Chapter 6

God promises to save the *Israelites

v1 Then the *Lord spoke to Moses. He said: Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. Because of my powerful *signs, he will let my people go. Because of my powerful *signs, he will *command them to leave his country. v2 And God said to Moses: I am the *Lord. v3 I showed myself to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, as God *Almighty. But I did not let them know me by my name, the *Lord. v4 I also made my special promise to them. I promised to give them the country of Canaan. I promised to give them the country where they had lived as foreign people. v5 And I have heard the *Israelites when they cry. They cry because the *Egyptians cause them to live as slaves. I have remembered my special promise. v6 So you must say this to the *Israelites. I am the *Lord. I will remove you from the authority of the *Egyptians. You will not be their slaves again. I will bring you back to myself by my powerful authority. I will *judge the *Egyptians by the great things that I will do. v7 I will make you my own people and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the *Lord. I am your God who saved you from the authority of the *Egyptians. v8 And I will bring you to another country. I made a very serious promise to give that other country to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you and it will be your own country. I am the *Lord. v9 Moses reported these words to the *Israelites. But they did not listen to him, because their *Egyptian masters were so cruel to them. They refused to hope for good things. Their *Egyptian masters had broken their *spirits and made them very sad. v10 Then the *Lord said to Moses: v11 Go and speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Tell him that he must let the *Israelites go out of his country. v12 But Moses said to the *Lord: Look! Even the *Israelites have not listened to me. So why should Pharaoh listen to me? My lips are unable to speak good words from God. v13 Then the *Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the *Israelites and about Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He *commanded Moses and Aaron to lead the *Israelites out of the country called Egypt.

The *Ancestors of Moses and Aaron

v14 These were the leaders of the whole families: The sons of Reuben, *Israels oldest son: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These were Reubens families. v15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar and Shaul. Shaul was the son of a *Canaanite woman. These were Simeons families. v16 These are the names of the sons of Levi from the oldest to the youngest: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. Levi lived for 137 years. v17 The sons of Gershon and their families: Libni and Shimei. v18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. Kohath lived for 133 years. v19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These were the families of Levi from the oldest to the youngest. v20 Amram married Jochebed, his fathers sister. Aaron and Moses were their sons. Amram lived for 137 years. v21 The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg and Sithri.

v22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan and Sithri. v23 Aaron married Elisheba. She was the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon. Elishebas children were: Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. v24 The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. These are the families of people from Korah. v25 Eleazar, Aarons son, married one of Putiels daughters. Phinehas was their son. These were the leaders of the families of the *Levites. v26 This Aaron and Moses are the same men to whom the *Lord spoke. He said: Lead the *Israelites out of the country of Egypt. Lead them out as an army of p eople. v27 Yes, it was the same Moses and Aaron who spoke to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. They told him that the *Israelites would leave Egypt.

Aaron will speak for Moses

v28 When the *Lord spoke to Moses in the country of Egypt, v29 he said, I am the *Lord. Tell Pharaoh, King of Egypt, everything that I tell you. v30 Then Moses said: Look, my lips are unable to speak good words from God. Why should Pharaoh listen to me?