Part 12

Moses answered and said: See, they will not believe me nor hearken unto my voice: but will say, the LORD hath not appeared unto thee. Then the LORD said unto him: what is that in thine hand? and he said, a rod. And he said, cast it on the ground, and it turned unto a serpent. And Moses ran away from it. And the LORD said unto Moses: put forth thine hand and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand and caught it, and it became a rod again in his hand, that they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Iacob hath appeared unto thee. And the LORD said furthermore unto him: thrust thine hand into thy bosom. And he thrust his hand into his bosom and took it out. And behold, his hand was leprous even as snow. And he said: put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again, and plucked it out of his bosom, and behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. If they will not believe thee neither hear the voice of the first token: yet will they believe the voice of the second token. But and if they will not believe the two signs neither hearken unto thy voice, then take of the water of the river and pour it upon the dry land. And the water which thou takest out of the river shall turn to blood upon the dry land. And Moses said unto the LORD: Oh my Lord. {the Lorde: oh my Lorde.} I am not eloquent, no not in times past and namely since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow mouthed and slow tongued. And the LORD said unto him: who hath made man's mouth, or who hath made the dumb or the deaf, the seeing or the blind? have not I the LORD? Go therefore and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say. And he said: Oh my Lord, {Lorde} {|LORDE|} send I pray thee whom thou wilt. And the LORD was angry with Moses and said: I know Aaron thy brother the Levite that he can speak. And moreover behold, he cometh out against {to meet} thee, and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: he shall be thy mouth, and thou shalt be his God: and take this rod in thy hand, wherewith thou shalt do miracles. And Moses went and returned to Iethro his father-in-law again and said unto him: let me go (I pray thee) and turn again unto my brethren which are in Egypt, that I may see whether they be yet alive. And Iethro said to Moses: go in peace. And the LORD said unto Moses in Madian: return again into Egypt for they are dead which went about to kill thee. And Moses took his wife and his sons and put them on an ass, and went again to Egypt, and took the rod of God in his hand. And the LORD said unto Moses: when thou art come into Egypt again, see that thou do all the wonders before Pharao which I have put in thy hand: but I will harden his heart, so that he shall not let the people go. And tell Pharao, thus sayeth the LORD: Israel is mine eldest son, and therefore sayeth unto thee: let my son go, that he may serve me. If thou wilt not let him go: behold, I will slay thine eldest son. And it chanced by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him and would have killed him. Then Zepora took a stone and circumcised her son, and fell at his feet, and said: a bloody husband art thou unto me. And he let him go. She said a bloody husband, because of the circumcision. Then said the LORD unto Aaron: go meet Moses in the wilderness. And he went and met him in the mount of God and kissed him. And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD which he had sent by him, and all the tokens which he had charged him withal. So went Moses and Aaron and gathered all the elders of the children of Israel. And Aaron told all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the miracles in the sight of the people, and the people believed. And when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and had looked upon their tribulation, they bowed them selves, and worshipped.

Chapter .v.

Then Moses and Aaron went and told Pharao, thus sayeth the LORD God of Israel. Let my people go, that they may keep holy day unto me in the wilderness. And Pharao answered: what fellow is the LORD, that I should hear his voice for to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will let Israel go. And they said: the God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go (we pray thee) three days' journey into the desert, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God: lest he smite us either with pestilence or with sword. Then said the king of Egypt unto them: wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their work, get you unto your labour. And Pharao said furthermore: behold, there is much people in the land, and ye make them play and let their work stond. And Pharao commanded the same day unto the taskmasters over the people and unto the officers saying: see that ye give the people no more straw to make brick withal, as ye did in time past: let them go and gather them straw them selves, and the number of bricks which they were wont to make in time past, lay unto their charge also, and minish nothing thereof. For they be idle and therefore cry saying: let us go and do sacrifice unto our God. They must have more work laid upon them, that they may labour therein, and then will they not turn them selves to false words. Then went the taskmasters of the people and the officers out and told the people saying: Thus sayeth Pharao: I will give you no more straw, but go your selves and gather you straw where ye can find it, yet shall none of your labour be minished. Then the people scattered abroad thorowout all the land of Egypt for to gather them stubble to be instead of straw. And the taskmasters hasted them forward saying: fulfil your work day by day, even as when straw was given you. And the officers of the children of Israel which Pharao's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten. And it was said unto them: wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick, both yesterday and today, as well as in times past? Then went the officers of the children of Israel and complained unto Pharao saying: wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? there is no straw given unto thy servants, and yet they say unto us: make brick. And lo, thy servants are beaten, and thy people is foul entreated. And he answered: idle are ye idle, and therefore ye say: let us go and do sacrifice unto the LORD. Go therefore and work, for there shall no straw be given you, and yet see that ye deliver the hole tale of brick. When the officers of the children of Israel saw themself in shrewd case (in that he said ye shall minish nothing of your daily making of brick) then they met Moses and Aaron stonding in their way as they came out from Pharao, and said unto them: The LORD look unto you and judge, for ye have made the savour of us stink in the sight of Pharao and of his servants, and have put a sword into their hands to slay us. Moses returned unto the LORD {Lorde} {|LORDE|} and said: Lord {|LORDE|} wherefore dealest thou cruelly with this people: and wherefore hast thou sent me? For since I came to Pharao to speak in thy name, he hath fared foul with this folk, and yet thou hast not delivered thy people at all;

Chapter .vi.

