God Renews His Promise to Israel

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For (A)with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand (B)he will drive them out of his land.”

And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am [a]the Lord. (C)I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as (D)God Almighty, but by My name (E)Lord[b] I was not known to them. (F)I have also [c]established My covenant with them, (G)to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their [d]pilgrimage, (H)in which they were [e]strangers. And (I)I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. Therefore say to the children of Israel: (J)‘I am the Lord; (K)I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will (L)rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with [f]an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will (M)take you as My people, and (N)I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out (O)from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land which I (P)swore[g] to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the Lord.’ ” So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; (Q)but they did not heed Moses, because of (R)anguish[h] of spirit and cruel bondage.

10 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 11 “Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go out of his land.”

12 And Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, “The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for (S)I am [i]of uncircumcised lips?”

13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and gave them a (T)command[j] for the children of Israel and for Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

The Family of Moses and Aaron(U)

14 These are the heads of their fathers’ houses: (V)The sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. These are the families of Reuben. 15 (W)And the sons of Simeon were [k]Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These are the families of Simeon. 16 These are the names of (X)the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were one hundred and thirty-seven. 17 (Y)The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimi according to their families. 18 And (Z)the sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. And the years of the life of Kohath were one hundred and thirty-three. 19 (AA)The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of Levi according to their generations.

20 Now (AB)Amram took for himself (AC)Jochebed, his father’s sister, as wife; and she bore him (AD)Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were one hundred and thirty-seven. 21 (AE)The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 And (AF)the sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Zithri. 23 Aaron took to himself Elisheba, daughter of (AG)Amminadab, sister of Nahshon, as wife; and she bore him (AH)Nadab, Abihu, (AI)Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24 And (AJ)the sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These are the families of the Korahites. 25 Eleazar, Aaron’s son, took for himself one of the daughters of Putiel as wife; and (AK)she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ houses of the Levites according to their families.

26 These are the same Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their (AL)armies.”[l] 27 These are the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, (AM)to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are the same Moses and Aaron.

Aaron Is Moses’ Spokesman

28 And it came to pass, on the day the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 that the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “I am the Lord. (AN)Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.”

30 But Moses said before the Lord, “Behold, (AO)I am [m]of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh heed me?”

Moses Before Pharaoh

So the Lord said to Moses: “See, I have made you (AP)as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be (AQ)your prophet. You (AR)shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. And (AS)I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and (AT)multiply My (AU)signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. But (AV)Pharaoh will not heed you, so (AW)that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My [n]armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt (AX)by great judgments. And the Egyptians (AY)shall know that I am the Lord, when I (AZ)stretch out My hand on Egypt and (BA)bring out the children of Israel from among them.”

Then Moses and Aaron (BB)did so; just as the Lord commanded them, so they did. And Moses was (BC)eighty years old and (BD)Aaron eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Miraculous Rod(BE)

Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, (BF)‘Show a miracle for yourselves,’ then you shall say to Aaron, (BG)‘Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.’ ” 10 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just (BH)as the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it (BI)became a serpent.

11 But Pharaoh also (BJ)called the wise men and (BK)the [o]sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also (BL)did in like manner with their [p]enchantments. 12 For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. 13 And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.

The First Plague: Waters Become Blood

14 So the Lord said to Moses: (BM)“Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, when he goes out to the (BN)water, and you shall stand by the river’s bank to meet him; and (BO)the rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand. 16 And you shall say to him, (BP)‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, “Let My people go, (BQ)that they may [q]serve Me in the wilderness”; but indeed, until now you would not hear! 17 Thus says the Lord: “By this (BR)you shall know that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and (BS)they shall be turned (BT)to blood. 18 And the fish that are in the river shall die, the river shall stink, and the Egyptians will (BU)loathe[r] to drink the water of the river.” ’ ”

19 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and (BV)stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they may become blood. And there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone.’ ” 20 And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the Lord commanded. So he (BW)lifted up the rod and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. And all the (BX)waters that were in the river were turned to blood. 21 The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians (BY)could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

22 (BZ)Then the magicians of Egypt did (CA)so with their [s]enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, (CB)as the Lord had said. 23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this. 24 So all the Egyptians dug all around the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the river. 25 And seven days passed after the Lord had struck the river.

