Shemos
Book 2: Exodus

SHEMOS

Chapter 01

Verse 1: These are the names of the B'nei Yisrael who came to Egypt. Each man with his household who came with Yaakov.

Verse 2: Reuvein, Shimon, Leivi and Yehudah.

Verse 3: Yissachar, Zevulun, and Binyamin.

Verse 4: Don, Naftali, Gad and Asher.

Verse 5: All the souls that emanated from the loins of Yaakov, [numbered] seventy souls, [including] Yoseif who was [already] in Egypt.

Verse 6: Yoseif died. All his brothers and all that generation [also died.]

Verse 7: The B'nei Yisrael were fruitful and prolific, and their population multiplied. They were exceedingly mighty, and the land was filled with them.

Verse 8: A new king came into power over Egypt, who did not know Yoseif.

Verse 9: He said to his people, "Behold, the people of the B'nei Yisrael are becoming too numerous and strong for us.

Verse 10: Come let us deal wisely with him. Lest he increase so much, that, if there is war, he will join our enemies and fight against us, driving us from the land.

Verse 11: They appointed conscription officers over him to oppress him with their burdens. He [B'nei Yisrael] built supply cities for Pharaoh, Pisom and Ramseis.

Verse 12: But the more [the Egyptians] oppressed him, the more [the B'nei Yisrael] increased and spread. [The Egyptians] came to loathe the B'nei Yisrael.

Verse 13: The Egyptians enslaved the B'nei Yisrael, with body-breaking labor.

Verse 14: They made their lives bitter with harsh labor involving mortar and bricks, and all kinds of work in the fields. All the work they made them do [was intended] to break them.

Verse 15: The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives. The name of one of them was Shifrah, and the name of the other was Puah.

Verse 16: He said, "When you deliver Hebrew women, you must look at the birthstool. If it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live."

Verse 17: The midwives [however] feared El-him and did not do as the Egyptian king had told them, and they kept the infant boys alive.

Sheini (Second Aliyah)

Verse 18: The king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, "Why did you do this? You let the infant boys live."

Verse 19: The midwives said to Pharaoh, "The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptians. They know how to deliver. Even before a midwife gets to them, they have already given birth."

Verse 20: El-him was good to the midwives, and the people increased and were very mighty.

Verse 21: Because the midwives feared G-d, He gave them houses.

Verse 22: Pharaoh then commanded all his people, saying, "Every boy who is born must be thrown into the river; but every girl shall be allowed to live."

Chapter 02

Verse 1: A man of the house of Levi went and married the daughter of Levi.

Verse 2: The woman conceived and bore a son. She saw that he was [exceptionally] good, and she kept him hidden for three months.

Verse 3: When she could no longer hide him, she took a garamond box and coated it with clay and tar. She placed the child in it, and placed it in the reeds near the bank of the river.

Verse 4: [The child's] sister stood herself at a distance to see what would happen to him.

Verse 5: Pharaoh's daughter went down to bathe by the river, while her maids walked along the river's edge. She saw the box among the reeds and sent her maid and she fetched it.

Verse 6: She opened it and saw the child, and behold a boy was crying. She took pity on it, and said, "This is one of the Hebrew boys."

Verse 7: [The infant's] sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call to you a nursing [mother] from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?"

Verse 8: "Go," said Pharaoh's daughter to her. The young girl went and called the child's mother.

Verse 9: Pharaoh's daughter said to her [the child's mother], "Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your fee." The woman took the child and nursed it.

Verse 10: When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moshe, for she said, "I drew him from the water."

Sh'lishi (Third Aliyah)

Verse 11: It was in those days when Moshe was grown that he [began] to go out to his brethren, and he saw their burdens [hard labor]. [One day] he saw an Egyptian beating one of his Hebrew brethren.

Verse 12: He [Moshe] looked all around and [when] he saw that no man was there [watching], he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand.

Verse 13: He went out the next day, and behold two Hebrew men were quarreling. And he said to the wicked one, "Why are you beating your friend?"

Verse 14: He [the wicked one] said, "Who made you a man, officer and judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?" Moshe was frightened, and he said, "So the matter is known."

Verse 15: Pharaoh heard about the matter, and he planned to kill Moshe. Moshe fled from Pharaoh, and resided in the land of Midian, and he sat [lived] near the well.

