Complete Jewish Bible (CJB)

1 A man from the family of Levi took a woman also descended from Levi as his wife.

2 When she conceived and had a son, upon seeing what a fine child he was, she hid him for three months.

3 When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket, coated it with clay and tar, put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the riverbank.

4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river while her maids-in-attendance walked along the riverside. Spotting the basket among the reeds, she sent her slave-girl to get it.

6 She opened it and looked inside, and there in front of her was a crying baby boy! Moved with pity, she said, “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children.”

7 At this point, his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Would you like me to go and find you one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”

8 Pharaoh’s daughter answered, “Yes, go.” So the girl went and called the baby’s own mother.

9 Pharaoh’s daughter told her, “Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will pay you for doing it.” So the woman took the child and nursed it.

10 Then, when the child had grown some, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter; and she began to raise him as her son. She called him Moshe [pull out], explaining, “Because I pulled him out of the water.”

(iii)

11 One day, when Moshe was a grown man, he went out to visit his kinsmen; and he watched them struggling at forced labor. He saw an Egyptian strike a Hebrew, one of his kinsmen.

12 He looked this way and that; and when he saw that no one was around, he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.

13 The next day, he went out and saw two Hebrew men fighting with each other. To the one in the wrong he said, “Why are you hitting your companion?”

14 He retorted, “Who appointed you ruler and judge over us? Do you intend to kill me the way you killed the Egyptian?” Moshe became frightened. “Clearly,” he thought, “the matter has become known.”

15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he tried to have Moshe put to death. But Moshe fled from Pharaoh to live in the land of Midyan.

One day, as he was sitting by a well,

16 the seven daughters of the priest of Midyan came to draw water. They had filled the troughs to water their father’s sheep,

17 when the shepherds came and tried to drive them away. But Moshe got up and defended them; then he watered their sheep.

18 When they came to Re‘u’el their father, he said, “How come you’re back so soon today?”

19 They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds; more than that, he drew water for us and watered the sheep.”

20 He asked his daughters, “Where is he? Why did you leave the man there? Invite him to have something to eat.”

21 Moshe was glad to stay on with the man, and he gave Moshe his daughter Tzipporah in marriage.

22 She gave birth to a son, and he named him Gershom [foreigner there], for he said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”

23 Sometime during those many years the king of Egypt died, but the people of Isra’el still groaned under the yoke of slavery, and they cried out, and their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God.

24 God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov.

25 God saw the people of Isra’el, and God acknowledged them.

1 (iv)Now Moshe was tending the sheep of Yitro his father-in-law, the priest of Midyan. Leading the flock to the far side of the desert, he came to the mountain of God, to Horev.

2 The angel ofAdonaiappeared to him in a fire blazing from the middle of a bush. He looked and saw that although the bush was flaming with fire, yet the bush was not being burned up.

3 Moshe said, “I’m going to go over and see this amazing sight and find out why the bush isn’t being burned up.”

4 WhenAdonaisaw that he had gone over to see, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moshe! Moshe!” He answered, “Here I am.”

5 He said, “Don’t come any closer! Take your sandals off your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground.

6 I am the God of your father,” he continued, “the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov.” Moshe covered his face, because he was afraid to look at God.

7 Adonaisaid, “I have seen how my people are being oppressed in Egypt and heard their cry for release from their slavemasters, because I know their pain.

8 I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that country to a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the place of the Kena‘ani, Hitti, Emori, P’rizi, Hivi and Y’vusi.

9 Yes, the cry of the people of Isra’el has come to me, and I have seen how terribly the Egyptians oppress them.

10 Therefore, now, come; and I will send you to Pharaoh; so that you can lead my people, the descendants of Isra’el, out of Egypt.”

11 Moshe said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and lead the people of Isra’el out of Egypt?”

12 He replied, “I will surely be with you. Your sign that I have sent you will be that when you have led the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”

13 Moshe said to God, “Look, when I appear before the people of Isra’el and say to them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you’; and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what am I to tell them?”

