Study Desk

Now it happened that because the midwives feared God, He made households for them.

And the woman conceived and bore a son; and she saw that he was beautiful, so she hid him for three months.

But she could not hide him any longer. So she took for him an ark of papyrus reeds and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and put it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile.

Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?"

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

So they said, "An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he actually even drew the water for us and gave water to the flock to drink."

Then she gave birth to a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a foreign land."

Now it happened in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel sighed because of the slavery, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their slavery rose up to God.

Then He said, "Do not come near here. Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."

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

And Yahweh said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sufferings.

But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and of the woman who lives in her house, for articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians."

Then Moses answered and said, "What if they will not believe me and will not listen to my voice? For they may say, ‘Yahweh has not appeared to you.'"

Then Moses said to Yahweh, "Please, Lord, I have never been a man of words, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your slave; for I am one with a hard mouth and a hard tongue."

Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will become as a mouth for you, and you will become as God to him.

And Yahweh said to Moses in Midian, "Go, return to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead."

And Yahweh said to Moses, "When you go to return to Egypt, see to it that all the miraculous wonders which I have put in your hand, that you do them before Pharaoh; but as for Me, I will harden his heart with strength so that he will not let the people go.

"You are no longer to give the people straw to make brick as previously; let them go and gather straw for themselves.

Let their slavery be hard on the men, and let them work at it so that they will have no regard for false words."

You go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but no amount of your slave labor will be reduced.'"