1 And in those days Mosheh was feeding the flock of Re’uw’ĕl the Miḏyanite his father-in-law, beyond the Wilderness of Sin, and the rod which he took from his father-in-law was in his hand.
2 And it came to be one day that a kid of goats strayed from the flock, and Mosheh pursued it and it came to the mountain of Elohim to Ḥorĕḇ.
3 And when he came to Ḥorĕḇ, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 appeared there to 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, why the bush was not consumed, and he approached to see this mighty matter. And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 called to Mosheh out of the fire and commanded him to go down to Mitsrayim, to Pharaoh sovereign of Mitsrayim, to send the children of Yisra’ĕl from his service.
5 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said to Mosheh, “Go, return to Mitsrayim, for all those men who sought your life are dead, and you shall speak to Pharaoh to send out the children of Yisra’ĕl from his land.”
6 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 showed him signs and wonders to do in Mitsrayim before the eyes of Pharaoh and the eyes of his subjects, in order that they might believe that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 had sent him.
7 And Mosheh listened to all that 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 had commanded him, and he returned to his father-in-law and told him the matter, and Re’uw’ĕl said to him, “Go in peace.”
8 And Mosheh rose up to go to Mitsrayim, and he took his wife and sons with him. And he was at an inn on the way, and a messenger of Elohim came down, and sought an occasion against him,
9 and he wanted to kill him for the sake of his first-born son, because he had not circumcised him, and had transgressed the Covenant which 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 had made with Aḇraham.
10 For Mosheh had listened to the words of his father-in-law which he had spoken to him, not to circumcise his first-born son, therefore he did not circumcise him.
11 And Tsipporah saw the messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 seeking an occasion against Mosheh, and she knew that this matter was because he had not circumcised her son Gĕreshom.
12 And Tsipporah hurried and took of the sharp stones that were there, and she circumcised her son, and delivered her husband and her son from the hand of the messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.
13 And Aharon son of Amram, the brother of Mosheh, was in Mitsrayim walking at the river side on that day.
14 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 appeared to him in that place, and He said to him, “Go now toward Mosheh in the wilderness.” And he went and met him at the mountain of Elohim, and he kissed him,
15 and Aharon lifted up his eyes, and saw Tsipporah the wife of Mosheh and her children, and he said to Mosheh, “Who are these to you?”
16 And Mosheh said to him, “They are my wife and sons, which Elohim gave to me in Miḏyan.” But the matter grieved Aharon for the sake of the woman and her children.
17 And Aharon said to Mosheh, “Send the woman and her children away that they may go to her father’s house.” And Mosheh listened to the words of Aharon, and did so.
18 And Tsipporah returned with her children, and they went to the house of Re’uw’ĕl, and remained there until the time arrived when 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 had visited his people, and brought them out from Mitsrayim from the hand of Pharaoh.
19 And Mosheh and Aharon came to Mitsrayim to the community of the children of Yisra’ĕl, and they spoke to them all the words of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, and the people rejoiced an exceedingly great.
20 And Mosheh and Aharon rose early on the next day, and they went to the house of Pharaoh, and they took in their hands the rod of Elohim.
21 And when they came to the sovereign’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 sovereign ordered to come, when the practisers of witchcraft came and withdrew the lions by their spells, and thus brought them to the sovereign.
22 And Mosheh hastened and lifted up the rod upon the lions, and he loosed them, and Mosheh and Aharon came into the sovereign’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 matter he was astonished at it, and he was greatly afraid 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, “𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim of the Iḇrim has sent us to you, to say, ‘Send out My people that they may serve Me.’ ”
26 And when Pharaoh heard their words he was greatly afraid before them, and he said to them, “Go today and come back to me tomorrow.” And they did according to the word of the sovereign.
27 And when they had gone Pharaoh sent for Bil’am the magician and to Yoḥane and Mamrĕ his sons, and to all the magicians and practisers of witchcraft and counsellors which belonged to the sovereign, and they all came and sat before the sovereign.
28 And the sovereign told them all the words which Mosheh and his brother Aharon had spoken to him, and the magicians said to the sovereign, “But how did the men come to you, because of the lions which were confined at the gate?”
29 And the sovereign 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 Bil’am son of Be’or the magician answered the sovereign, 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 sovereign did so.
32 And in the morning Pharaoh sent for Mosheh and Aharon to come before the sovereign, and they took the rod of Elohim, and came to the sovereign and spoke to him, saying,
33 “Thus said 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim of the Iḇrim, ‘Send My people that they may serve Me.’ ”
34 And the sovereign said to them, “But who will believe you that you are the messengers of Elohim 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 Aharon 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 each man cast his rod upon the ground and they became serpents.
38 And the serpent of Aharon’s rod lifted up its head and opened its mouth to swallow the rods of the magicians.
39 And Bil’am the magician answered and said, “This matter has been from the days of old, that a serpent should swallow its kind, and that living creatures 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 we shall know that the Ruaḥ of Elohim is in you. But if not, you are only a practiser of witchcraft like ourselves.
41 And Aharon hastened and stretched out his hand and caught hold of the serpent’s tail and it became a rod in his hand, and the sorcerers did likewise 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 Aharon swallowed up their rods.
43 And when the sovereign saw this matter, he ordered the book of records that related to the sovereigns of Mitsrayim to be brought, and they brought the book of records, the chronicles of the sovereigns of Mitsrayim, in which all the idols of Mitsrayim were inscribed, for they thought of finding the Name of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 in it, but they did not find it.
44 And Pharaoh said to Mosheh and Aharon, “Look I have not found the name of your Elohim written in this book, and His Name I do not know.”
45 And the counsellors and wise men answered the sovereign, “We have heard that the Elohim of the Iḇrim is a son of the wise, the son of ancient sovereigns.”
46 And Pharaoh turned to Mosheh and Aharon and said to them, “I do not know 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 whom you have declared, neither will I send His people.”
47 And they answered and said to the sovereign, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim of mighty ones 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 to 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 slaughter to Him, for from the days of our going down to Mitsrayim, He has not taken from our hands either burnt offering, grain offering or slaughter offering. And if you will not send us, His wrath will be kindled against you, and He will smite Mitsrayim 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 shamayim and the earth, the seas and all their fish. He formed the light, created the darkness, caused rain upon the earth and watered it, and made the plants 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 “Indeed He created you in your mother’s womb, and put into you the breath of life, and raised you and placed you on the royal throne of Mitsrayim, and He will take your breath and being from you, and return you to the ground from where you were taken.”
51 And the wrath of the sovereign was kindled at their words, and he said to them, “But who among all the mighty ones of nations can do this? My river is my own, and I have made it for myself!”
52 And he drove them from him, and he ordered the labour upon Yisra’ĕl to be more severe than it was yesterday and before.
53 And Mosheh and Aharon went out from the sovereign’s presence, and they saw the children of Yisra’ĕl in an evil condition for the task-masters had made their labour exceedingly heavy.
54 And Mosheh returned to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 and said, “Why have You mistreated Your people? For since I came to speak to Pharaoh what You sent me for, he has exceedingly abused the children of Yisra’ĕl.”
55 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said to Mosheh, “Look you will see that with an outstretched hand and heavy plagues, Pharaoh will send the children of Yisra’ĕl from his land.”
56 And Mosheh and Aharon dwelt among their brothers the children of Yisra’ĕl in Mitsrayim.
57 And as for the children of Yisra’ĕl, the Mitsrites embittered their lives with the heavy work which they imposed on them.