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1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh. I will use my great power against him, and he will let my people go. He will be so ready for them to leave that he will force them to go.”
2 Then God said to Moses, “I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They called me God All-Powerful. They did not know my name, the LORD. 4 I made an agreement with them. I promised to give them the land of Canaan. They lived in that land, but it was not their own. 5 Now, I have heard their painful cries. I know that they are slaves in Egypt. And I remember my agreement. 6 So tell the Israelites that I say to them, ‘I am the LORD. I will save you. You will no longer be slaves of the Egyptians. I will use my great power to make you free, and I will bring terrible punishment to the Egyptians. 7 You will be my people and I will be your God. I am the LORD your God, and you will know that I made you free from Egypt. 8 I made a great promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I promised to give them a special land. So I will lead you to that land. I will give you that land. It will be yours. I am the LORD.’ ”
9 So Moses told this to the Israelites, but the people would not listen to him. They were working so hard that they were not patient with Moses.
10 Then the LORD said to Moses, 11 “Go tell Pharaoh that he must let the Israelites leave his land.”
12 But Moses answered, “LORD, the Israelites refuse to listen to me. So surely Pharaoh will also refuse to listen. I am a very bad speaker.”* I am a very bad speaker Or “I sound like a foreigner.” Literally, “I have uncircumcised lips.”
13 But the LORD talked with Moses and Aaron and commanded them to go and talk to the Israelites and to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. He commanded them to lead the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.
Some of the Families of Israel
14 These are the names of the leaders of the families of Israel:
Israel’s first son, Reuben, had four sons. They were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.
15 Simeon’s sons were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul. (Shaul was the son from a Canaanite woman).
16 Levi lived 137 years. His sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
17 Gershon had two sons, Libni and Shimei.
18 Kohath lived 133 years. His sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
19 Merari’s sons were Mahli and Mushi.
All these families were from Israel’s son Levi.
20 Amram lived 137 years. He married his father’s sister, Jochebed. Amram and Jochebed gave birth to Aaron and Moses.
21 Izhar’s sons were Korah, Nepheg, and Zicri.
22 Uzziel’s sons were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
23 Aaron married Elisheba. (Elisheba was the daughter of Amminadab, and the sister of Nahshon.) Aaron and Elisheba gave birth to Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
24 The sons of Korah (that is, the ancestors of the Korahites) were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph.
25 Aaron’s son, Eleazar, married a daughter of Putiel. She gave birth to Phinehas.
All these people were from Israel’s son, Levi.
26 Aaron and Moses were from this tribe. And they are the men the LORD spoke to and said, “Lead my people out of Israel in groups.† groups Or “divisions.” This is a military term. It shows that Israel was organized like an army.” 27 Aaron and Moses are the men who talked to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and told him to let the Israelites leave Egypt.
God Repeats His Call to Moses
28 The LORD spoke to Moses again in the land of Egypt. 29 He said, “I am the LORD. Tell the king of Egypt everything I tell you.”
30 But Moses, standing there before the LORD, said, “You know me. I’m a very bad speaker. How will I make the king listen to me?”