I
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Jacob's Family Grows in Egypt
1Now these are the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.
1These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each one bringing his household:
2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,
3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,
4Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.
4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.
5And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt already.
5All of Jacob's descendants came to seventy people in all, and Joseph was already in Egypt.
6And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.
6Then Joseph died, and so did all his brothers and everyone of that generation.
7And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.
7But the people of Israel had many children, grew in number, multiplied, and became very strong, until the land was full of them.
A New King Enslaves Israel
8Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
8Then a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph.
9And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
9He said to his people, "Look, the Israelites have become more numerous and more powerful than we are.
10Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
10Come, let's handle them cleverly, or they will keep multiplying, and if a war breaks out they might join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country."
11Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
11So the Egyptians put slave drivers over them to crush them with forced labor, and they built the storage cities of Pithom and Raamses for Pharaoh.
12But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
12But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, and the Egyptians came to dread the people of Israel.
13And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
13So the Egyptians worked the Israelites without mercy.
14And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
14They made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and brick and every kind of work in the fields; every job they forced on them was done under cruel pressure.
The Midwives Who Feared God
15And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
15Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one named Shiphrah and the other named Puah.
16And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
16He said, "When you help the Hebrew women give birth and watch them on the birthing stool, if the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live."
17But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
17But the midwives feared God and would not do what the king of Egypt had ordered; they let the baby boys live.
18And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?
18So the king of Egypt sent for the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?"
19And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
19The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women. They are strong and give birth before the midwife can even reach them."
20Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
20So God was good to the midwives, and the people kept multiplying and grew very strong.
21And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
21And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
Pharaoh's Order to Drown the Sons
22And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
22Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: "Every boy that is born you must throw into the river, but every girl you may let live."
II
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
The Baby in the Basket
1And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
1Now a man from the tribe of Levi went and married a woman who was also a Levite.
2And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
2She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and when she saw what a beautiful child he was, she hid him for three months.
3And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.
3When she could hide him no longer, she got a basket made of reeds, coated it with tar and pitch, put the child inside, and set it among the reeds at the edge of the river.
4And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
4His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
5And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
5Then Pharaoh's daughter came down to bathe in the river while her attendants walked along the bank. She noticed the basket among the reeds and sent her servant girl to bring it.
6And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.
6When she opened it, she saw the child, and the baby was crying. She felt sorry for him and said, "This is one of the Hebrew children."
7Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
7Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?"
8And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother.
8Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Yes, go." So the girl went and called the child's own mother.
9And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.
9Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay you for it." So the woman took the child and nursed him.
10And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
10When the child was older, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "Because I drew him out of the water."
Moses Kills an Egyptian and Flees
11And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
11Years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and saw their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.
12And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
12He looked around in every direction, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand.
13And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
13The next day he went out again and saw two Hebrew men fighting. He said to the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?"
14And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
14The man answered, "Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Are you planning to kill me the way you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and thought, "What I did must be known."
15Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.
15When Pharaoh heard about it, he tried to have Moses killed. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian, where he sat down beside a well.
Moses Finds a Home in Midian
16Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.
16Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs for their father's flock.
17And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
17Some shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and defended them and watered their flock.
18And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?
18When they got home to their father Reuel, he asked, "How is it that you are back so early today?"
19And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.
19They said, "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock."
20And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.
20He said to his daughters, "Then where is he? Why did you leave the man behind? Invite him to come and eat with us."
21And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
21Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah as his wife.
22And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.
22She gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, "I have been a stranger in a foreign land."
God Hears Israel's Groaning
23And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
23A long time later, the king of Egypt died. The people of Israel groaned under their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery rose up to God.
24And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
24God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
25And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.
25God looked on the people of Israel, and God was concerned for them.
III
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
The Bush That Did Not Burn Up
1Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
1Now Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
2There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the middle of a bush. Moses looked, and the bush was blazing with fire, yet it was not burning up.
3And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
3So Moses said, "I will go over and look at this amazing sight, and see why the bush is not burning up."
4And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.
4When the LORD saw that he had come over to look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he answered, "Here I am."
5And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground.
5God said, "Do not come any closer. Take your sandals off your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground."
6Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
6Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." At that Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
God Sends Moses to Pharaoh
7And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
7The LORD said, "I have certainly seen the suffering of my people in Egypt, and I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers. Yes, I know how much they hurt.
8And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
8So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good, wide land, a land flowing with milk and honey, the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
9Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.
9Now the cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have also seen how harshly the Egyptians are oppressing them.
10Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
10So come now, I am sending you to Pharaoh, and you will bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt."
I AM Reveals His Name
11And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
11But Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the people of Israel out of Egypt?"
12And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.
12God said, "I will certainly be with you. And this will be the sign to you that I am the one who sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God on this mountain."
13And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
13Then Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the people of Israel and tell them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' What should I tell them?"
14And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
14God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "This is what you are to tell the people of Israel: 'I AM has sent me to you.'"
15And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
15God also said to Moses, "Tell the people of Israel, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, and this is how I am to be remembered from generation to generation.
Instructions and a Promise of Plunder
16Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:
16Go and gather the elders of Israel and tell them, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, appeared to me and said: I have watched over you closely and have seen what is being done to you in Egypt.
17And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.
17And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.'
18And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.
18They will listen to you. Then you and the elders of Israel are to go to the king of Egypt and tell him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.'
19And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.
19But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go, not unless a mighty hand forces him.
20And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.
20So I will reach out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders I will do there, and after that he will let you go.
21And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:
21And I will make the Egyptians look kindly on this people, so that when you leave, you will not leave empty-handed.
22But every woman shall borrow of her neighbour, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.
22Every woman is to ask her neighbor, and any woman staying in her house, for silver and gold jewelry and clothing, and you will put them on your sons and daughters. In this way you will strip the Egyptians of their wealth."
IV
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Three Signs for the Doubting
1And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.
1Then Moses answered, "But what if they don't believe me or listen to me? They will say, 'The LORD did not appear to you.'"
2And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
2The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff."
3And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.
3God said, "Throw it on the ground." He threw it on the ground, and it turned into a snake, and Moses ran from it.
4And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:
4Then the LORD said to Moses, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." He reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a staff in his hand.
5That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
5"This is so they will believe that the LORD, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you."
