God Promises Deliverance

Exodus 6 YHWH said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for by a strong hand he will let them go, and because of a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

God spoke to Moses, and said to him, “I am YHWH. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name YHWH I was not known to them. I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their travels, in which they lived as aliens. Moreover I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered my covenant. Therefore you are to tell the children of Israel, ‘I am YHWH, and I will bring y’all out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rescue y’all from their bondage. I will redeem y’all with an outstretched arm, and with great acts of judgment. I will take y’all as my people. I will be y’all’s God, and y’all will know that I am YHWH, y’all’s God, who brought y’all out from under the forced labor of the Egyptians. I will bring y’all into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to y’all for a heritage: I am YHWH.’”

Moses spoke so to the children of Israel, but they didn’t listen to Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

YHWH spoke to Moses, saying, “Go in, speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.”

Moses spoke before YHWH, saying, “Look! The children of Israel don’t listened to me. How then will Pharaoh listen to me, when I have uncircumcised lips?”

Geneology of Moses and Aaron

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

These are the heads of their fathers’ houses. The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben. The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon. These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred thirty-seven years. The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families. The sons of Kohath: Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel; and the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred thirty-three years. The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations. Amram took Jochebed his father’s sister to himself as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses. The years of the life of Amram were one hundred thirty-seven years. The sons of Izhar: Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri. The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. Aaron took Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, as his wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites. Eleazar Aaron’s son took one of the daughters of Putiel as his wife; and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites according to their families. It was this Aaron and Moses to whom YHWH said, “Y’all are to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their military divisions.” These are those who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are that Moses and Aaron.

Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh

On the day when YHWH spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, YHWH said to Moses, “I am YHWH. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.”

Moses said before YHWH, “Since I am of uncircumcised lips, and how will Pharaoh listen to me?”