79 YAHWEH APPEARS TO MOSHEH
YAHWEH appears to Mosheh and commands him to go down to Egypt to Deliver Yisrael. Aaron meets him. Yisrael on hearing of his Mission greatly rejoices. Mosheh and Aaron go to Pharaoh, who calls all the Magicians to meet Mosheh. They Perform Miracles as well as Mosheh, and thus Deceive the King. Pharaoh, not finding the Name of YAHWEH on any of the Books of Records, says he does not know who He is, and will not let his People go. Mosheh and Aaron teach Pharaoh, but he will not hearken, but causes the labor of the Children of Yisrael to be increased. Mosheh being discouraged is told by YAHWEH that with an outstretched hand and heavy Plagues, Yisrael shall be Delivered.
1 And in those days Mosheh was feeding the flock of Reuel the Midianite his father-in-law, beyond the wilderness of Sin, and the stick which he took from his father-in-law was in his hand.
2 And it came to pass one day that a kid of goats strayed from the flock, and Mosheh pursued it and it came to the mountain of YAHWEH to Horeb.
3 And when he came to Horeb, YAHWEH appeared there unto him in the bush, and he found the bush burning with fire, but the fire had no power over the bush to consume it.
4 And Mosheh was greatly astonished at this sight, wherefore the bush was not consumed, and he approached to see this mighty thing, and YAHWEH called unto Mosheh out of the fire and commanded him to go down to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to send the children of Yisrael from his service.
5 And YAHWEH said unto Mosheh, Go, return to Egypt, for all those men who sought your life are dead, and you shalt speak unto Pharaoh to send forth the children of Yisrael from his land.
6 And YAHWEH showed him to do signs and wonders in Egypt before the eyes of Pharaoh and the eyes of his subjects, in order that they might believe that YAHWEH had sent him.
7 And Mosheh hearkened to all that YAHWEH had commanded him, and he returned to his father-in-law and told him the thing, and Reuel said to him, Go in peace.
8 And Mosheh rose up to go to Egypt, and he took his wife and sons with him, and he was at an inn in the road, and an heavenly messenger of YAHWEH came down, and sought an occasion against him.
9 And he wished to kill him on account of his first born son, because he had not circumcised him, and had transgressed the covenant which YAHWEH had made with Abraham.
10 For Mosheh had hearkened to the words of his father-in-law which he had spoken to him, not to circumcise his first born son, therefore he circumcised him not.
11 And Zipporah saw the heavenly messenger of YAHWEH seeking an occasion against Mosheh, and she knew that this thing was owing to his not having circumcised her son Gershom.
12 And Zipporah hastened and took of the sharp rock stones that were there, and she circumcised her son, and delivered her husband and her son from the hand of the heavenly messenger of YAHWEH.
13 And Aaron the son of Amram, the brother of Mosheh, was in Egypt walking at the river side on that day.
14 And YAHWEH appeared to him in that place, and he said to him, Go now toward Mosheh in the wilderness, and he went and met him in the mountain of YAHWEH, and he kissed him.
15 And Aaron lifted up his eyes, and saw Zipporah the wife of Mosheh and her children, and he said unto Mosheh, Who are these unto you?
16 And Mosheh said unto him, They are my wife and sons, which YAHWEH gave to me in Midian; and the thing grieved Aaron on account of the woman and her children.
17 And Aaron said to Mosheh, Send away the woman and her children that they may go to her father's house, and Mosheh hearkened to the words of Aaron, and did so.
18 And Zipporah returned with her children, and they went to the house of Reuel, and remained there until the time arrived when YAHWEH had visited his people, and brought them forth from Egypt from the hand at Pharaoh.
19 And Mosheh and Aaron came to Egypt to the community of the children of Yisrael, and they spoke to them all the words of YAHWEH, and the people rejoiced an exceeding great rejoicing.
20 And Mosheh and Aaron rose up early on the next day, and they went to the house of Pharaoh, and they took in their hands the stick of YAHWEH.
21 And when they came to the king's gate, two young lions were confined there with iron instruments, and no person went out or came in from before them, unless those whom the king ordered to come, when the conjurors came and withdrew the lions by their incantations, and this brought them to the king.
22 And Mosheh hastened and lifted up the stick upon the lions, and he loosed them, and Mosheh and Aaron came into the king's house.
23 The lions also came with them in joy, and they followed them and rejoiced as a dog rejoices over his master when he comes from the field.
24 And when Pharaoh saw this thing he was astonished at it, and he was greatly terrified at the report, for their appearance was like the appearance of the children of Elohim.
25 And Pharaoh said to Mosheh, What do you require? and they answered him, saying, YAHWEH the Elohim of the Hebrews has sent us to you, to say, Send forth my people that they may serve me.
