meses, for Pharaoh. 12. But the more they were afflicted, the more they increased. And the Egyptians were grieved on that account. 13. And made them serve with rigour in their bondage: 14. And embittered their lives with hard servitude in mortar, and in brick, and in every kind of service in the field.

15. The king spake to the two principal Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah, and Puah; 16. Saying, When you do your office to the Hebrew women, kill the male children, but let the females live. 17. But they feared God, and so obeyed not the king's command.

18. Then the king called them, and said, Why have ye saved the male children? 19. But they answered him, The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptians, they are more vigorous, and are delivered before the midwives come to their aid.

20. Now the people increased exceedingly, and multiplied abundantly, and became very mighty. 21. And because the midwives feared God, (more than the king, obeyed him rather than man), God prospered them, and gave them posterity.

22. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people to cast every Hebrew male child into the river, and to let every female live.

CHAP. II.

MOSES BORN AND HID.

A MAN of Levi's tribe, and his wife, had a goodly child, 2. Whom his mother hid three months. 3. And being unable to hide him longer, she got an ark made of papyrus or bulrushes, daubed with pitch and slime, and put him in it among the flags on the river side.

4. Then his sister stood at a distance to see what would become of him. 5. Now Thermut, Pharaoh's daughter, came with her maids to bathe in the ri

ver; and seeing the ark beside the river she sent her maid to fetch it. 6. And having opened it, she saw the child weeping, and she had compassion on him, seeing he was a Hebrew child.

7. Then his sister being adjacent, said to her, Shall I go and seek a Hebrew nurse, to nurse this child for thee? 8. Then she said, Go. So she went and brought his mother, 9. To whom she said, Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. So she took him and nursed him; and when he grew up, 10. She brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him for her son, and called him Moses, because she drew him out of the water.

11. When Moses was now grown up, he went to see his kindred, and beheld their oppressions. And discovered an Egyptian smiting one of them; 12. And looking every way, and seeing no man, he smote the Egyptian to death (because he would have done so to his brother and himself), and hid him in the sand.

13. And going out next day, he saw two Hebrews striving, and said to him that did the injury, Why smitest thou thy companion? 14. But he replied, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me as thou didst the Egyptian? Then Moses fearing, said, This matter is surely known.

5. Now Pharaoh having heard it, sought Moses to kill him; but he fled to Midian, and sat down beside a well.

16. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters who came to draw water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flocks. 17. Now the shepherds came with their flocks, and drove away the daughters with theirs; but Moses defended them, and watered their flocks.

18. Now when they came to Reuel their father,

he said, How are ye come so soon to-day? 19. They said, An Egyptian assisted us against the shepherds, and also drew water and watered our flock. 20. Then he said to them, Where is he? why left ye him? call him that he may eat bread.

21. Now Moses consented to dwell with him; and he gave him Ziporah his daughter for a wife. 22. Who had a son, whom he called Gershom, saying, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

23. In process of time the king of Egypt, who sought to slay Moses, died; but the Israelites sighed and cried under their bondage: their cry came up to God.

24. He heard their groaning, and remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 25, And had regard to their posterity.

CHAP. III.

MOSES IS SENT TO LIBERATE THE HEBREWS.

Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his fatherin-law, the priest of Midian; and led it to the back side of the wilderness, to Horeb or Sinai, the mount of God. 2. There the Eternal's angel appeared to him in the midst of a flame of fire, in a bush which burned, but was not consumed.

3. Then Moses said in himself, I will now go hear and behold this great sight, how the bush is not consumed.

4. Then the Eternal God called from the midst of the bush, Moses, Moses! who said, I am attentive. 5. Then he said, Come not hither, put off thy shoes, for this place is consecrated. 6. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Then Moses hid his face, being afraid to behold the glory of God.

7. Then the Eternal said, I have fully observed my peoples' affliction, and their cry in Egypt, by reason of their taskmasters, 8. And am about to

:

to deliver them from the Egyptians.power, and to bring them out of that land to a good and spacious land, flowing with milk and honey, possessed at present by the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, Girgasites, and Jebusites. 9. The Israelites cry hath reached me, and I have scen their oppression. 10. Be ready prepared; for I will send thee to Pharaoh, to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.

11. But Moses answered, What am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and bring out the Israelites? 12. Then he said, I will certainly be with thee; and when thou hast brought them out ye shall worship on this mountain, which will be an evidence to thee that I have sent thee.

13. Then Moses replied, When I come to the Israelites, and say to them, The God of your fathers hath sent me to you, they will say, What peculiar name hath he as such? what will I say to them? 14. Then God said to Moses, I am the self-existent, unchangeable Being; therefore shalt thou say to the Israelites, The immutable Being (who will perform all his promises), and do all he says, hath sent me to you.

15. He said moreover, Thou shalt tell them, The Eternal, the God of your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, hath sent me to you; this is his name forever, and his memorial to all generations. 16. Go assemble the elders of Israel, and say to them, The Eternal, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me, saying, I have observed your affliction in Egypt: 17. And have said, I will remove you from it to a land abounding with milk and honey. 18. And they shall hearken to thee; and thou shalt come with their elders to the king, and say to him, We worship the Eternal, the God of the Hebrews, let us go, we beseech thee, three days journey into the wilderness, to sacrifice to the Eternal our God. 19. But he will surely not permit you

to go, till compelled by my mighty power. 20. I will therefore exercise it, and smite Egypt, doing all my wonders in the midst of it; after which he will let you go. 21. Then I will procure for this people the Egyptians favour, so that when ye go, ye shall not go empty; 22. But every man and woman shall ask of their neighbours and hostesses utensils of silver and gold,and garments for your sons and daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians (in compensation for your slavery) of the riches procured by it.

CHAP. IV.

MOSES ROD TURNED INTO A SERPENT.

THEN Moses said, If the people will not believe nor hearken to my voice, but say, The Eternal hath not appeared to thee, what shall I say?

2. Then the Eternal said to him, What is that in thy hand? And he said, A rod. 3. Then he said, Cast it on the ground, and when he did so it became a serpent; and he fled from it. 4. Then the Eternal said, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail; and when he did so it became a rod in his hand. 5. Then he said, Do this, and they shall believe that the Eternal, the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, hath appeared to thee.

6. The Eternal also said to him, Put thine hand into thy bosom; and having done so, when he brought it out it was leprous, white as snow. 7.Then he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again; and having done so, when he took it out it was sound as at first. 8. Then he said, If they hearken not to thy voice confirmed by the first sign, so as to believe thee, they will believe the testimony of the latter sign. 9. But if they will not hearken and believe thee, thou shalt then take water out of the river, and pour it on the dry land, and it shall become blood.

10. But Moses replied to the Eternal, O my