not as the Egyptian women: for they themselves to kill Moses: but he fled from his sight, and are skilful in the office of a midwife; and they are abode in the land of Madian,§ and he sat down delivered before we come to them.

by a well.

20 Therefore God dealt well with the mid- 16 And the priest of Madian had seven daughwives: and the people multiplied and grew ex-ters, who came to draw water: and when the ceedingly strong. troughs were filled, desired to water their father's

21 And because the midwives feared God,* he flocks. built them houses.

17 And the shepherds came and drove them 22 Pharao therefore charged all his people, say-away: and Moses arose, and defending the maids, ing: Whatsoever shall be born of the male sex, watered their sheep. ye shall cast into the river: whatsoever of the female, ye shall save alive.

CHAP. II.

18 And when they retured to Rague]|| their father, he said to them: Why are ye come sooner than usual?

19 They answered: A man of Egypt delivered Moses is born and exposed on the bank of the us from the hands of the shepherds: and he drew river; where he is taken up by the daughter of water also with us, and gave the sheep to drink. Pharao, and adopted for her son. He killeth an 20 But he said: Where is he? why have you Egyptian, and fleeth into Madian; where he let the man go? call him that he may eat bread. marrieth a wife. 21 And Moses swore that he would dwell with

AFTER this there went a man of the house of him. And he took Sephora his daughter to wife

Levi; and took a wife of his own kindred. 22 she bore a son, called 2 And she conceived, and bore a son; and see-Gersam, saying: I have been a stranger in a ing him a goodly child, hid him three months. foreign country. And she bore another, whom he called Eliezer, saying: For the God of my father ny helper hath delivered me out of the hand of Pharao.

3 And when she could hide him no longer, she took a basket made of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and pitch; and put the little babe therein, and laid him in the sedges by the river's brink, 4 His sister standing afar off, and taking notice what would be done.

5 And behold, the daughter of Pharao came down to wash herself in the river: and her maids walked by the river's brink. And when she saw the basket in the sedges, she sent one of her maids for it: and when it was brought,

6 She opened it, and seeing within it an infant crying, having compassion on it, she said: This is one of the babes of the Hebrews.

23 Now after a long time the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel groaning, cried out because of the works: and their cry went up unto God from the works.

24 And he heard their groaning, and remembered the covenant which he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

25 And the Lord looked upon the children of Israel, and he knew them.**

CHAP. III.

7 And the child's sister said to her: Shall I go, God appeareth to Moses in a bush. And sendeth and call to thee a Hebrew woman, to nurse the babe?

8 She answered: Go. The maid went, and

called her mother.

9 And Pharao's daughter said to her: Take this child, and nurse him for me: I will give thee thy wages. The woman took, and nursed the child: and when he was grown up, she delivered him to Pharao's daughter.

10 And she adopted him for a son, and called him Moses,† saying: Because I took him out of the water.

11 In those days, after Moses was grown up, he went out to his brethren; and saw their affliction, and an Egyptian striking one of the Hebrews his brethren.

12 And when he had looked about this way and that way, and saw no one there, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

13 And going out the next day, he saw two Hebrews quarrelling: and he said to him that did the wrong: Why strikest thou thy neighbour?

him to deliver Israel.

NOW Moses fed the sheep of Jethro his fa

ther-in-law, the priest of Madian: and he drove the flock to the inner parts of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, Horeb.

2 And the Lord appearedtt to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he saw that the bush was on fire, and was not burnt.

3 And Moses said: I will go, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

4 And when the Lord saw that he went forward to see, he called to him out of the midst of the bush, and said: Moses, Moses. And he answered: Here I am.

5 And he said: Come not nigh hither, put off the shoes from thy feet: for the place, whereon thou standest, is holy ground.

6 And he said: I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Moses hid his face: for he durst not look at God.

7 And the Lord said to him: I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt; and I have heard their cry, because of the rigour of them that are over the works:

14 But he answered: Who hath appointed thee prince and judge over us? wilt thou kill me, as thou didst yesterday kill the Egyptian? Moses feared, and said: How is this come to be known? 8 And knowing their sorrow, I am come down 15 And Pharao heard of this word, and sought to deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians, and to bring them out of that land into a good and Because the midwives feared God, &c. The midwives were rewarded, not for their lie, which § Madian. A city and country of Arabia, was a venial sin; but for their fear of God, and which took its name from Madian the son of their humanity: But this reward was only tem- Abraham, by Cetura, and was peopled by his poral, in building them houses, that is, in estab-posterity. lishing and enriching their families.