Verse 16: The priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water [from the well] and fill the troughs to water their father's sheep.

Verse 17: Then the shepherds came and chased them away. Moshe got up and came to their aid, and then watered their sheep.

Verse 18: When they came to Reu'eil, their father, he said [to them], "How did you get to come [home] so early today?"

Verse 19: They said, "An Egyptian rescued us from the hand of the shepherds; and he also drew [water] for us, and watered the sheep."

Verse 20: He said to his daughters, "And where is he? Why did you abandon the man? Call him and let him eat bread."

Verse 21: Moshe agreed to reside with the man, and he gave Moshe his daughter Tzipporah.

Verse 22: When she gave birth to a son, he named him Gershom, for he said, "I have been a foreigner in a strange land."

Verse 23: A long time passed and the king of Egypt died. The B'nei Yisrael moaned because of their enslavement, and they cried. Their plea about their enslavement went up to G-d.

Verse 24: El-him heard their groaning and El-him remembered His covenant with Avraham, with Yitzchok and with Yaakov.

Verse 25: El-him saw the B'nei Yisrael, and El-him took knowledge of them.

Revi'i (Fourth Aliyah)

Chapter 03

Verse 1: Moshe tended the sheep of his father-in-law Yisro, priest of Midian. He led the sheep to the edge of the wilderness and he came to the mountain of G-d, in the area of Choreiv.

Verse 2: An angel of Ad-noy appeared to him [Moshe] in the heart of a fire in the midst of a thorn-bush. He looked and behold the bush was on fire, but the bush was not being consumed.

Verse 3: Moshe said, "I must turn aside and see [investigate] this great sight. Why doesn't the bush burn?"

Verse 4: When Ad-noy saw that [Moshe] turned aside to see, El-him called to him from the midst of the thorn-bush, and said, "Moshe, Moshe."' He [Moshe] said, "Here I am."

Verse 5: He [G-d] said, "Do not come any closer. Take your shoes off your feet, because the place upon which you are standing is holy ground."

Verse 6: He [G-d] then said, "I am the G-d of your father, the G-d of Avraham, the G-d of Yitzchok, and the G-d of Yaakov." Moshe hid his face, for he was afraid to look at El-him.

Verse 7: Ad-noy said, "I have indeed seen the suffering of My people that are in Egypt. I have heard how they cry out because [of the harshness] of their slave-masters, and I am aware of their pain.

Verse 8: I have descended to free them from the hand of Egypt, and to bring them up from that land to a good, spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey; to the territory of the Canaanites, the Chittites, the Emorites, the Perizites, the Chivites and the Yevusites.

Verse 9: Now, behold, the cry of the B'nei Yisrael has come to Me. I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.

Verse 10: Now go. I am sending you to Pharaoh, and you will bring My people, the B'nei Yisrael, out of Egypt."

Verse 11: Moshe said to El-him, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh? Am I able to bring the B'nei Yisrael out of Egypt?"

Verse 12: He [G-d] said, "Because I will be with you. This will be the proof that I have sent you--- when you bring the people out of Egypt--- you will serve El-him on this mountain."

Verse 13: Moshe said to El-him, "Behold, when I come to the B'nei Yisrael and say to them, 'The G-d of your fathers sent me to you,' they will say to me, 'What is His name?' What shall I say to them?"

Verse 14: El-him said to Moshe, "Eheyeh Asher Eheyeh;" and He said, "This is what you must say to the B'nei Yisrael, 'Eheyeh sent me to you.' "

Verse 15: El-him continued talking to Moshe, "This is what you must say to the B'nei Yisrael, 'Ad-noy, the G-d of your fathers, the G-d of Avraham, the G-d of Yitzchok, and the G-d of Yaakov, sent me to you. This is My eternal Name, and this is how I am to be mentioned for all generations.' "

Chamishi (Fifth Aliyah)

Verse 16: "Go, gather the elders of Yisrael, and say to them, 'Ad-noy, the G-d of your fathers appeared to me--- the G-d of Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov---saying, "I have indeed been mindful of you, regarding that which is being done to you in Egypt.

