Study Desk

The Lord became irritated with Moses and said: What about your brother Aaron, the Levite? I know he is a good speaker. He is already on his way here to visit you, and he will be happy to see you again.

Moses went to his father-in-law Jethro and asked, "Please let me return to Egypt to see if any of my people are still alive." "All right," Jethro replied. "I hope all goes well."

So Moses put his wife and sons on donkeys and headed for Egypt, holding the walking stick that had the power of God.

But Zipporah circumcised her son with a flint knife. She touched his legs with the skin she had cut off and said, "My dear son, this blood will protect you."

That same day the king gave orders to his slave bosses and to the men directly in charge of the Israelite slaves. He told them:

Then the men said, "We hope the Lord will punish both of you for making the king and his officials hate us. Now they even have an excuse to kill us."

The Lord God told Moses: Soon you will see what I will do to the king. Because of my mighty power, he will let my people go, and he will even chase them out of his country.

Levi lived to be one hundred thirty-seven; his sons were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Kohath lived to be one hundred thirty-three; his sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

Amram lived to be one hundred thirty-seven. He married his father's sister Jochebed, and they had two sons, Aaron and Moses.

Tell Aaron everything I say to you, and he will order the king to let my people leave his country.

But I will make the king so stubborn that he won't listen to you. He won't listen even when I do many terrible things to him and his nation. Then I will bring a final punishment on Egypt, and the king will let Israel's families and tribes go.

The Lord said, "Moses, when the king asks you and Aaron to perform a miracle, command Aaron to throw his walking stick down in front of the king, and it will turn into a snake."

Moses and Aaron went to the king and his officials and did exactly as the Lord had commanded—Aaron threw the stick down, and it turned into a snake.

The Lord said to Moses: The Egyptian king stubbornly refuses to change his mind and let the people go.

Tell him, "The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to order you to release his people, so they can worship him in the desert. But until now, you have paid no attention.

Moses, then command Aaron to hold his stick over the water. And when he does, every drop of water in Egypt will turn into blood, including rivers, canals, ponds, and even the water in buckets and jars.

Moses and Aaron obeyed the Lord . Aaron held out his stick, then struck the Nile, as the king and his officials watched. The river turned into blood,

Then he went back to his palace and never gave it a second thought.

If he refuses, I will cover his entire country with frogs.