Then the LORD said unto Moses. Now shalt thou see what I will do unto Pharao, for with a mighty hand shall he let them go, and with a mighty hand shall he drive them out of his land. And God spake unto Moses saying unto him: I am the LORD, and I appeared unto Abraham, Isaac and Iacob an almighty God: but in my name Iehouah was I not known unto them. Moreover I made an appointment with them to give them the land of Canaa: the land of their pilgrimage wherein they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, because the Egyptians keep them in bondage, and have remembered my promise. Wherefore say unto the children of Israel: I am the LORD, and will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and will rid you out of their bondage, and will deliver you with a stretched out arm and with great judgements. And I will take you for my people and will be to you a God. And ye shall know that I am the LORD your God which brings you out from under the burthens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you unto the land over the which I did lift up my hand to give it unto Abraham, Isaac and Iacob, and will give it unto you for a possession: even I the LORD. And Moses told the children of Israel even so: But they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit and for cruel bondage. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying: Go and bid Pharao king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. And Moses spake before the LORD saying: behold, the children of Israel hearken not unto me, how then shall Pharao hear me: seeing that I have uncircumcised lips. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel and unto Pharao king of Egypt: to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt. These be the heads of their father's houses. The children of Ruben the eldest son of Israel are these: Hanoh, Pallu, Hezron, Charmi, these be the householders of Ruben. The children of Simeon are these: Gemuel, Iamin, Ohad, Iachin, Zohar, and Saul the son of a Cananitish wife: these are the kindreds of Simeon. These are the names of the children of Levi in their generations: Gerson, Kahath and Merari. And Levi lived an hundred and thirty seven years. The sons of Gerson: Libni and Semei in their kindreds. The children of Kahath: Amram, Iesear, Hebron and Usiel. And Kahath lived an hundred and thirty three years. The children of Merari are these: Maheli and Musi: these are the kindreds of Levi in their generations. And Amram took Iochebed his niece to wife which bare him Aaron and Moses. And Amram lived an hundred and thirty seven years. The children of Iezear: Korah, Nepheg and Sichri. The children of Usiel: Misael, Elzaphan and Sithri. And Aaron took Elizaba daughter of Aminadab and sister of Nahason, to wife: which bare him Nadab, Abehu, Eleazar and Ithamar. The children of Korah: Assir, Elkana and Abiassaph: these are the kindreds of the Korahites. And Eleazar Aaron's son took him one of the daughters of Putuel to wife: which bare him Pinehas: these be the principal fathers of the Levites in their kindreds. These are that Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said: carry the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, with their armies. These are that Moses and Aaron which spake to Pharao king of Egypt, that they might bring the children of Israel out of Egypt. And in the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt, he spake unto him saying, I am the LORD, see that thou speak unto Pharao the king of Egypt all that I say unto thee. And Moses answered before the LORD: I am of uncircumcised lips, how shall Pharao then give me audience?

Chapter .vij.

And the LORD said unto Moses: behold, I have made thee Pharao's God, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharao: that he send the children of Israel out of his land. But I will harden Pharao's heart, that I may multiply my miracles and my wonders in the land of Egypt. And yet Pharao shall not hearken unto you, that I may set mine hand upon Egypt and bring out mine armies, even my people the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, with great judgements. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD when I have stretched forth my hand upon Egypt, and have brought out the children of Israel from among them. Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them. And Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty three when they spake unto Pharao. And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron saying: when Pharao speaketh unto you and sayeth: shew a wonder, then shalt thou say unto Aaron, take the rod and cast it before Pharao, and it shall turn to a serpent. Then went Moses and Aaron in unto Pharao, and did even as the LORD had commanded. And Aaron cast forth his rod before Pharao and before his servants, and it turned to a serpent. Then Pharao called for the wise men, and enchanters of Egypt did in like manner with their sorcery. And they cast down every man his rod, and they turned to serpents: but Aaron's rod ate up their rods: and yet for all that Pharao's heart was hardened, so that he hearkened not unto them, even as the LORD had said. Then said the LORD unto Moses: Pharao's heart is hardened, and he refuseth to let the people go. Get thee unto Pharao in the morning, for he will come unto the water, and stond {stode} thou upon the river's brink against he come, and the rod which turned to a serpent take in thine hand. And say unto him: the LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee saying: let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: but hitherto thou wouldest not hear. Wherefore thus sayeth the LORD: hereby thou shalt know that I am the LORD. Behold, I will smite with the staff that is in mine hand upon the waters that are in the river, and they shall turn to blood. And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink: so that it shall grieve the Egyptians to drink of the water of the river. And the LORD spake unto Moses, say unto Aaron: take thy staff and stretch out thine hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, rivers, ponds and all pools of water, that they may be blood, and that there may be blood in all the land of Egypt: both in vessels of wood and also of stone. And Moses and Aaron did even as the LORD commanded. And he lift up the staff and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharao and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that was in the river, turned into blood. And the fish that was in the river died, and the river stank: so that the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river. And there was blood thorowout all the land of Egypt. And the enchanters of Egypt did likewise with their enchantments, so that Pharao's heart was hardened and did not regard them as the LORD had said. And Pharao turned himself and went into his house, and set not his heart thereunto. And the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink, for they could not drink of the water of the river. And it continued a week after that the LORD had smote the river.

