Study Desk

'This is what you are to say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the transgression and sin of your brothers, for they did you wrong.' So now, Joseph, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." When their message came to him, Joseph wept.

As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this-to preserve the lives of many people.

Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones." So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.

"Look," he said to his people, "the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us.

So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh.

The midwives answered Pharaoh, "The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife arrives."

and she conceived and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months.

Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?"

Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages." So the woman took the boy and nursed him.

"An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds," they replied. "He even drew water for us and watered the flock."

And she gave birth to a son whom he named Gershom, for he said, "I have become a stranger in a strange land."

After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God.

"Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."

Then He said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.

Every woman shall ask her neighbor and any woman staying in her house for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. So you will plunder the Egyptians."

Then Moses answered, "What if they refuse to believe me or listen to my voice? For they may say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you.'"

"Please, Lord," Moses replied, "I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue."

He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and it will be as if you were God to him.

Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who sought to kill you are dead."

"You shall no longer supply the people with straw for making bricks. They must go and gather their own straw.