Part 14

And the LORD spake unto Moses saying: Sanctify unto me all the firstborn that open all manner matrices among the children of Israel, as well of men as of beasts: for they are mine. And Moses said unto the people: think on this day in which ye came out of Egypt and out of the house of bondage: for with a mighty hand the LORD brought you out from thence. See therefore that ye eat no leavened bread. This day come ye out of Egypt in the month of Abib. When the LORD hath brought thee in to the land of the Cananites, Hethites, Amorites, Hevites and Iebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers that he would give thee: a land wherein milk and honey floweth, then see that thou keep this service in this same month. Seven days thou shalt eat sweet bread, and the seventh day shall be feastful unto the LORD. Therefore thou shalt eat sweet bread seven days, and see that there be no leavened bread seen nor yet leaven among you in all your quarters. And thou shalt shew thy son at that time saying: this is done, because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came out of Egypt. Therefore it shall be a sign unto thee upon thine hand and a remembrance between thine eyes, that the LORD's law may be in thy mouth. For with a strong hand the LORD brought thee out of Egypt, see thou keep therefore this ordinance in his season from year to year. Moreover when the LORD hath brought thee into the land of the Cananites, as he hath sworn unto thee and to thy fathers, and hath given it thee, then thou shalt appoint unto the LORD all that openeth the matrice, and all the firstborn among the beasts which thou hast if they be males. And all the firstborn of the asses, thou shalt redeem with a sheep: if thou redeem him not, then break his neck. But all the firstborn among thy children shalt thou buy out. And when thy son asketh thee in time to come saying: what is this? thou shalt say unto him: with a mighty hand and LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. And when Pharao was loth to let us go, the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt: as well the firstborn of men as of beasts. And therefore I sacrifice unto the LORD all the males that open the matrice, but all the firstborn of my children I must redeem. And this shall be as a token in thine hand, and as a thing hanged up between thine eyes: because the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand. When Pharao had let the people go, God carried them not thorow the land of the Philistines, though it were a nye way. For God said: the people might haply repent when they see war, and so turn again to Egypt: therefore God led thee about thorow the wilderness that bordereth on the red sea. The children of Israel went harnessed out of the land of Egypt. And Moses took the bones of Ioseph with him: for he made the children of Israel swear saying: God will surely visit you, take my bones therefore away hence with you. And they took their journey from Sucoth: and pitched their tents in Etham in the edge of the wilderness. And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way: and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light: that they might go both by day and night. And the pillar of the cloud never departed by day nor the pillar of fire by night out of the people's sight.

Chapter .xiiij.

Then the LORD spake unto Moses saying: bid the children of Israel that they turn and pitch their tents before the entering of Hiroth between Migdol and the sea toward Baal Zephon: even before that shall ye pitch upon the sea. For Pharao will say of the children of Israel: they are tangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in. And I will harden his heart, that he shall follow after them, that I may get me honour upon Pharao and upon all his host, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did even so. And when it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled, then Pharao's heart and all his servants turned unto the people and said: why have we this done, that we have let Israel go out of our service? and he made ready his chariots and took his people with him and took six hundred chosen chariots and all the chariots of Egypt and captains upon all his people. For the LORD hardened the heart of Pharao king of Egypt, that he followed after the children of Israel which for all that went out thorow an high hand. And the Egyptians followed after them and overtook them where they pitched by the sea, with all the horsses and chariots of Pharao and with his horsemen and his host: even fast by the entering of Hiroth before Baal Zephon. And Pharao drew nye, and when the children of Israel lift up their eyes and saw how the Egyptians followed after them, they were sore afraid and cried out unto the LORD. Then said they unto Moses: were there no graves for us in Egypt, but thou must bring us away for to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou served us thus, for to carry us out of Egypt? Did not we tell thee this in Egypt saying, let us be in rest and serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to have served the Egyptians, than for to die in the wilderness. And Moses said unto the people: fear ye not but stond still and behold how the LORD shall save you this day: For as ye see the Egyptians this day, shall ye see them no more for ever till the world's end. The LORD shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace. The LORD said unto Moses: wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel that they go forward. But lift thou up thy rod and stretch out thy hand over the sea and divide it asunder, that the children of Israel may go on dry ground thorow the middest thereof. And behold I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians that they may follow you. And I will get me honour upon Pharao and upon all his host, upon his chariots and upon his horsemen. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD when I have gotten me honour upon Pharao, upon his chariots and upon his horsemen. And the angel of God which went before the host of Israel, removed and went behind them. And the clouden pillar that was before them removed and stood behind them and went between the host of the Egyptians and the host of Israel. It was a dark cloud, and gave light by night: so that all the night long the one could not come at the other. When now Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, the LORD carried away the sea with a strong east wind that blew all night, and made the sea dry land and the water divided itself. And the children of Israel went in thorow the middest of the sea upon the dry ground. And the water was a wall unto them, both on their right hand and on their left hand. And the Egyptians followed and went in after them to the middest of the sea, with all Pharao's horses, and his chariots and his horsemen. And in the morning watch, the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians out of the fiery and cloudy pillar, and troubled their host and smote off their chariot wheels and cast them down to the ground. Then said the Egyptians: Let us flee from Israel, for the LORD fighteth for them against us. Then said the LORD unto Moses: stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the water may come again upon the Egyptians upon their chariots and horsemen. Then stretched forth Moses his hand over the sea, and it came again to his course early in the morning, and the Egyptians fled against it. Thus the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the middest of the sea, and the water returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen: so that of all the host of Pharao that came into the sea after them, there remained not one. But the children of Israel went upon dry land in the middest of the sea, and the water was a wall unto them: both on the right hand of them and also on the left. Thus the LORD delivered Israel the self same day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea side. And when Israel saw that mighty hand which the LORD had shewed upon the Egyptians, they feared the LORD: and believed both the LORD and also his servant Moses.