Raguel. He had two names, being also call+ Moses, or Moyses, in the Egyptian tongue, ed Jethro, as appears from the first verse of the signifies one taken or saved out of the water. following chapter.

dag

¶ Gersam, or Gershom. This name signifies, stranger there: as Eliezer signifies the help of God.

He slew the Egyptian. This he did by a particular inspiration of God; as a prelude to his de-a livering the people from their oppression and bonHe thought, says St. Stephen, Acts vii. 25.|| **Knew them; that is, he had respect to them, that his brethren understood that God by his hand he cast a merciful eye upon them. would save them. But such particular and extra- + The Lord appeared. That is, an Angel reordinary examples are not to be imitated. presenting God, and speaking in his name.

spacious land, into a land that floweth with milk will say: The Lord hath not appeared to thee. and honey, to the places of the Chanaanite, and 2 Then he said to him: What is that thou holdHethite, and Amorrhite, and Pherezite, and He-est in thy hand? He answered: A rod. 3 And the Lord said: Cast it down upon the

vite, and Jebusite.

9 For the cry of the children of Israel is come ground. He cast it down, and it was turned into unto me: and I have seen their affliction, where- a serpent, so that Moses fled from it. with they are oppressed by the Egyptians.

10 But come, and I will send thee to Pharao, that thou mayest bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.

I

Il And Moses said to God: Who am I that should go to Pharao, and should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?

12 And he said to him: I will be with thee: and this thou shalt have for a sign, that I have sent thee: When thou shalt have brought my people out of Egypt, thou shalt offer sacrifice to God upon this mountain.

13 Moses said to God: Lo, I shall go to the chidren of Israel, and say to them: The God of your fathers hath sent me to you. If they shall say to me: What is his name? What shall I say to them.

14 God said to Moses: I AM WHO AM. He said: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: HE WHO IS, hath sent me to you.

15 And God said again to Moses: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob hath sent me to you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

4 And the Lord said: Put out thy hand, and take it by the tail. He put forth his hand, and took hold of it, and it was turned into a rod.

5 That they may believe, saith he, that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared to thee.

6 And the Lord said again: Put thy hand into thy bosom. And when he had put it into his bosom, he brought it forth leprous as snow.

7 And he said: Put back thy hand into thy bosom. He put it back, and brought it out again, and it was like the other flesh.

8 If they will not believe thee, saith he, nor hear the voice of the former sign, they will believe the word of the latter sign.

9 But if they will not even believe these two signs, nor hear thy voice; take of the river water, and pour it out upon the dry land, and whatsoever thou drawest out of the river, shall be turned into blood.

10 Moses said: I beseech thee, Lord, I am not eloquent from yesterday and the day before: and since thou hast spoken to thy servant, I have more impediment and slowness of tongue.

11 The Lord said to him: Who made man's 16 Go, and gather together the ancients of Is-mouth? or who made the dumb and the deaf, the rael, and thou shalt say to them: The Lord God seeing and the blind? did not I? of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared to me, saying: Visiting I have visited you: and I have seen all that hath befallen you in Egypt.

12 Go therefore, and I will be in thy mouth: and I will teach thee what thou shalt speak.

13 But he said: I beseech thee, Lord, send whom thou wilt send.

17 And I have said the word to bring you forth 14 The Lord being angry at Moses, said: out of the affliction of Egypt, into the land of the Aaron the Levite is thy brother: I know that he Chanaanite, and Hethite, and Amorrhite, and is eloquent: behold, he cometh forth to meet thee, Pherezite, and Hevite, and Jebusite, to a land that floweth with milk and honey.

18 And they shall hear thy voice: and thou shalt go in, thou and the ancients of Israel to the king of Egypt: and thou shalt say to him: The Lord God of the Hebrews hath called us: we will go three days' journey into the wilderness, to sacrifice unto the Lord our God.

19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, but by a mighty hand.