26 And when Pharaoh heard their words he was greatly terrified before them, and he said to them, Go today and come back to me tomorrow, and they did according to the word of the king.
27 And when they had gone Pharaoh sent for Balaam the magician and to Jannes and Jambres his sons, and to all the magicians and conjurors and counsellors which belonged to the king, and they all came and sat before the king.
28 And the king told them all the words which Mosheh and his brother Aaron had spoken to him, and the magicians said to the king, But how came the men to you, on account of the lions which were confined at the gate?
29 And the king said, Because they lifted up their rod against the lions and loosed them, and came to me, and the lions also rejoiced at them as a dog rejoices to meet his master.
30 And Balaam the son of Beor the magician answered the king, saying, These are none else than magicians like ourselves.
31 Now therefore send for them, and let them come and we will try them, and the king did so.
32 And in the morning Pharaoh sent for Mosheh and Aaron to come before the king, and they took the rod of YAHWEH, and came to the king and spoke to him, saying,
33 Thus said YAHWEH the Elohim of the Hebrews, Send my people that they may serve me.
34 And the king said to them, But who will believe you that you are the messengers of YAHWEH and that you come to me by his order?
35 Now therefore give a wonder or sign in this matter, and then the words which you speak will be believed.
36 And Aaron hastened and threw the rod out of his hand before Pharaoh and before his servants, and the rod turned into a serpent.
37 And the sorcerers saw this and they cast each man his rod upon the ground and they became serpents.
38 And the serpent of Aaron's rod lifted up its head and opened its mouth to swallow the rods of the magicians.
39 And Balaam the magician answered and said, This thing has been from the days of old, that a serpent should swallow its fellow, and that living things devour each other.
40 Now therefore restore it to a rod as it was at first, and we will also restore our rods as they were at first, and if your rod shall swallow our rods, then shall we know that the spirit of YAHWEH is in you, and if not, you are only an artificer like unto ourselves.
41 And Aaron hastened and stretched forth his hand and caught hold of the serpent's tail and it became a rod in his hand, and the sorcerers did the like with their rods, and they got hold, each man of the tail of his serpent, and they became rods as at first.
42 And when they were restored to rods, the rod of Aaron swallowed up their rods.
43 And when the king saw this thing, he ordered the book of records that related to the kings of Egypt, to be brought, and they brought the book of records, the chronicles of the kings of Egypt, in which all the idols of Egypt were inscribed, for they thought of finding therein the name of YAHWEH, but they found it not.
44 And Pharaoh said to Mosheh and Aaron, Behold I have not found the name of YAHWEH your Elohim written in this book, and his name I know not.
45 And the counsellors and wise men answered the king, We have heard that YAHWEH the Elohim of the Hebrews is a son of the wise, the son of ancient kings.
46 And Pharaoh turned to Mosheh and Aaron and said to them, I know not YAHWEH whom you have declared, neither will I send his people.
47 And they answered and said to the king, YAHWEH the Elohim of gods is his name, and he proclaimed his name over us from the days of our ancestors, and sent us, saying, Go to Pharaoh and say unto him, Send my people that they may serve me.
48 Now therefore send us, that we may take a journey for three days in the wilderness, and there may sacrifice to him, for from the days of our going down to Egypt, he has not taken from our hands either burnt offering, oblation or sacrifice, and if you wilt not send us, his anger will be kindled against you, and he will smite Egypt either with the plague or with the sword.
49 And Pharaoh said to them, Tell me now his power and his might; and they said to him, He created the heaven and the earth, the seas and all their fishes, he formed the light, created the darkness, caused rain upon the earth and watered it, and made the herbage and grass to sprout, he created man and beast and the animals of the forest, the birds of the air and the fish of the sea, and by his mouth they live and die.
50 Surely he created you in your mother's womb, and put into you the breath of life, and reared you and placed you upon the royal throne of Egypt, and he will take your breath and soul from you, and return you to the ground whence you were taken.
51 And the anger of the king was kindled at their words, and he said to them, But who among all the gods of nations can do this? my river is mine own, and I have made it for myself.
52 And he drove them from him, and he ordered the labor upon Yisrael to be more severe than it was yesterday and before.
53 And Mosheh and Aaron went out from the king's presence, and they saw the children of Yisrael in an evil condition for the task-masters had made their labor exceedingly heavy.
54 And Mosheh returned to YAHWEH and said, Why have you ill treated your people? for since I came to speak to Pharaoh what you did send me for, he has exceedingly ill used the children of Yisrael.
55 And YAHWEH said to Mosheh, Behold you wilt see that with an outstretched hand and heavy plagues, Pharaoh will send the children of Yisrael from his land.
56 And Mosheh and Aaron dwelt among their brethren the children of Yisrael in Egypt.
57 And as for the children of Yisrael the Egyptians embittered their lives, with the heavy work which they imposed upon them.