The Second Plague: Frogs

And the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let My people go, (CC)that they may serve Me. But if you (CD)refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with (CE)frogs. So the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into your house, into your (CF)bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your servants, on your people, into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls. And the frogs shall come up on you, on your people, and on all your servants.” ’ ”

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, (CG)‘Stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.’ ” So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and (CH)the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. (CI)And the magicians did so with their [t]enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt.

Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, (CJ)“Entreat[u] the Lord that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people (CK)go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord.”

And Moses said to Pharaoh, “Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only.”

10 So he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “Let it be according to your word, that you may know that (CL)there is no one like the Lord our God. 11 And the frogs shall depart from you, from your houses, from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only.”

12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. And Moses (CM)cried out to the Lord concerning the frogs which He had brought against Pharaoh. 13 So the Lord did according to the word of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields. 14 They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was (CN)relief, (CO)he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said.

The Third Plague: Lice

16 So the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it may become [v]lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’ ” 17 And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and (CP)it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

18 Now (CQ)the magicians so worked with their [w]enchantments to bring forth lice, but they (CR)could not. So there were lice on man and beast. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is (CS)the[x] finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s (CT)heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.

The Fourth Plague: Flies

20 And the Lord said to Moses, (CU)“Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Then say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: (CV)“Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 21 Or else, if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. 22 And in that day (CW)I will set apart the land of (CX)Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may (CY)know that I am the Lord in the midst of the (CZ)land. 23 I will [y]make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this (DA)sign shall be.” ’ ” 24 And the Lord did so. (DB)Thick swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh, into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt. The land was corrupted because of the swarms of flies.

25 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.”

26 And Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we would be sacrificing (DC)the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God. If we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, then will they not [z]stone us? 27 We will go (DD)three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as (DE)He will command us.”

28 So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. (DF)Intercede for me.”

29 Then Moses said, “Indeed I am going out from you, and I will entreat the Lord, that the swarms of flies may depart tomorrow from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. But let Pharaoh not (DG)deal deceitfully anymore in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.”

30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and (DH)entreated the Lord. 31 And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained. 32 But Pharaoh (DI)hardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 6:2 Heb. YHWH
  2. Exodus 6:3 Heb. YHWH, traditionally Jehovah
  3. Exodus 6:4 made or ratified
  4. Exodus 6:4 sojournings
  5. Exodus 6:4 sojourners, temporary residents
  6. Exodus 6:6 Mighty power
  7. Exodus 6:8 promised, lit. lifted up My hand
  8. Exodus 6:9 Lit. shortness
  9. Exodus 6:12 One who does not speak well
  10. Exodus 6:13 charge
  11. Exodus 6:15 Nemuel, Num. 26:12
  12. Exodus 6:26 hosts
  13. Exodus 6:30 One who does not speak well
  14. Exodus 7:4 hosts
  15. Exodus 7:11 soothsayers
  16. Exodus 7:11 secret arts
  17. Exodus 7:16 worship
  18. Exodus 7:18 be weary of drinking
  19. Exodus 7:22 secret arts
  20. Exodus 8:7 secret arts
  21. Exodus 8:8 Pray to, Make supplication to
  22. Exodus 8:16 gnats
  23. Exodus 8:18 secret arts
  24. Exodus 8:19 An act of God
  25. Exodus 8:23 Lit. set a ransom, Ex. 9:4; 11:7
  26. Exodus 8:26 Put us to death by stoning

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand(A) he will let them go;(B) because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.”(C)

God also said to Moses, “I am the Lord.(D) I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty,[a](E) but by my name(F) the Lord[b](G) I did not make myself fully known to them. I also established my covenant(H) with them to give them the land(I) of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners.(J) Moreover, I have heard the groaning(K) of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.(L)

