Page:The Holy Bible (YLT).djvu/59

Moses returns unto Egypt. give credence to thee, and hearken not to the voice of the first sign, that they have given credence to the voice of the latter sign.

'And it hath come to pass, if they do not give credence even to these two signs, nor hearken to thy voice, that thou hast taken of the waters of the River, and hast poured on the dry land, and the waters which thou takest from the River have been, yea, they have become—blood on the dry land.'

And Moses saith unto Jehovah, 'O, my Lord, I am not a man of words, either yesterday, or before, or since Thy speaking unto Thy servant, for I am slow of mouth, and slow of tongue.'

And Jehovah saith unto him, 'Who appointed a mouth for man? or who appointeth the dumb, or deaf, or open, or bhud? is it not I, Jehovah? and now, go, and I—I am with thy mouth, and have directed thee that which thou speakest; and he saith, 'O, my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand Thou dost send.'

And the anger of Jehovah burneth against Moses, and He saith, 'Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I have known that he speaketh well, and also, lo, he is coming out to meet thee; when he hath seen thee, then he hath rejoiced in his heart, and thou hast spoken unto him, and hast set the words in his mouth, and I—I am with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and have directed you that which ye do;' and he, he hath spoken for thee unto the people, and it hath come to pass, he—he is to thee for a mouth, and thou—thou art to him for God; and this rod thou dost take in thy hand, with which thou doest the signs.'

And Moses goeth and turueth back unto Jethro his father-in-law, and saith to him, 'Let me go, I pray thee, and I turn back unto my brethren who are in Egypt, and I see whether they are yet alive.' And Jethro saith to Moses, 'Go in peace.'

And Jehovah saith unto Moses in Midian, 'Go, turn back to Egypt, for all the men have died who seek thy life;' and Moses taketh his wife, and his sons, and causeth them to ride on the ass, and turneth back to the land of Egypt, and Moses taketh the rod of God in his hand.

And Jehovah saith unto Moses, 'In thy going to turn back to Egypt, see—all the wonders which I have put in thy hand—that thou hast done them before Pharaoh, and I—I strengthen his heart, and he doth not send the people away; and thou hast said unto Pharaoh, Thus said Jehovah, My son, My first born is Israel, and I say unto thee. Send away My son, and he doth serve Me; and—thou dost refuse to send him away—lo, I am slaying thy son, thy first-born.'

And it cojneth to pass in the way, in a lodging place, that Jehovah meeteth him, and seeketh to put him to death; and Zipporah taketh a flint, and cutteth off the foreskin of her son, and causeth it to touch his feet, and saith, 'Surely a bridegroom of blood art thou to me;' and He desisteth from him: then she said, 'A bridegroom of blood,' in reference to the circumcision.

And Jehovah saith unto Aaron, 'Go to meet Moses into the wilderness;' and he goeth, and meeteth him in the mount of God, and kisseth him, and Moses declareth to Aaron all the words of Jehovah with which Hehath sent him, and all the signs with which He hath charged him.

And Moses goeth—Aaron also—and they gather all the elders of the sons of Israel, and Aaron speaketh all the words which Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses, and doth the signs before the eyes of the people; and the people believe when they hear that Jehovah hath looked after the sons of Israel, and that He hath seen their affliction; and they bow and do obeisance.

V. AND afterwards have Moses and Aaron entered, and they say unto Pharaoh, 'Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Send My people away, and they keep a feast to Me in the wilderness;' and Pharaoh saith, 'Who is Jehovah, that I hearken to His voice, to send Israel away? I have not known Jehovah, and Israel also I do not send away.'

And they say, 'The God of the Hebrews hath met with us, let us go, we pray thee, a journey of three days into the wilderness, and we sacrifice to Jehovah our God, lest He meet us with pestilence or with sword.'

And the king of Egypt saith unto them, 'Why, Moses and Aaron, do ye free the people from its works? go to your burdens.' Pharaoh also saith, 'Lo, numerous now is the people of the land, and ye have caused them to cease from their burdens!' And Pharaoh commandeth, on that day, the exactors among the people and its authorities, saying, 'Ye do not add to give straw to the people for the making of the bricks, as heretofore—they go and have gathered straw for themselves; and the proper quantity of the bricks which they are making heretofore ye do put on them, ye do not diminish from it, for they are remiss, therefore they are crying, saying. Let us go, let us sacrifice to our God; let the service be heavy on the men, and let them work at it, and not be dazzled by lying words.'

And the exactors of the people, and its authorities, go out, and speak unto the people, saying, 'Thus said Pharaoh, I do not give you straw, ye—go ye, take for yourselves straw where ye find it, for there is nothing of your service diminished.' And the people is scattered over all the land of Egypt, to gather stubble for straw, and the exactors are making haste, saying, 'Complete your works, the matter of a day in its day, as when there is straw.'

And the authorities of the sons of Israel, whom the exactors of Pharaoh have placed over them, are beaten, saying, 'Wherefore have ye not completed your portion in making brick as heretofore, both yesterday and to-day?'

And the authorities of the sons of Israel come in and cry unto Pharaoh, saying, 'Why dost thou thus to thy servants? Straw is not given to thy servants, and they are saying to us, Make bricks, and lo, thy servants are smitten—and thy people hath sinned. 39