14 God said to Moshe, “Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh[I am/will be what I am/will be],” and added, “Here is what to say to the people of Isra’el: ‘Ehyeh[I AmorI Will Be] has sent me to you.’”

15 God said further to Moshe, “Say this to the people of Isra’el: ‘Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh[Adonai], the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered generation after generation.(v)

16 Go, gather the leaders of Isra’el together, and say to them, ‘Adonai, the God of your fathers, the God of Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov, has appeared to me and said, “I have been paying close attention to you and have seen what is being done to you in Egypt;

17 and I have said that I will lead you up out of the misery of Egypt to the land of the Kena‘ani, Hitti, Emori, P’rizi, Hivi and Y’vusi, to a land flowing with milk and honey.”’

18 They will heed what you say. Then you will come, you and the leaders of Isra’el, before the king of Egypt; and you will tell him, ‘Adonai, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now, please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert; so that we can sacrifice toAdonaiour God.’

19 I know that the king of Egypt will not let you leave unless he is forced to do so.

20 But I will reach out my hand and strike Egypt with all my wonders that I will do there. After that, he will let you go.

21 Moreover, I will make the Egyptians so well-disposed toward this people that when you go, you won’t go empty-handed.

22 Rather, all the women will ask their neighbors and house guests for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, with which you will dress your own sons and daughters. In this way you will plunder the Egyptians.”

1 Moshe replied, “But I’m certain they won’t believe me, and they won’t listen to what I say, because they’ll say, ‘Adonaidid not appear to you.’”

2 Adonaianswered him, “What is that in your hand?” and he said, “A staff.”

3 He said, “Throw it on the ground!” and he threw it on the ground. It turned into a snake, and Moshe recoiled from it.

4 ThenAdonaisaid to Moshe, “Put your hand out and take it by the tail.” He reached out with his hand and took hold of it, and it became a staff in his hand.

5 “This is so that they will believe thatAdonai, the God of their fathers, the God of Avraham, the God of Yitz’chak and the God of Ya‘akov, has appeared to you!”

6 FurthermoreAdonaisaid to him, “Now put your hand inside your coat.” He put his hand in his coat; and when he took it out his hand was leprous, as white as snow.

7 Then God said, “Now put your hand back in your coat.” He put his hand back in his coat; and when he took it out, it was as healthy as the rest of his body.

8 “If they won’t believe you or heed the evidence of the first sign, they will be convinced by the second.

9 But if they aren’t persuaded even by both these signs and still won’t listen to what you say, then take some water from the river, and pour it on the ground. The water you take from the river will turn into blood on the dry land.”

10 Moshe said toAdonai, “Oh,Adonai, I’m a terrible speaker. I always have been, and I’m no better now, even after you’ve spoken to your servant! My words come slowly, my tongue moves slowly.”

11 Adonaianswered him, “Who gives a person a mouth? Who makes a person dumb or deaf, keen-sighted or blind? Isn’t it I,Adonai?

12 Now, therefore, go; and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what to say.”

13 But he replied, “Please, Lord, send someone else — anyone you want!”

14 At this,Adonai’s anger blazed up against Moshe; he said, “Don’t you have a brother, Aharon theLevi? I know that he’s a good speaker. In fact, here he is now, coming out to meet you; and he’ll be happy to see you.

15 You will speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and his, teaching you both what to do.

16 Thus he will be your spokesman to the people, in effect; for you, he will be a mouth; and for him, you will be like God.

17 Now take this staff in your hand, because you need it to perform the signs.”

(vi)

18 Moshe left, returned to Yitro his father-in-law and said to him, “I beg you to let me go and return to my kinsmen in Egypt, to see if they are still alive.” Yitro said to Moshe, “Go in peace.”

19 Adonaisaid to Moshe in Midyan, “Go on back to Egypt, because all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.”

20 So Moshe took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and started out for Egypt. Moshe took God’s staff in his hand.

