Dual Panel1The LORD answered, “Now you will see what I shall do to Pharaoh: he will be compelled to let them go, he will be forced to drive them from his country.”
2God said to Moses, “I am the LORD.
3I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty; but I did not let myself be known to them by my name, the LORD.
4I also established my covenant with them to give them Canaan, the land where for a time they settled as foreigners.
5And now I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, enslaved by the Egyptians, and I am mindful of my covenant.
6Therefore say to the Israelites, ‘I am the LORD. I shall free you from your labours in Egypt and deliver you from slavery. I shall rescue you with outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgement.
7I shall adopt you as my people, and I shall be your God. You will know that I, the LORD, am your God, the God who frees you from your labours in Egypt.
8I shall lead you to the land which I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I shall give it you for your possession. I am the LORD.’”
9But when Moses repeated those words to the Israelites, they would not listen to him; because of their cruel slavery, they had reached the depths of despair.
10Then the LORD said to Moses,
11“Go and bid Pharaoh king of Egypt let the Israelites leave his country.”
12Moses protested to the LORD, “If the Israelites do not listen to me, how will Pharaoh listen to such a halting speaker as me?”
13The LORD then spoke to both Moses and Aaron and gave them their commission concerning the Israelites and Pharaoh, which was that they should bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
14THESE were the heads of families. Sons of Reuben, Israel's eldest son: Enoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these were the families of Reuben.
15Sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Saul, who was the son of a Canaanite woman; these were the families of Simeon.
16These were the names of the sons of Levi in order of seniority: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived to be a hundred and thirty-seven.
17Sons of Gershon, family by family: Libni and Shimei.
18Sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived to be a hundred and thirty-three.
19Sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These were the families of Levi in order of seniority.
20Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived to be a hundred and thirty-seven.
21Sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.
22Sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
23Aaron married Elisheba, who was the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
24Sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these were the Korahite families.
25Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These were the heads of the Levite families, family by family.
26It was this Aaron, together with Moses, to whom the LORD said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypt, mustered in their tribal hosts.”
27These were the men, this same Moses and Aaron, who told Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites leave Egypt.
The struggle with Pharaoh
28WHEN the LORD spoke to Moses in Egypt he said,
29“I am the LORD. Report to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.”
30Moses protested to the LORD, “I am a halting speaker; how will Pharaoh listen to me?”