wise men and his magicians, and with their tricks the Egyptian magicians were able to do the same thing.12 They threw their walking sticks on the ground, and their sticks became snakes. But Aaron's stick swallowed theirs.13 Still the king was stubborn and refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, "The king is being stubborn and refuses to let the people go.15 In the morning the king will go out to the Nile River. Go meet him by the edge of the river, and take with you the walking stick that became a snake.16 Tell him: The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you. He said, 'Let my people go worship me in the desert.' Until now you have not listened.17 This is what the Lord says: 'This is how you will know that I am the Lord. I will strike the water of the Nile River with this stick in my hand, and the water will change into blood.18 Then the fish in the Nile will die, and the river will begin to stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink the water from the Nile.' " 19 The Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron: 'Take the walking stick in your hand and stretch your hand over the rivers, canals, ponds, and pools in Egypt.' The water will become blood everywhere in Egypt, both in wooden buckets and in stone jars." 20 So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. In front of the king and his officers, Aaron raised his walking stick and struck the water in the Nile River. So all the water in the Nile changed into blood.21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river began to stink, so the Egyptians could not drink water from it. Blood was everywhere in the land of Egypt. 22 Using their tricks, the magicians of Egypt did the same thing. So the king was stubborn and refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.23 The king turned and went into his palace and ignored what Moses and Aaron had done.24 The Egyptians could not drink the water from the Nile, so all of them dug along the bank of the river, looking for water to drink. 25 Seven days passed after the Lord changed the Nile River.
Exodus 8 - New Century
1 Then the Lord told Moses, "Go to the king of Egypt and tell him, 'This is what the Lord says: Let my people go to worship me.2 If you refuse, I will punish Egypt with frogs.3 The Nile River will be filled with frogs. They will come up into your palace, into your bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your officers, and onto your people. They will come into your ovens and into your baking pans.4 The frogs will jump all over you, your people, and your officers.' " 5 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron to hold his walking stick in his hand over the rivers, canals, and ponds. Make frogs come up out of the water onto the land of Egypt." 6 So Aaron held his hand over all the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up out of the water and covered the land of Egypt.7 The magicians used their tricks to do the same thing, so even more frogs came up onto the land of Egypt. 8 The king called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people. I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord." 9 Moses said to the king, "Please set the time when I should pray for you, your people, and your officers. Then the frogs will leave you and your houses and will remain only in the Nile." 10 The king answered, "Tomorrow." Moses said, "What you want will happen. By this you will know that there is no one like the Lord our God.11 The frogs will leave you, your houses, your officers, and your people. They will remain only in the Nile." 12 After Moses and Aaron left the king, Moses asked the Lord about the frogs he had sent to the king.13 And the Lord did as Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, in the yards, and in the fields.14 The Egyptians put them in piles, and the whole country began to stink.15 But when the king saw that they were free of the frogs, he became stubborn again. He did not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. 16 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Tell Aaron to raise his walking stick and strike the dust on the ground. Then everywhere in Egypt the dust will change into gnats."17 They did this, and when Aaron raised the walking stick that was in his hand and struck the dust on the ground, everywhere in Egypt the dust changed into gnats. The gnats got on the people and animals.18 Using their tricks, the magicians tried to do the same thing, but they could not make the dust change into gnats. The gnats remained on the people and animals.19 So the magicians told the king that the power of God had done this. But the king was stubborn and refused to listen to them, just as the Lord had said. 20 The Lord told Moses, "Get up early in the morning, and meet the king of Egypt as he goes out to the river. Tell him, 'This is what the Lord says: Let my people go so they can worship me.21 If you don't let them go, I will send swarms of flies into your houses. The flies will be on you, your officers, and your people. The houses of Egypt will be full of flies, and they will be all over the ground, too.22 But I will not treat the Israelites the same as the Egyptian people. There will not be any flies in the land of Goshen, where my people live. By this you will know that I, the Lord, am in this land.23 I will treat my people differently from your people. This miracle will happen tomorrow.' " 24 So the Lord did as he had said, and great swarms of flies came into the king's palace and his officers' houses. All over Egypt flies were ruining the land.25 The king called for Moses and Aaron and told them, "Offer sacrifices to your God here in this country." 26 But Moses said, "It wouldn't be right to do that, because the Egyptians hate the sacrifices we offer to the Lord our God. If they see us offering sacrifices they hate, they will throw stones at us and kill us.27 Let us make a three-day journey into the desert. We must offer sacrifices to the Lord our God there, as the Lord told us to do." 28 The king said, "I will let you go so that you may offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the desert, but you must not go very far away. Now go and pray for me." 29 Moses said, "I will leave and pray to the Lord, and he will take the flies away from you, your officers, and your people tomorrow. But do not try to trick us again. Do not stop the people from going to offer sacrifices to the Lord." 30 So Moses left the king and prayed to the Lord.
Exodus 9 - New Century
1 Then the Lord told Moses, "Go to the king of Egypt and tell him, 'This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go to worship me.2 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them,3 the Lord will punish you. He will send a terrible disease on your farm animals that are in the fields. He will cause your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, goats, and sheep to become sick.4 But the Lord will treat Israel's animals differently from the animals of Egypt. None of the animals that belong to the Israelites will die.5 The Lord has set tomorrow as the time he will do this in the land.' "6 The next day the Lord did as he promised. All the farm animals in Egypt died, but none of the animals belonging to Israelites died.7 The king sent people to see what had happened to the animals of Israel, and they found that not one of them had died. But the king was still stubborn and did not let the people go. 8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Fill your hands with ashes from a furnace. Moses, throw the ashes into the air in front of the king of Egypt.9 The ashes will spread like dust through all the land of Egypt. They will cause boils to break out and become sores on the skin of people and animals everywhere in the land." 10 So Moses and Aaron took ashes from a furnace and went and stood before the king. Moses threw ashes into the air, which caused boils to break out and become sores on people and animals.11 The magicians could not stand before Moses, because all the Egyptians had boils, even the magicians.12 But the Lord made the king stubborn, so he refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. 13 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and go to the king of Egypt. Tell him, 'This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go to worship me.14 If you don't, this time I will punish you, your officers, and your people, with all my power. Then you will know there is no one in the whole land like me.15 By now I could have used my power and caused a terrible disease that would have destroyed you and your people from the earth.16 But I have let you live for this reason: to show you my power so that my name will be talked about in all the earth.17 You are still against my people and do not want to let them go.18 So at this time tomorrow, I will send a terrible hailstorm, the worst in Egypt since it became a nation.19 Now send for your animals and whatever you have in the fields, and bring them into a safe place. The hail will fall on every person or animal that is still in the fields. If they have not been brought in, they will die.' "20 Some of the king's officers respected the word of the Lord and hurried to bring their slaves and animals inside.21 But others ignored the Lord's message and left their slaves and animals in the fields. 22 The Lord told Moses, "Raise your hand toward the sky. Then the hail will start falling in all the land of Egypt. It will fall on people, animals, and on everything that grows in the fields of Egypt."23 When Moses raised his walking stick toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the earth. So he caused hail to fall upon the land of Egypt.24 There was hail, and lightning flashed as it hailed—the worst hailstorm in Egypt since it had become a nation.25 The hail destroyed all the people and animals that were in the fields in all the land of Egypt. It also destroyed everything that grew in the fields and broke all the trees in the fields.26 The only place it did not hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived. 27 The king sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, "This time I have sinned. The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong.28 Pray to the Lord. We have had enough of God's thunder and hail. I will let you go; you do not have to stay here any longer." 29 Moses told the king, "When I leave the city, I will raise my hands to the Lord in prayer, and the thunder and hail will stop. Then you will know that the earth belongs to the Lord.30 But I know that you and your officers do not yet fear the Lord God."
Exodus 10 - New Century
1 The Lord said to Moses, "Go to the king of Egypt. I have made him and his officers stubborn so I could show them my powerful miracles.2 I also did this so you could tell your children and your grandchildren how I was hard on the Egyptians. Tell them about the miracles I did among them so that all of you will know that I am the Lord." 3 So Moses and Aaron went to the king and told him, "This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'How long will you refuse to be sorry for what you have done? Let my people go to worship me.4 If you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country.5 They will cover the land so that no one will be able to see the ground. They will eat anything that was left from the hailstorm and the leaves from every tree growing in the field.6 They will fill your palaces and all your officers' houses, as well as the houses of all the Egyptians. There will be more locusts than your fathers or ancestors have ever seen—more than there have been since people began living in Egypt.' " Then Moses turned and walked away from the king. 7 The king's officers asked him, "How long will this man make trouble for us? Let the Israelites go to worship the Lord their God. Don't you know that Egypt is ruined?" 8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to the king. He said to them, "Go and worship the Lord your God. But tell me, just who is going?" 9 Moses answered, "We will go with our young and old people, our sons and daughters, and our flocks and herds, because we are going to have a feast to honor the Lord." 10 The king said to them, "The Lord will really have to be with you if ever I let you and all of your children leave Egypt. See, you are planning something evil!11 No! Only the men may go and worship the Lord, which is what you have been asking for." Then the king forced Moses and Aaron out of his palace. 12 The Lord told Moses, "Raise your hand over the land of Egypt, and the locusts will come. They will spread all over the land of Egypt and will eat all the plants the hail did not destroy." 13 So Moses raised his walking stick over the land of Egypt, and the Lord caused a strong wind to blow from the east. It blew across the land all that day and night, and when morning came, the east wind had brought the locusts.14 Swarms of locusts covered all the land of Egypt and settled everywhere. There were more locusts than ever before or after,15 and they covered the whole land so that it was black. They ate everything that was left after the hail—every plant in the field and all the fruit on the trees. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant anywhere in Egypt. 16 The king quickly called for Moses and Aaron. He said, "I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you.17 Now forgive my sin this time. Pray to the Lord your God, and ask him to stop this punishment that kills." 18 Moses left the king and prayed to the Lord.19 So the Lord changed the wind. He made a very strong wind blow from the west, and it blew the locusts away into the Red Sea. Not one locust was left anywhere in Egypt.20 But the Lord caused the king to be stubborn again, and he did not let the Israelites go. 21 Then the Lord told Moses, "Raise your hand toward the sky, and darkness will cover the land of Egypt. It will be so dark you will be able to feel it."22 Moses raised his hand toward the sky, and total darkness was everywhere in Egypt for three days.23 No one could see anyone else, and no one could go anywhere for three days. But the Israelites had light where they lived. 24 Again the king of Egypt called for Moses. He said, "All of you may go and worship the Lord. You may take your women and children with you, but you must leave your flocks and herds here." 25 Moses said, "You must let us have animals to use as sacrifices and burnt offerings, because we have to offer them to the Lord our God.26 So we must take our animals with us; not a hoof will be left behind. We have to use some of the animals to worship the Lord our God. We won't know exactly what we will need to worship the Lord until we get there." 27 But the Lord made the king stubborn again, so he refused to let them go.28 Then he told Moses, "Get out of here, and don't come again! The next time you see me, you will die." 29 Then Moses told the king, "I'll do what you say. I will not come to see you again."
Exodus 11 - New Century
1 Now the Lord had told Moses, "I have one more way to punish the king and the people of Egypt. After this, the king will send all of you away from Egypt. When he does, he will force you to leave completely.2 Tell the men and women of Israel to ask their neighbors for things made of silver and gold."3 The Lord had caused the Egyptians to respect the Israelites, and both the king's officers and the Egyptian people considered Moses to be a great man. 4 So Moses said to the king, "This is what the Lord says: 'About midnight tonight I will go through all Egypt.5 Every firstborn son in the land of Egypt will die—from the firstborn son of the king, who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the slave girl grinding grain. Also the firstborn farm animals will die.6 There will be loud outcries everywhere in Egypt, worse than any time before or after this.7 But not even a dog will bark at the Israelites or their animals.' Then you will know that the Lord treats Israel differently from Egypt.8 All your officers will come to me. They will bow facedown to the ground before me and say, 'Leave and take all your people with you.' After that, I will leave." Then Moses very angrily left the king. 9 The Lord had told Moses, "The king will not listen to you and Aaron so that I may do many miracles in the land of Egypt."10 Moses and Aaron did all these great miracles in front of the king. But the Lord made him stubborn, and the king would not let the Israelites leave his country.