21 Adonaisaid to Moshe, “When you get back to Egypt, make sure that you do before Pharaoh every one of the wonders I have enabled you to do. Nevertheless, I am going to make him hardhearted, and he will refuse to let the people go.

22 Then you are to tell Pharaoh: ‘Adonaisays, “Isra’el is my firstborn son.

23 I have told you to let my son go in order to worship me, but you have refused to let him go. Well, then, I will kill your firstborn son!”’”

24 At a lodging-place on the way,Adonaimet Moshe and would have killed him,

25 had not Tzipporah taken a flintstone and cut off the foreskin of her son. She threw it at his feet, saying, “What a bloody bridegroom you are for me!”

26 But then, God let Moshe be. She added, “A bloody bridegroom because of the circumcision!”

27 Adonaisaid to Aharon, “Go into the desert to meet Moshe.” He went, met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.

28 Moshe told him everythingAdonaihad said in sending him, including all the signs he had ordered him to perform.

29 Then Moshe and Aharon went and gathered together all the leaders of the people of Isra’el.

30 Aharon said everythingAdonaihad told Moshe, who then performed the signs for the people to see.

31 The people believed; when they heard thatAdonaihad remembered the people of Isra’el and seen how they were oppressed, they bowed their heads and worshipped.

1 (vii)After that, Moshe and Aharon came and said to Pharaoh, “Here is whatAdonai, the God of Isra’el, says: ‘Let my people go, so that they can celebrate a festival in the desert to honor me.’”

2 But Pharaoh replied, “Who isAdonai, that I should obey when he says to let Isra’el go? I don’t knowAdonai, and I also won’t let Isra’el go.”

3 They said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days’ journey into the desert, so that we can sacrifice toAdonaiour God. Otherwise, he may strike us with a plague or with the sword.”

4 The king of Egypt answered them, “Moshe and Aharon, what do you mean by taking the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!

5 Look!” Pharaoh added, “the population of the land has grown, yet you are trying to have them stop working!”

6 That same day Pharaoh ordered the slavemasters and the people’s foremen,

7 “You are no longer to provide straw for the bricks the people are making, as you did before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

8 But you will require them to produce the same quantity of bricks as before, don’t reduce it, because they’re lazing around. This is why they’re crying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’

9 Give these people harder work to do. That will keep them too busy to pay attention to speeches full of lies.”

10 The people’s slavemasters went out, their foremen too, and said to the people, “Here is what Pharaoh says: ‘I will no longer give you straw.

11 You go, yourselves, and get straw wherever you can find it. But your output is not to be reduced.’”

12 So the people were dispersed throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

13 The slavemasters kept pressing them. “Keep working! Make your daily quota, just as when straw was provided.”

14 The foremen of the people of Isra’el, whom Pharaoh’s slavemasters had appointed to be over them, were flogged and asked, “Why haven’t you fulfilled your quota of bricks yesterday and today, as you did formerly?”

15 Then the foremen of the people of Isra’el came and complained to Pharaoh: “Why are you treating your servants this way?

16 No straw is given to your servants, yet they keep telling us to make bricks. And now your servants are being flogged, but the fault lies with your own people.”

17 “Lazy!” he retorted, “You’re just lazy! That’s why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice toAdonai.’

18 Get going now, and get back to work! No straw will be given to you, and you will still deliver the full amount of bricks.”

19 When they said, “You are not to reduce your daily production quota of bricks,” the foremen of the people of Isra’el could see that they were in deep trouble.

20 As they were leaving Pharaoh, they encountered Moshe and Aharon standing by the road;

21 and they said to them, “MayAdonailook at you and judge accordingly, because you have made us utterly abhorrent in the view of Pharaoh and his servants, and you have put a sword in their hands to kill us!”(Maftir)

22 Moshe returned toAdonaiand said, “Adonai, why have you treated this people so terribly? What has been the value of sending me?