Chapter .xv.

Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song unto the LORD and said: Let us sing unto the LORD, for he is become glorious, the horse and him that rode upon him hath he overthrown in the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song, and is become my salvation. He is my God and I will glorify him, he is my father's God and I will lift him up on high. {an hie} The LORD is a man of war, Iehouah is his name: Pharao's chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea. His jolly captains are drowned in the redde {reed} sea, the deep waters have covered them: they sank to the bottom as a stone. Thine hand LORD is glorious in power, thine hand LORD hath all to dashed the enemy. And with thy great glory thou hast destroyed thine adversaries, thou sentest forth thy wrath and it consumed them, even as stubble. With the breath of thine anger the water gathered together and the floods stood still as a rock, and the deep water congealed together in the middest of the sea. The enemy said: I will follow and overtake them, and will divide the spoil: I will satisfy my lust upon them: I will draw my sword, and mine hand shall destroy them. Thou blewest with thy breath and the sea covered them, and they sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto thee o LORD among gods: who is like thee, so glorious in holiness, fearful, laudable and that shewest wonders? Thou stretchedest out thy right hand, and in the earth swallowed them. And thou carriedest with thy mercy this people which thou deliveredest, and broughtest them with thy strength unto thy holy habitation. The nations heard, and were afraid, pangs came upon the Philistines. Then the dukes of the Edomites were amazed, and trembling came upon the mightiest of the Moabites, and all the inhabiters of Canaan waxed faint hearted. Let fear and dread fall upon them thorow the greatness of thine arm, and let them be as still as a stone, while thy people pass thorow o LORD, while the people pass thorow, which thou hast gotten. Bring them in and plant them in the mountains of thine inheritance, the place LORD {Lorde} which thou hast made for to dwell in, the sanctuary Lord, which thy hands have prepared. The LORD reign ever and allway. For Pharao went in on horseback with his chariots and horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought the waters of the sea upon them. And the children of Israel went on dry land thorow the middest of the sea. And Miriam a prophetess the sister of Aaron took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women came out after her with timbrels in a dance. And Miriam sang before them: sing ye unto the LORD, for he is become glorious indeed: the horse and his rider hath he overthrown in the sea. Moses brought Israel from the redde {reed} sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Sur. And they went three days long in the wilderness, and could find no water. At the last they came to Mara: but they could not drink of the waters for bitterness, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of the place was called Mara. Then the people murmured against Moses, saying: what shall we drink? And Moses cried unto the LORD, and he shewed him a tree: {tre} and he cast it into the water, and they waxed sweet. There he made them an ordinance and a law, and there he tempted them and said: If ye will hearken unto the voice of the LORD your God, and will do that which is right in his sight and will give an ear unto his commandments, and keep all his ordinances: then will I put none of these diseases upon thee which I brought upon the Egyptians, for I am the LORD thy surgeon. And they came to Elim where were twelve wells of water and seventy date trees, and they pitched there by the water.

Chapter .xvi.