Exodus 12 - New Century
1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt:2 "This month will be the beginning of months, the first month of the year for you.3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man must get one lamb for the people in his house.4 If there are not enough people in his house to eat a whole lamb, he must share it with his closest neighbor, considering the number of people. There must be enough lamb for everyone to eat.5 The lamb must be a one-year-old male that has nothing wrong with it. This animal can be either a young sheep or a young goat.6 Take care of the animals until the fourteenth day of the month. On that day all the people of the community of Israel will kill them in the evening before dark.7 The people must take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.8 On this night they must roast the lamb over a fire. They must eat it with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast.9 Do not eat the lamb raw or boiled in water. Roast the whole lamb over a fire—with its head, legs, and inner organs.10 You must not leave any of it until morning, but if any of it is left over until morning, you must burn it with fire. 11 "This is the way you must eat it: You must be fully dressed as if you were going on a trip. You must have your sandals on and your walking stick in your hand. You must eat it in a hurry; this is the Lord's Passover. 12 "That night I will go through the land of Egypt and kill all the firstborn animals and people in the land of Egypt. I will also punish all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord.13 But the blood will be a sign on the houses where you are. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. Nothing terrible will hurt you when I punish the land of Egypt. 14 "You are always to remember this day and celebrate it with a feast to the Lord. Your descendants are to honor the Lord with this feast from now on.15 For this feast you must eat bread made without yeast for seven days. On the first day, you are to remove all the yeast from your houses. No one should eat any yeast for the full seven days of the feast, or that person will be cut off from Israel.16 You are to have holy meetings on the first and last days of the feast. You must not do any work on these days; the only work you may do is to prepare your meals.17 You must celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because on this very day I brought your divisions of people out of Egypt. So all of your descendants must celebrate this day. This is a law that will last from now on.18 In the first month of the year you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day.19 For seven days there must not be any yeast in your houses. Anybody who eats yeast during this time, either an Israelite or non-Israelite, must be cut off from the community of Israel.20 During this feast you must not eat anything made with yeast. You must eat only bread made without yeast wherever you live." 21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel together and told them, "Get the animals for your families and kill the lamb for the Passover. 22 Take a branch of the hyssop plant, dip it into the bowl filled with blood, and then wipe the blood on the sides and tops of the doorframes. No one may leave that house until morning.23 When the Lord goes through Egypt to kill the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the sides and tops of the doorframes, and he will pass over that house. He will not let the one who brings death come into your houses and kill you. 24 "You must keep this command as a law for you and your descendants from now on.25 Do this when you go to the land the Lord has promised to give you.26 When your children ask you, 'Why are we doing these things?'27 you will say, 'This is the Passover sacrifice to honor the Lord. When we were in Egypt, the Lord passed over the houses of Israel, and when he killed the Egyptians, he saved our homes.' " Then the people bowed down and worshiped the Lord.28 They did just as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron. 29 At midnight the Lord killed all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt—from the firstborn of the king who sat on the throne to the firstborn of the prisoner in jail. Also, all the firstborn farm animals died.30 The king, his officers, and all the Egyptians got up during the night because someone had died in every house. So there was a loud outcry everywhere in Egypt.
Exodus 13 - New Century
1 Then the Lord said to Moses,2 "Give every firstborn male to me. Every firstborn male among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal." 3 Moses said to the people, "Remember this day, the day you left Egypt. You were slaves in that land, but the Lord with his great power brought you out of it. You must not eat bread made with yeast.4 Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving Egypt.5 The Lord will lead you to the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. This is the land he promised your ancestors he would give you, a fertile land. There you must celebrate this feast during the first month of every year.6 For seven days you must eat bread made without yeast, and on the seventh day there will be a feast to honor the Lord.7 So for seven days you must not eat any bread made with yeast. There must be no bread made with yeast anywhere in your land.8 On that day you should tell your son: 'We are having this feast because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.'9 This feast will help you remember, like a mark on your hand or a reminder on your forehead. This feast will remind you to speak the Lord's teachings, because the Lord used his great power to bring you out of Egypt.10 So celebrate this feast every year at the right time. 11 "And when the Lord takes you into the land of the Canaanites, the land he promised to give you and your ancestors,12 you must give him every firstborn male. Also every firstborn male animal must be given to the Lord.13 Buy back every firstborn donkey by offering a lamb. But if you don't want to buy the donkey back, then break its neck. You must buy back from the Lord every firstborn of your sons. 14 "From now on when your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' you will answer, 'With his great power, the Lord brought us out from Egypt, the land where we were slaves.15 The king of Egypt was stubborn and refused to let us leave. But the Lord killed every firstborn male in Egypt, both human and animal. That is why I sacrifice every firstborn male animal to the Lord, and that is why I buy back each of my firstborn sons from the Lord.'16 This feast is like a mark on your hand and a reminder on your forehead to help you remember that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his great power." 17 When the king sent the people out of Egypt, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was the shortest way. God said, "If they have to fight, they might change their minds and go back to Egypt."18 So God led them through the desert toward the Red Sea. The Israelites were dressed for fighting when they left the land of Egypt. 19 Moses carried the bones of Joseph with him, because before Joseph died, he had made the Israelites promise to do this. He had said, "When God saves you, remember to carry my bones with you out of Egypt." 20 The Israelites left Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the desert.21 The Lord showed them the way; during the day he went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud, and during the night he was in a pillar of fire to give them light. In this way they could travel during the day or night.22 The pillar of cloud was always with them during the day, and the pillar of fire was always with them at night.
Exodus 14 - New Century
1 Then the Lord said to Moses,2 "Tell the Israelites to turn back to Pi Hahiroth and to camp between Migdol and the Red Sea. Camp across from Baal Zephon, on the shore of the sea.3 The king will think, 'The Israelites are lost, trapped by the desert.'4 I will make the king stubborn again so he will chase after them, but I will defeat the king and his army. This will bring honor to me, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord." The Israelites did just as they were told. 5 When the king of Egypt was told that the Israelites had left, he and his officers changed their minds about them. They said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites leave. We have lost our slaves!"6 So the king prepared his war chariot and took his army with him.7 He took six hundred of his best chariots, together with all the other chariots of Egypt, each with an officer in it.8 The Lord made the king of Egypt stubborn, so he chased the Israelites, who were leaving victoriously.9 The Egyptians—with all the king's horses, chariot drivers, and army—chased the Israelites. They caught up with them while they were camped by the Red Sea, near Pi Hahiroth and Baal Zephon. 10 When the Israelites saw the king and his army coming after them, they were very frightened and cried to the Lord for help.11 They said to Moses, "What have you done to us? Why did you bring us out of Egypt to die in the desert? There were plenty of graves for us in Egypt.12 We told you in Egypt, 'Let us alone; we will stay and serve the Egyptians.' Now we will die in the desert." 13 But Moses answered, "Don't be afraid! Stand still and you will see the Lord save you today. You will never see these Egyptians again after today.14 You only need to remain calm; the Lord will fight for you." 15 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Command the Israelites to start moving.16 Raise your walking stick and hold it over the sea so that the sea will split and the people can cross it on dry land.17 I will make the Egyptians stubborn so they will chase the Israelites, but I will be honored when I defeat the king and all of his chariot drivers and chariots.18 When I defeat the king, his chariot drivers, and chariots, the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord." 19 Now the angel of God that usually traveled in front of Israel's army moved behind them. Also, the pillar of cloud moved from in front of the people and stood behind them.20 So the cloud came between the Egyptians and the Israelites. This made it dark for the Egyptians but gave light to the Israelites. So the cloud kept the two armies apart all night. 21 Then Moses held his hand over the sea. All that night the Lord drove back the sea with a strong east wind, making the sea become dry ground. The water was split,22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry land, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 23 Then all the king's horses, chariots, and chariot drivers followed them into the sea.24 When morning came, the Lord looked down from the pillar of cloud and fire at the Egyptian army and made them panic.25 He kept the wheels of the chariots from turning, making it hard to drive the chariots. The Egyptians shouted, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The Lord is fighting for them and against Egypt." 26 Then the Lord told Moses, "Hold your hand over the sea so that the water will come back over the Egyptians, their chariots, and chariot drivers."27 So Moses raised his hand over the sea, and at dawn the sea returned to its place. The Egyptians tried to run from it, but the Lord swept them away into the sea.28 The water returned, covering the chariots, chariot drivers, and all the king's army that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. 29 But the Israelites crossed the sea on dry land, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.30 So that day the Lord saved the Israelites from the Egyptians, and the Israelites saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore.
Exodus 15 - New Century
1 Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord:
"I will sing to the Lord,
because he is worthy of great honor.
He has thrown the horse and its rider
into the sea.
2 The Lord gives me strength and makes me sing;
he has saved me.
He is my God,
and I will praise him.
He is the God of my ancestors,
and I will honor him.
3 The Lord is a warrior;
the Lord is his name.
4 The chariots and soldiers of the king of Egypt
he has thrown into the sea.
The king's best officers
are drowned in the Red Sea.
5 The deep waters covered them,
and they sank to the bottom like a rock.
6 Your right hand, Lord,
is amazingly strong.
Lord, your right hand
broke the enemy to pieces.
7 In your great victory
you destroyed those who were against you.
Your anger destroyed them,
like fire burning straw.
8 Just a blast of your breath,
and the waters piled up.
The moving water stood like a wall;
the deep waters became solid in the middle of the sea.
9 "The enemy bragged,
'I'll chase them and catch them.
I'll take all their riches;
I'll take all I want.
I'll pull out my sword,
and my hand will destroy them.'
10 But you blew on them with your breath
and covered them with the sea.
They sank like lead
in the raging water.
11 "Are there any gods like you, Lord?
There are no gods like you.
You are wonderfully holy,
amazingly powerful,
a worker of miracles.
12 You reached out with your right hand,
and the earth swallowed our enemies.
13 You keep your loving promise
and lead the people you have saved.
With your strength you will guide them
to your holy place.
14 "The other nations will hear this and tremble with fear;
terror will take hold of the Philistines.
15 The leaders of the tribes of Edom will be very frightened;
the powerful men of Moab will shake with fear;
the people of Canaan will lose all their courage.
16 Terror and horror will fall on them.
When they see your strength,
they will be as still as a rock.
They will be still until your people pass by, Lord.
They will be still until the people you have taken as your own pass by.
17 You will lead your people and place them
on your very own mountain,
the place that you, Lord, made for yourself to live,
the temple, Lord, that your hands have made.
18 The Lord will be king forever!" 19 The horses, chariot drivers, and chariots of the king of Egypt went into the sea, and the Lord covered them with water from the sea. But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry land.20 Then Aaron's sister Miriam, a prophetess, took a tambourine in her hand. All the women followed her, playing tambourines and dancing.21 Miriam told them:
"Sing to the Lord,
because he is worthy of great honor;
he has thrown the horse and its rider
into the sea." 22 Moses led the Israelites away from the Red Sea into the Desert of Shur. They traveled for three days in the desert but found no water.23 Then they came to Marah, where there was water, but they could not drink it because it was too bitter. (That is why the place was named Marah. )24 The people grumbled to Moses and asked, "What will we drink?" 25 So Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a tree. When Moses threw the tree into the water, the water became good to drink. There the Lord gave the people a rule and a law to live by, and there he tested their loyalty to him.26 He said, "You must obey the Lord your God and do what he says is right. If you obey all his commands and keep his rules, I will not bring on you any of the sicknesses I brought on the Egyptians. I am the Lord who heals you." 27 Then the people traveled to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees. So the people camped there near the water.