“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.(M) I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem(N) you with an outstretched arm(O) and with mighty acts of judgment.(P) I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God.(Q) Then you will know(R) that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. And I will bring you to the land(S) I swore(T) with uplifted hand(U) to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob.(V) I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”(W)

Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labor.(X)

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Go, tell(Y) Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.”(Z)

12 But Moses said to the Lord, “If the Israelites will not listen(AA) to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips[c]?”(AB)

Family Record of Moses and Aaron

13 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.(AC)

14 These were the heads of their families[d]:(AD)

The sons of Reuben(AE) the firstborn son of Israel were Hanok and Pallu, Hezron and Karmi. These were the clans of Reuben.

15 The sons of Simeon(AF) were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman. These were the clans of Simeon.

16 These were the names of the sons of Levi(AG) according to their records: Gershon,(AH) Kohath and Merari.(AI) Levi lived 137 years.

17 The sons of Gershon, by clans, were Libni and Shimei.(AJ)

18 The sons of Kohath(AK) were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.(AL) Kohath lived 133 years.

19 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi.(AM)

These were the clans of Levi according to their records.

20 Amram(AN) married his father’s sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses.(AO) Amram lived 137 years.

21 The sons of Izhar(AP) were Korah, Nepheg and Zikri.

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

23 Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab(AR) and sister of Nahshon,(AS) and she bore him Nadab and Abihu,(AT) Eleazar(AU) and Ithamar.(AV)

24 The sons of Korah(AW) were Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph. These were the Korahite clans.

25 Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas.(AX)

These were the heads of the Levite families, clan by clan.

26 It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelites out of Egypt(AY) by their divisions.”(AZ) 27 They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh(BA) king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt—this same Moses and Aaron.(BB)

Aaron to Speak for Moses

28 Now when the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt, 29 he said to him, “I am the Lord.(BC) Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.”

30 But Moses said to the Lord, “Since I speak with faltering lips,(BD) why would Pharaoh listen to me?”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God(BE) to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.(BF) You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,(BG) and though I multiply my signs and wonders(BH) in Egypt, he will not listen(BI) to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment(BJ) I will bring out my divisions,(BK) my people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord(BL) when I stretch out my hand(BM) against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded(BN) them. Moses was eighty years old(BO) and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,(BP)’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”(BQ)

10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers,(BR) and the Egyptian magicians(BS) also did the same things by their secret arts:(BT) 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart(BU) became hard and he would not listen(BV) to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Blood

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding;(BW) he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river.(BX) Confront him on the bank of the Nile,(BY) and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16 Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship(BZ) me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.(CA) 17 This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord:(CB) With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.(CC) 18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink;(CD) the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’”(CE)

19 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff(CF) and stretch out your hand(CG) over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels[e] of wood and stone.”

20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded.(CH) He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile,(CI) and all the water was changed into blood.(CJ) 21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.

22 But the Egyptian magicians(CK) did the same things by their secret arts,(CL) and Pharaoh’s heart(CM) became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. 23 Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water(CN), because they could not drink the water of the river.

The Plague of Frogs

25 Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile. [f]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship(CO) me. If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs(CP) on your whole country. The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people,(CQ) and into your ovens and kneading troughs.(CR) The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff(CS) over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs(CT) come up on the land of Egypt.’”

So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs(CU) came up and covered the land. But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts;(CV) they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray(CW) to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices(CX) to the Lord.”

Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time(CY) for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.”

10 “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.

Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God.(CZ) 11 The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”

12 After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. 13 And the Lord did what Moses asked.(DA) The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. 14 They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief,(DB) he hardened his heart(DC) and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Gnats

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff(DD) and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.” 17 They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats(DE) came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. 18 But when the magicians(DF) tried to produce gnats by their secret arts,(DG) they could not.

Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, 19 the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger(DH) of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart(DI) was hard and he would not listen,(DJ) just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Flies

20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning(DK) and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship(DL) me. 21 If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.