6And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.
6The LORD said to him further, "Now put your hand inside your robe." He put his hand inside his robe, and when he took it out, his hand was covered with leprosy, white as snow.
7And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.
7Then God said, "Put your hand back inside your robe." He put his hand back inside his robe, and when he drew it out again, it had become like the rest of his skin.
8And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
8"If they will not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second sign.
9And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
9And if they will not believe even these two signs or listen to you, then take some water from the river and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will turn to blood on the dry ground."
Slow of Speech, Aaron to Speak
10And Moses said unto the LORD, O my LORD, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
10Then Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been a good speaker, not in the past and not since you began speaking to your servant. I am slow of speech and my tongue is slow."
11And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
11The LORD said to him, "Who gave people their mouths? Who makes a person unable to speak or hear, or able to see, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?
12Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
12Now go. I will be with your mouth and teach you what to say."
13And he said, O my LORD, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
13But he said, "O Lord, please send someone else, anyone you want to send."
14And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
14Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses, and he said, "What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. In fact, he is already on his way to meet you, and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart.
15And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
15You will speak to him and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you both what to do.
16And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.
16He will speak to the people for you. He will be your mouth, and you will be like God to him.
17And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.
17And take this staff in your hand; with it you will perform the signs."
Moses Returns to Egypt
18And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
18Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, "Please let me go back to my own people in Egypt to see whether they are still alive." Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."
19And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.
19While Moses was still in Midian, the LORD said to him, "Go back to Egypt, because all the men who wanted to kill you are dead."
20And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
20So Moses took his wife and his sons, put them on a donkey, and started back to the land of Egypt. And Moses carried the staff of God in his hand.
21And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
21The LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, be sure to perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
22And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
22Then you are to tell Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my son, my firstborn,
23And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.
23and I told you, "Let my son go so he can worship me." But you refused to let him go, so now I will kill your son, your firstborn.'"
The Bloody Husband at the Inn
24And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.
24On the way, at a place where they stopped for the night, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.
25Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.
25But Zipporah took a sharp flint, cut off her son's foreskin, and touched Moses' feet with it, saying, "Truly you are a bridegroom of blood to me."
26So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.
26So the LORD let him alone. It was then that she said "a bridegroom of blood," because of the circumcision.
Aaron Meets Moses; the People Believe
27And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.
27Meanwhile the LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." So he went, met him at the mountain of God, and kissed him.
28And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.
28Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say and all the signs he had commanded him to perform.
29And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:
29Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel,
30And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
30and Aaron repeated everything the LORD had said to Moses and performed the signs in front of the people.
31And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
31And the people believed. When they heard that the LORD had come to help the people of Israel and had seen their suffering, they bowed their heads and worshipped.
V
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Who Is the LORD? Pharaoh Refuses
1And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
1Afterward Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Let my people go, so they can hold a festival to me in the wilderness.'"
2And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.
2Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and I will not let Israel go."
3And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
3They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us take a three-day journey into the desert to sacrifice to the LORD our God, or he may strike us with disease or with the sword."
4And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
4But the king of Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why are you taking the people away from their work? Get back to your labor!"
5And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
5And Pharaoh said, "Look, the people of the land are now so many, and you are making them stop their work."
Bricks Without Straw
6And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
6That same day Pharaoh gave this order to the slave drivers and the foremen over the people:
7Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
7"Stop supplying the people with straw for making bricks, as you have been doing. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
8But require of them the same number of bricks they made before; do not lower it at all. They are lazy, and that is why they are crying out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'
9Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
9Make the work heavier for the men so they keep busy with it and pay no attention to empty promises."
10And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
10So the slave drivers and the foremen went out and said to the people, "This is what Pharaoh says: 'I will not give you any more straw.
11Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
11Go and get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced at all.'"
12So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
12So the people scattered all over the land of Egypt to gather stubble to use instead of straw.
13And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.
13The slave drivers kept pressing them, saying, "Finish your work, your daily quota, just as you did when you had straw."
14And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?
14And the Israelite foremen, whom Pharaoh's slave drivers had put in charge, were beaten and asked, "Why haven't you met your quota of bricks yesterday and today as you did before?"
The Officers Appeal to Pharaoh
15Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
15Then the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh: "Why are you treating your servants this way?
16There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.
16Your servants are given no straw, yet we are told, 'Make bricks!' Look, your servants are being beaten, but the fault lies with your own people."
17But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.
17But he said, "You are lazy, just lazy! That is why you keep saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.'
18Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.
18Now go and work. You will be given no straw, but you must still deliver the full number of bricks."
19And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.
19The Israelite foremen saw that they were in serious trouble when they were told, "You may not reduce your daily quota of bricks."
Moses Complains to God
20And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
20As they left Pharaoh, they found Moses and Aaron waiting to meet them,
21And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
21and they said to them, "May the LORD look at what you have done and judge you! You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials, and you have put a sword in their hands to kill us."
22And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, LORD, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
22Then Moses went back to the LORD and said, "Lord, why have you brought such trouble on this people? Why did you ever send me?
23For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.
23Ever since I went to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has treated this people badly, and you have not rescued your people at all."
VI
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
I Am the LORD: Seven Promises
1Then 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 am going to do to Pharaoh. Because of my strong hand he will let them go; because of my strong hand he will drive them out of his land."
2And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the LORD:
2God also said to Moses, "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 appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty, but by my name, the LORD, I did not make myself known to them.
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 established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they lived as foreigners and strangers.
5And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.
5And now I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel, whom the Egyptians are holding as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant.
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, 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the heavy loads the Egyptians put on you. I will free you from your slavery, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment.
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 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 burdens of the Egyptians.
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.
8And I will bring you into the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I will give it to you as your own possession. I am the LORD.'"
The People Will Not Listen
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 this to the people of Israel, but they would not listen to him, because their spirits were crushed and their slavery was so cruel.
10And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
10Then the LORD said to Moses,
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 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 would not listen to me, so why would Pharaoh listen to me? I am such 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.
13But the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them orders about the people of Israel and about Pharaoh king of Egypt: they were to bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt.
The Families of Reuben, Simeon, and Levi
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.
14These are the heads of their family lines. The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn, were Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the clans 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, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the clans 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.