Exodus 16 - New Century
1 The whole Israelite community left Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which was between Elim and Sinai; they arrived there on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left Egypt.2 Then the whole Israelite community grumbled to Moses and Aaron in the desert.3 They said to them, "It would have been better if the Lord had killed us in the land of Egypt. There we had meat to eat and all the food we wanted. But you have brought us into this desert to starve us to death." 4 Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will cause food to fall like rain from the sky for all of you. Every day the people must go out and gather what they need for that day. I want to see if the people will do what I teach them.5 On the sixth day of each week, they are to gather twice as much as they gather on other days. Then they are to prepare it." 6 So Moses and Aaron said to all the Israelites: "This evening you will know that the Lord is the one who brought you out of Egypt.7 Tomorrow morning you will see the glory of the Lord, because he has heard you grumble against him. We are nothing, so you are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord."8 And Moses said, "Each evening the Lord will give you meat to eat, and every morning he will give you all the bread you want, because he has heard you grumble against him. You are not grumbling against Aaron and me, because we are nothing; you are grumbling against the Lord." 9 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Speak to the whole community of the Israelites, and say to them, 'Meet together in the presence of the Lord, because he has heard your grumblings.' " 10 While Aaron was speaking to the whole community of the Israelites, they looked toward the desert. There the glory of the Lord appeared in a cloud. 11 The Lord said to Moses,12 "I have heard the grumblings of the people of Israel. So tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and every morning you will eat all the bread you want. Then you will know I am the Lord your God.' " 13 That evening quail came and covered the camp, and in the morning dew lay around the camp.14 When the dew was gone, thin flakes like frost were on the desert ground.15 When the Israelites saw it, they asked each other, "What is it?" because they did not know what it was. So Moses told them, "This is the bread the Lord has given you to eat.16 The Lord has commanded, 'Each one of you must gather what he needs, about two quarts for every person in your family.' " 17 So the people of Israel did this; some people gathered much, and some gathered little.18 Then they measured it. The person who gathered more did not have too much, nor did the person who gathered less have too little. Each person gathered just as much as he needed. 19 Moses said to them, "Don't keep any of it to eat the next day."20 But some of the people did not listen to Moses and kept part of it to eat the next morning. It became full of worms and began to stink, so Moses was angry with those people. 21 Every morning each person gathered as much food as he needed, but when the sun became hot, it melted away. 22 On the sixth day the people gathered twice as much food—four quarts for every person. When all the leaders of the community came and told this to Moses,23 he said to them, "This is what the Lord commanded, because tomorrow is the Sabbath, the Lord's holy day of rest. Bake what you want to bake, and boil what you want to boil today. Save the rest of the food until tomorrow morning." 24 So the people saved it until the next morning, as Moses had commanded, and none of it began to stink or have worms in it.25 Moses told the people, "Eat the food you gathered yesterday. Today is a Sabbath, the Lord's day of rest; you will not find any out in the field today.26 You should gather the food for six days, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day. On that day there will not be any food on the ground." 27 On the seventh day some of the people went out to gather food, but they couldn't find any.28 Then the Lord said to Moses, "How long will you people refuse to obey my commands and teachings?29 Look, the Lord has made the Sabbath a day of rest for you. So on the sixth day he will give you enough food for two days, but on the seventh day each of you must stay where you are. Do not go anywhere."30 So the people rested on the seventh day.
Exodus 17 - New Century
1 The whole Israelite community left the Desert of Sin and traveled from place to place, as the Lord commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink.2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses said to them, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why are you testing the Lord?" 3 But the people were very thirsty for water, so they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Was it to kill us, our children, and our farm animals with thirst?" 4 So Moses cried to the Lord, "What can I do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me to death." 5 The Lord said to Moses, "Go ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Carry with you the walking stick that you used to strike the Nile River. Now go! 6 I will stand in front of you on a rock at Mount Sinai. Hit that rock with the stick, and water will come out of it so that the people can drink." Moses did these things as the elders of Israel watched. 7 He named that place Massah, because the Israelites tested the Lord when they asked, "Is the Lord with us or not?" He also named it Meribah, because they quarreled. 8 At Rephidim the Amalekites came and fought the Israelites.9 So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some men and go and fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill, holding the walking stick of God in my hands." 10 Joshua obeyed Moses and went to fight the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur went to the top of the hill.11 As long as Moses held his hands up, the Israelites would win the fight, but when Moses put his hands down, the Amalekites would win.12 Later, when Moses' arms became tired, the men put a large rock under him, and he sat on it. Then Aaron and Hur held up Moses' hands—Aaron on one side and Hur on the other. They kept his hands steady until the sun went down.13 So Joshua defeated the Amalekites in this battle. 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write about this battle in a book so people will remember. And be sure to tell Joshua, because I will completely destroy the Amalekites from the earth." 15 Then Moses built an altar and named it The Lord is my Banner.16 Moses said, "I lifted my hands toward the Lord's throne. The Lord will fight against the Amalekites forever."
Exodus 18 - New Century
1 Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, was the priest of Midian. He heard about everything that God had done for Moses and his people, the Israelites, and how the Lord had led the Israelites out of Egypt.2 Now Moses had sent his wife Zipporah to Jethro, his father-in-law,3 along with his two sons. The first son was named Gershom, because when he was born, Moses said, "I am a stranger in a foreign country."4 The other son was named Eliezer, because when he was born, Moses said, "The God of my father is my help. He saved me from the king of Egypt." 5 So Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Moses' wife and his two sons and went to Moses. He was camped in the desert near the mountain of God.6 Jethro had sent a message ahead to Moses that said, "I, Jethro, your father-in-law, am coming to you with your wife and her two sons." 7 So Moses went out to meet his father-in-law and bowed down and kissed him. After the two men asked about each other's health, they went into Moses' tent.8 Moses told his father-in-law everything the Lord had done to the king and the Egyptians to help Israel. He told about all the problems they had faced along the way and how the Lord had saved them. 9 Jethro was very happy to hear all the good things the Lord had done for Israel when he had saved them from the Egyptians.10 He said, "Praise the Lord. He has saved you from the Egyptians and their king, and he has saved the people from the power of the Egyptians.11 Now I know the Lord is greater than all gods, because he did this to those who looked down on Israel." 12 Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, gave a whole burnt offering and other sacrifices to God. Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to Moses' father-in-law to eat the holy meal together before God. 13 The next day Moses solved disagreements among the people, and the people stood around him from morning until night.14 When Moses' father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he asked, "What is all this you are doing for the people? Why are you the only one to solve disagreements? All the people are standing around you from morning until night!" 15 Then Moses said to his father-in-law, "It is because the people come to me for God's help in solving their disagreements.16 When people have a disagreement, they come to me, and I decide who is right. I tell them God's laws and teachings." 17 Moses' father-in-law said to him, "You are not doing this right.18 You and the people who come to you will get too tired. This is too much work for you; you can't do it by yourself.19 Now listen to me, and I will give you some advice. I want God to be with you. You must speak to God for the people and tell him about their disagreements.20 Warn them about the laws and teachings, and teach them the right way to live and what they should do.21 But choose some capable men from among the people—men who respect God, who can be trusted, and who will not change their decisions for money. Make these men officers over the people, to rule over groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.22 Let these officers solve the disagreements among the people all the time. They can bring the hard cases to you, but they can decide the simple cases themselves. That will make it easier for you, because they will share the work with you.23 If you do this as God commands you, then you will be able to do your job, and all the people will go home with their disagreements solved." 24 So Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said.25 He chose capable men from all the Israelites and made them leaders over the people; they were officers over groups of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.26 These officers solved disagreements among the people all the time. They brought the hard cases to Moses, but they decided the simple cases themselves. 27 So Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro went back to his own home.
Exodus 19 - New Century
1 Exactly three months after the Israelites had left Egypt, they reached the Desert of Sinai.2 When they left Rephidim, they came to the Desert of Sinai and camped in the desert in front of the mountain.3 Then Moses went up on the mountain to God. The Lord called to him from the mountain and said, "Say this to the family of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel:4 'Every one of you has seen what I did to the people of Egypt. You saw how I carried you out of Egypt, as if on eagle's wings. And I brought you here to me.5 So now if you obey me and keep my agreement, you will be my own possession, chosen from all nations. Even though the whole earth is mine,6 you will be my kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' You must tell the Israelites these words." 7 So Moses went down and called the elders of the people together. He told them all the words the Lord had commanded him to say.8 All the people answered together, "We will do everything he has said." Then Moses took their answer back to the Lord. 9 And the Lord said to Moses, "I will come to you in a thick cloud and speak to you. The people will hear me speaking with you and will always trust you." Then Moses told the Lord what the people had said. 10 The Lord said to Moses, "Go to the people and have them spend today and tomorrow preparing themselves. They must wash their clothes11 and be ready by the day after tomorrow. On that day I, the Lord, will come down on Mount Sinai, and all the people will see me.12 But you must set a limit around the mountain that the people are not to cross. Tell them not to go up on the mountain and not to touch the foot of it. Anyone who touches the mountain must be put to death13 with stones or shot with arrows. No one is allowed to touch him. Whether it is a person or an animal, he will not live. But the trumpet will make a long blast, and only then may the people go up on the mountain." 14 After Moses went down from the mountain to the people, he made them prepare themselves for service to God, and they washed their clothes.15 Then Moses said to the people, "Be ready in three days. Do not have sexual relations during this time." 16 On the morning of the third day, there was thunder and lightning with a thick cloud on the mountain. There was a very loud blast from a trumpet, and all the people in the camp trembled.17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord came down on it in fire. The smoke rose from the mountain like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain shook wildly.19 The sound from the trumpet became louder. Then Moses spoke, and the voice of God answered him. 20 When the Lord came down on top of Mount Sinai, he called Moses to come up to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.21 The Lord said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people that they must not force their way through to see me. If they do, many of them will die.22 Even the priests, who may come near me, must first prepare themselves. If they don't, I, the Lord, will punish them." 23 Moses told the Lord, "The people cannot come up on Mount Sinai, because you yourself told us, 'Set a limit around the mountain, and set it apart as holy.' " 24 The Lord said to him, "Go down and bring Aaron up with you, but don't allow the priests or the people to force their way through. They must not come up to the Lord, or I will punish them." 25 So Moses went down to the people and told them these things.
Exodus 20 - New Century
1 Then God spoke all these words: 2 "I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt where you were slaves. 3 "You must not have any other gods except me. 4 "You must not make for yourselves an idol that looks like anything in the sky above or on the earth below or in the water below the land.5 You must not worship or serve any idol, because I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God. If you hate me, I will punish your children, and even your grandchildren and great-grandchildren.6 But I show kindness to thousands who love me and obey my commands. 7 "You must not use the name of the Lord your God thoughtlessly; the Lord will punish anyone who misuses his name. 8 "Remember to keep the Sabbath holy.9 Work and get everything done during six days each week,10 but the seventh day is a day of rest to honor the Lord your God. On that day no one may do any work: not you, your son or daughter, your male or female slaves, your animals, or the foreigners living in your cities.11 The reason is that in six days the Lord made everything—the sky, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. On the seventh day he rested. So the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. 12 "Honor your father and your mother so that you will live a long time in the land that the Lord your God is going to give you. 13 "You must not murder anyone. 14 "You must not be guilty of adultery. 15 "You must not steal. 16 "You must not tell lies about your neighbor. 17 "You must not want to take your neighbor's house. You must not want his wife or his male or female slaves, or his ox or his donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor." 18 When the people heard the thunder and the trumpet, and when they saw the lightning and the smoke rising from the mountain, they shook with fear and stood far away from the mountain.19 Then they said to Moses, "Speak to us yourself, and we will listen. But don't let God speak to us, or we will die." 20 Then Moses said to the people, "Don't be afraid, because God has come to test you. He wants you to respect him so you will not sin." 21 The people stood far away from the mountain while Moses went near the dark cloud where God was.22 Then the Lord told Moses to say these things to the Israelites: "You yourselves have seen that I talked with you from heaven.23 You must not use gold or silver to make idols for yourselves; do not worship these gods in addition to me. 24 "Make an altar of dirt for me, and sacrifice on it your whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, your sheep and your cattle. Worship me in every place that I choose, and I will come and bless you.25 If you use stones to make an altar for me, don't use stones that you have shaped with tools. When you use any tools on them, you make them unsuitable for use in worship.26 And you must not go up to my altar on steps, or people will be able to see under your clothes."