22 “‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen,(DM) where my people live;(DN) no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know(DO) that I, the Lord, am in this land. 23 I will make a distinction[g] between my people and your people.(DP) This sign will occur tomorrow.’”

24 And the Lord did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials; throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies.(DQ)

25 Then Pharaoh summoned(DR) Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”

26 But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians.(DS) And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must take a three-day journey(DT) into the wilderness to offer sacrifices(DU) to the Lord our God, as he commands us.”

28 Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray(DV) for me.”

29 Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only let Pharaoh be sure that he does not act deceitfully(DW) again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

30 Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord,(DX) 31 and the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. 32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart(DY) and would not let the people go.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 6:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai
  2. Exodus 6:3 See note at 3:15.
  3. Exodus 6:12 Hebrew I am uncircumcised of lips; also in verse 30
  4. Exodus 6:14 The Hebrew for families here and in verse 25 refers to units larger than clans.
  5. Exodus 7:19 Or even on their idols
  6. Exodus 8:1 In Hebrew texts 8:1-4 is numbered 7:26-29, and 8:5-32 is numbered 8:1-28.
  7. Exodus 8:23 Septuagint and Vulgate; Hebrew will put a deliverance

Jesus Handed Over to Pontius Pilate(A)

23 Then (B)the whole multitude of them arose and led Him to (C)Pilate. And they began to (D)accuse Him, saying, “We found this fellow (E)perverting [a]the nation, and (F)forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, saying (G)that He Himself is Christ, a King.”

(H)Then Pilate asked Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

He answered him and said, It is as you say.”

So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, (I)“I find no fault in this Man.”

But they were the more fierce, saying, “He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from (J)Galilee to this place.”

Jesus Faces Herod

When Pilate heard [b]of Galilee, he asked if the Man were a Galilean. And as soon as he knew that He belonged to (K)Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time. Now when Herod saw Jesus, (L)he was exceedingly glad; for he had desired for a long time to see Him, because (M)he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him. Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him (N)nothing. 10 And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him. 11 (O)Then Herod, with his [c]men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe, and sent Him back to Pilate. 12 That very day (P)Pilate and Herod became friends with each other, for previously they had been at enmity with each other.

Taking the Place of Barabbas(Q)

13 (R)Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, 14 said to them, (S)“You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, (T)having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; 15 no, neither did Herod, for [d]I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him. 16 (U)I will therefore chastise Him and release Him 17 (V)(for[e] it was necessary for him to release one to them at the feast).

18 And (W)they all cried out at once, saying, “Away with this Man, and release to us Barabbas”— 19 who had been thrown into prison for a certain rebellion made in the city, and for murder.

20 Pilate, therefore, wishing to release Jesus, again called out to them. 21 But they shouted, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

22 Then he said to them the third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore chastise Him and let Him go.”

23 But they were insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men [f]and of the chief priests prevailed. 24 So (X)Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they requested. 25 (Y)And he released [g]to them the one they requested, who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

The King on a Cross(Z)

26 (AA)Now as they led Him away, they laid hold of a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, who was coming from the country, and on him they laid the cross that he might bear it after Jesus.

27 And a great multitude of the people followed Him, and women who also mourned and lamented Him. 28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 (AB)For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!’ 30 Then they will begin (AC)‘to say to the mountains, “Fall on us!” and to the hills, “Cover us!” ’ 31 (AD)For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?”

32 (AE)There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. 33 And (AF)when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. 34 [h]Then Jesus said, “Father, (AG)forgive them, for (AH)they do not know what they do.”

And (AI)they divided His garments and cast lots. 35 And (AJ)the people stood looking on. But even the (AK)rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.”

36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him (AL)sour wine, 37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”

38 (AM)And an inscription also was [i]written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:

THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

39 (AN)Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, [j]“If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done (AO)nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said [k]to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in (AP)Paradise.”

