Exodus 6

1 Then Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Now you will see what I will do to the king [and his people]. I will powerfully [MTY] compel him to let my people go. In fact, by my power [MTY] [I will force] him to expel them from his land!”

But the Lord told Moses, “Now you'll see what I'm going to do to Pharaoh. Using my great strength I will force him to let them go; because of my power he will send them out from his country.”

2 God also said to Moses/me, “I am Yahweh.

God spoke to Moses and told him, “I am Yahweh!

3 I am the one who appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and [told them that I] was God Almighty, but I did not [tell] them that my name [was Yahweh].

I revealed myself as God Almighty to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, but they didn't know my name, ‘Yahweh.’

4 I also made my solemn agreement with them, promising to give them the Canaan region. That was the area in which they were living as foreigners.

I also confirmed my solemn agreement with them to give them the land of Canaan, the country where they were living as foreigners.

5 Furthermore, I have heard the Israeli people as they were groaning [because of the hard work that] the Egyptians forced them to do as their slaves. I have thought about that solemn promise [that I made].

In addition I've heard the groans of the Israelites that the Egyptians are treating as slaves, and I haven't forgotten the agreement I promised them.

6 So tell the Israeli people that [I said this: ] ‘I am Yahweh. I will free you from the burdens [of heavy work] that the Egyptians [have given you]. I will free you from being their slaves. With my great power [MTY] and by punishing them [MTY] very severely, I will save you.

So tell the Israelites, ‘I am the Lord and I will save you from the forced labor the Egyptians are making you do; I will set you free from being their slaves. I will rescue you using my power and imposing heavy punishments.

7 I will cause you to be my own people, and I will be your God, [the one you worship]. You will truly know that I, Yahweh your God, am the one who has freed you from the burdens [of work as slaves] of the Egyptians.

I will make you my own people. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in Egypt.

8 And I will bring you to the land that I solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. You will possess it [forever]. I, Yahweh, am [promising this].’”

I will take you to the land that I solemnly promised to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you to own. I am the Lord!’”

9 Moses/I told that to the Israeli people, but they did not believe what he/I said. They were very discouraged [IDM] because of the hard work [that they had been forced to do as slaves].

Moses explained this to the Israelites but they did not listen to him, because they were so discouraged and because of the hard labor they were forced to do.

10 Yahweh said to Moses/me,

Then the Lord said to Moses,

11 “Go and tell the king of Egypt [again] that he must allow the Israeli people to leave his land!”

“Go and speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Tell him to let the Israelites leave his country.”

12 But Moses/I said to Yahweh, “Listen [to what I am saying]. [Even] the Israeli people have not paid attention to what I [told them]. But I am a poor speaker. [MET, MTY] So (why should the king pay attention to what I tell him?/the king will certainly not pay attention to what I [tell him]!)” [RHQ]

But Moses replied, “Even my own people don't listen to me. Why would Pharaoh listen to me, especially since I'm such a poor speaker?”

13 But Yahweh spoke to Aaron and Moses/me and commanded them/us, “Tell the Israeli people and the king of Egypt that I have [commissioned you two] to lead the Israeli people out of Egypt.”

But the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and told them what to do regarding the people of Israel and Pharaoh, king of Egypt, in order to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.

14 (Here is/I will now give you) a list of the ancestors of [Moses/me and Aaron]: The sons of Reuben, who was Jacob’s oldest son, [were] Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. They were [ancestors of] the clans [that have those same names].

These were the Israelite family heads. The sons of Reuben, the firstborn son of Israel, were Hanok and Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. These were the families of Reuben.

15 The sons of Simeon [were] Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul. Shaul’s mother was a woman from the Canaan people-group. Those men also were [ancestors of] clans [that have those same names].

The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, (the son of a Canaanite woman). These were the families of Simeon.

16 These are the names of the sons of Levi, in the order in which they were born: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi was 137 years old [when he died].

These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their genealogical records: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived for 137 years.

17 The sons of Gershon [were] Libni and Shimei. They were ancestors of clans that have those names.

The sons of Gershon, by families, were Libni and Shimei.

18 The sons of Kohath [were] Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath was 133 years old [when he died].

The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived for 133 years.

19 The sons of Merari [were] Mahli and Mushi. All of those people whose names [I have listed] belonged to tribes/clans descended from Levi, in the order in which they were born.

The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were the families of the Levites according to their genealogical records.

20 Amram married his father’s sister, Jochebed. She was the mother of Aaron and Moses/me. Amram was 137 years old [when he died].

Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, and she had their sons Aaron and Moses. Amram lived for 137 years.

21 The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.

The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.

22 The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.

The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.

23 Aaron married Elisheba. She was the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon. Elisheba gave birth to [four sons]: Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon. She had their sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

24 The sons of Korah [were] Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. They were the ancestors of the Korah people-group.

The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These were the Korahite families.

25 Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she gave birth to Phinehas. [That ends the list of] the families and clans that were descended from Levi.

Eleazar, son of Aaron, married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she had their son Phinehas. These are the ancestors of the Levite families, listed according to their clans. Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she gave birth to his son, Phinehas. These are the heads of the Levite families, listed by family.

26 Aaron and Moses/I were the ones to whom Yahweh said, “Lead all the families and clans of the Israeli people out of Egypt.”

Aaron and Moses mentioned here are the ones the Lord told, “Lead the Israelites out of Egypt, divided up in their respective tribes.”

27 They/We were the ones who spoke to the king of Egypt about bringing the Israeli people out of Egypt.

Moses and Aaron were also the ones who went to speak with Pharaoh, king of Egypt, about the Israelites leaving Egypt.

28 On the day that Yahweh spoke to Moses/me in Egypt,

When the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt,

29 he said, “I am Yahweh. You must tell the king everything that I say to you.”

he said to him, “I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, all that I tell you.”

30 But Moses/I said to Yahweh, “Listen to me. I am not a good speaker. [MET, MTY] So (the king will certainly not pay attention to what I say/why should the king pay attention to what I tell him?)!” [RHQ]

But Moses replied, “I'm not a good speaker—why would Pharaoh listen to me?”