16These are the names of the sons of Levi in the order of their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived one hundred thirty-seven years.
17The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families.
17The sons of Gershon, by their clans, were Libni and Shimi.
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 one hundred thirty-three 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 are the clans of Levi in the order of their generations.
The Family of Moses and Aaron
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, his father's sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived one hundred thirty-seven 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, the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Naashon, and she bore him 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 are the clans of the Korahites.
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 the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the Levite families, clan by clan.
The Charge Renewed
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 to whom the LORD said, "Bring the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt, company by company."
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 were the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt about bringing the people of Israel out of Egypt; 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,
28Now on the day the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of 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 say to 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 such a poor speaker; how will Pharaoh ever listen to me?"
VII
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Moses Made as God to Pharaoh
1And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
1Then the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like a god to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.
2Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.
2You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron will tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land.
3And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
3But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and I will multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
4But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.
4Pharaoh will not listen to you, and so I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring out my armies, my people the children of Israel, from the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment.
5And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.
5Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the children of Israel out from among them."
6And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.
6Moses and Aaron did exactly as the LORD commanded them; that is what they did.
7And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.
7Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Aaron's Rod Swallows the Serpents
8And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
8Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and said,
9When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.
9"When Pharaoh says to you, 'Prove yourselves with a miracle,' then tell Aaron, 'Take your rod and throw it down in front of Pharaoh,' and it will turn into a serpent."
10And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
10So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded: Aaron threw down his rod in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it turned into a serpent.
11Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
11Then Pharaoh also called in the wise men and the sorcerers, and the magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their secret arts.
12For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
12Each man threw down his rod, and they turned into serpents; but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
13And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
13Yet Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
The River Will Become Blood
14And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.
14Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is stubborn; he refuses to let the people go.
15Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river’s brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.
15Go to Pharaoh in the morning, when he goes out to the water. Stand on the riverbank to meet him, and take in your hand the rod that was turned into a serpent.
16And thou shalt say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.
16Say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you to say, "Let my people go, so that they may serve me in the wilderness." But look, until now you have not listened.
17Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.
17This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD. Watch: with the rod in my hand I will strike the water in the river, and it will be turned to blood.
18And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.
18The fish in the river will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will hate to drink water from the river.'"
The Waters Turned to Blood
19And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.
19Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, their rivers, their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they become blood.' There will be blood all through the land of Egypt, even in the wooden buckets and the stone jars."
20And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.
20Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded. He raised the rod and struck the water in the river while Pharaoh and his officials looked on, and all the water in the river was turned to blood.
21And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
21The fish in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink water from the river. There was blood all through the land of Egypt.
22And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.
22But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their secret arts, so Pharaoh's heart stayed hard, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
23And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.
23Pharaoh turned and went back into his house, and he did not take even this to heart.
24And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.
24All the Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the river itself.
25And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.
25Seven full days passed after the LORD had struck the river.
VIII
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Frogs Cover the Land
1And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
1Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may serve me.
2And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:
2If you refuse to let them go, watch: I will strike your whole country with frogs.
3And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs:
3The river will swarm with frogs, and they will come up and get into your house, into your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and onto your people, into your ovens and into your bread bowls.
4And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.
4The frogs will climb up on you, on your people, and on all your officials.'"
5And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.
5Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams, the rivers, and the ponds, and make frogs come up over the land of Egypt.'"
6And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.
6So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.
7And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.
7But the magicians did the same with their secret arts, and they too brought frogs up over the land of Egypt.
Pharaoh Pleads, Then Hardens
8Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD.
8Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Plead with the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let the people go so they can offer sacrifices to the LORD."
9And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?
9Moses said to Pharaoh, "You may have the honor of choosing: when should I plead for you, your officials, and your people, so that the frogs are removed from you and your houses and stay only in the river?"
10And he said, To morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.
10"Tomorrow," he said. Moses answered, "It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the LORD our God.
11And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only.
11The frogs will leave you, your houses, your officials, and your people; they will stay only in the river."
12And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.
12Then Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, and Moses cried out to the LORD about the frogs he had brought against Pharaoh.
13And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.
13The LORD did what Moses asked, and the frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards, and in the fields.
14And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.
14The people piled them up in heaps, and the land stank.
15But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
15But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
Lice and the Finger of God
16And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
16Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your rod and strike the dust of the ground, so that it becomes lice all through the land of Egypt.'"
17And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
17They did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the ground, and it became lice on people and animals; all the dust of the ground became lice throughout the land of Egypt.
18And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.
18The magicians tried to do the same with their secret arts and bring out lice, but they could not. So the lice stayed on people and animals.
19Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.
19Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hard, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
Flies, but Not in Goshen
20And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
20Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and stand in front of Pharaoh as he goes out to the water, and say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so that they may serve me.
21Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.
21If you will not let my people go, watch: I will send swarms of flies on you, on your officials, on your people, and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and so will the ground they stand on.
22And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.
22But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people live, so that no swarms of flies will be there. Then you will know that I, the LORD, am here in the middle of the earth.
23And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.
23I will make a distinction between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will happen.'"
24And the LORD did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.
24And the LORD did so. A terrible swarm of flies came into Pharaoh's house, into the houses of his officials, and into the whole land of Egypt; the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.
Pharaoh's Compromise and Deceit
25And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.
25Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Go and sacrifice to your God here in this land."
26And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?
26But Moses said, "It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God are hateful to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices the Egyptians find hateful right in front of their eyes, won't they stone us?
27We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us.
27We must go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he commands us."
28And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.
28Pharaoh said, "I will let you go to sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness, only you must not go very far away. Plead for me."
29And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.
29Moses said, "As soon as I leave you, I will plead with the LORD, and tomorrow the swarms of flies will leave Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. But Pharaoh must not deal deceitfully again by refusing to let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD."
30And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD.
30Then Moses left Pharaoh and pleaded with the LORD.
31And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one.
31The LORD did what Moses asked and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people; not one was left.
32And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.
32But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time as well, and he would not let the people go.
IX
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Plague on the Livestock
1Then the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
1Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may serve me.
2For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,
2If you refuse to let them go and keep holding on to them,
3Behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous murrain.