23 For ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has dealt terribly with this people! And you haven’t rescued your people at all!”

1 Adonaisaid to Moshe, “Now you will see what I am going to do to Pharaoh. With a mighty hand he will send them off; with force he will drive them from the land!”

Haftarah Sh’mot: Yesha‘yahu (Isaiah) 27:6–28:13; 29:22–23 (A); Yirmeyahu (Jeremiah) 1:1–2:3 (S)

B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Sh’mot: Mattityahu (Matthew) 22:23–33; 41–46; Mark 12:18–27; 35–37; Luke 20:27–44; Acts 3:12–15; 5:27–32; 7:17–36; 22:12–16; 24:14–16; Messianic Jews (Hebrews) 11:23–26

Parashah 14: Va’era (I appeared) 6:2–9:35

2 God spoke to Moshe; he said to him, “I amAdonai.

3 I appeared to Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov asEl Shaddai, although I did not make myself known to them by my name,Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh[Adonai].

4 Also with them I established my covenant to give them the land of Kena‘an, the land where they wandered about and lived as foreigners.

5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the people of Isra’el, whom the Egyptians are keeping in slavery; and I have remembered my covenant.

6 “Therefore, say to the people of Isra’el: ‘I amAdonai. I will free you from the forced labor of the Egyptians, rescue you from their oppression, and redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.

7 I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I amAdonaiyour God, who freed you from the forced labor of the Egyptians.

8 I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov — I will give it to you as your inheritance. I amAdonai.’”

9 Moshe said this to the people of Isra’el. But they wouldn’t listen to him, because they were so discouraged, and their slavery was so cruel.

10 Adonaisaid to Moshe,

11 “Go in; and tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to let the people of Isra’el leave his land.”

12 Moshe said toAdonai, “Look, the people of Isra’el haven’t listened to me; so how will Pharaoh listen to me, poor speaker that I am?”

13 ButAdonaispoke to Moshe and Aharon and gave them orders concerning both the people of Isra’el and Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to bring the people of Isra’el out of the land of Egypt.

(ii)

14 These were the heads of their families: the sons of Re’uven the firstborn of Isra’el were Hanokh, Pallu, Hetzron and Karmi. These were the families of Re’uven.

15 The sons of Shim‘on were Y’mu’el, Yamin, Ohad, Yakhin, Tzochar and Sha’ul the son of a Kena‘ani woman. These were the families of Shim‘on.

16 These are the names of the sons of Levi with their descendants: Gershon, K’hat and M’rari. Levi lived to be 137 years old.

17 The sons of Gershon were Livni and Shim‘i, with their families.

18 The sons of K’hat were ‘Amram, Yitz’har, Hevron and ‘Uzi’el. K’hat lived to be 133 years old.

19 The sons of M’rari were Machli and Mushi. These were the families of Levi with their descendants.

20 ‘Amram married Yokheved his father’s sister, and she bore him Aharon and Moshe. ‘Amram lived to be 137 years old.

21 The sons of Yitz’har were Korach, Nefeg and Zikhri.

22 The sons of ‘Uzi’el were Misha’el, Eltzafan and Sitri.

23 Aharon married Elisheva daughter of ‘Amminadav and sister of Nachshon, and she bore him Nadav, Avihu, El‘azar and Itamar.

24 The sons of Korach were Asir, Elkanah and Avi’asaf. These were the Korchi families.

25 El‘azar the son of Aharon married one of the daughters of Puti’el, and she bore him Pinchas. These were the heads of the families of Levi, family by family.

26 These are the Aharon and Moshe to whomAdonaisaid, “Bring the people of Isra’el out of the land of Egypt, division by division,”

27 and who told Pharaoh king of Egypt, to let the people of Isra’el leave Egypt. These are the same Moshe and Aharon.

28 On the day whenAdonaispoke to Moshe in the land of Egypt,(iii)

29 he said, “I amAdonai. Tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, everything I say to you.”