Verse 17: I have said, I will bring you up out of the suffering of Egypt, to the land of the Canaanites, the Chittites, the Emorites, the Perizites, the Chivites and the Yevusites; to a land flowing with milk and honey." '

Verse 18: They will listen to your voice. You and the elders of Yisrael will come to the king of Egypt, and say to him, 'Ad-noy, G-d of the Hebrews happened to meet with us. Now we request that you let us go into the wilderness for three days, to bring an offering [sacrifice] to Ad-noy, our G-d.'

Verse 19: I know that the king of Egypt will not allow you to go [on this journey], but not because of his strong hand.

Verse 20: I will then send forth my hand, and strike Egypt with all My wondrous deeds that I will perform in their midst. Then he [Pharaoh] will send you out.

Verse 21: I will give this people grace in the eyes of the Egyptians; and when you go, you will not leave empty handed.

Verse 22: Every woman shall borrow from her neighbor, and from the woman living in her house, articles of silver and gold, and clothing. You shall put them on your sons and daughters, and thus you will divest Egypt of its wealth."

Chapter 04

Verse 1: Moshe answered and said, "They will not believe me. They will not listen to my voice. They will say, 'Ad-noy did not appear to you.' "

Verse 2: Ad-noy said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod."

Verse 3: [G-d] said, "Throw it on the ground." He [Moshe] threw it on the ground and it turned into a snake. Moshe ran away from it.

Verse 4: Ad-noy said to Moshe, "Reach out your hand and grasp its tail." He reached out his hand and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.

Verse 5: "This is so that they will believe that Ad-noy appeared to you; the G-d of their fathers, G-d of Avraham, G-d of Yitzchok and G-d of Yaakov."

Verse 6: Ad-noy said furthermore to him [Moshe], "Put your hand into your bosom." He put his hand into his bosom, and when he withdrew it, his hand had become a snow-like tzora'as.

Verse 7: He [Ad-noy] said, "Put your hand into your bosom again." [Moshe] put his hand into his bosom again, and when he withdrew it from his bosom, it had become [normal] as his flesh.

Verse 8: "If they do not believe you, and they do not listen to the voice [of proof] of the first [miraculous] sign; then they will believe the voice [of proof] of the latter [second] sign.

Verse 9: And if they will not believe even these two signs, and they will not listen to your voice, then you shall take from the water of the river and pour it on the dry land. The water that you will take from the river will turn into blood on the dry land."

Verse 10: Moshe said to Ad-noy, "I beg You Ad-noy, I am not a man of words--- not since yesterday, not since the day before--- not from the time You [first] spoke to Your servant, for I am clumsy [slow] of mouth [speech] and clumsy [slow] of tongue [language]."

Verse 11: Ad-noy said to him, "Who gave man a mouth, or who makes [a person] dumb or deaf? [Who makes a person] see or makes him blind? Is it not I---Ad-noy?"

Verse 12: Now go. I will be with your mouth, and teach you what to say."

Verse 13: [Moshe] said, "I beg You Adony [my Master,] please send the one You usually send."

Verse 14: Ad-noy displayed anger toward Moshe and said, "Is not Aharon, the Levite, your brother? I know that he knows how to speak. Behold he is setting out to meet you, and when he sees you he will rejoice in his heart.

Verse 15: You will speak to him and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what to do.

Verse 16: He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and you will be his master.

Verse 17: Take this rod in your hand, for with it you will perform the [miraculous] signs."

Shishi (Sixth Aliyah)

Verse 18: Moshe went and returned to Yeser, his father-in-law, and said to him, "I would like to leave and return to my brothers in Egypt, to see if they are still alive." Yisro said to Moshe, "Go in peace."

Verse 19: Ad-noy said to Moshe in Midian, "Go, return to Egypt, for they have died---all the men who had sought your life."

Verse 20: Moshe [then] took his wife and his sons, set them to ride on the donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moshe took the rod of G-d in his hand.

Verse 21: Ad-noy said to Moshe, "On your way back to Egypt, see [keep in mind] all the wondrous [signs] that I have placed in your hand, and do them before Pharaoh. I will harden his heart, and he will not send the people out.

Verse 22: You will say to Pharaoh, This is what Ad-noy said, Yisrael is My son, My firstborn.

