King James Bible - Old Testament Exodus

A new king came to rule over Egypt who enslaved the descendants of Israel and asked the midwives to kill all the male children. In the house of Levi, a son was born and after three months he was sent down the river to escape death. He was found by the Pharaoh's daughter and named Moses. When he was older he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Jew. He fled and had a son. While tending his flock, Moses was visited by an angel of God who revealed that He was the God of Abraham and intended Moses to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. He gave Moses a divine rod so that he may prove his claims to others. The rod made lepers clean, turned into a serpent and helped Moses make river water turn into blood. God told Moses to tell Pharaoh that he would be slain if he did not free the children of Israel.

Aaron (Moses' brother) met Moses as he came in from the desert. The Pharaoh did not believe the words of Moses and he made life harder for the children of Israel. He withdrew their portion of straw and demanded that they make bricks anyway (straw and mud are necessary for brick making). Moses gathered the heads of the 12 families and took them to plead with the Egyptian ruler. God had Aaron wave his rod and foul the waters of the land. They approached the ruler again and when he refused, frogs overcame the Nile region. Pharaoh relented but soon returned to his evil ways. God sent a plague of lice, then flies. After Pharaoh refused again, all the Egyptian cattle died. Subsequently, all the animals and men of Egypt were blighted with boils. Hail fell all over the land except on the properties owned and farmed by children of Israel. After the ruler's next refusal, a plague of locusts smote the land and Moses brought a darkness for three days.

Pharaoh still refused to release the Israelites and God told Moses that all first-born sons in the country were to die. To survive, the Israelites were to slaughter a first-born male lamb and put its blood on the door. When the spirit of God came over Egypt to slay all of the first-born males, it passed over the houses with lamb's blood on the door. For seven days after this, the Israelites were not to eat leavened bread. Pharaoh relented and allowed the Israelites to leave. Moses reminded the people to remember the Passover each year. They traveled near the Red Sea and God was with them as a pillar of fire every night.

God warned Moses that Pharaoh was coming after them with an army. He told Moses to raise his staff and the sea would part for them. The Israelites crossed the sea but the waters closed on the pursuing Egyptian hordes. Moses prayed "The LORD is my strength...." Exodus, 15:2. He praised God as the women sang and danced. The water was bitter, but God made it sweet with a native tree. Near Sinai they feared starvation but Moses told them that God would rain down bread in the morning and flesh at night. The food would only last for one day except on the Sabbath when it lasted for an extra day so that they would not have to work. When they came to a place without water, Moses struck a rock with his staff and water rushed forth.

Everyone came to Moses with their troubles and his father-in-law Jethro told him that he could not keep judging everyone alone. They portioned out the tribes by thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. To each number they gave lieutenant judges. God told Moses that his people would be the chosen people and He asked that a new covenant be made. Moses went up to Mount Sinai and returned with the Ten Commandments. The chosen people were not to have any other gods, make graven images or take God's name in vain. In addition, they were to remember the Sabbath, honor their parents, not kill, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness or covet. Moses also received other instructions. Jewish servants were to be kept for only seven years. A man who sleeps with a woman must marry her or be punished. Punishments were to be even retribution: an eye for an eye. The people were to keep three feasts: Passover; the harvest feast; and the end of the year. For this, God promised to watch over them and make them prosper.

Moses built an altar and made sacrifices. He was on Mount Sinai for forty days. God instructed them to make an Ark in which to keep the covenant (the tablets of the rules given by God). He also instructed them on how to build a sanctuary: the wood to use and when to use precious metals. Aaron was to be the priest and God described his holy raiment. All of Aaron's sons, the house of Levi, were to be priests. The first sacrifices were to be rams and a young bull. Only priests were to eat of the sacrifices. Everyone was to make one sacrifice a year.

Moses went down and asked all of the women for their gold earrings. He found that some of his people were worshiping a golden cow. He called the children of Levi and at their command, 3,000 worshipers of the cow were killed. Moses raised the tabernacle of God and God descended in a pillar of cloud. He told the people to destroy other cities in the region. Moses gave all the commandments of God to the people and they built a sanctuary. They made all the clothing and candlesticks described by God. The Ark of the Covenant was put into the tabernacle. When God filled the sanctuary as a pillar of cloud, no one else could enter.

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