30 Moshe answeredAdonai, “Look, I’m such a poor speaker that Pharaoh won’t listen to me.”

1 ButAdonaisaid to Moshe, “I have put you in the place of God to Pharaoh, and Aharon your brother will be your prophet.

2 You are to say everything I order you, and Aharon your brother is to speak to Pharaoh and tell him to let the people of Isra’el leave his land.

3 But I will make him hardhearted. Even though I will increase my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,

4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my armies, my people the sons of Isra’el, out of the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment.

5 Then, when I stretch out my hand over Egypt and bring the people of Isra’el out from among them, the Egyptians will know that I amAdonai.”

6 Moshe and Aharon did exactly whatAdonaiordered them to do.

7 Moshe was eighty years old and Aharon eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

(iv)

8 Adonaisaid to Moshe and Aharon,

9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ tell Aharon to take his staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh, so that it can become a snake.”

10 Moshe and Aharon went in to Pharaoh and did this, asAdonaihad ordered — Aharon threw down his staff in front of Pharaoh and his servants, and it turned into a snake.

11 But Pharaoh in turn called for the sages and sorcerers; and they too, the magicians of Egypt, did the same thing, making use of their secret arts.

12 Each one threw his staff down, and they turned into snakes. But Aharon’s staff swallowed up theirs.

13 Nevertheless, Pharaoh was made hardhearted; and he didn’t listen to them, asAdonaihad said would happen.

14 Adonaisaid to Moshe, “Pharaoh is stubborn. He refuses to let the people go.

15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning when he goes out to the water. Stand on the riverbank to confront him, take in your hand the staff which was turned into a snake,

16 and say to him, ‘Adonai, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you to say: “Let my people go, so that they can worship me in the desert.” But until now you haven’t listened;

17 soAdonaisays, “This will let you know that I amAdonai”: I will take the staff in my hand and strike the water in the river, and it will be turned into blood.

18 The fish in the river will die, the river will stink and the Egyptians won’t want to drink water from the river.’”

19 Adonaisaid to Moshe, “Say to Aharon, ‘Take your staff, reach out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, canals, ponds and all their reservoirs, so that they can turn into blood. There will be blood throughout the whole land of Egypt, even in the wooden buckets and stone jars.’”

20 Moshe and Aharon did exactly whatAdonaihad ordered. He raised the staff and, in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, struck the water in the river; and all the water in the river was turned into blood.

21 The fish in the river died, and the river stank so badly that the Egyptians couldn’t drink its water. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts, so that Pharaoh was made hardhearted and didn’t listen to them, asAdonaihad said would happen.

23 Pharaoh just turned and went back to his palace, without taking any of this to heart.

24 All the Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink, because they couldn’t drink the river water.

25 Seven days afterAdonaihad struck the river,

26 Adonaisaid to Moshe, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Here is whatAdonaisays: “Let my people go, so that they can worship me.

27 If you refuse to let them go, I will strike all your territory with frogs.

28 The river will swarm with frogs. They will go up, enter your palace and go into your bedroom, onto your bed. They will enter the houses of your servants and your people and go into your ovens and kneading bowls.

29 The frogs will climb all over you, your people and your servants.”’”

1 Adonaisaid to Moshe, “Say to Aharon, ‘Reach out your hand with your staff over the rivers, canals and ponds; and cause frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.’”

2 Aharon put out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

3 But the magicians did the same with their secret arts and brought up frogs onto the land of Egypt.

4 Then Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon and said, “Intercede withAdonaito take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let the people go and sacrifice toAdonai.”

5 Moshe said to Pharaoh, “Not only that, but you can have the honor of naming the time when I will pray for you, your servants and your people to be rid of the frogs, both yourselves and your homes, and that they stay only in the river.”

6 He answered, “Tomorrow.” Moshe said, “It will be as you have said, and from this you will learn thatAdonaiour God has no equal.(v)

7 The frogs will leave you and your homes, also your servants and your people; they will stay in the river only.”

8 Moshe and Aharon left Pharaoh’s presence, and Moshe cried toAdonaiabout the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh.