Exodus 21 - New Century
1 Then God said to Moses, "These are the laws for living that you will give to the Israelites: 2 "If you buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve you for six years. In the seventh year you are to set him free, and he will have to pay nothing.3 If he is not married when he becomes your slave, he must leave without a wife. But if he is married when he becomes your slave, he may take his wife with him.4 If the slave's master gives him a wife, and she gives birth to sons or daughters, the woman and her children will belong to the master. When the slave is set free, only he may leave. 5 "But if the slave says, 'I love my master, my wife and my children, and I don't want to go free,'6 then the slave's master must take him to God. The master is to take him to a door or doorframe and punch a hole through the slave's ear using a sharp tool. Then the slave will serve that master all his life. 7 "If a man sells his daughter as a slave, the rules for setting her free are different from the rules for setting the male slaves free.8 If the master wanted to marry her but then decided he was not pleased with her, he must let one of her close relatives buy her back. He has no right to sell her to foreigners, because he has treated her unfairly.9 If the man who bought her promises to let the woman marry his son, he must treat her as a daughter.10 If the man who bought her marries another woman, he must not keep his first wife from having food or clothing or sexual relations.11 If he does not give her these three things, she may go free, and she owes him no money. 12 "Anyone who hits a person and kills him must be put to death.13 But if a person kills someone accidentally, God allowed that to happen, so the person must go to a place I will choose.14 But if someone plans and murders another person on purpose, put him to death, even if he has run to my altar for safety. 15 "Anyone who hits his father or his mother must be put to death. 16 "Anyone who kidnaps someone and either sells him as a slave or still has him when he is caught must be put to death. 17 "Anyone who says cruel things to his father or mother must be put to death. 18 "If two men argue, and one hits the other with a rock or with his fist, the one who is hurt but not killed might have to stay in bed.19 Later if he is able to get up and walk around outside with his walking stick, the one who hit him is not to be punished. But he must pay the injured man for the loss of his time, and he must support the injured man until he is completely healed. 20 "If a man beats his male or female slave with a stick, and the slave dies on the spot, the owner must be punished.21 But if the slave gets well after a day or two, the owner will not be punished since the slave belongs to him. 22 "Suppose two men are fighting and hit a pregnant woman, causing the baby to come out. If there is no further injury, the man who caused the accident must pay money—whatever amount the woman's husband says and the court allows.23 But if there is further injury, then the punishment that must be paid is life for life,24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,25 burn for burn, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise. 26 "If a man hits his male or female slave in the eye, and the eye is blinded, the man is to free the slave to pay for the eye.27 If a master knocks out a tooth of his male or female slave, the man is to free the slave to pay for the tooth. 28 "If a man's bull kills a man or woman, you must kill that bull by throwing stones at it, and you should not eat the bull. But the owner of the bull is not guilty.29 However, suppose the bull has hurt people in the past and the owner, though warned, did not keep it in a pen. Then if it kills a man or woman, the bull must be stoned to death, and the owner must also be put to death.30 But if the family of the dead person accepts money, the one who owned the bull may buy back his life, but he must pay whatever is demanded.
Exodus 22 - New Century
1 "If a man steals a bull or a sheep and kills or sells it, he must pay back five bulls for the one bull he stole and four sheep for the one sheep he stole. 2-4 "The robber who is caught must pay back what he stole. If he owns nothing, he must be sold as a slave to pay for what he stole. If the stolen animal is found alive with the robber, he must give the owner two animals for every animal he stole, whether it was a bull, donkey, or sheep. "If a thief is killed while breaking into a house at night, the one who killed him is not guilty of murder. But if this happens during the day, he is guilty of murder. 5 "If a man lets his farm animal graze in his field or vineyard, and it wanders into another man's field or vineyard, the owner of the animal must pay back the loss from the best of his crop. 6 "Suppose a man starts a fire that spreads through the thornbushes to his neighbor's field. If the fire burns his neighbor's growing grain or grain that has been stacked, or if it burns his whole field, the person who started the fire must pay for what was burned. 7 "Suppose a man gives his neighbor money or other things to keep for him and those things are stolen from the neighbor's house. If the thief is caught, he must pay back twice as much as he stole.8 But if the thief is never found, the owner of the house must make a promise before God that he has not stolen his neighbor's things. 9 "Suppose two men disagree about who owns something—whether ox, donkey, sheep, clothing, or something else that is lost. If each says, 'This is mine,' each man must bring his case to God. God's judges will decide who is guilty, and that person must pay the other man twice as much as the object is worth. 10 "Suppose a man asks his neighbor to keep his donkey, ox, sheep, or some other animal for him, and that animal dies, gets hurt, or is taken away, without anyone seeing what happened.11 That neighbor must promise before the Lord that he did not harm or kill the other man's animal, and the owner of the animal must accept his promise made before God. The neighbor does not have to pay the owner for the animal.12 But if the animal was stolen from the neighbor, he must pay the owner for it.13 If wild animals killed it, the neighbor must bring the body as proof, and he will not have to pay for the animal that was killed. 14 "If a man borrows an animal from his neighbor, and it gets hurt or dies while the owner is not there, the one who borrowed it must pay the owner for the animal.15 But if the owner is with the animal, the one who borrowed it does not have to pay. If the animal was rented, the rental price covers the loss. 16 "Suppose a man finds a woman who is not pledged to be married and has never had sexual relations with a man. If he tricks her into having sexual relations with him, he must give her family the payment to marry her, and she will become his wife.17 But if her father refuses to allow his daughter to marry him, the man must still give the usual payment for a bride who has never had sexual relations. 18 "Put to death any woman who does evil magic. 19 "Put to death anyone who has sexual relations with an animal. 20 "Destroy completely any person who makes a sacrifice to any god except the Lord. 21 "Do not cheat or hurt a foreigner, because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. 22 "Do not cheat a widow or an orphan.23 If you do, and they cry out to me for help, I certainly will hear their cry.24 And I will be very angry and kill you in war. Then your wives will become widows, and your children will become orphans. 25 "If you lend money to one of my people who is poor, do not treat him as a moneylender would. Charge him nothing for using your money.26 If your neighbor gives you his coat as a promise for the money he owes you, you must give it back to him by sunset,27 because it is the only cover to keep his body warm. He has nothing else to sleep in. If he cries out to me for help, I will listen, because I am merciful. 28 "You must not speak against God or curse a leader of your people. 29 "Do not hold back your offering from the first of your harvest and the first wine that you make. Also, you must give me your firstborn sons.30 You must do the same with your bulls and your sheep. Let the firstborn males stay with their mothers for seven days, and on the eighth day you must give them to me.
Exodus 23 - New Century
1 "You must not tell lies. If you are a witness in court, don't help a wicked person by telling lies. 2 "You must not do wrong just because everyone else is doing it. If you are a witness in court, you must not ruin a fair trial. You must not tell lies just because everyone else is.3 If a poor person is in court, you must not take his side just because he is poor. 4 "If you see your enemy's ox or donkey wandering away, you must return it to him.5 If you see that your enemy's donkey has fallen because its load is too heavy, do not leave it there. You must help your enemy get the donkey back on its feet. 6 "You must not be unfair to a poor person when he is in court.7 You must not lie when you accuse someone in court. Never allow an innocent or honest person to be put to death as punishment, because I will not treat guilty people as if they were innocent. 8 "You must not accept money from a person who wants you to lie in court, because such money will not let you see what is right. Such money makes good people tell lies. 9 "You must not mistreat a foreigner. You know how it feels to be a foreigner, because you were foreigners in Egypt. 10 "For six years you are to plant and harvest crops on your land.11 Then during the seventh year, do not plow or plant your land. If any food grows there, allow the poor people to have it, and let the wild animals eat what is left. You should do the same with your vineyards and your orchards of olive trees. 12 "You should work six days a week, but on the seventh day you must rest. This lets your ox and your donkey rest, and it also lets the slave born in your house and the foreigner be refreshed. 13 "Be sure to do all that I have said to you. You must not even say the names of other gods; those names must not come out of your mouth. 14 "Three times each year you must hold a feast to honor me.15 You must celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the way I commanded you. For seven days you must eat bread that is made without yeast at the set time during the month of Abib, the month when you came out of Egypt. No one is to come to worship me without bringing an offering. 16 "You must celebrate the Feast of Weeks. Offer to God the first things you harvest from the crops you planted in your fields. "You must celebrate the Feast of Shelters in the fall, when you gather all the crops from your fields. 17 "So three times during every year all your males must come to worship the Lord God. 18 "You must not offer animal blood along with anything that has yeast in it. "You must not save any of the fat from the sacrifice for the next day. 19 "You must bring the best of the firstfruits of your land to the Holy Tent of the Lord your God. "You must not cook a young goat in its mother's milk. 20 "I am sending an angel ahead of you, who will protect you as you travel. He will lead you to the place I have prepared.21 Pay attention to the angel and obey him. Do not turn against him; he will not forgive such turning against him because my power is in him.22 If you listen carefully to all he says and do everything that I tell you, I will be an enemy to your enemies. I will fight all who fight against you.23 My angel will go ahead of you and take you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will destroy them. 24 "You must not bow down to their gods or worship them. You must not live the way those people live. You must destroy their idols, breaking into pieces the stone pillars they use in worship.25 If you worship the Lord your God, I will bless your bread and your water. I will take away sickness from you.26 None of your women will have her baby die before it is born, and all women will have children. I will allow you to live long lives. 27 "I will make your enemies afraid of me. I will confuse any people you fight against, and I will make all your enemies run away from you.28 I will send terror ahead of you that will force the Hivites, Canaanites, and Hittites out of your way.29 But I will not force all those people out in only one year. If I did, the land would become a desert and the wild animals would become too many for you.30 Instead, I will force those people out slowly, until there are enough of you to take over the land.
Exodus 24 - New Century
1 The Lord told Moses, "You, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel must come up to me and worship me from a distance.2 Then Moses alone must come near me; the others must not come near. The rest of the people must not come up the mountain with Moses." 3 Moses told the people all the Lord's words and laws for living. Then all of the people answered out loud together, "We will do all the things the Lord has said."4 So Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. And he got up early the next morning and built an altar near the bottom of the mountain. He set up twelve stones, one stone for each of the twelve tribes of Israel.5 Then Moses sent young Israelite men to offer whole burnt offerings and to sacrifice young bulls as fellowship offerings to the Lord.6 Moses put half of the blood of these animals in bowls, and he sprinkled the other half of the blood on the altar.7 Then he took the Book of the Agreement and read it so the people could hear him. And they said, "We will do everything that the Lord has said; we will obey." 8 Then Moses took the blood from the bowls and sprinkled it on the people, saying, "This is the blood that begins the Agreement, the Agreement which the Lord has made with you about all these words." 9 Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up the mountain 10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was a surface that looked as if it were paved with blue sapphire stones, and it was as clear as the sky!11 These leaders of the Israelites saw God, but God did not destroy them. Then they ate and drank together. 12 The Lord said to Moses, "Come up the mountain to me. Wait there, and I will give you two stone tablets. On these are the teachings and the commands I have written to instruct the people." 13 So Moses and his helper Joshua set out, and Moses went up to Sinai, the mountain of God. 14 Moses said to the elders, "Wait here for us until we come back to you. Aaron and Hur are with you, and anyone who has a disagreement with others can take it to them." 15 When Moses went up on the mountain, the cloud covered it.16 The glory of the Lord came down on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from inside the cloud.17 To the Israelites the glory of the Lord looked like a fire burning on top of the mountain.18 Then Moses went into the cloud and went higher up the mountain. He was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.