20For I will stretch forth my hand, and will strike Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst of them: after these he will let you go. 21 And I will give favour to this people, in the sight of the Egyptians: and when you go forth, you shall not depart empty:

22 But every woman shall ask of her neighbour and of her that is in her house, vessels of silver and of gold, and raiment: and you shall put them on your sons and daughters, and shall spoilt Egypt.

CHAP. IV.

Moses is empowered to confirm his mission with miracles: his brother Aaron is appointed to as

sist him.

M

TOSES answered, and said: They will not believe me, nor hear my voice; but they

and seeing thee shall be glad at heart.

15 Speak to him, and put my words in his mouth: and I will be in thy mouth, and in his mouth, and will show you what you must do.

16 He shall speak in thy stead to the people, and shall be thy mouth: but thou shalt be to him in those things that pertain to God.

17 And take this rod in thy hand, wherewith thou shalt do the signs.

18 Moses went his way, and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him: I will go and return to my brethren into Egypt, that I may see if they be yet alive. And Jethro said to him: Go in peace.

19 And the Lord said to Moses, in Madian: Go and return into Egypt: for they are all dead that sought thy life.

20 Moses therefore took his wife, and his sons, and set them upon an ass: and returned into Egypt, carrying the rod of God in his hand.

21 And the Lord said to him as he was returning into Egypt: See that thou do all the wonders shall harden + his heart, and he will not let the before Pharao, which I have put in thy hand: I people go.

22 And thou shalt say to him: Thus saith the Lord: Israel is my son, my first-born.

23 I have said to thee: Let my son go, that he may serve me, and thou wouldst not let him go: I am who am. That is, I am being itself, eter-behold, I will kill thy son thy, first-born. nal, self-existent, independent, infinite; without 24 And when he was in his journey, in the inn, beginning, end or change; and the source of all the Lord met him, and would have killed him.§ other beings.

Shall spoil, &c. That is, you shall strip, and I shall harden, &c. Not by being the efficient take away the goods of the Egyptians. This was cause of his sin: but by withdrawing from him, not authorizing theft or injustice: but was a just for his just punishment, the dew of grace, that disposal made by him, who is the great Lord and might have softened his heart; and so suffering master of all things; in order to pay the children of Israel some part of what was due to them from the Egyptians for their labours.

him to grow harder and harder.

& The Lord met him, and would have killed him. This was an Angel representing the Lord, who

23 Immediately Sephora took a very sharp stone, and circumcised the foreskin of her son, and touched his feet, and said: A bloody spouse art thou to me.

26 And he let him go after she had said: A bloody spouse art thou to me, because of the cir

cumcision.

27 And the Lord said to Aaron: Go into the desert to meet Moses. And he went forth to meet him in the mountain of God, and kissed] him.

28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord, by which he had sent him, and the signs that he had commanded.

29 And they came together, and they assembled all the ancients of the children of Israel.

30 And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had said to Moses: and he wrought the signs before the people,

31 And the people believed. And they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction: and falling down they adored.

CHAP. V.

Pharao refuseth to let the people go. They are more oppressed.

FTER these things Moses and Aaron went

AFTER these things Moses and Aaron werd God of Israel: Let my people go, that they may sacrifice to me in the desert.

2 But he answered: Who is the Lord, that I should hear his voice, and let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

3 And they said: The God of the Hebrews hath called us, to go three days journey into the wilderness and to sacrifice to the Lord our God: lest a pestilence or the sword fall upon us.

4 The king of Egypt said to them: Why do you Moses and Aaron draw off the people from their works? Get you gone to your burdens.

5 And Pharao said: The people of the land is numerous: you see that the multitude is increased: how much more if you give them rest from their works?

6 Therefore he commanded the same day the overseers of the works and the task-masters of the people, saying:

7 You shall give straw no more to the people to make brick, as before: but let them go and gather

straw.

8 And you shall lay upon them the task of bricks, which they did before, neither shall you diminish any thing thereof: for they are idle, and therefore they cry, saying: Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

9 Let them be oppressed with works, and let them fulfil them; that they may not regard lying words.

10 And the overseers of the works and the task-masters went out and said to the people: Thus saith Pharao: I allow you no straw:

15 And the officers of the children of Israel came, and cried out to Pharao, saying: Why dealest thou so with thy servants?

16 Straw is not given us, and bricks are required of us as before: behold, we thy servants are beaten with whips, and thy people is unjustly dealt withal.

