The Lord met him, and would have killed him... This was an angel representing the Lord, who treated Moses in this manner, for having neglected the circ.u.mcision of his younger son; which his wife understanding, circ.u.mcised her child upon the spot, upon which the angel let Moses go.
4:25. Immediately Sephora took a very sharp stone, and circ.u.mcised the foreskin of her son, and touched his feet, and said: A b.l.o.o.d.y spouse art thou to me.
4:26. And he let him go after she had said: A b.l.o.o.d.y spouse art thou to me, because of the circ.u.mcision.
4:27. And the Lord said to Aaron: Go into the desert to meet Moses. And he went forth to meet him in the mountain of G.o.d, and kissed him.
4:28. And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord, by which he had sent him, and the signs that he had commanded.
4:29. And they came together, and they a.s.sembled all the ancients of the children of Israel.
4:30. And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had said to Moses: and he wrought the signs before the people.
4:31. And the people believed. And they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction: and falling down they adored.
Exodus Chapter 5
Pharao refuseth to let the people go. They are more oppressed.
5:1. After these things, Moses and Aaron went in, and said to Pharao: Thus saith the Lord G.o.d of Israel: Let my people go, that they may sacrifice to me in the desert.
5:2. But he answered: Who is the Lord, that I should hear his voice, and let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.
5:3. And they said: The G.o.d of the Hebrews hath called us, to go three days" journey into the wilderness, and to sacrifice to the Lord our G.o.d; lest a pestilence or the sword fall upon us.
5:4. The king of Egypt said to them: Why do you Moses and Aaron draw off the people from their works? Get you gone to your burdens.
5:5. And Pharao said: The people of the land are numerous; you see that the mult.i.tude is increased; how much more if you give them rest from their works?
5:6. Therefore he commanded the same day the overseers of the works, and the task-masters of the people, saying:
5:7. You shall give straw no more to the people to make brick, as before; but let them go and gather straw.
5:8. And you shall lay upon them the task of bricks, which they did before; neither shall you diminish any thing thereof, for they are idle, and therefore they cry. saying: Let us go and sacrifice to our G.o.d.
5:9. Let them be oppressed with works, and let them fulfil them; that they may not regard lying words.
5:10. And the overseers of the works, and the taskmasters, went out and said to the people: Thus saith Pharao: I allow you no straw;
5:11. Go, and gather it where you can find it; neither shall any thing of your work be diminished.
5:12. And the people was scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather straw.
5:13. And the overseers of the works pressed them, saying: Fulfil your work every day, as before ye were wont to do, when straw was given you.
5:14. And they that were over the works of the children of Israel, were scourged by Pharao"s taskmasters, saying: Why have you not made up the task of bricks, both yesterday and to day, as before?
5:15. And the officers of the children of Israel came, and cried out to Pharao, saying: Why dealest thou so with thy servants?
5:16. Straw is not given us, and bricks are required of us as before; behold we, thy servants, are beaten with whips, and thy people is unjustly dealt withal.
5:17. And he said: You are idle, and therefore you say: Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.
5:18: Go therefore and work: straw shall not be given you, and you shall deliver the accustomed number of bricks.
5:19. And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in evil case, because it was said to them: There shall not a whit be diminished of the bricks for every day.
5:20. And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood over against them as they came out from Pharao:
5:21. And they said to them: The Lord see and judge, because you have, made our savour to stink before Pharao and his servants, and you have given him a sword, to kill us.
5:22. And Moses returned to the Lord, and said: Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore hast thou sent me?
5:23. For since the time that I went in to Pharao to speak in thy name, he hath afflicted thy people: and thou hast not delivered them.
Exodus Chapter 6
G.o.d reneweth his promise. The genealogies of Ruben, Simon and Levi, down to Moses and Aaron.
6;1. And the Lord said to Moses: Now thou shalt see what I will do to Pharao: for by a mighty hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he cast them out of his land.
6:2. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: I am the Lord
6:3. That appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of G.o.d Almighty: and my name ADONAI I did not shew them.
My name Adonai... The name, which is in the Hebrew text, is that most proper name of G.o.d, which signifieth his eternal, self-existent being, Ex. 3.14, which the Jews out of reverence never p.r.o.nounce; but, instead of it, whenever it occurs in the Bible, they read Adonai, which signifies the Lord; and, therefore, they put the points or vowels, which belong to the name Adonai, to the four letters of that other ineffable name Jod, He, Vau, He. Hence some moderns have framed the name Jehovah, unknown to all the ancients, whether Jews or Christians; for the true p.r.o.nunciation of the name, which is in the Hebrew text, by long disuse, is now quite lost.
6:4. And I made a covenant with them, to give them the land of Chanaan, the land of their pilgrimage wherein they were strangers.
6:5. I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, wherewith the Egyptians have oppressed them: and I have remembered my covenant.
6:6. Therefore say to the children of lsrael: I am the Lord who will bring you out from the work-prison of the Egyptians, and will deliver you from bondage: and redeem you with a high arm, and great judgments.
6:7. And I will take you to myself for my people, I will be your G.o.d: and you shall know that I am the Lord your G.o.d, who brought you out from the work-prison of the Egyptians:
6:8. And brought you into the land, concerning which I lifted up my hand to give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: and I will give it you to possess: I am the Lord.
6:9. And Moses told all this to the children of Israel: but they did not hearken to him, for anguish of spirit, and most painful work.
6:10. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
6:11. Go in, and speak to Pharao king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.
6:12. Moses answered before the Lord: Behold the children of Israel do not hearken to me: and how will Pharao hear me, especially as I am of uncirc.u.mcised lips?
Uncirc.u.mcised lips... So he calls the defect he had in his words, or utterance.
6:13. And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and he gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharao the king of Egypt, that they should bring forth the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.