3watch: the hand of the LORD will fall on your livestock in the field, on the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the oxen, and the sheep. There will be a terrible disease among them.
4And the LORD shall sever between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that is the children’s of Israel.
4But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing that belongs to the children of Israel will die.'"
5And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, To morrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land.
5The LORD set a time, saying, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land."
6And the LORD did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.
6The next day the LORD did it: all the livestock of Egypt died, but not one animal belonging to the children of Israel died.
7And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.
7Pharaoh sent men to check, and sure enough, not one of the Israelites' animals was dead. But Pharaoh's heart was hard, and he did not let the people go.
Boils on Man and Beast
8And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.
8Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from a furnace, and let Moses toss it into the air in front of Pharaoh.
9And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.
9It will turn into fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and it will become boils that break out in open sores on people and animals throughout the land of Egypt."
10And they took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast.
10So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses tossed it into the air, and it became boils that broke out in open sores on people and animals.
11And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.
11The magicians could not even stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians.
12And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.
12But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had told Moses.
Warning Before the Hail
13And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.
13Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may serve me.
14For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth.
14This time I will send the full force of my plagues against your heart, your officials, and your people, so that you may know there is no one like me in all the earth.
15For now I will stretch out my hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.
15By now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a deadly sickness, and you would have been wiped off the earth.
16And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, for to shew in thee my power; and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth.
16But this is the very reason I have let you stand: to show you my power, and so that my name will be declared through all the earth.
17As yet exaltest thou thyself against my people, that thou wilt not let them go?
17Are you still setting yourself up against my people and refusing to let them go?
18Behold, to morrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.
18Watch: tomorrow about this time I will send down a terrible hail, worse than any Egypt has known from the day it was founded until now.
19Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.
19So send word now and bring your livestock and everything you have in the field under shelter, because every person and animal left out in the field and not brought inside will be struck by the hail and will die.'"
20He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses:
20Those among Pharaoh's officials who took the word of the LORD seriously hurried their servants and livestock into the houses,
21And he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field.
21but those who paid no attention to the word of the LORD left their servants and livestock out in the field.
Hail and Fire from Heaven
22And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.
22Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky, so that hail falls on all the land of Egypt, on people and animals and on every plant of the field throughout the land of Egypt."
23And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
23Moses stretched out his rod toward the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire flashed down to the ground. The LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt.
24So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
24So there was hail, with fire flashing back and forth in it, so terrible that nothing like it had ever been seen in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
25And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and brake every tree of the field.
25Throughout the whole land of Egypt the hail struck down everything in the fields, both people and animals; it beat down every plant of the field and shattered every tree.
26Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.
26Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel lived, was there no hail.
Pharaoh Confesses and Relapses
27And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned this time: the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
27Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said to them, "This time I have sinned. The LORD is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong.
28Intreat the LORD (for it is enough) that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.
28Plead with the LORD, for there has been enough of God's thunder and hail. I will let you go; you need not stay any longer."
29And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know how that the earth is the LORD’s.
29Moses said to him, "As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the LORD.
30But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God.
30But as for you and your officials, I know that you still do not fear the LORD God."
31And the flax and the barley was smitten: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was bolled.
31The flax and the barley were ruined, because the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud.
32But the wheat and the rie were not smitten: for they were not grown up.
32But the wheat and the spelt were not ruined, because they ripen later.
33And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the LORD: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth.
33Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city, and he spread out his hands to the LORD. The thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the earth.
34And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.
34But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had stopped, he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his officials.
35And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.
35Pharaoh's heart was hard, and he would not let the children of Israel go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.
X
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Signs to Tell Your Children
1And the LORD said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:
1Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I can show these signs of mine among them,
2And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.
2and so that you can tell your children and your grandchildren what I did in Egypt and the signs I performed among them. Then you will know that I am the LORD."
Locusts Threatened, Pharaoh Bargains
3And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.
3So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, "This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may serve me.
4Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:
4If you refuse to let my people go, watch: tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.
5And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:
5They will cover the surface of the ground so that no one can see the ground. They will eat whatever is left to you after the hail, and they will eat every tree that grows for you in the field.
6And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.
6They will fill your houses, the houses of all your officials, and the houses of all the Egyptians, something neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have ever seen from the day they came into this world until today." Then he turned and walked out from Pharaoh.
7And Pharaoh’s servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?
7Pharaoh's officials said to him, "How long will this man be a trap for us? Let the men go and serve the LORD their God. Don't you realize yet that Egypt is ruined?"
8And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the LORD your God: but who are they that shall go?
8So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, "Go, serve the LORD your God. But exactly who will be going?"
9And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the LORD.
9Moses said, "We will go with our young and our old; we will go with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds, because we must hold a feast to the LORD."
10And he said unto them, Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you.
10He said to them, "May the LORD be with you, if I ever let you go along with your little ones! Look out, for you are up to no good.
11Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
11No! Just the men may go and serve the LORD, since that is what you asked for." And they were driven out of Pharaoh's presence.
The Locusts Devour Egypt
12And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.
12Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they come up over the land of Egypt and eat every plant in the land, everything the hail has left."
13And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
13So Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD sent an east wind over the land all that day and all that night. When morning came, the east wind had brought the locusts.
14And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.
14The locusts came up over the whole land of Egypt and settled in every part of Egypt's territory, a terrible swarm. There had never been locusts like them before, and there never will be again.
15For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
15They covered the surface of the whole land until the ground was black with them. They ate every plant in the land and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left, and not one green thing remained on any tree or plant in the fields through all the land of Egypt.
16Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.
16Then Pharaoh hurriedly called for Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you.
17Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only.
17Now please forgive my sin just this once, and plead with the LORD your God to take this deadly thing away from me."
18And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD.
18So Moses left Pharaoh and pleaded with the LORD.
19And the LORD turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.
19The LORD shifted the wind to a very strong west wind, which carried the locusts away and blew them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left anywhere in Egypt's territory.
20But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.
20But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the children of Israel go.
Darkness That Can Be Felt
21And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
21Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky, so that darkness comes over the land of Egypt, a darkness so thick it can be felt."
22And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
22Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness over the whole land of Egypt for three days.
23They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
23People could not see one another, and no one moved from where they were for three days; but all the children of Israel had light where they lived.