17 And he said: You are idle, and therefore you say: Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.

18 Go therefore, and work: straw shall not be given you, and you shall deliver the accustomed number of bricks.

19 And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in evil case, because it was said to them: There shall not a whit be diminished of the bricks for every day.

20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood over-against them as they came out from Pharao: 21 And they said to them: The Lord see and judge, because you have made our savour to stink before Pharao and his servants, and you have given him a sword to kill us.

22 And Moses returned to the Lord, and said: Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore hast thou sent me?

23 For since the time that I went in to Pharao to speak in thy name, he hath afflicted thy people: and thou hast not delivered them.

CHAP. VI.

God reneweth his promise. The genealogies of
Ruben, Simeon, and Levi, down to Moses and
Aaron.

AND the Lord said to Moses: Now thou
shalt see what I will do to Pharao: for by a
mighty hand shall he let them go, and with a
strong hand shall he cast them out of his land.
2 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: I am
the Lord

3 That appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of God Almighty: and my name ADONAI* I did not show them.

4 And I made a covenant with them, to give them the land of Chanaan, the land of their pilgrimage wherein they were strangers.

5 I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, wherewith the Egyptians have oppressed them: and I have remembered my covenant.

6 Therefore say to the children of Israel: I am the Lord who will bring you out from the workprison of the Egyptians, and will deliver you from bondage; and redeem you with a high arm, and great judgments.

I

7 And I will take you to myself for my people: will be your God: and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the work-prison of the Egyptians:

8 And brought you into the land, concerning which I lifted up my hand to give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: and I will give it you to possess: I am the Lord.

9 And Moses told all this to the children of 11 Go, and gather it where you can find it: Israel: but they did not hearken to him, for anneither shall any thing of your work be dimi-guish of spirit, and most painful work. nished.

12 And the people was scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather straw.

13 And the overseers of the works pressed them, saying: Fulfil your work every day as before you were wont to do, when straw was given

you.

14 And they that were over the works of the children of Israel were scourged by Pharao's taskmasters, saying: Why have you not made up the task of bricks both yesterday and to-day, as before?

10 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
11 Go in, and speak to Pharao king of Egypt,

My name Adonai. The name which is in the Hebrew text, is that most proper name of God, which signifieth his eternal self-existent being, Exod. iii. 14: which the Jews out of reverence never pronounce; but instead of it, wherever it occurs in the Bible, they read Adonai, which signifies the Lord: and therefore they put the points or vowels, which belong to the name Adonai, to the four letters of that other ineffable name Jod, He, Vau, He. Hence some moderns have framed treated Moses in this manner, for having neglect- the name Jehovah, unknown to all the ancients, ed the circumcision of his younger son: which whether Jews or Christians: for the true pronunhis wife understanding, circumcised her child upon ciation of the name, which is in the Hebrew text, the spot, upon which the Angel let Moses go. by long disuse, is now quite lost.

that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.

12 Moses answered before the Lord: Behold, the children of Israel do not hearken to me: and how will Pharao hear me, especially as I am of uncircumcised lips?*

13 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and he gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharao the king of Egypt, that they should bring forth the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

3 But I shall hardent his heart, and shall multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 And he will not hear you: and I will lay my hand upon Egypt, and will bring forth my army and my people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt, by very great judgments.

5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, who have stretched forth my hand upon Egypt, and have brought forth the children of Israel out of the midst of them.

6 And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord had commanded: so did they.

7 And Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharao. 8 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: 9 When Pharao shall say to you, Show signs:

14 These are the heads of their houses by their families. The sons of Ruben the first-born of Israel: Henoch and Phallu, Hesron and Charmi. 15 These are the kindreds of Ruben. The sons of Simeon, Jamuel, and Jamin, and Ahod, and Jachin, and Soar, and Saul the son of a Cha-thou shalt say to Aaron: Take thy rod, and cast naanitess: These are the families of Simeon. it down before Pharao, and it shall be turned into a serpent.

16 And these are the names of the sons of Levi by their kindreds: Gerson and Caath and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were a hundred and thirty-seven.

17 The sons of Gerson: Lobni and Semei, by their kindreds.

18 The sons of Caath: Amram, and Isaar, and Hebron, and Oziel. And the years of Caath's life were a hundred and thirty-three.

