Study Desk

The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son; when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months.

But when she could no longer hide him, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with asphalt and pitch. She placed the child in it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile.

When she opened it, she saw the child—a little boy, crying. She felt sorry for him and said, "This is one of the Hebrew boys."

Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Should I go and call a woman from the Hebrews to nurse the boy for you?"

Then 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.

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

She gave birth to a son whom he named Gershom, for he said, "I have been a foreigner in a foreign land."

After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned because of their difficult labor, and they cried out; and their cry for help ascended to God because of the difficult labor.

"Do not come closer," He said. "Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."

The Israelites' cry for help has come to Me, and I have also seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.

Each woman will 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."

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

Now in Midian the Lord told Moses, "Return to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead."

Later, Moses and Aaron went in and said to Pharaoh, "This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: Let My people go, so that they may hold a festival for Me in the wilderness."

"Don't continue to supply the people with straw for making bricks, as before. They must go and gather straw for themselves.

But require the same quota of bricks from them as they were making before; do not reduce it. For they are slackers—that is why they are crying out, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'

So the people scattered throughout the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

So the Israelite foremen went in and cried for help to Pharaoh: "Why are you treating your servants this way?

So Moses went back to the Lord and asked, "Lord, why have You caused trouble for this people? And why did You ever send me?

Ever since I went in to Pharaoh to speak in Your name he has caused trouble for this people, and You haven't delivered Your people at all."