Chapter .viij.

The LORD spake unto Moses: Go unto Pharao and tell him, thus sayeth the LORD: let my people go, that they may serve me. If thou wilt not let them go: behold I will smite all thy land with frogs. And the river shall scrale with frogs, and they shall come up and go into thine house and into thy chamber where thou sleepest and upon thy bed, and into the houses of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and upon thy vitailles which thou hast in store. And the frogs shall come upon thee and on thy people and upon all thy servants. And the LORD spake unto Moses, say unto Aaron: stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, rivers, and ponds. And bring up frogs upon the land of Egypt. And Aaron stretched his hand over the water of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. And the sorcerers did likewise with their sorcery, and the frogs came up upon the land of Egypt. Then Pharao called for Moses and Aaron and said, pray ye unto the LORD that he may take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice unto the LORD. And Moses said unto Pharao: Appoint thou the time unto me, when I shall pray for thee and thy servants and thy people, to drive away the frogs from thee and thy house, so that they shall remain but in the river only. And he said tomorrow. And he said: even as thou hast said, that thou mayst know that there is none like unto the LORD our God. And the frogs shall depart from thee and from thine houses, and from thy servants and from thy people, and shall remain in the river only. And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharao, and Moses cried unto the LORD upon the appointment of frogs which he had made unto Pharao. And the LORD did according to the saying of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, courts and fields. And they gathered them together upon heaps: so that the land stank of them. But when Pharao saw that he had rest given him, he hardened his heart and hearkened not unto them, as the LORD had said. And the LORD said unto Moses: Say unto Aaron: stretch out thy rod and smite the dust of the land that it may turn to lice in all the land of Egypt. And they did so. And Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and smote the dust of the earth, and it turned to lice both in man and beast, so that all the dust of the land turned to lice, thorowout all the land of Egypt. And the enchanters assayed likewise with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. And the lice were both upon man and beast. Then said the enchanters unto Pharao: it is the finger of God. Neverthelater Pharao's heart was hardened and he regarded them not, as the LORD had said. And the LORD said unto Moses: rise up early in the morning and stond before Pharao, for he will come unto the water: and say unto him, thus sayeth the LORD: let my people go, that they may serve me. If thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send all manner flies both upon thee and thy servants, and thy people, and into thy houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of flies, and the ground whereon they are. But I will separate the same day the land of Gosan where my people are, so that there shall no flies be there: that thou mayest know that I am the LORD upon the earth. And I will put a division between my people and thine. And even tomorrow shall this miracle be done. And the LORD did even so: and there came noisome flies into the house of Pharao, and into his servants' houses and into all the land of Egypt: so that the land was marred with flies. Then Pharao sent for Moses and Aaron and said: Go and do sacrifice unto your God in the land. And Moses answered: it is not mete so to do. For we must offer unto the LORD our God, that which is an abomination unto the Egyptians: behold shall we sacrifice that which is an abomination unto the Egyptians before their eyes, and shall they not stone us? we will therefore go three days' journey into the desert and sacrifice unto the LORD our God as he hath commanded us. And Pharao said: I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice unto the LORD your God in the wilderness: only go not far away, and see that ye pray for me. And Moses said: behold, I will go out from thee and pray unto the LORD, and the flies shall depart from Pharao and from his servants and from his people tomorrow. But let Pharao from henceforth deceive no more, that he would not let the people go to sacrifice unto the LORD. And Moses went out from Pharao and prayed unto the LORD. And the LORD did as Moses had said, and took away the flies from Pharao and from his servants and from his people, so that there remained not one. But for all that, Pharao hardened his heart even then also and would not let the people go.

Chapter .ix.