Exodus 25 - New Century
1 The Lord said to Moses,2 "Tell the Israelites to bring me gifts. Receive for me the gifts each person wants to give.3 These are the gifts that you should receive from them: gold, silver, bronze;4 blue, purple, and red thread; fine linen, goat hair,5 sheepskins that are dyed red; fine leather; acacia wood;6 olive oil to burn in the lamps; spices for sweet-smelling incense, and the special olive oil poured on a person's head to make him a priest;7 onyx stones, and other jewels to be put on the holy vest and the chest covering. 8 "The people must build a holy place for me so that I can live among them.9 Build this Holy Tent and everything in it by the plan I will show you. 10 "Use acacia wood and build an Ark forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.11 Cover the Ark inside and out with pure gold, and put a gold strip all around it.12 Make four gold rings for the Ark and attach them to its four feet, two rings on each side.13 Then make poles from acacia wood and cover them with gold.14 Put the poles through the rings on the sides of the Ark, and use these poles to carry it.15 These poles must always stay in the rings of the Ark. Do not take them out.16 Then put in the Ark the Agreement which I will make with you. 17 "Then make a lid of pure gold for the Ark; this is the mercy seat. Make it forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide.18 Then hammer gold to make two creatures with wings, and put one on each end of the lid.19 Attach one creature on one end of the lid and the other creature on the other end. Make them to be one piece with the lid at the ends.20 The creatures' wings should be spread upward, covering the lid, and the creatures are to face each other across the lid.21 Put this lid on top of the Ark, and put in the Ark the Agreement which I will make with you.22 I will meet with you there, above the lid between the two winged creatures on the Ark of the Agreement. There I will give you all my commands for the Israelites. 23 "Make a table out of acacia wood, thirty-six inches long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.24 Cover it with pure gold, and put a gold strip around it.25 Make a frame three inches high that stands up all around the edge, and put a gold strip around it.26 Then make four gold rings. Attach them to the four corners of the table where the four legs are.27 Put the rings close to the frame around the top of the table, because they will hold the poles for carrying it.28 Make the poles out of acacia wood, cover them with gold, and carry the table with these poles.29 Make the plates and bowls for the table, as well as the jars and cups, out of pure gold. They will be used for pouring out the drink offerings.30 On this table put the bread that shows you are in my presence so that it is always there in front of me.
Exodus 26 - New Century
1 "Make for the Holy Tent ten curtains of fine linen and blue, purple, and red thread. Have a skilled craftsman sew designs of creatures with wings on the pieces of cloth.2 Make each curtain the same size—forty-two feet long and six feet wide.3 Sew five curtains together for one set, and sew the other curtains together for the second set.4 Make loops of blue cloth on the edge of the end curtain of one set, and do the same for the end curtain of the other set.5 Make fifty loops on the end curtain of the first set and fifty loops on the end curtain of the second set. These loops must be opposite each other.6 And make fifty gold hooks to join the two sets of curtains so that the Holy Tent is one piece. 7 "Then make another tent that will cover the Holy Tent, using eleven curtains made from goat hair.8 All these curtains must be the same size—forty-five feet long and six feet wide.9 Sew five of the curtains together into one set. Then sew the other six curtains together into the second set. Fold the sixth curtain double over the front of the Tent.10 Make fifty loops down the edge of the end curtain of one set, and do the same for the end curtain of the other set.11 Then make fifty bronze hooks and put them in the loops to join the tent together so that the covering is one piece.12 Let the extra half piece of cloth hang over the back of the Holy Tent.13 There will be eighteen inches hanging over the sides of the Holy Tent, to protect it.14 Make a covering for the Holy Tent from sheepskins colored red, and over that make a covering from fine leather. 15 "Use acacia wood to make upright frames for the Holy Tent.16 Each frame must be fifteen feet long and twenty-seven inches wide,17 with two pegs side by side. Every frame must be made the same way.18 Make twenty frames for the south side of the Holy Tent.19 Each frame must have two silver bases to go under it, a peg fitting into each base. You must make forty silver bases for the frames.20 Make twenty more frames for the north side of the Holy Tent21 and forty silver bases for them—two bases for each frame.22 You must make six frames for the rear or west end of the Holy Tent23 and two frames for each corner at the rear.24 The two frames are to be doubled at the bottom and joined at the top with a metal ring. Both corner frames must be made this way.25 So there will be a total of eight frames at the rear of the Tent, and there will be sixteen silver bases—two bases under each frame. 26 "Make crossbars of acacia wood to connect the upright frames of the Holy Tent. Make five crossbars to hold the frames together on one side27 and five to hold the frames together on the other side. Also make five crossbars to hold the frames together on the west end, at the rear.28 The middle crossbar is to be set halfway up the frames, and it is to run along the entire length of each side and rear.29 Make gold rings on the sides of the frames to hold the crossbars, and cover the frames and the crossbars with gold.30 Set up the Holy Tent by the plan shown to you on the mountain.
Exodus 27 - New Century
1 "Make an altar of acacia wood, four and one-half feet high. It should be square—seven and one-half feet long and seven and one-half feet wide.2 Make each of the four corners of the altar stick out like a horn, in such a way that the corners with their horns are all one piece. Then cover the whole altar with bronze. 3 "Use bronze to make all the tools and dishes that will be used on the altar: the pots to remove the ashes, the shovels, the bowls for sprinkling blood, the meat forks, and the pans for carrying the burning wood. 4 "Make a large bronze screen to hold the burning wood, and put a bronze ring at each of the four corners of it.5 Put the screen inside the altar, under its rim, halfway up from the bottom. 6 "Make poles of acacia wood for the altar, and cover them with bronze.7 Put the poles through the rings on both sides of the altar to carry it.8 Make the altar out of boards and leave the inside hollow. Make it as you were shown on the mountain. 9 "Make a wall of curtains to form a courtyard around the Holy Tent. The south side should have a wall of fine linen curtains one hundred fifty feet long.10 Hang the curtains with silver hooks and bands on twenty bronze posts with twenty bronze bases.11 The north side must also be one hundred fifty feet long. Hang its curtains on silver hooks and bands on twenty bronze posts with twenty bronze bases. 12 "The west end of the courtyard must have a wall of curtains seventy-five feet long, with ten posts and ten bases on that wall.13 The east end of the courtyard must also be seventy-five feet long.14 On one side of the entry, there is to be a wall of curtains twenty-two and one-half feet long, held up by three posts on three bases.15 On the other side of the entry, there is also to be a wall of curtains twenty-two and one-half feet long, held up by three posts on three bases. 16 "The entry to the courtyard is to be a curtain thirty feet wide, made of fine linen with blue, purple, and red thread. Someone who can sew well is to sew designs on it. It is to be held up by four posts on four bases.17 All the posts around the courtyard must have silver bands and hooks and bronze bases.18 The courtyard must be one hundred fifty feet long and seventy-five feet wide, with a wall of curtains around it seven and one-half feet high, made of fine linen. The bases in which the posts are set must be bronze.19 All the things used in the Holy Tent and all the tent pegs for the Holy Tent and the wall around the courtyard must be made of bronze. 20 "Command the people of Israel to bring you pure olive oil, made from pressed olives, to keep the lamps on the lampstand burning.21 Aaron and his sons must keep the lamps burning before the Lord from evening till morning. This will be in the Meeting Tent, outside the curtain which is in front of the Ark. The Israelites and their descendants must obey this rule from now on.
Exodus 28 - New Century
1 "Tell your brother Aaron to come to you, along with his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. Separate them from the other Israelites to serve me as priests.2 Make holy clothes for your brother Aaron to give him honor and beauty.3 Tell all the skilled craftsmen to whom I have given wisdom to make special clothes for Aaron—clothes to show that he belongs to me so that he may serve me as a priest.4 These are the clothes they must make: a chest covering, a holy vest, an outer robe, a woven inner robe, a turban, and a cloth belt. The craftsmen must make these holy clothes for your brother Aaron and his sons. Then they may serve me as priests.5 The craftsmen must use gold and blue, purple and red thread, and fine linen. 6 "Use gold and blue, purple and red thread, and fine linen to make the holy vest; skilled craftsmen are to make it.7 At each top corner of this holy vest there will be a pair of shoulder straps tied together over each shoulder. 8 "The craftsmen will very carefully weave a belt on the holy vest that is made with the same materials—gold and blue, purple and red thread, and fine linen. 9 "Take two onyx stones and write the names of the twelve sons of Israel on them,10 six on one stone and six on the other. Write the names in order, from the oldest son to the youngest.11 Carve the names of the sons of Israel on these stones in the same way a person carves words and designs on a seal. Put gold around the stones to hold them on the holy vest.12 Then put the two stones on the two straps of the holy vest as reminders of the twelve sons of Israel. Aaron is to wear their names on his shoulders in the presence of the Lord as reminders of the sons of Israel.13 Make two gold pieces to hold the stones14 and two chains of pure gold, twisted together like a rope. Attach the chains to the two gold pieces that hold the stones. 15 "Make a chest covering to help in making decisions. The craftsmen should make it as they made the holy vest, using gold and blue, purple and red thread, and fine linen.16 The chest covering must be square—nine inches long and nine inches wide—and folded double to make a pocket.17 Put four rows of beautiful gems on the chest covering: The first row must have a ruby, topaz, and yellow quartz;18 the second must have turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald;19 the third must have a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;20 the fourth must have a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. Put gold around these jewels to attach them to the chest covering.21 There must be twelve jewels on the chest covering—one jewel for each of the names of the sons of Israel. Carve the name of one of the twelve tribes on each of the stones as you would carve a seal. 22 "Make chains of pure gold, twisted together like rope, for the chest covering.23 Make two gold rings and put them on the two upper corners of the chest covering.24 Attach the two gold chains to the two rings at the upper corners of the chest covering.25 Attach the other ends of the two chains to the two gold pieces on the shoulder straps in the front of the holy vest. 26 "Make two gold rings and put them at the two lower corners of the chest covering, on the inside edge next to the holy vest.27 Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the shoulder straps in the front of the holy vest. Put them close to the seam above the woven belt of the holy vest.28 Join the rings of the chest covering to the rings of the holy vest with blue ribbon, connecting it to the woven belt so the chest covering will not swing out from the holy vest. 29 "When Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will wear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart, on the chest covering that helps in making decisions. This will be a continual reminder before the Lord.30 And put the Urim and Thummim inside the chest covering so that they will be on Aaron's heart when he goes before the Lord. They will help in making decisions for the Israelites. So Aaron will always carry them with him when he is before the Lord.