Jesus Dies on the Cross(AQ)

44 (AR)Now it [l]was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was [m]darkened, and (AS)the veil of the temple was torn in [n]two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, (AT)‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ (AU)Having said this, He breathed His last.

47 (AV)So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”

48 And the whole crowd who came together to that sight, seeing what had been done, beat their breasts and returned. 49 (AW)But all His acquaintances, and the women who followed Him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.

Jesus Buried in Joseph’s Tomb(AX)

50 (AY)Now behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, a good and just man. 51 He had not consented to their decision and deed. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, (AZ)who[o] himself was also waiting for the kingdom of God. 52 This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. 53 (BA)Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. 54 That day was (BB)the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.

55 And the women (BC)who had come with Him from Galilee followed after, and (BD)they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and (BE)prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath (BF)according to the commandment.

Footnotes

  1. Luke 23:2 NU our
  2. Luke 23:6 NU omits of Galilee
  3. Luke 23:11 troops
  4. Luke 23:15 NU he sent Him back to us
  5. Luke 23:17 NU omits v. 17.
  6. Luke 23:23 NU omits and of the chief priests
  7. Luke 23:25 NU, M omit to them
  8. Luke 23:34 NU brackets the first sentence as a later addition.
  9. Luke 23:38 NU omits written and in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew
  10. Luke 23:39 NU Are You not the Christ? Save
  11. Luke 23:42 NU “Jesus, remember me
  12. Luke 23:44 NU adds already
  13. Luke 23:45 NU obscured
  14. Luke 23:45 the middle
  15. Luke 23:51 NU who was waiting

23 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate.(A) And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation.(B) He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar(C) and claims to be Messiah, a king.”(D)

So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

“You have said so,” Jesus replied.

Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”(E)

But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee(F) and has come all the way here.”

On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean.(G) When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod,(H) who was also in Jerusalem at that time.

When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him.(I) From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer.(J) 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe,(K) they sent him back to Pilate. 12 That day Herod and Pilate became friends(L)—before this they had been enemies.

13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him.(M) 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish him(N) and then release him.” [17] [a]

18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”(O) 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)

20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”

22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”(P)

23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.

The Crucifixion of Jesus(Q)

26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene,(R) who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus.(S) 27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed(T) for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.(U) 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’(V) 30 Then

“‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
    and to the hills, “Cover us!”’[b](W)

31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”(X)

32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed.(Y) 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father,(Z) forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”[c](AA) And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.(AB)

35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him.(AC) They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”(AD)

36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him.(AE) They offered him wine vinegar(AF) 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews,(AG) save yourself.”

38 There was a written notice above him, which read: this is the king of the jews.(AH)

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”(AI)

40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”(AJ)

42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[d](AK)

43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”(AL)

The Death of Jesus(AM)

44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon,(AN) 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple(AO) was torn in two.(AP) 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice,(AQ) “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[e](AR) When he had said this, he breathed his last.(AS)

47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God(AT) and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” 48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts(AU) and went away. 49 But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee,(AV) stood at a distance,(AW) watching these things.

The Burial of Jesus(AX)

50 Now there was a man named Joseph, a member of the Council, a good and upright man, 51 who had not consented to their decision and action. He came from the Judean town of Arimathea, and he himself was waiting for the kingdom of God.(AY) 52 Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body. 53 Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth and placed it in a tomb cut in the rock, one in which no one had yet been laid. 54 It was Preparation Day,(AZ) and the Sabbath was about to begin.

55 The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee(BA) followed Joseph and saw the tomb and how his body was laid in it. 56 Then they went home and prepared spices and perfumes.(BB) But they rested on the Sabbath in obedience to the commandment.(BC)

Footnotes

  1. Luke 23:17 Some manuscripts include here words similar to Matt. 27:15 and Mark 15:6.
  2. Luke 23:30 Hosea 10:8
  3. Luke 23:34 Some early manuscripts do not have this sentence.
  4. Luke 23:42 Some manuscripts come with your kingly power
  5. Luke 23:46 Psalm 31:5