Exodus 6

Yahweh Discusses His Name and Israel’s Future

1 And Yahweh said to Moses, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, because with a strong hand he will release them, and with a strong hand he will drive them out from his land."

2 And God spoke to Moses, and he said to him, "I am Yahweh. 3 And I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Shaddai,*Often translated as "Almighty" but by my name Yahweh I was not known to them. 4 And I not only established my covenant with them to give to them the land of Canaan, the land of their sojournings, in which they dwelt as aliens, 5 but also I myself heard the groaning of the Israelites,*Literally "sons/children of Israel" whom the Egyptians are making to work, and I remembered my covenant. 6 Therefore say to the Israelites,*Literally "sons/children of Israel" ‘I am Yahweh, and I will bring you out from under the forced labor*Literally "burdens" or "burdensome labor" of Egypt, and I will deliver you from their slavery, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great punishments. 7 And I will take you as my people,*Literally "to/for me for a people" and I will be your God,*Literally "to/for you for a God" and you will know that I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out from under the forced labor*Literally "burdens" or "burdensome labor" of Egypt. 8 And I will bring you to the land that I swore*Literally "that I raised my hand" to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and I will give it to you as a possession. I am Yahweh."

9 And Moses spoke thus to the Israelites,*Literally "sons/children of Israel" but they did not listen to Moses, because of discouragement*Literally "a lack of spirit" or "shortness of spirit" and because of hard work.

10 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, 11 "Go, speak to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and let him release the Israelites*Literally "sons/children of Israel" from his land." 12 And Moses spoke before Yahweh, saying, "Look, the Israelites*Literally "sons/children of Israel" do not listen to me, and how will Pharaoh listen to me, since I am a poor speaker?"*Literally "uncircumcised of lips"13 And Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and he commanded them to go to the Israelites*Literally "sons/children of Israel" and to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to bring the Israelites*Literally "sons/children of Israel" out from the land of Egypt.

The Genealogy of Moses and Aaron

14 These are the heads of their families.*Literally "the house of their fathers"

The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, are Enoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi. These are the clans of Reuben.

15 And the sons of Simeon are Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jakin and Zohar and Shaul the son of the Canaanitess.*Or "the Canaanite woman." The Hebrew word is feminine These are the clans of Simeon.

16 And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their genealogies:*Or "generations" Gershon and Kohath and Merari, and the years of the life of Levi were one hundred and thirty-seven years.*Literally "seven and thirty and hundred of year"

17 The sons of Gershon are Libni and Shimei according to their clans.

18 And the sons of Kohath are Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel, and the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred and thirty-three years.*Literally "three and thirty and hundred of year"

19 And the sons of Merari are Mahli and Mushi. These are clans of the Levites according to their genealogies.*Or "generations"

20 And Amram took Jochebed his aunt for himself as a wife, and she bore for him Aaron and Moses, and the years of the life of Amram were one hundred and thirty-seven years.*Literally "seven and thirty and hundred of year"

21 And the sons of Izhar are Korah and Nepheg and Zikri.

22 And the sons of Uzziel are Mishael and Elzaphan and Sithri.

23 And Aaron took Elisheba the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, for himself as a wife, and she bore for him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

24 And the sons of Korah are Assir and Elkanah and Abiasaph. These are the clans of the Korahites.

25 And Eleazar the son of Aaron took for himself one from the daughters of Putiel as a wife, and she bore for him Phinehas. These are the heads of the families*Literally "fathers" of the Levites according to their clans.

26 It was that Aaron and Moses to whom Yahweh said, "Bring the Israelites*Literally "sons/children of Israel" out from the land of Egypt according to their divisions." 27 They were those who spoke to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, in order to bring the Israelites*Literally "sons/children of Israel" out from Egypt. It was that Moses and Aaron.

28 And so it was on a certain day*Literally "and it was on a day" Yahweh spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt. 29 And Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, "I am Yahweh. Speak to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, all that I am speaking to you." 30 And Moses said before Yahweh, "Look, I am a poor speaker.*Literally "uncircumcised of lips" And how will Pharaoh listen to me?"