Verse 23: And I have said to you, send out My son and let him serve Me. If you refuse to send him, behold, I will slay your [own] firstborn son."

Verse 24: He [Moshe] was along the way, in the inn, Ad-noy confronted him, and wanted to kill him.

Verse 25: Tzipporah took a flint-stone and cut off her son's foreskin, and threw it at his feet, saying, "You are a bridegroom of blood to me."

Verse 26: He then withdrew from him [Moshe. Then she said, "[You are] a bridegroom of blood [to me] because of the circumcision."

Verse 27: Ad-noy said to Aharon, "Go meet Moshe in the desert." He [Aharon] went and met him at the mountain of G-d and he kissed him.

Verse 28: Moshe told Aharon all the words of Ad-noy with which He had sent him; and all the [miraculous] signs that He had commanded him [to demonstrate].

Verse 29: Moshe and Aharon went [to Egypt] and they gathered all the elders of the B'nei Yisrael.

Verse 30: Aharon spoke all the words that Ad-noy had spoken to Moshe, and he demonstrated the [miraculous] signs in the eyes [sight] of the people.

Verse 31: The people believed. When they heard that Ad-noy was mindful of the B'nei Yisrael, and that He had seen their suffering, they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves.

Shevi'i (Seventh Aliyah)

Chapter 05

Verse 1: Afterwards Moshe and Aharon went and said to Pharaoh, "This is what Ad-noy, G-d of Yisrael said, 'Send My people, so they may celebrate a festival to Me in the wilderness."

Verse 2: Pharaoh said, "Who is Ad-noy that I should obey his voice, to let Yisrael go. I do not know Ad-noy, nor will I let [the B'nei] Yisrael go."

Verse 3: They said [to him], "The G-d of the Hebrews has revealed Himself to us. Please allow us to take a three day journey into the wilderness, and let us sacrifice to Ad-noy, our G-d, lest He strike us with the plague or with the sword."

Verse 4: The king of Egypt said to them, "Why, Moshe and Aharon, are you distracting the people from their work? Get back to your burdens."

Verse 5: Then Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land are now many, and you want them to take leave from their hard work."

Verse 6: That day, Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying,

Verse 7: "You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks as before. Let them go gather [their own] straw,

Verse 8: [And] the quota of bricks that they made before, you shall place upon them; do not reduce it, for they are lazy and therefore they cry out, saying, 'We want to go sacrifice to our G-d.'

Verse 9: Make the workload heavier on the men, and make them do it. Let them not talk about false ideas."

Verse 10: They went out--- the taskmasters of the people and their officers--- and spoke to the people, saying, "This is what Pharaoh said, 'I will no longer give you straw.

Verse 11: You must go get your own straw wherever you can find it, but your workload must not be reduced.' "

Verse 12: The people spread out all over Egypt to gather grain-chaff for straw.

Verse 13: The taskmasters pressured them saying, "You must complete your daily work [quota], just as [before] when there was straw."

Verse 14: The officers of the B'nei Yisrael were beaten--- those whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had appointed--- and were told, "Why have you not completed your quotas of brick making as you did yesterday and before neither yesterday, nor today?"

Verse 15: The officers of the B'nei Yisrael came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying "Why are you doing this to your slaves?

Verse 16: Your slaves are not given straw, and yet we are told to make bricks. Your slaves are beaten, and it is a sin for your people."

Verse 17: He said, "You are lazy, therefore you say, 'Let us go sacrifice to Ad-noy.'

Verse 18: Now go, get to work. You will not be given straw, and you must deliver your quota of bricks."

Verse 19: The officers of the B'nei Yisrael realized their bad position, saying, "You must not reduce your daily quota of bricks."

Verse 20: They met Moshe and Aharon who were waiting to meet them as they were leaving Pharaoh.

Verse 21: They said to them [Moshe and Aharon], "Let Ad-noy look at you and judge. You have made our aroma abhorrent in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, putting a sword in their hands to kill us."

Maftir

Verse 22: Moshe returned to Ad-noy and said, "My Master. Why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You send me?

Verse 23: Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your Name, he has done harm to this people; and You have not rescued Your people."

Chapter 06

Verse 1: Ad-noy said to Moshe, "Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh, for by [My] strong hand he will let them go, and by [a] strong hand, he will drive them out of his land."

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