Study Desk

and he told the Egyptians: There are too many of those Israelites in our country, and they are becoming more powerful than we are.

If we don't outsmart them, their families will keep growing larger. And if our country goes to war, they could easily fight on the side of our enemies and escape from Egypt.

But even though the Israelites were mistreated, their families grew larger, and they took over more land. Because of this, the Egyptians hated them worse than before

Finally, the king called in Shiphrah and Puah, the two women who helped the Hebrew mothers when they gave birth.

God was good to the two women because they truly respected him, and he blessed them with children of their own. The Hebrews kept increasing

They answered, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds, and he even watered our sheep and goats."

The Lord said: I have seen how my people are suffering as slaves in Egypt, and I have heard them beg for my help because of the way they are being mistreated. I feel sorry for them,

Call together the leaders of Israel and tell them that the God who was worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob has appeared to you. Tell them I have seen how terribly they are being treated in Egypt,

After I punish the Egyptians, they will be so afraid of you that they will give you anything you want. You are my people, and I will let you take many things with you when you leave the land of Egypt.

and everyone believed. They bowed down and worshiped the Lord because they knew that he had seen their suffering and was going to help them.

Moses and Aaron went to the king of Egypt and told him, "The Lord God says, ‘Let my people go into the desert, so they can honor me with a celebration there.'"

but they must make the same number of bricks as before. They are lazy, or else they would not beg me to let them go and sacrifice to their God.

The bosses beat the men in charge of the slaves and said, "Why didn't you force the slaves to make as many bricks yesterday and today as they did before?"

After they left the king, they went to see Moses and Aaron, who had been waiting for 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."

I made an agreement and promised them the land of Canaan, where they were living as foreigners.

When Moses told this to the Israelites, they were too discouraged and mistreated to believe him.

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

Aaron married Elisheba. She was the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon; they had four sons, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

and so they ordered the king of Egypt to set the people of Israel free.