Not a Hoof Left Behind
24And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.
24Then Pharaoh called Moses and said, "Go, serve the LORD. Only your flocks and herds must stay behind; your little ones may go with you too."
25And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.
25But Moses said, "You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the LORD our God.
26Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God; and we know not with what we must serve the LORD, until we come thither.
26Our livestock must go with us too; not a hoof will be left behind. We have to take some of them to serve the LORD our God, and we will not know what we need to serve the LORD with until we get there."
27But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.
27But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.
28And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.
28Pharaoh said to him, "Get away from me! Watch yourself, and never see my face again, because the day you see my face you will die."
29And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.
29Moses said, "You have spoken rightly. I will never see your face again."
XI
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
One Plague More
1And the LORD said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.
1Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that he will let you go from here; and when he lets you go, he will drive you out of here completely.
2Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.
2Tell the people that every man is to ask his neighbor, and every woman her neighbor, for articles of silver and articles of gold."
3And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people.
3The LORD made the Egyptians look kindly on the people. And Moses himself was held in very high regard in the land of Egypt, both by Pharaoh's officials and by the people.
The Death of the Firstborn Foretold
4And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:
4Then Moses said, "This is what the LORD says: About midnight I will go out through the middle of Egypt,
5And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts.
5and every firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the servant girl grinding at the mill, and every firstborn of the animals as well.
6And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.
6There will be a great cry through all the land of Egypt, unlike anything there has ever been or ever will be again.
7But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.
7But among the children of Israel not even a dog will growl at any person or animal, so that you may know that the LORD makes a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.
8And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.
8All these officials of yours will come down to me and bow before me, saying, 'Get out, you and all the people who follow you.' After that, I will go." Then, burning with anger, he left Pharaoh.
Wonders Multiplied Before Pharaoh
9And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.
9The LORD had said to Moses, "Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt."
10And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.
10Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.
XII
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
The Passover Lamb Instituted
1And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
1The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt and said,
2This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
2"This month is to be the start of your months; it will be the first month of the year for you.
3Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
3Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one lamb for each household.
4And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.
4If a household is too small to eat a whole lamb, they and the neighbor nearest their house should share one, counting the people; figure the lamb by how much each person will eat.
5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
5Your lamb must be a year-old male with nothing wrong with it; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.
6And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
6Keep it until the fourteenth day of this same month, and then the whole gathered community of Israel is to kill it in the evening.
7And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
7They are to take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the beam above the door of the houses where they eat it.
8And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
8That same night they are to eat the meat, roasted over fire, with bread made without yeast and with bitter herbs.
9Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
9Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water; roast it over fire, with its head, its legs, and its inner parts.
10And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
10Do not let any of it be left until morning; whatever is left over in the morning you must burn up.
11And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’s passover.
11This is how you are to eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. Eat it quickly. It is the LORD's Passover.
12For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
12"That night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn in the land, both people and animals, and I will carry out judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.
13And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
13The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are. When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will fall on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread
14And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
14"This day is to be a day you remember. You are to keep it as a feast to the LORD for all your generations; you are to keep it as a feast by a rule that lasts forever.
15Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
15For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the very first day you must clear all yeast out of your houses, because anyone who eats bread with yeast in it from the first day to the seventh is to be cut off from Israel.
16And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
16On the first day you are to hold a holy gathering, and on the seventh day another holy gathering. No work at all is to be done on those days, except for preparing what each person needs to eat; that alone you may do.
17And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.
17"Keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because on this very day I brought your ranks out of the land of Egypt. So keep this day through all your generations as a rule that lasts forever.
18In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.
18In the first month, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day, you are to eat bread made without yeast.
19Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.
19For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses, because anyone who eats something with yeast in it is to be cut off from the community of Israel, whether a foreigner or someone born in the land.
20Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.
20Eat nothing with yeast in it; wherever you live, eat bread made without yeast."
Moses Instructs the Elders
21Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.
21Then Moses called all the elders of Israel together and said to them, "Go and pick out lambs for your families, and kill the Passover lamb.
22And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning.
22Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood in the basin, and touch the top beam and the two doorposts with the blood from the basin. None of you may go out the door of your house until morning.
23For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
23For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the top beam and the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over that door and will not let the destroyer come into your houses to strike you.
24And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.
24You are to keep this as a rule for you and your children forever.
25And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.
25And when you come into the land the LORD is going to give you, just as he promised, you are to keep this ceremony.
26And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?
26When your children ask you, 'What does this ceremony mean to you?'
27That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.
27you are to answer, 'It is the sacrifice of the LORD's Passover, because he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when he struck the Egyptians and spared our homes.'" Then the people bowed their heads and worshipped.
28And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
28The Israelites went and did just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron; that is exactly what they did.
The Death of the Firstborn
29And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
29Then at midnight the LORD struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh sitting on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon, and every firstborn of the livestock too.
30And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
30Pharaoh got up in the night, along with all his officials and all the Egyptians, and there was a loud wailing in Egypt, because there was not a single house without someone dead in it.
31And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said.
31That night he sent for Moses and Aaron and said, "Get up! Leave my people, both you and the Israelites. Go and serve the LORD, as you asked.
32Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.
32Take your flocks and your herds too, as you asked, and go. And bless me as well."
33And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.
33The Egyptians pressed the people to hurry and leave the country, because they said, "We are all going to die."
34And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.
34So the people took their dough before any yeast had been added, with their kneading bowls wrapped up in their cloaks and slung over their shoulders.
35And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:
35The Israelites did as Moses had told them and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing,
36And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.
36and the LORD made the Egyptians look kindly on the people, so that they gave them whatever they asked for. In this way they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth.
Israel Leaves Egypt
37And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.
37The Israelites traveled from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, not counting the children.
38And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.
38A large crowd of other people went up with them too, along with flocks and herds, a great many animals.
39And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.
39They baked flat cakes without yeast from the dough they had brought out of Egypt, because it had no yeast in it; they had been driven out of Egypt and could not wait, and they had not prepared any food for themselves.
40Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.
40Now the time the Israelites had lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.
41And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.
41At the end of those four hundred and thirty years, on that very day, all the LORD's ranks went out from the land of Egypt.
42It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.
