Exodus 6

Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.

1Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you will see what I do to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. My strong hand will make him let my people go. He will even push them out of his land."

2And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:

2God also spoke to Moses. He said, "I am the LORD.

3And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

3I let Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob see me as God Almighty. But they did not know me by my name, the LORD.

NoteThe KJV writes God's special name as JEHOVAH. Many Bibles print it as "the LORD" in capital letters. Today it is often written Yahweh.

4And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.

4I also made a covenant with them, a promise I will always keep. I said I would give them the land of Canaan. They lived there as strangers, far from home.

5And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.

5I have heard the people of Israel groaning. The Egyptians are keeping them as slaves. I have remembered my promise.

6Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:

6So tell the people of Israel this: I am the LORD. I will take Egypt's heavy loads off your backs. I will set you free from being slaves. I will save you with my strong arm and with mighty acts of judging.

Note"A stretched out arm" was an old way of saying great strength, like someone reaching out to grab hold and help.

7And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

7I will make you my own people. I will be your God. Then you will know I am the LORD your God. I am the one who lifts Egypt's heavy loads off you.

8And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.

8I will bring you into the land I promised long ago. I promised it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you to keep. I am the LORD."

9And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.

9Moses told all this to the people of Israel. But they would not listen to him. They were worn out with sadness and cruel, hard slave work.

10And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

10Then the LORD spoke to Moses. He said,

11Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.

11"Go and tell Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to let the people of Israel leave his land."

12And Moses spake before the LORD, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?

12But Moses said to the LORD, "Look, the people of Israel will not listen to me. So why would Pharaoh listen to me? I am not good at speaking."

NoteThe KJV says Moses had "uncircumcised lips." That was a way of saying he felt he was a poor speaker.

13And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

13Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron. He gave them a job to do. They were to speak to the people of Israel and to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. They were to bring the people of Israel out of Egypt.

14These be the heads of their fathers’ houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben.

14Here are the leaders of the family groups. Reuben was Israel's oldest son. His sons were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. These were the families of Reuben.

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

15The sons of Simeon were Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul. Shaul's mother was a woman from Canaan. These were the families of Simeon.

16And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the life of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years.

16Here are the names of Levi's sons, listed by family. They were Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.

17The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families.

17The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimi, with their families.

18And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years.

18The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath lived 133 years.

19And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: these are the families of Levi according to their generations.

19The sons of Merari were Mahali and Mushi. These were the families of Levi, listed by family.

20And Amram took him Jochebed his father’s sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.

20Amram married Jochebed, who was his father's sister. She gave birth to Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.

21And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri.

21The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.

22And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri.

22The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Zithri.

23And Aaron took him Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

23Aaron married Elisheba. She was the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Naashon. She gave birth to Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

24And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: these are the families of the Korhites.

24The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These were the families of the Korhites.

25And Eleazar Aaron’s son took him one of the daughters of Putiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families.

25Eleazar, Aaron's son, married one of Putiel's daughters. She gave birth to Phinehas. These men were the leaders of the families of Levi.

26These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the LORD said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.

26This is the same Aaron and Moses that the LORD spoke to. He said, "Bring the people of Israel out of Egypt, group by group."

27These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron.

27They are the ones who spoke to Pharaoh, king of Egypt. They asked him to let the people of Israel leave. This is that same Moses and Aaron.

28And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spake unto Moses in the land of Egypt,

28Here is what happened on the day the LORD spoke to Moses in Egypt.

29That the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, I am the LORD: speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee.

29The LORD said to Moses, "I am the LORD. Tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, everything I tell you."

30And Moses said before the LORD, Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?

30But Moses said to the LORD, "Look, I am not good at speaking. Why would Pharaoh listen to me?"