9 Adonaidid as Moshe had asked — the frogs died in the houses, courtyards and fields;

10 they gathered them in heaps till the land stank.

11 But when Pharaoh saw that he had been given some relief, he made himself hardhearted and would not listen to them, just asAdonaihad said would happen.

12 Adonaisaid to Moshe, “Say to Aharon: ‘Reach out with your staff and strike the dust on the ground; it will become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’”

13 They did it — Aharon reached out his hand with his staff and struck the dust on the ground, and there were lice on people and animals; all the dust on the ground became lice throughout the whole land of Egypt.

14 The magicians tried with their secret arts to produce lice, but they couldn’t. There were lice on people and animals.

15 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh was made hardhearted, so that he didn’t listen to them, just asAdonaihad said would happen.

16 Adonaisaid to Moshe, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh when he goes out to the water and say to him, ‘Here is whatAdonaisays: “Let my people go, so that they can worship me.

17 Otherwise, if you won’t let my people go, I will send swarms of insects on you, your servants and your people, and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of insects, and likewise the ground they stand on.

18 But I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people live — no swarms of insects will be there — so that you can realize that I amAdonai, right here in the land.(vi)

19 Yes, I will distinguish between my people and your people, and this sign will happen by tomorrow.”’”

20 Adonaidid it: terrible swarms of insects went into Pharaoh’s palace and into all his servants’ houses — the insects ruined the entire land of Egypt.

21 Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon and said, “Go, and sacrifice to your God here in the land.”

22 But Moshe replied, “It would be inappropriate for us to do that, because the animal we sacrifice toAdonaiour God is an abomination to the Egyptians. Won’t the Egyptians stone us to death if before their very eyes we sacrifice what they consider an abomination?

23 No, we will go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice toAdonaiour God, as he has ordered us to do.”

24 Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, so that you can sacrifice toAdonaiyour God in the desert. Only you are not to go very far away. Intercede on my behalf.”

25 Moshe said, “All right, I am going away from you, and I will intercede withAdonai; so that tomorrow, the swarms of insects will leave Pharaoh, his servants and his people. Just make sure that Pharaoh stops playing games with the people by preventing them from going and sacrificing toAdonai.”

26 Moshe left Pharaoh and interceded withAdonai,

27 andAdonaidid what Moshe had asked: he removed the swarms of insects from Pharaoh, his servants and his people — not one remained.

28 But this time, too, Pharaoh made himself stubborn and didn’t let the people go.

1 ThenAdonaisaid to Moshe, “Go to Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘Here is whatAdonai, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they can worship me.

2 If you refuse to let them go and persist in holding on to them,

3 the hand ofAdonaiis on your livestock in the field — on the horses, donkeys, camels, cattle and flocks — and will make them suffer a devastating illness.

4 ButAdonaiwill distinguish between Egypt’s and Isra’el’s livestock — nothing belonging to the people of Isra’el will die.”’”

5 Adonaidetermined the exact time by saying, “TomorrowAdonaiwill do this in the land.”

6 The following day,Adonaidid it — all the livestock of Egypt died; but not one of the animals belonging to the people of Isra’el died.

7 Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the people of Isra’el had died. Nevertheless, Pharaoh’s heart remained stubborn, and he didn’t let the people go.

8 Adonaisaid to Moshe and Aharon, “Take handfuls of ashes from a kiln, and let Moshe throw them in the air before Pharaoh’s eyes.

9 They will turn into fine dust over all the land of Egypt and become infected sores on men and animals throughout Egypt.”

10 So they took ashes from a kiln, stood in front of Pharaoh and threw them in the air; and they became infected sores on men and animals.

11 The magicians couldn’t even stand in Moshe’s presence because of the sores, which were on them as well as on the other Egyptians.