19 The sons of Merari: Moholi and Musi. These are the kindreds of Levi by their families. 20 And Amram took to wife Jochabed his aunt! by the father's side: and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of Amram's life were a hundred and thirty-seven.

21 The sons also of Isaar: Core, and Nepheg, and Zechri.

22 The sons also of Oziel: Mizael, and Elizaphan, and Sethri.

23 And Aaron took to wife Elizabeth the daughter of Aminadab, sister of Nahason, who bore him Nadab, and Abiu, and Eleazar, and Ithamar.

24 The sons also of Core: Aser, and Elcana, and Abiasaph. These are the kindreds of the Corites.

25 But Eleazar the son of Aaron took a wife of the daughters of Phutiel: and she bore him Phinees. These are the heads of the Levitical families by their kindreds.

26 These are Aaron and Moses, whom the Lord commanded to bring forth the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their compa

nies.

27 These are they that speak to Pharao king of Egypt, in order to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron,

23 In the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt.

29 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: I am the Lord: speak thou to Pharao king of Egypt, all that I say to thee.

30 And Moses said before the Lord: Lo, I am of uncircumcised lips: how will Pharao hear me? CHAP. VII.

Moses and Aaron go in to Pharao: they turn the rod into a serpent; and the waters of Egypt into blood, which was the first plague. The magicians do the like; and Pharao's heart is hardened.

AND the Lord said to Moses: Behold, I have

appointed thee the God of Pharao:t and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.

2 Thou shalt speak to him all that I command thee: and he shall speak to Pharao, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.

Uncircumcised lips. So he calls the defect he had in his words, or utterance.

The God of Pharao: viz. to be his Judge; and to exercise a divine power, as God's instrument, over him and his people.

10 So Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharao, and did as the Lord had commanded. And Aaron took the rod before Pharao and his servants; and it was turned into a serpent.

11 And Pharao called the wise men and the magicians:§ and they also by Egyptian enchantments and certain secrets did in like manner.

12 And they every one cast down their rods, and they were turned into serpents: but Aaron's rod devoured their rods.

13 And Pharao's heart was hardened; and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord had commanded.

14 And the Lord said to Moses: Pharao's heart is hardened; he will not let the people go.

15 Go to him in the morning; behold, he will go out to the waters: and thou shalt stand to meet him on the bank of the river: and thou shalt take in thy hand the rod that was turned into a serpent.

16 And thou shalt say to him: The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to thee, saying: Let my people go to sacrifice to me in the desert: and hitherto thou wouldst not hear.

17 Thus therefore saith the Lord: In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold, I will strike with the rod that is in my hand, the water of the river, and it shall be turned into blood.

18 And the fishes that are in the river, shall die, and the waters shall be corrupted: and the Egyptians shall be afflicted when they drink the water of the river.

19 The Lord also said to Moses: Say to Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch forth thy hand upon the waters of Egypt, and upon their rivers, and streams and pools, and all the ponds of waters, that they may be turned into blood: and let blood be in all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and of stone.

20 And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord had commanded: and lifting up the rod, he struck the water of the river before Pharao and his servants: and it was turned into blood.

21 And the fishes that were in the river, died; and the river corrupted; and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river; and there was blood in all the land of Egypt.

22 And the magicians of the Egyptians with their enchantments did in like manner: and Pharao's heart was hardened; neither did he hear

them, as the Lord had commanded.

23 And he turned himself away, and went into his house; neither did he set his heart to it this time also.

I shall harden, &c. Not by being the efficient cause of his hardness of heart, but by permitting it, and by withdrawing grace from him, in punishment of his malice; which alone was the proper cause of his being hardened.

§ Magicians. Jannes and Mambres or Jambres, 2 Tim. iii. 8.

11 And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy house, and from thy servants, and from 29 And Moses said: I will go out from thee, thy people; and shall remain only in the river. and will pray to the Lord: and the flies shall de12 And Moses and Aaron went forth from Pha-part from Pharao, and from his servants, and from rao: and Moses cried to the Lord for the promise, his people to-morrow: but do not deceive any which he had made to Pharao concerning the more, in not letting the people go to sacrifice to frogs. the Lord.

30 So Moses went out from Pharao, and prayed to the Lord.

31 And he did according to his word: and he im-took away the flies from Pharao, and from his servants, and from his people: there was not left so much as one.