Exodus 29 - New Century
1 "This is what you must do to appoint Aaron and his sons to serve me as priests. Take one young bull and two male sheep that have nothing wrong with them.2 Use fine wheat flour without yeast to make bread, cakes mixed with olive oil, and wafers brushed with olive oil.3 Put these in one basket, and bring them along with the bull and two male sheep.4 Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Meeting Tent and wash them with water.5 Take the clothes and dress Aaron in the inner robe and the outer robe of the holy vest. Then put on him the holy vest and the chest covering, and tie the holy vest on him with its skillfully woven belt.6 Put the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on the turban.7 Take the special olive oil and pour it on his head to make him a priest. 8 "Then bring his sons and put the inner robes on them.9 Put the headbands on their heads, and tie cloth belts around their waists. Aaron and his descendants will be priests in Israel, according to a rule that will continue from now on. This is how you will appoint Aaron and his sons as priests. 10 "Bring the bull to the front of the Meeting Tent, and Aaron and his sons must put their hands on the bull's head.11 Then kill the bull before the Lord at the entrance to the Meeting Tent.12 Use your finger to put some of the bull's blood on the corners of the altar, and then pour the blood that is left at the bottom of the altar.13 Take all the fat that covers the inner organs, as well as the best part of the liver, both kidneys, and the fat around them, and burn them on the altar.14 Take the bull's meat, skin, and intestines, and burn them outside the camp. This is an offering to take away sin. 15 "Take one of the male sheep, and have Aaron and his sons put their hands on its head.16 Kill it, and take its blood and sprinkle it on all four sides of the altar.17 Then cut it into pieces and wash its inner organs and its legs, putting them with its head and its other pieces.18 Burn the whole sheep on the altar; it is a burnt offering made by fire to the Lord. Its smell is pleasing to the Lord. 19 "Take the other male sheep, and have Aaron and his sons put their hands on its head.20 Kill it and take some of its blood. Put the blood on the bottom of the right ears of Aaron and his sons and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the big toes of their right feet. Then sprinkle the rest of the blood against all four sides of the altar.21 Take some of the blood from the altar, and mix it with the special oil used in appointing priests. Sprinkle this on Aaron and his clothes and on his sons and their clothes. This will show that Aaron and his sons and their clothes are given to my service. 22 "Then take the fat from the male sheep, the fat tail, and the fat that covers the inner organs. In addition, take the best part of the liver, both kidneys, and the fat around them, and the right thigh. (This is the male sheep to be used in appointing priests.) 23 "Then take the basket of bread that you made without yeast, which you put before the Lord. From it take a loaf of bread, a cake made with olive oil, and a wafer.24 Put all of these in the hands of Aaron and his sons, and tell them to present them as an offering to the Lord.25 Then take them from their hands and burn them on the altar with the whole burnt offering. This is an offering made by fire to the Lord; its smell is pleasing to the Lord.26 Then take the breast of the male sheep used to appoint Aaron as priest, and present it before the Lord as an offering. This part of the animal will be your share.27 Set aside the breast and the thigh of the sheep that were used to appoint Aaron and his sons as priests. These parts belong to them.28 They are to be the regular share which the Israelites will always give to Aaron and his sons. It is the gift the Israelites must give to the Lord from their fellowship offerings. 29 "The holy clothes made for Aaron will belong to his descendants so that they can wear these clothes when they are appointed as priests.30 Aaron's son, who will become high priest after Aaron, will come to the Meeting Tent to serve in the Holy Place. He is to wear these clothes for seven days.
Exodus 30 - New Century
1 "Make an altar out of acacia wood for burning incense.2 Make it square—eighteen inches long and eighteen inches wide—and make it thirty-six inches high. The corners that stick out like horns must be one piece with the altar.3 Cover its top, its sides, and its corners with pure gold, and put a gold strip all around the altar.4 Make two gold rings beneath the gold strip on opposite sides of the altar, and slide poles through them to carry the altar.5 Make the poles from acacia wood and cover them with gold.6 Put the altar of incense in front of the curtain that is near the Ark of the Agreement, in front of the lid that covers that Ark. There I will meet with you. 7 "Aaron must burn sweet-smelling incense on the altar every morning when he comes to take care of the oil lamps.8 He must burn incense again in the evening when he lights the lamps, so incense will burn before the Lord every day from now on.9 Do not use this altar for offering any other incense, or burnt offering, or any kind of grain offering, or drink offering.10 Once a year Aaron must make the altar ready for service to God by putting blood on its corners—the blood of the animal offered to remove sins. He is to do this once a year from now on. This altar belongs completely to the Lord's service." 11 The Lord said to Moses, 12 "When you count the people of Israel, every person must buy back his life from the Lord so that no terrible things will happen to the people when you number them.13 Every person who is counted must pay one-fifth of an ounce of silver. (This is set by using one-half of the Holy Place measure, which weighs two-fifths of an ounce.) This amount is a gift to the Lord.14 Every person who is counted and is twenty years old or older must give this amount to the Lord.15 A rich person must not give more than one-fifth of an ounce, and a poor person must not give less. You are paying this to the Lord to buy back your lives.16 Gather from the people of Israel this money paid to buy back their lives, and spend it on things for the service in the Meeting Tent. This payment will remind the Lord that the Israelites' lives have been bought back." 17 The Lord said to Moses,18 "Make a bronze bowl, on a bronze stand, for washing. Put the bowl and stand between the Meeting Tent and the altar, and put water in the bowl.19 Aaron and his sons must wash their hands and feet with the water from this bowl.20 Each time they enter the Meeting Tent they must wash with water so they will not die. Whenever they approach the altar to serve as priests and offer a sacrifice to the Lord by fire,21 they must wash their hands and their feet so they will not die. This is a rule which Aaron and his descendants are to keep from now on." 22 Then the Lord said to Moses,23 "Take the finest spices: twelve pounds of liquid myrrh, half that amount (that is, six pounds) of sweet-smelling cinnamon, six pounds of sweet-smelling cane,24 and twelve pounds of cassia. Weigh all these by the Holy Place measure. Also take four quarts of olive oil,25 and mix all these things like a perfume to make a holy olive oil. This special oil must be put on people and things to make them ready for service to God.26 Put this oil on the Meeting Tent and the Ark of the Agreement,27 on the table and all its dishes, on the lampstand and all its tools, and on the incense altar.28 Also, put the oil on the altar for burnt offerings and on all its tools, as well as on the bowl and the stand under the bowl.29 You will prepare all these things for service to God, and they will be very holy. Anything that touches these things must be holy. 30 "Put the oil on Aaron and his sons to give them for service to me, that they may serve me as priests.
Exodus 31 - New Century
1 Then the Lord said to Moses,2 "See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri from the tribe of Judah. (Uri was the son of Hur.)3 I have filled Bezalel with the Spirit of God and have given him the skill, ability, and knowledge to do all kinds of work.4 He is able to design pieces to be made from gold, silver, and bronze,5 to cut jewels and put them in metal, to carve wood, and to do all kinds of work.6 I have also chosen Oholiab son of Ahisamach from the tribe of Dan to work with Bezalel. I have given skills to all the craftsmen, and they will be able to make all these things I have commanded you:7 the Meeting Tent, the Ark of the Agreement, the lid that covers the Ark, and everything in the Tent.8 This includes the table and everything on it, the pure gold lampstand and everything with it, the altar of incense,9 the altar for burnt offerings and everything used with it, and the bowl and the stand under it.10 They will make the woven clothes and the holy clothes for Aaron and the clothes for his sons to wear when they serve as priests.11 They will also make the special olive oil used in appointing people and things to the service of the Lord, and the sweet-smelling incense for the Holy Place. "These workers will make all these things just as I have commanded you." 12 Then the Lord said to Moses,13 "Tell the Israelites, 'You must keep the rules about my Sabbaths, because they will be a sign between you and me from now on. In this way you will know that I, the Lord, make you holy. 14 " 'Make the Sabbath a holy day. If anyone treats the Sabbath like any other day, that person must be put to death; anyone who works on the Sabbath day must be cut off from his people.15 There are six days for working, but the seventh day is a day of rest, a day holy for the Lord. Anyone who works during the Sabbath day must be put to death.16 The Israelites must remember the Sabbath day as an agreement between them and me that will continue from now on.17 The Sabbath day will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, because in six days I, the Lord, made the sky and the earth. On the seventh day I did not work; I rested.' " 18 When the Lord finished speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two stone tablets with the Agreement written on them, written by the finger of God.
Exodus 32 - New Century
1 The people saw that a long time had passed and Moses had not come down from the mountain. So they gathered around Aaron and said, "Moses led us out of Egypt, but we don't know what has happened to him. Make us gods who will lead us." 2 Aaron said to the people, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, sons, and daughters are wearing, and bring them to me."3 So all the people took their gold earrings and brought them to Aaron.4 He took the gold from the people and formed it with a tool and made a statue of a calf. Then the people said, "Israel, these are your gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!" 5 When Aaron saw all this, he built an altar before the calf and announced, "Tomorrow there will be a special feast to honor the Lord."6 The people got up early the next morning and offered whole burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. They sat down to eat and drink, and then they got up and sinned sexually. 7 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go down from this mountain, because your people, the people you brought out of the land of Egypt, have ruined themselves.8 They have quickly turned away from the things I commanded them to do. They have made for themselves a calf covered with gold, and they have worshiped it and offered sacrifices to it. They have said, 'Israel, these are your gods who brought you out of Egypt.' " 9 The Lord said to Moses, "I have seen these people, and I know that they are very stubborn.10 So now do not stop me. I am so angry with them that I am going to destroy them. Then I will make you and your descendants a great nation." 11 But Moses begged the Lord his God and said, "Lord, don't let your anger destroy your people, whom you brought out of Egypt with your great power and strength.12 Don't let the people of Egypt say, 'The Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt for an evil purpose. He planned to kill them in the mountains and destroy them from the earth.' So stop being angry, and don't destroy your people.13 Remember the men who served you—Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. You promised with an oath to them and said, 'I will make your descendants as many as the stars in the sky. I will give your descendants all this land that I have promised them, and it will be theirs forever.' "14 So the Lord changed his mind and did not destroy the people as he had said he might. 15 Then Moses went down the mountain, and in his hands he had the two stone tablets with the Agreement on them. The commands were written on both sides of each stone, front and back.16 God himself had made the tablets, and God himself had written the commands on the tablets. 17 When Joshua heard the sound of the people shouting, he said to Moses, "It sounds like war down in the camp." 18 Moses answered:
"It is not a shout of victory;
it is not a cry of defeat.
It is the sound of singing that I hear." 19 When Moses came close to the camp, he saw the gold calf and the dancing, and he became very angry. He threw down the stone tablets that he was carrying and broke them at the bottom of the mountain.20 Then he took the calf that the people had made and melted it in the fire. He ground it into powder. Then he threw the powder into the water and forced the Israelites to drink it. 21 Moses said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you? Why did you cause them to do such a terrible sin?" 22 Aaron answered, "Don't be angry, master. You know that these people are always ready to do wrong.23 The people said to me, 'Moses led us out of Egypt, but we don't know what has happened to him. Make us gods who will lead us.'24 So I told the people, 'Take off your gold jewelry.' When they gave me the gold, I threw it into the fire and out came this calf!" 25 Moses saw that the people were acting wildly. Aaron had let them get out of control and become fools in front of their enemies.26 So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, "Let anyone who wants to follow the Lord come to me." And all the people from the family of Levi gathered around Moses. 27 Then Moses said to them, "The Lord, the God of Israel, says this: 'Every man must put on his sword and go through the camp from one end to the other. Each man must kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.' "28 The people from the family of Levi obeyed Moses, and that day about three thousand of the Israelites died.29 Then Moses said, "Today you have been given for service to the Lord. You were willing to kill your own sons and brothers, and God has blessed you for this." 30 The next day Moses told the people, "You have done a terrible sin. But now I will go up to the Lord. Maybe I can do something so your sins will be removed."