42It is a night to be carefully kept for the LORD, because he brought them out of the land of Egypt; this is the LORD's night, to be kept by all the Israelites through all their generations.
Rules for Keeping the Passover
43And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:
43The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "These are the rules for the Passover: no foreigner may eat it.
44But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.
44But any slave a man has bought with money may eat it once you have circumcised him.
45A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.
45A visitor from another land and a hired worker may not eat it.
46In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.
46It must be eaten inside one house; you may not carry any of the meat outside the house, and you may not break any of its bones.
47All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.
47The whole community of Israel is to keep it.
48And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
48If a foreigner living among you wants to keep the LORD's Passover, every male in his household must be circumcised; then he may come near and keep it, and he will be treated like someone born in the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat it.
49One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
49The same law applies to the native-born and to the foreigner living among you."
50Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
50All the Israelites did this; just as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
51And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.
51And on that very day the LORD brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, rank by rank.
XIII
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
The Firstborn Belong to God
1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
1The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
2Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
2"Set apart for me every firstborn, the first to come from every womb among the Israelites, whether human or animal. It belongs to me."
Remember This Day
3And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.
3Then Moses said to the people, "Remember this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, because the LORD brought you out of this place by the strength of his hand. No bread with yeast in it is to be eaten.
4This day came ye out in the month Abib.
4Today, in the month of Abib, you are going out.
5And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month.
5When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites, the land he swore to your ancestors he would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you are to keep this ceremony in this month.
6Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.
6For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast, and on the seventh day there is to be a feast to the LORD.
7Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.
7Bread without yeast is to be eaten for those seven days; no bread with yeast is to be seen among you, and no yeast is to be seen anywhere in your territory.
8And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.
8On that day tell your son, 'This is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.'
9And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.
9It will be like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your forehead, so that the LORD's law will be on your lips, because the LORD brought you out of Egypt with a strong hand.
10Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.
10So keep this rule at its set time from year to year.
Redeeming the Firstborn
11And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee,
11"When the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and to your ancestors, and gives it to you,
12That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD’s.
12you are to hand over to the LORD every firstborn that comes from the womb, and every firstborn of the animals you own; the males belong to the LORD.
13And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.
13Every firstborn donkey you are to buy back with a lamb, and if you do not buy it back, you must break its neck. And every firstborn son among your children you are to buy back.
14And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:
14In days to come, when your son asks you, 'What does this mean?' tell him, 'By the strength of his hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
15And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.
15When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of people and the firstborn of animals. That is why I sacrifice to the LORD every male that is first from the womb, but every firstborn of my sons I buy back.'
16And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.
16It will be like a sign on your hand and a band on your forehead, because the LORD brought us out of Egypt by the strength of his hand."
God Leads by Cloud and Fire
17And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:
17When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, even though it was shorter, for God said, "If the people face war, they may change their minds and go back to Egypt."
18But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
18So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea, and the Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt ready for battle.
19And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.
19Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, because Joseph had made the Israelites swear a solemn oath, saying, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones away from here with you."
20And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.
20They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, at the edge of the desert.
21And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
21The LORD went ahead of them, by day in a pillar of cloud to show them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so they could travel by day or by night.
22He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
22The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night never left their place in front of the people.
XIV
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
God Sets the Stage
1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
1The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
2Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, over against Baalzephon: before it shall ye encamp by the sea.
2"Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, facing Baal-zephon; camp by the sea, right across from it.
3For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.
3Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, 'They are wandering around lost in the land; the desert has trapped them.'
4And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so.
4Then I will harden Pharaoh's heart so that he chases after them, and I will win glory for myself over Pharaoh and his whole army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." And the Israelites did so.
Pharaoh Pursues Israel
5And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?
5When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We have let Israel go, and lost their labor!"
6And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him:
6So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him.
7And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.
7He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with an officer in charge of each one.
8And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand.
8The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he chased after the Israelites, who were marching out boldly.
9But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.
9The Egyptians, with all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, his horsemen and his army, chased them and caught up with them where they were camped by the sea, near Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
Fear and Faith at the Sea
10And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.
10As Pharaoh drew near, the Israelites looked up and saw the Egyptians marching after them, and they were terrified. The Israelites cried out to the LORD,
11And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?
11and they said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us out here to die in the desert? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt?
12Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.
12Didn't we tell you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die out here in the desert."
13And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
13Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and watch how the LORD is going to rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again, ever.
14The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
14The LORD will fight for you; all you need to do is keep quiet."
The Command to Go Forward
15And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:
15Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move forward.
16But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.
16Lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and split it, so that the Israelites can walk through the middle of the sea on dry ground.
17And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
17And I myself will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they go in after them, and I will win glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots and his horsemen.
18And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen.
18The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I have won glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen."
19And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them:
19Then the angel of God, who had been going ahead of the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them, and the pillar of cloud moved from in front of them and stood behind them.
20And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night.
20It came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. To one side it was cloud and darkness, but to the other it gave light through the night, so neither side came near the other all night long.
Israel Crosses on Dry Ground
21And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned the sea into dry land. The waters were split apart,
22And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground: and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
22and the Israelites went into the middle of the sea on dry ground, with the water standing like a wall on their right and on their left.
23And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.
23The Egyptians chased after them and followed them into the middle of the sea, all Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen.
24And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians,
24In the last watch of the night the LORD looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud and threw the Egyptian army into confusion.
25And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians.
25He made their chariot wheels come off so they could barely drive, and the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from Israel! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt."
The Egyptians Drowned
26And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.
26Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters flow back over the Egyptians, over their chariots and their horsemen."
27And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.
27Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and as day was breaking the sea returned to its full depth. The Egyptians were fleeing straight into it, and the LORD swept the Egyptians into the middle of the sea.
28And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them.
28The waters flowed back and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all of Pharaoh's army that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not even one of them was left.
29But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea; and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.
29But the Israelites had walked through the middle of the sea on dry land, with the water standing like a wall on their right and on their left.
30Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.
30So that day the LORD saved Israel from the power of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the seashore.
31And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians: and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.
31When Israel saw the mighty thing the LORD had done to the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD, and they put their trust in the LORD and in his servant Moses.
XV
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
The Song Begins
1Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
1Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: "I will sing to the LORD, for he has won a glorious victory; the horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.
