The Message Bible MSG
English Standard Version ESV
1 God said to Moses, "Now you'll see what I'll do to Pharaoh: With a strong hand he'll send them out free; with a strong hand he'll drive them out of his land."
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But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land. ”
2 God continued speaking to Moses, reassuring him, "I am God.
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God spoke to Moses and said to him, “I am the Lord.
3 I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as The Strong God, but by my name God (I-Am-Present) I was not known to them.
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I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name the Lord I did not make myself known to them.
4 I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the country in which they lived as sojourners.
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I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners.
5 But now I've heard the groanings of the Israelites whom the Egyptians continue to enslave and I've remembered my covenant.
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Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.
6 Therefore tell the Israelites:
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Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.
7 I'll take you as my own people and I'll be God to you. You'll know that I am God, your God who brings you out from under the cruel hard labor of Egypt.
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I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
8 I'll bring you into the land that I promised to give Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and give it to you as your own country. I AM God."
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I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord. ’”
9 But when Moses delivered this message to the Israelites, they didn't even hear him - they were that beaten down in spirit by the harsh slave conditions.
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Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.
10 Then God said to Moses,
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So the Lord said to Moses,
11 "Go and speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt so that he will release the Israelites from his land."
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“Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land. ”
12 Moses answered God, "Look - the Israelites won't even listen to me. How do you expect Pharaoh to? And besides, I stutter."
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But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, the people of Israel have not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for I am of uncircumcised lips? ”
13 But God again laid out the facts to Moses and Aaron regarding the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he again commanded them to lead the Israelites out of the land of Egypt. The Family Tree of Moses and Aaron
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But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
14 These are the heads of the tribes: The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi - these are the families of Reuben.
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These are the heads of their fathers’ houses: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the clans of Reuben.
15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Saul, the son of a Canaanite woman - these are the families of Simeon.
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The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the clans of Simeon.
16 These are the names of the sons of Levi in the order of their birth: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.
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These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the years of the life of Levi being 137 years.
17 The sons of Gershon by family: Libni and Shimei.
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The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their clans.
18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived to be 133.
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The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, the years of the life of Kohath being 133 years.
19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the sons of Levi in the order of their birth.
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The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations.
20 Amram married his aunt Jochebed and she had Aaron and Moses. Amram lived to be 137.
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Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father’s sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years.
21 The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zicri.
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The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.
22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
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The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
23 Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she had Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
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Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
24 The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the families of the Korahites.
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The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the clans of the Korahites.
25 Aaron's son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel and she had Phinehas. These are the heads of the Levite families, family by family.
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Eleazar, Aaron’s son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites by their clans.
26 This is the Aaron and Moses whom God ordered: "Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt clan by clan."
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These are the Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said: “Bring out the people of Israel from the land of Egypt by their hosts. ”
27 These are the men, Moses and Aaron, who told Pharaoh king of Egypt to release the Israelites from Egypt. "I'll Make You As a God to Pharaoh"
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It was they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the people of Israel from Egypt, this Moses and this Aaron.
28 And that's how things stood when God next spoke to Moses in Egypt.
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On the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,
29 God addressed Moses, saying, "I am God. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I say to you."
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the Lord said to Moses, “I am the Lord; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you. ”
30 And Moses answered, "Look at me. I stutter. Why would Pharaoh listen to me?"
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But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips. How will Pharaoh listen to me? ”
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025