Exodus 33 - New Century
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, "You and the people you brought out of Egypt must leave this place. Go to the land that I promised with an oath to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when I said, 'I will give that land to your descendants.'2 I will send an angel to lead you, and I will force these people out of the land: the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.3 Go up to a fertile land. But I will not go with you, because I might destroy you on the way, since you are such a stubborn people." 4 When the people heard this bad news, they became very sad, and none of them put on jewelry.5 This was because the Lord had said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites, 'You are a stubborn people. If I were to go with you even for a moment, I would destroy you. So take off all your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.' "6 So the people of Israel took off their jewelry at Mount Sinai. 7 Moses used to take a tent and set it up a long way outside the camp; he called it the "Meeting Tent." Anyone who wanted to ask the Lord about something would go to the Meeting Tent outside the camp.8 Whenever Moses went out to the Tent, all the people would rise and stand at the entrances of their tents, watching him until he entered the Meeting Tent.9 When Moses went into the Tent, the pillar of cloud would always come down and stay at the entrance of the Tent while the Lord spoke with Moses.10 Whenever the people saw the pillar of cloud at the entrance of the Tent, they stood and worshiped, each person at the entrance of his own tent. 11 The Lord spoke to Moses face to face as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but Moses' young helper, Joshua son of Nun, did not leave the Tent. 12 Moses said to the Lord, "You have told me to lead these people, but you did not say whom you would send with me. You have said to me, 'I know you very well, and I am pleased with you.'13 If I have truly pleased you, show me your plans so that I may know you and continue to please you. Remember that this nation is your people." 14 The Lord answered, "I myself will go with you, and I will give you victory." 15 Then Moses said to him, "If you yourself don't go with us, then don't send us away from this place.16 If you don't go with us, no one will know that you are pleased with me and with your people. These people and I will be no different from any other people on earth." 17 Then the Lord said to Moses, "I will do what you ask, because I know you very well, and I am pleased with you." 18 Then Moses said, "Now, please show me your glory." 19 The Lord answered, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will announce my name, the Lord, so you can hear it. I will show kindness to anyone to whom I want to show kindness, and I will show mercy to anyone to whom I want to show mercy.20 But you cannot see my face, because no one can see me and live. 21 "There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock.22 When my glory passes that place, I will put you in a large crack in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.23 Then I will take away my hand, and you will see my back. But my face must not be seen."
Exodus 34 - New Century
1 The Lord said to Moses, "Cut two more stone tablets like the first two, and I will write the same words on them that were on the first two stones which you broke.2 Be ready tomorrow morning, and then come up on Mount Sinai. Stand before me there on the top of the mountain.3 No one may come with you or even be seen any place on the mountain. Not even the flocks or herds may eat grass near that mountain." 4 So Moses cut two stone tablets like the first ones. Then early the next morning he went up Mount Sinai, just as the Lord had commanded him, carrying the two stone tablets with him.5 Then the Lord came down in the cloud and stood there with Moses, and the Lord called out his name: the Lord. 6 The Lord passed in front of Moses and said, "I am the Lord. The Lord is a God who shows mercy, who is kind, who doesn't become angry quickly, who has great love and faithfulness7 and is kind to thousands of people. The Lord forgives people for evil, for sin, and for turning against him, but he does not forget to punish guilty people. He will punish not only the guilty people, but also their children, their grandchildren, their great-grandchildren, and their great-great-grandchildren." 8 Then Moses quickly bowed to the ground and worshiped.9 He said, "Lord, if you are pleased with me, please go with us. I know that these are stubborn people, but forgive our evil and our sin. Take us as your own people." 10 Then the Lord said, "I am making this agreement with you. I will do miracles in front of all your people—things that have never before been done for any other nation on earth—and the people with you will see my work. I, the Lord, will do wonderful things for you.11 Obey the things I command you today, and I will force out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites ahead of you.12 Be careful that you don't make an agreement with the people who live in the land where you are going, because it will bring you trouble.13 Destroy their altars, break their stone pillars, and cut down their Asherah idols.14 Don't worship any other god, because I, the Lord, the Jealous One, am a jealous God. 15 "Be careful that you don't make an agreement with the people who live in that land. When they worship their gods, they will invite you to join them. Then you will eat their sacrifices.16 If you choose some of their daughters as wives for your sons and those daughters worship gods, they will lead your sons to do the same thing. 17 "Do not make gods of melted metal. 18 "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you must eat bread made without yeast as I commanded you. Do this during the month I have chosen, the month of Abib, because in that month you came out of Egypt. 19 "The firstborn of every mother belongs to me, including every firstborn male animal that is born in your flocks and herds.20 You may buy back a donkey by paying for it with a lamb, but if you don't want to buy back a donkey, you must break its neck. You must buy back all your firstborn sons. "No one is to come before me without a gift. 21 "You must work for six days, but on the seventh day you must rest—even during the planting season and the harvest season. 22 "Celebrate the Feast of Weeks when you gather the first grain of the wheat harvest. And celebrate the Feast of Shelters in the fall. 23 "Three times each year all your males must come before the Lord God, the God of Israel.24 I will force out nations ahead of you and expand the borders of your land. You will go before the Lord your God three times each year, and at that time no one will try to take your land from you. 25 "Do not offer the blood of a sacrifice to me with anything containing yeast, and do not leave any of the sacrifice of the Feast of Passover until the next morning. 26 "Bring the best first crops that you harvest from your ground to the Tent of the Lord your God. "You must not cook a young goat in its mother's milk." 27 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write down these words, because with these words I have made an agreement with you and Israel." 28 Moses stayed there with the Lord forty days and forty nights, and during that time he did not eat food or drink water. And Moses wrote the words of the Agreement—the Ten Commandments—on the stone tablets. 29 Then Moses came down from Mount Sinai, carrying the two stone tablets of the Agreement in his hands. But he did not know that his face was shining because he had talked with the Lord.30 When Aaron and all the people of Israel saw that Moses' face was shining, they were afraid to go near him.
Exodus 35 - New Century
1 Moses gathered all the Israelite community together and said to them, "These are the things the Lord has commanded you to do.2 You are to work for six days, but the seventh day will be a holy day, a Sabbath of rest to honor the Lord. Anyone who works on that day must be put to death.3 On the Sabbath day you must not light a fire in any of your houses." 4 Moses said to all the Israelites, "This is what the Lord has commanded:5 From what you have, take an offering for the Lord. Let everyone who is willing bring this offering to the Lord: gold, silver, bronze,6 blue, purple and red thread, and fine linen, goat hair7 and male sheepskins that are colored red. They may also bring fine leather, acacia wood,8 olive oil for the lamps, spices for the special olive oil used for appointing priests and for the sweet-smelling incense,9 onyx stones, and other jewels to be put on the holy vest and chest covering of the priests. 10 "Let all the skilled workers come and make everything the Lord commanded:11 the Holy Tent, its outer tent and its covering, the hooks, frames, crossbars, posts, and bases;12 the Ark of the Agreement, its poles, lid, and the curtain in front of it;13 the table, and its poles, all the things that go with the table, and the bread that shows we are in God's presence;14 the lampstand for the light and all the things that go with it, the lamps, and olive oil for the light;15 the altar of incense and its poles, the special oil and the sweet-smelling incense, the curtain for the entrance of the Meeting Tent;16 the altar of burnt offering and its bronze screen, its poles and all its tools, the bronze bowl and its base;17 the curtains around the courtyard, their posts and bases, and the curtain at the entry to the courtyard;18 the pegs of the Holy Tent and of the courtyard and their ropes;19 the special clothes that the priest will wear in the Holy Place. These are the holy clothes for Aaron the priest and his sons to wear when they serve as priests." 20 Then all the people of Israel went away from Moses.21 Everyone who wanted to give came and brought a gift to the Lord for making the Meeting Tent, all the things in the Tent, and the special clothes.22 All the men and women who wanted to give brought gold jewelry of all kinds—pins, earrings, rings, and bracelets. They all presented their gold to the Lord.23 Everyone who had blue, purple, and red thread, and fine linen, and anyone who had goat hair or male sheepskins colored red or fine leather brought them to the Lord.24 Everyone who could give silver or bronze brought that as a gift to the Lord, and everyone who had acacia wood to be used in the work brought it.25 Every skilled woman used her hands to make the blue, purple, and red thread, and fine linen, and they brought what they had made.26 All the women who were skilled and wanted to help made thread of the goat hair.27 The leaders brought onyx stones and other jewels to put on the holy vest and chest covering for the priest.28 They also brought spices and olive oil for the sweet-smelling incense, the special oil, and the oil to burn in the lamps.29 All the men and women of Israel who wanted to help brought gifts to the Lord for all the work the Lord had commanded Moses and the people to do. 30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, "Look, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri the son of Hur, from the tribe of Judah.
Exodus 36 - New Century
1 Oholiab, and every skilled person will do the work the Lord has commanded, because he gave them the wisdom and understanding to do all the skilled work needed to build the Holy Tent." 2 Then Moses called Bezalel, Oholiab, and all the other skilled people to whom the Lord had given skills, and they came because they wanted to help with the work.3 They received from Moses everything the people of Israel had brought as gifts to build the Holy Tent. The people continued to bring gifts each morning because they wanted to.4 So all the skilled workers left the work they were doing on the Holy Tent,5 and they said to Moses, "The people are bringing more than we need to do the work the Lord commanded." 6 Then Moses sent this command throughout the camp: "No man or woman should make anything else as a gift for the Holy Tent." So the people were kept from giving more,7 because what they had was already more than enough to do all the work. 8 Then the skilled workers made the Holy Tent. They made the ten curtains of blue, purple, and red cloth, and they sewed designs of creatures with wings on the curtains.9 Each curtain was the same size—forty-two feet long and six feet wide.10 Five of the curtains were fastened together to make one set, and the other five were fastened together to make another set.11 Then they made loops of blue cloth along the edge of the end curtain on the first set of five, and they did the same thing with the other set of five.12 There were fifty loops on one curtain and fifty loops on the other curtain, with the loops opposite each other.13 They made fifty gold hooks to join the two curtains together so that the Holy Tent was joined together as one piece. 14 Then the workers made another tent of eleven curtains made of goat hair, to put over the Holy Tent.15 All eleven curtains were the same size—forty-five feet long and six feet wide.16 The workers sewed five curtains together into one set and six together into another set.17 They made fifty loops along the edge of the outside curtain of one set and fifty loops along the edge of the outside curtain of the other set.18 Then they made fifty bronze rings to join the two sets of cloth together and make the tent one piece.19 They made two more coverings for the outer tent—one made of male sheepskins colored red and the other made of fine leather. 20 Then they made upright frames of acacia wood for the Holy Tent.21 Each frame was fifteen feet tall and twenty-seven inches wide,22 and there were two pegs side by side on each one. Every frame of the Holy Tent was made this same way.23 They made twenty frames for the south side of the Tent,24 and they made forty silver bases that went under the twenty frames. There were two bases for every frame—one for each peg of each frame.25 They also made twenty frames for the north side of the Holy Tent26 and forty silver bases—two to go under each frame.27 They made six frames for the rear or west end of the Holy Tent28 and two frames for the corners at the rear of the Holy Tent.29 These two frames were doubled at the bottom and joined at the top with a metal ring. They did this for each of these corners.30 So there were eight frames and sixteen silver bases—two bases under each frame.
