1 Jehovah said to Moses: »Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. I will show him my power. He will let my people go! I will show him my power, and he will throw them out of his country.«

2 God spoke further to Moses and said to him: »I am Jehovah.

3 »I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by my name, Jehovah, I did not make myself known to them.

4 »I also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as foreigners.

5 »Furthermore I have heard the groaning of the sons of Israel. This is because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage. I have remembered my covenant.

6 »Tell the sons of Israel: ‘I am Jehovah. I will bring you out from under the oppression of the Egyptians. I will free you from slavery! I will rescue you with my powerful arm and with mighty acts of judgment.’

7 »I will make you my people, and I will be your God. You will know that I am Jehovah your God. I brought you out from under the forced labor of the Egyptians.

8 »I will bring you to the land I solemnly swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your own possession. I am Jehovah!’«

9 Moses reported this to the Israelites. But they would not listen to him. For they were so discouraged by their backbreaking work.

10 Then Jehovah told Moses:

11 »Demand that Pharaoh king of Egypt let the sons of Israel go.«

12 But Moses replied: »I am not a powerful speaker. If the sons of Israel will not listen to me, why should the king of Egypt?«

13 Jehovah sent Aaron and Moses with a message for the sons of Israel and for the king. He also ordered Aaron and Moses to free the people from Egypt.

14 The following men were the heads of their father’s households: The sons of Reuben, Jacob’s oldest son, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon.

16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon and Kohath and Merari. Levi lived one hundred and thirty-seven years.

17 The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, according to their families.

18 The sons of Kohath: Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel. Kohath lived one hundred and thirty-three years.

19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations.

20 Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived one hundred and thirty-seven years.

21 The sons of Izhar: Korah and Nepheg and Zichri.

22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael and Elzaphan and Sithri.

23 Aaron married Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab, the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

24 The sons of Korah: Assir and Elkanah and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites.

25 Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites according to their families.

26 It was the same Aaron and Moses to whom Jehovah said: »Bring out the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their hosts.«

27 They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing out the sons of Israel from Egypt. It was the same Moses and Aaron.

28 On the day when Jehovah spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,

29 Jehovah said to Moses: »I am Jehovah! Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak to you.«

30 But Moses protested to Jehovah: »I am unskilled in speech. How then will Pharaoh listen to me?«