1Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country.’

2God also said to Moses, ‘I am the Lord. 3I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob as God Almighty,6:3 Hebrew El-Shaddai but by my name the Lord6:3 See note at 3:15. I did not make myself known to them. 4I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, where they resided as foreigners. 5Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.

6‘Therefore, say to the Israelites: “I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. 7I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. 8And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.” ’

9Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and harsh labour.

10Then the Lord said to Moses, 11‘Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the Israelites go out of his country.’

12But Moses said to the Lord, ‘If the Israelites will not listen to me, why would Pharaoh listen to me, since I speak with faltering lips6:12 Hebrew I am uncircumcised of lips; also in verse 30?’

Family record of Moses and Aaron

13Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron about the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he commanded them to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.

14These were the heads of their families6:14 The Hebrew for families here and in verse 25 refers to units larger than clans.:

The sons of Reuben the firstborn son of Israel:

Hanok and Pallu, Hezron and Karmi.

These were the clans of Reuben.

15The sons of Simeon:

Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.

These were the clans of Simeon.

16These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records:

Gershon, Kohath and Merari.

(Levi lived 137 years.)

17The sons of Gershon, by clans:

Libni and Shimei.

18The sons of Kohath:

Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel.

(Kohath lived 133 years.)

19The sons of Merari:

Mahli and Mushi.

These were the clans of Levi according to their records.

20Amram married his father’s sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses.

(Amram lived 137 years.)

21The sons of Izhar:

Korah, Nepheg and Zikri.

22The sons of Uzziel:

Mishael, Elzaphan and Sithri.

23Aaron married Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

24The sons of Korah were:

Assir, Elkanah and Abiasaph.

These were the Korahite clans.

25Eleazar son of Aaron married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas.

These were the heads of the Levite families, clan by clan.

26It was this Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, ‘Bring the Israelites out of Egypt by their divisions.’ 27They were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing the Israelites out of Egypt – this same Moses and Aaron.

Aaron to speak for Moses

28Now when the Lord spoke to Moses in Egypt, 29he said to him, ‘I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh king of Egypt everything I tell you.’

30But Moses said to the Lord, ‘Since I speak with faltering lips, why would Pharaoh listen to me?’