Exodus 37 - New Century
1 Bezalel made the Ark of acacia wood; it was forty-five inches long, twenty-seven inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.2 He covered it, both inside and out, with pure gold, and he put a gold strip around it.3 He made four gold rings for it and attached them to its four feet, with two rings on each side.4 Then he made poles of acacia wood and covered them with gold.5 He put the poles through the rings on each side of the Ark to carry it.6 Then he made a lid of pure gold that was forty-five inches long and twenty-seven inches wide.7 Then Bezalel hammered gold to make two creatures with wings and attached them to each end of the lid.8 He made one creature on one end of the lid and the other creature on the other end. He attached them to the lid so that it would be one piece.9 The creatures' wings were spread upward, covering the lid, and the creatures faced each other across the lid. 10 Then he made the table of acacia wood; it was thirty-six inches long, eighteen inches wide, and twenty-seven inches high.11 He covered it with pure gold and put a gold strip around it.12 He made a frame three inches high that stood up all around the edge, and he put a gold strip around it.13 Then he made four gold rings for the table and attached them to the four corners of the table where the four legs were.14 The rings were put close to the frame around the top of the table, because they held the poles for carrying it.15 The poles for carrying the table were made of acacia wood and were covered with gold.16 He made of pure gold all the things that were used on the table: the plates, bowls, cups, and jars used for pouring the drink offerings. 17 Then he made the lampstand of pure gold, hammering out its base and stand. Its flower-like cups, buds, and petals were joined together in one piece with the base and stand.18 Six branches went out from the sides of the lampstand—three on one side and three on the other.19 Each branch had three cups shaped like almond flowers, and each cup had a bud and a petal. Each of the six branches going out from the lampstand was the same.20 There were four more cups shaped like almond flowers on the lampstand itself, each with its buds and petals.21 Three pairs of branches went out from the lampstand. A bud was under the place where each pair was attached to the lampstand. Each of the six branches going out from the lampstand was the same.22 The buds, branches, and lampstand were all one piece of pure, hammered gold.23 He made seven pure gold lamps for this lampstand, and he made pure gold wick trimmers and trays.24 He used about seventy-five pounds of pure gold to make the lampstand and all the things that go with it. 25 Then he made the altar of incense out of acacia wood. It was square—eighteen inches long and eighteen inches wide—and it was thirty-six inches high. Each corner that stuck out like a horn was joined into one piece with the altar.26 He covered the top and all the sides and the corners with pure gold, and he put gold trim around the altar.27 He made two gold rings and put them below the trim on opposite sides of the altar; these rings held the poles for carrying it.28 He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them with gold. 29 Then he made the holy olive oil for appointing the priests and the pure, sweet-smelling incense. He made them like a person who mixes perfumes.
Exodus 38 - New Century
1 Then he built the altar for burnt offerings out of acacia wood. The altar was square—seven and one-half feet long and seven and one-half feet wide—and it was four and one-half feet high.2 He made each corner stick out like a horn so that the horns and the altar were joined together in one piece. Then he covered the altar with bronze.3 He made all the tools of bronze to use on the altar: the pots, shovels, bowls for sprinkling blood, meat forks, and pans for carrying the fire.4 He made a large bronze screen to hold the burning wood for the altar and put it inside the altar, under its rim, halfway up from the bottom.5 He made bronze rings to hold the poles for carrying the altar, and he put them at the four corners of the screen.6 Then he made poles of acacia wood and covered them with bronze.7 He put the poles through the rings on both sides of the altar, to carry it. He made the altar of boards and left the inside hollow. 8 He made the bronze bowl for washing, and he built it on a bronze stand. He used the bronze from mirrors that belonged to the women who served at the entrance to the Meeting Tent. 9 Then he made a wall of curtains to form a courtyard around the Holy Tent. On the south side the curtains were one hundred fifty feet long and were made of fine linen.10 The curtains hung on silver hooks and bands, placed on twenty bronze posts with twenty bronze bases.11 On the north side the wall of curtains was also one hundred fifty feet long, and it hung on silver hooks and bands on twenty posts with twenty bronze bases. 12 On the west side of the courtyard, the wall of curtains was seventy-five feet long. It was held up by silver hooks and bands on ten posts with ten bases.13 The east side was also seventy-five feet long.14 On one side of the entry there was a wall of curtains twenty-two and one-half feet long, held up by three posts and three bases.15 On the other side of the entry there was also a wall of curtains twenty-two and one-half feet long, held up by three posts and three bases.16 All the curtains around the courtyard were made of fine linen.17 The bases for the posts were made of bronze. The hooks and the bands on the posts were made of silver, and the tops of the posts were covered with silver also. All the posts in the courtyard had silver bands. 18 The curtain for the entry of the courtyard was made of blue, purple, and red thread, and fine linen, sewn by a person who could sew well. The curtain was thirty feet long and seven and one-half feet high, the same height as the curtains around the courtyard.19 It was held up by four posts and four bronze bases. The hooks and bands on the posts were made of silver, and the tops on the posts were covered with silver.20 All the tent pegs for the Holy Tent and for the curtains around the courtyard were made of bronze. 21 This is a list of the materials used to make the Holy Tent, where the Agreement was kept. Moses ordered the Levites to make this list, and Ithamar son of Aaron was in charge of keeping it.22 Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur of the tribe of Judah, made everything the Lord commanded Moses.23 Oholiab son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan helped him. He could cut designs into metal and stone; he was a designer and also skilled at sewing the blue, purple, and red thread, and fine linen. 24 The total amount of gold used to build the Holy Tent was presented to the Lord. It weighed over 2,000 pounds, as set by the Holy Place measure. 25 The silver was given by the members of the community who were counted. It weighed 7,550 pounds, as set by the Holy Place measure.26 All the men twenty years old or older were counted. There were 603,550 men, and each man had to pay one-fifth of an ounce of silver, as set by the Holy Place measure.27 Of this silver, 7,500 pounds were used to make the one hundred bases for the Holy Tent and for the curtain—75 pounds of silver in each base.28 They used 50 pounds of silver to make the hooks for the posts and to cover the tops of the posts and to make the bands on them. 29 The bronze which was presented to the Lord weighed about 5,000 pounds.30 They used the bronze to make the bases at the entrance of the Meeting Tent, to make the altar and the bronze screen, and to make all the tools for the altar.
Exodus 39 - New Century
1 They used blue, purple, and red thread to make woven clothes for the priests to wear when they served in the Holy Place. They made the holy clothes for Aaron as the Lord had commanded Moses. 2 They made the holy vest of gold, and blue, purple, and red thread, and fine linen.3 They hammered the gold into sheets and then cut it into long, thin strips. They worked the gold into the blue, purple, and red thread, and fine linen. This was done by skilled craftsmen.4 They made the shoulder straps for the holy vest, which were attached to the top corners of the vest and tied together over each shoulder.5 The skillfully woven belt was made in the same way; it was joined to the holy vest as one piece. It was made of gold, and blue, purple, and red thread, and fine linen, the way the Lord commanded Moses. 6 They put gold around the onyx stones and then wrote the names of the sons of Israel on these gems, as a person carves words and designs on a seal.7 Then they attached the gems on the shoulder straps of the holy vest, as reminders of the twelve sons of Israel. This was done just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 8 The skilled craftsmen made the chest covering like the holy vest; it was made of gold, and blue, purple, and red thread, and fine linen.9 The chest covering was square—nine inches long and nine inches wide—and it was folded double to make a pocket.10 Then they put four rows of beautiful jewels on it: In the first row there was a ruby, a topaz, and a yellow quartz;11 in the second there was a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald;12 in the third there was a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;13 in the fourth there was a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. Gold was put around these jewels to attach them to the chest covering,14 and the names of the sons of Israel were carved on these twelve jewels as a person carves a seal. Each jewel had the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. 15 They made chains of pure gold, twisted together like a rope, for the chest covering.16 The workers made two gold pieces and two gold rings. They put the two gold rings on the two upper corners of the chest covering.17 Then they put two gold chains in the two rings at the ends of the chest covering,18 and they fastened the other two ends of the chains to the two gold pieces. They attached these gold pieces to the two shoulder straps in the front of the holy vest.19 They made two gold rings and put them at the lower corners of the chest covering on the inside edge next to the holy vest.20 They made two more gold rings on the bottom of the shoulder straps in front of the holy vest, near the seam, just above the woven belt of the holy vest.21 They used a blue ribbon and tied the rings of the chest covering to the rings of the holy vest, connecting it to the woven belt. In this way the chest covering would not swing out from the holy vest. They did all these things the way the Lord commanded. 22 Then they made the outer robe to be worn under the holy vest. It was woven only of blue cloth.23 They made a hole in the center of the outer robe, with a woven collar sewn around it so it would not tear.24 Then they made balls like pomegranates of blue, purple, and red thread, and fine linen and hung them around the bottom of the outer robe.25 They also made bells of pure gold and hung these around the bottom of the outer robe between the balls.26 So around the bottom of the outer robe there was a bell and a pomegranate ball, a bell and a pomegranate ball. The priest wore this outer robe when he served as priest, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 27 They wove inner robes of fine linen for Aaron and his sons,28 and they made turbans, headbands, and underclothes of fine linen.29 Then they made the cloth belt of fine linen, and blue, purple, and red thread, and designs were sewn onto it, just as the Lord had commanded Moses. 30 They made a strip of pure gold, which is the holy crown, and carved these words in the gold, as one might carve on a seal: "Holy to the Lord."
Exodus 40 - New Century
1 Then the Lord said to Moses:2 "On the first day of the first month, set up the Holy Tent, which is the Meeting Tent.3 Put the Ark of the Agreement in it and hang the curtain in front of the Ark.4 Bring in the table and arrange everything on the table that should be there. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps.5 Put the gold altar for burning incense in front of the Ark of the Agreement, and put the curtain at the entrance to the Holy Tent. 6 "Put the altar of burnt offerings in front of the entrance of the Holy Tent, the Meeting Tent.7 Put the bowl between the Meeting Tent and the altar, and put water in it.8 Set up the courtyard around the Holy Tent, and put the curtain at the entry to the courtyard. 9 "Use the special olive oil and pour it on the Holy Tent and everything in it, in order to give the Tent and all that is in it for service to the Lord. They will be holy.10 Pour the special oil on the altar for burnt offerings and on all its tools. Give the altar for service to God, and it will be very holy.11 Then pour the special olive oil on the bowl and the base under it so that they will be given for service to God. 12 "Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the Meeting Tent, and wash them with water.13 Then put the holy clothes on Aaron. Pour the special oil on him, and give him for service to God so that he may serve me as a priest.14 Bring Aaron's sons and put the inner robes on them.15 Pour the special oil on them in the same way that you appointed their father as priest so that they may also serve me as priests. Pouring oil on them will make them a family of priests, they and their descendants from now on."16 Moses did everything that the Lord commanded him. 17 So the Holy Tent was set up on the first day of the first month during the second year after they left Egypt.18 When Moses set up the Holy Tent, he put the bases in place, and he put the frames on the bases. Next he put the crossbars through the rings of the frames and set up the posts.19 After that, Moses spread the cloth over the Holy Tent and put the covering over it, just as the Lord commanded. 20 Moses put the stone tablets that had the Agreement written on them into the Ark. He put the poles through the rings of the Ark and put the lid on it.21 Next he brought the Ark into the Tent and hung the curtain to cover the Ark, just as the Lord commanded him. 22 Moses put the table in the Meeting Tent on the north side of the Holy Tent in front of the curtain.23 Then he put the bread on the table before the Lord, just as the Lord commanded him.24 Moses put the lampstand in the Meeting Tent on the south side of the Holy Tent across from the table.25 Then he put the lamps on the lampstand before the Lord, just as the Lord commanded him. 26 Moses put the gold altar for burning incense in the Meeting Tent in front of the curtain.27 Then he burned sweet-smelling incense on it, just as the Lord commanded him.28 Then he hung the curtain at the entrance to the Holy Tent. 29 He put the altar for burnt offerings at the entrance to the Holy Tent, the Meeting Tent, and offered a whole burnt offering and grain offerings on it, just as the Lord commanded him.30 Moses put the bowl between the Meeting Tent and the altar for burnt offerings, and he put water in it for washing.
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