12 ButAdonaimade Pharaoh hardhearted, so that he didn’t listen to them — just asAdonaihad said to Moshe.

13 Adonaisaid to Moshe, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Here is whatAdonaisays: “Let my people go, so that they can worship me.

14 For this time, I will inflict my plagues on you, yourself, and on your officials and your people; so that you will realize that I am without equal in all the earth.

15 By now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with such severe plagues that you would have been wiped off the earth.

16 But it is for this very reason that I have kept you alive — to show you my power, and so that my name may resound throughout the whole earth.(vii)

17 Since you are still setting yourself up against my people and not letting them go,

18 tomorrow, about this time, I will cause a hailstorm so heavy that Egypt has had nothing like it from the day it was founded until now.

19 Therefore, send and hurry to bring indoors all your livestock and everything else you have in the field. For hail will fall on every human being and animal left in the field that hasn’t been brought home, and they will die.”’”

20 Whoever among Pharaoh’s servants feared whatAdonaihad said had his slaves and livestock escape into the houses;

21 but those who had no regard for whatAdonaihad said left their slaves and livestock in the field.

22 Adonaisaid to Moshe, “Reach out your hand toward the sky, so that there will be hail in all the land of Egypt, falling on people, animals and everything growing in the field, throughout the land of Egypt.”

23 Moshe reached out with his staff toward the sky, andAdonaisent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth.Adonaicaused it to hail on the land of Egypt —

24 it hailed, and fire flashed up with the hail; it was terrible, worse than any hailstorm in all of Egypt since it became a nation.

25 Throughout all the land of Egypt, the hail struck everything in the field, people and animals; and the hail struck every plant growing in the field and broke every tree there.

26 But in the land of Goshen, where the people of Isra’el were, there was no hail.

27 Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon and said to them, “This time I have sinned:Adonaiis in the right; I and my people are in the wrong.

28 Intercede withAdonai— we can’t take any more of this terrible thunder and hail; and I will let you go, you will stay no longer.”

29 Moshe said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands toAdonai; the thunder will end, and there won’t be any more hail — so that you can know that the earth belongs toAdonai.

30 But you and your servants, I know you still won’t fearAdonai, God.”

31 The flax and barley were ruined, because the barley was ripe and the flax in bud.

32 But the wheat and buckwheat were not ruined, because they come up later.(Maftir)

33 Moshe went out of the city, away from Pharaoh, and spread out his hands toAdonai. The thunder and hail ended, and the rain stopped pouring down on the earth.

34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail and thunder had ended, he sinned still more by making himself hardhearted, he and his servants.

35 Pharaoh was made hardhearted, and he didn’t let the people of Isra’el go, just asAdonaihad said through Moshe.

Haftarah Va’era: Yechezk’el (Ezekiel) 28:25–29:21

B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Va’era: Romans 9:14–17; 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1

Parashah 15: Bo (Go) 10:1–13:16

1 Adonaisaid to Moshe, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have made him and his servants hardhearted, so that I can demonstrate these signs of mine among them,

2 so that you can tell your son and grandson about what I did to Egypt and about my signs that I demonstrated among them, and so that you will all know that I amAdonai.”

3 Moshe and Aharon went in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Here is whatAdonai, God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How much longer will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people go, so that they can worship me.

4 Otherwise, if you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.

5 One won’t be able to see the ground, so completely will the locusts cover it. They will eat anything you still have that escaped the hail, including every tree you have growing in the field.

6 They will fill your houses and those of your servants and of all the Egyptians. It will be like nothing your fathers or their fathers have ever seen since the day they were born until today.’” Then he turned his back and left.

7 Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How much longer must this fellow be a snare for us? Let the people go and worshipAdonaitheir God. Don’t you understand yet that Egypt is being destroyed?”

8 So Moshe and Aharon were brought to Pharaoh again, and he said to them, “Go, worshipAdonaiyour God. But who exactly is going?”

9 Moshe answered, “We will go with our young and our old, our sons and our daughters; and we will go with our flocks and herds; for we must celebrate a feast toAdonai.”