2The LORD is my strength and song, and he is become my salvation: he is my God, and I will prepare him an habitation; my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
2The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my rescue. He is my God, and I will build him a dwelling place; my father's God, and I will lift him high.
3The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name.
3The LORD is a warrior; the LORD is his name.
4Pharaoh’s chariots and his host hath he cast into the sea: his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red sea.
4Pharaoh's chariots and his army he has thrown into the sea; his finest officers are drowned in the Red Sea.
5The depths have covered them: they sank into the bottom as a stone.
5The deep waters covered them; they sank to the bottom like a stone.
The Right Hand of the LORD
6Thy right hand, O LORD, is become glorious in power: thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.
6Your right hand, O LORD, is glorious in power; your right hand, O LORD, has smashed the enemy to pieces.
7And in the greatness of thine excellency thou hast overthrown them that rose up against thee: thou sentest forth thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.
7In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who rose against you; you sent out your burning anger, and it burned them up like dry straw.
8And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as an heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.
8At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up; the flowing waters stood upright like a heap, and the deep waters went solid in the heart of the sea.
9The enemy said, I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them; I will draw my sword, my hand shall destroy them.
9The enemy said, 'I will chase them, I will catch them, I will divide the plunder; I will take my fill of them; I will draw my sword, and my hand will destroy them.'
10Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them: they sank as lead in the mighty waters.
10But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.
11Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
11Who is like you, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, awesome in praise, working wonders?
12Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them.
12You stretched out your right hand, and the earth swallowed them.
The People God Redeemed
13Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people which thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided them in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.
13In your steady love you have led the people you set free; in your strength you have guided them to your holy dwelling.
14The people shall hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.
14The nations will hear and tremble; terror will grip the people who live in Philistia.
15Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.
15The chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; the strong men of Moab will be seized with shaking; everyone living in Canaan will melt with fear.
16Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of thine arm they shall be as still as a stone; till thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, which thou hast purchased.
16Terror and dread will fall on them; by the greatness of your arm they will be as still as stone, until your people pass by, O LORD, until the people you have bought pass by.
17Thou shalt bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which thou hast made for thee to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O LORD, which thy hands have established.
17You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain that is yours, the place, O LORD, that you made for your own dwelling, the sanctuary, O LORD, that your hands have set up.
18The LORD shall reign for ever and ever.
18The LORD will reign forever and ever."
Miriam Leads the Women
19For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.
19For Pharaoh's horses went into the sea with his chariots and his horsemen, and the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the middle of the sea on dry land.
20And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
20Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron's sister, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the women followed her with tambourines and dancing.
21And Miriam answered them, Sing ye to the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.
21Miriam sang back to them, "Sing to the LORD, for he has won a glorious victory; the horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea."
Bitter Water at Marah
22So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
22Then Moses led Israel on from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Desert of Shur. They traveled three days in the desert without finding water.
23And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.
23When they came to Marah, they could not drink the water there because it was bitter. That is why the place was named Marah.
24And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?
24The people grumbled against Moses and said, "What are we supposed to drink?"
25And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,
25Moses cried out to the LORD, and the LORD showed him a piece of wood. When he threw it into the water, the water turned sweet. There the LORD gave them a rule and a law, and there he tested them.
26And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.
26He said, "If you listen carefully to the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in his eyes, if you pay attention to his commands and keep all his rules, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the LORD who heals you."
Rest at Elim
27And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water, and threescore and ten palm trees: and they encamped there by the waters.
27Then they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees, and they camped there beside the water.
XVI
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Grumbling in the Wilderness of Sin
1And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.
1Then they set out from Elim, and the whole community of the people of Israel came to the Wilderness of Sin, which lies between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had left the land of Egypt.
2And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness:
2And in the wilderness the whole community of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
3And the children of Israel said unto them, Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the flesh pots, and when we did eat bread to the full; for ye have brought us forth into this wilderness, to kill this whole assembly with hunger.
3The people of Israel said to them, "If only the LORD had let us die in the land of Egypt, back when we sat beside pots of meat and ate all the bread we wanted! You have brought us out into this wilderness to starve this whole crowd to death."
Bread From Heaven Promised
4Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.
4Then the LORD said to Moses, "Listen: I am going to rain down bread from heaven for you. Each day the people are to go out and gather that day's portion, so that I can test them and see whether they will follow my instructions or not.
5And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.
5On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will turn out to be twice as much as they gather on the other days."
6And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, At even, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt:
6So Moses and Aaron said to all the people of Israel, "This evening you will know that it was the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt,
7And in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD; for that he heareth your murmurings against the LORD: and what are we, that ye murmur against us?
7and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, because he has heard your grumbling against him. And who are we, that you should grumble against us?"
8And Moses said, This shall be, when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat, and in the morning bread to the full; for that the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD.
8Moses went on, "You will know it when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because the LORD has heard the complaints you are making against him. Who are we? Your grumbling is not against us; it is against the LORD."
Quail and Manna Appear
9And Moses spake unto Aaron, Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, Come near before the LORD: for he hath heard your murmurings.
9Then Moses said to Aaron, "Tell the whole community of the people of Israel, 'Come near before the LORD, for he has heard your grumbling.'"
10And it came to pass, as Aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and, behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
10And while Aaron was speaking to the whole community of the people of Israel, they looked out toward the wilderness, and there the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.
11And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
11The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
12I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel: speak unto them, saying, At even ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.
12"I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Tell them, 'At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will have your fill of bread. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God.'"
13And it came to pass, that at even the quails came up, and covered the camp: and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.
13That evening quail flew in and covered the camp, and in the morning a layer of dew lay all around the camp.
14And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.
14When the dew had lifted, there on the surface of the wilderness lay something small and flaky, as fine as frost on the ground.
15And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
15When the people of Israel saw it, they said to one another, "What is it?" because they did not know what it was. Moses told them, "This is the bread the LORD has given you to eat.
Gathering Each Day's Portion
16This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.
16Here is what the LORD has commanded: each of you is to gather as much as he can eat, an omer for each person, according to how many are in your family; each man is to gather for the people in his own tent."
17And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less.
17The people of Israel did so, and some gathered more and some gathered less.
18And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.