And they took their journey from Elim, and all the whole company of the children of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which lieth between Elim and Sinai: the fifteenth day of the second month after that they were come out of the land of Egypt. And the hole multitude of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness, and said unto them: would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and ate bread our bellies' full for ye have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this hole multitude for hunger. Then said the LORD unto Moses: behold, I will rain bread from heaven down to you, and let the people go out, and gather day by day, that I may prove them whether they will walk in my law or no. The sixth day let them prepare that which they will bring in, and let it be twice as much as they gather in daily. And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel: at even ye shall know that it is the LORD, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and in the morning ye shall see the glory of the LORD: because he hath heard your grudgings against the LORD: for what are we that ye should murmur against us? And moreover spake Moses: At evening the LORD will give you flesh to eat, and in the morning bread enough, because the LORD hath heard your murmur which ye murmur against him: for what are we? your murmuring is not against us, but against the LORD. And Moses spake unto Aaron: Say unto all the company of the children of Israel, come forth before the LORD, for he hath heard your grudgings. And as Aaron spake unto the hole multitude of the children of Israel, they looked toward the wilderness: and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in a cloud. And the LORD spake unto Moses saying: I have heard the murmuring of the children of Israel, tell them therefore and say that at evening they shall eat flesh, and in the morning they shall be filled with bread, and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God. And at evening the quails came and covered the ground where they lay. And in the morning the dew lay round about the host. And when the dew was fallen: behold, it lay upon the ground in the wilderness, small and round and thin as the hoar frost on the ground. When the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another: what is this? for they wist not what it was; And Moses said: this is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, that ye gather every man enough for him to eat: a gomer full for a man according to the number of you, and gather every man for them which are in his tent. And the children of Israel did even so, and gathered some more some less, and did mete it with a gomer. And unto him that had gathered much remained nothing over, and unto him that had gathered little was there no lack: but every man had gathered sufficient for his eating. And Moses said unto them: See that no man let ought remain of it till the morning. Notwithstonding they hearkened not unto Moses: but some of the left of it until the mornynge, and it waxed full of worms and stank, and Moses was angry with them. And they gathered it all mornings: every man as much as sufficed for his eating, for as soon as the heat of the sonne came it melted. And the sixth day they gathered twice so much bread, two gomers for one man, and the rulers of the multitude came and told Moses. And he said unto them: this is that which the LORD hath said: tomorrow is the Sabbath of the holy rest of the LORD: bake that which ye will bake and fetch that ye will fetch, and that which remaineth lay up for you, and keep it till the morning. And they laid it up till the morning as Moses bade, and it stank not, neither was there any worms therein. And Moses said: that eat this day: for today it is the LORD's Sabbath: today ye shall find none in the field. Six days ye shall gather it, for the seventh is the Sabbath: there shall be none therein. Notwithstanding there went out of the people in the seventh day for to gather: but they found none. Then the LORD said unto Moses: how long shall it be, yer ye will keep my commandments and laws? See because the LORD hath given you a Sabbath, therefore he giveth you the sixth day bread for two days. Bide therefore every man at home, and let no man go out of his place the seventh day. And the people rested the seventh day. And the house of Israel called it Man. And it was like unto Coriander seed and white, and the taste of it was like unto wafers made with honey. And Moses said: this is that which the LORD commandeth: fill a gomer of it, that it may be kept for your children after you: that they may see the bread wherewith he fed you in wilderness, when he had brought you out of the land of Egypt. And Moses spake unto Aaron: take a cruse and put a gomer full of Man therein, and lay it up before the LORD to be kept for your children after you, as the LORD commanded Moses. And Aaron laid it up before the testimony there to be kept. And the children of Israel ate man forty years until they came unto a land inhabited. And so they ate Man, even until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan, and a gomer is the tenth part of an Epha.

Chapter .xvij.

And all the company of the children of Israel went on their journeys from the wilderness of Sin at the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Raphidim: where was no water for the people to drink. And the people chode with Moses and said: give us water to drink. And Moses said unto them: why chide ye with me, and wherefore do ye tempt the LORD? There the people thirsted for water, and murmured against Moses and said: wherefore hast thou brought us out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst? And Moses cried unto the LORD saying, what shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me. And the LORD said unto Moses: go before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel: and thy rod wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand and go. Behold, I will stond there before thee upon a rock in Horeb: and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out thereof, that the people may drink. And Moses did even so before the elders of Israel. And he called the name of the place: Massa and Meriba: because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD saying: is the LORD among us or not? Then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Raphidim. And Moses said unto Iosua: choose out men and go fight with Amelech. Tomorrow I will stond on the top of the hill and the rod of God in mine hand. And Iosua did as Moses bade him, and fought with the Amalekites. And Moses, Aaron and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And when Moses held up his hand, Israel had the better. And when he let his hand down, Amelech had the better. When Moses' hands were weary, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat down there on. And Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side and the other on the other side. And his hands were steady until the son was down. And Iosua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of his sword. And the LORD said unto Moses: write this for a remembrance in a book and tell it unto Iosua, for I will put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And Moses made an altar and called the name of it Iehouah Nissi, {The LORD is he that exalteth, or worketh miracles for me.} for he said: the hand is on the seat of the LORD, that the LORD will have war with Amalek thorowout all generations.

Chapter .xviij.