10 Pharaoh said to them, “Adonaicertainly will be with you if I ever let you go with your children! It’s clear that you are up to no good.

11 Nothing doing! Just the men among you may go and worshipAdonai.That’s what you want, isn’t it?” And they were driven out of Pharaoh’s presence.

(ii)

12 Adonaisaid to Moshe, “Reach out your hand over the land of Egypt, so that locusts will invade the land and eat every plant that the hail has left.”

13 Moshe reached out with his staff over the land of Egypt, andAdonaicaused an east wind to blow on the land all day and all night; and in the morning the east wind brought the locusts.

14 The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and settled throughout Egypt’s territory. It was an invasion more severe than there had ever been before or will ever be again.

15 They completely covered the ground, so that the ground looked black. They ate every plant growing from the ground and all the fruit of the trees left by the hail. Not one green thing remained, not a tree and not a plant in the field, in all the land of Egypt.

16 Pharaoh hurried to summon Moshe and Aharon and said, “I have sinned againstAdonaiyour God and against you.

17 Now, therefore, please forgive my sin just this once; and intercede withAdonaiyour God, so that he will at least take away from me this deadly plague!”

18 He went out from Pharaoh and interceded withAdonai.

19 Adonaireversed the wind and made it blow very strongly from the west. It took up the locusts and drove them into the Sea of Suf; not one locust remained on Egyptian soil.

20 ButAdonaimade Pharaoh hardhearted, and he didn’t let the people of Isra’el go.

21 Adonaisaid to Moshe, “Reach out your hand toward the sky, and there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness so thick it can be felt!”

22 Moshe reached out his hand toward the sky, and there was a thick darkness in the entire land of Egypt for three days.

23 People couldn’t see each other, and no one went anywhere for three days. But all the people of Isra’el had light in their homes.

(iii)

24 Pharaoh summoned Moshe and said, “Go, worshipAdonai; only leave your flocks and herds behind — your children may go with you.”

25 Moshe answered, “You must also see to it that we have sacrifices and burnt offerings, so that we can sacrifice toAdonaiour God.

26 Our livestock will also go with us — not a hoof will be left behind — because we must choose some of them to worshipAdonaiour God, and we don’t know which ones we will need to worshipAdonaiuntil we get there.”

27 ButAdonaimade Pharaoh hardhearted, and he would not let them go.

28 Pharaoh said to them, “Get away from me! And you had better not see my face again, because the day you see my face, you will die!”

29 Moshe answered, “Well spoken! I will see your face no more.”

1 Adonaisaid to Moshe, “I’m going to bring still one more plague on Pharaoh and Egypt, and after that he will let you leave here. When he does let you go, he will throw you out completely!

2 Now tell the people that every man is to ask his neighbor and every woman her neighbor for gold and silver jewelry.”

3 Adonaimade the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people. Moreover, Moshe was regarded by Pharaoh’s servants and the people as a very great man in the land of Egypt.

(iv)

4 Moshe said, “Here is whatAdonaisays: ‘About midnight I will go out into Egypt,

5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh sitting on his throne to the firstborn of the slave-girl at the handmill, and all the firstborn of the livestock.

6 There will be a horrendous wailing throughout all the land of Egypt — there has never been another like it, and there never will be again.

7 But not even a dog’s growl will be heard against any of the people of Isra’el, neither against people nor against animals. In this way you will realize thatAdonaidistinguishes between Egyptians and Isra’el.

8 All your servants will come down to me, prostrate themselves before me and say, “Get out! — you and all the people who follow you!” and after that, I will go out!’ ” And he went out from Pharaoh in the heat of anger.

9 Adonaisaid to Moshe, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that still more of my wonders will be shown in the land of Egypt.”

10 Moshe and Aharon did all these wonders before Pharaoh, butAdonaihad made Pharaoh hardhearted, and he didn’t let the people of Isra’el leave his land.