18But when they measured it out by the omer, the one who had gathered a lot had nothing extra, and the one who had gathered a little had no shortage. Each had gathered just as much as he could eat.
19And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.
19Then Moses said to them, "No one is to keep any of it until morning."
20Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them.
20But they did not listen to Moses. Some of them kept part of it until morning, and it bred worms and began to smell, and Moses was angry with them.
21And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.
21So they gathered it every morning, each one as much as he could eat, and when the sun grew hot it melted away.
The Sabbath and the Double Portion
22And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.
22On the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each person, and all the leaders of the community came and reported it to Moses.
23And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.
23He said to them, "This is what the LORD has said: 'Tomorrow is a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Bake whatever you want to bake and boil whatever you want to boil today, and set aside whatever is left over to be kept until morning.'"
24And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.
24So they set it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not smell, and there were no worms in it.
25And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day is a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.
25Moses said, "Eat that today, because today is a Sabbath to the LORD. Today you will not find any of it out in the field.
26Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, in it there shall be none.
26For six days you are to gather it, but the seventh day is the Sabbath, and on that day there will be none."
27And it came to pass, that there went out some of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.
27Even so, some of the people went out to gather on the seventh day, and they found nothing.
28And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?
28Then the LORD said to Moses, "How long will you people refuse to keep my commands and my instructions?
29See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
29Look, the LORD has given you the Sabbath, and that is why on the sixth day he gives you enough bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where he is; no one is to leave his place on the seventh day."
30So the people rested on the seventh day.
30So the people rested on the seventh day.
Manna Kept for Generations
31And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.
31The house of Israel named the food manna. It was white like coriander seed, and it tasted like thin cakes made with honey.
32And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.
32Moses said, "This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Keep a full omer of it for the generations to come, so that they can see the bread I fed you in the wilderness when I brought you out of the land of Egypt.'"
33And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations.
33So Moses said to Aaron, "Take a jar, put a full omer of manna in it, and set it before the LORD to be kept for the generations to come."
34As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept.
34As the LORD had commanded Moses, Aaron placed it in front of the Testimony, to be kept there.
35And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
35The people of Israel ate manna for forty years, until they came to a settled land; they ate manna until they reached the border of the land of Canaan.
36Now an omer is the tenth part of an ephah.
36(An omer is one tenth of an ephah.)
XVII
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Water From the Rock at Rephidim
1And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.
1The whole community of the people of Israel moved on from the Wilderness of Sin, traveling in stages as the LORD directed, and they camped at Rephidim. But there was no water there for the people to drink.
2Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the LORD?
2So the people quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses answered them, "Why are you quarreling with me? Why are you putting the LORD to the test?"
3And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
3But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt? To kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"
4And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
4Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What am I supposed to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me!"
5And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go.
5The LORD said to Moses, "Go on ahead of the people, and take some of the elders of Israel with you. Take in your hand the staff you used to strike the river, and go.
6Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.
6I will be standing there in front of you on the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." And Moses did so, with the elders of Israel watching.
7And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, Is the LORD among us, or not?
7He named the place Massah and Meribah, because the people of Israel had quarreled there and because they had tested the LORD by asking, "Is the LORD among us or not?"
Israel Defeats Amalek
8Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
8Then the Amalekites came and attacked Israel at Rephidim.
9And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: to morrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.
9Moses said to Joshua, "Pick some men for us and go out and fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand."
10So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
10So Joshua did as Moses had told him and fought the Amalekites, while Moses, Aaron, and Hur climbed to the top of the hill.
11And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
11As long as Moses held up his hand, Israel was winning, but whenever he lowered his hand, the Amalekites were winning.
12But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
12When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it, while Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on each side. So his hands stayed steady until the sun went down.
13And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
13And Joshua overwhelmed the Amalekites and their army with the sword.
The LORD Is My Banner
14And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.
14Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this down in a book as a reminder, and read it aloud to Joshua: I will completely wipe out the memory of Amalek from under heaven."
15And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi:
15Moses built an altar and named it Jehovah-nissi,
16For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.
16because he said, "The LORD has sworn it: the LORD will be at war with Amalek from generation to generation."
XVIII
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Jethro Brings Moses' Family
1When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses’ father in law, heard of all that God had done for Moses, and for Israel his people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt;
1Jethro, the priest of Midian and Moses' father-in-law, heard about everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2Then Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took Zipporah, Moses’ wife, after he had sent her back,
2So Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought along Moses' wife Zipporah, whom Moses had sent back home,
3And her two sons; of which the name of the one was Gershom; for he said, I have been an alien in a strange land:
3together with her two sons. One was named Gershom, because Moses had said, "I have been a foreigner in a strange land,"
4And the name of the other was Eliezer; for the God of my father, said he, was mine help, and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh:
4and the other was named Eliezer, because he had said, "The God of my father was my help and rescued me from Pharaoh's sword."
5And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God:
5Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with Moses' sons and wife to Moses in the wilderness, where he was camped at the mountain of God.
6And he said unto Moses, I thy father in law Jethro am come unto thee, and thy wife, and her two sons with her.
6He sent word to Moses: "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you, along with your wife and her two sons."
7And Moses went out to meet his father in law, and did obeisance, and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare; and they came into the tent.
7Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, bowed down, and kissed him. They asked each other how they were doing, and then they went into the tent.
Jethro Praises the LORD
8And Moses told his father in law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.
8Moses told his father-in-law everything the LORD had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardships they had met along the way, and how the LORD had rescued them.
9And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom he had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.
9Jethro was delighted at all the good the LORD had done for Israel in rescuing them from the power of the Egyptians.
10And Jethro said, Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.
10Jethro said, "Praise the LORD, who rescued you from the power of the Egyptians and from the power of Pharaoh, who rescued the people from under the Egyptians' control.
11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods: for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly he was above them.
11Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, because he proved greater in the very matter where they acted so proudly."
12And Jethro, Moses’ father in law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God: and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses’ father in law before God.
12Then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, brought a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to share a meal with Moses' father-in-law in the presence of God.
Moses Judges Alone
13And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.
13The next day Moses sat down to judge the people, and the people stood around him from morning until evening.
14And when Moses’ father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even?
14When Moses' father-in-law saw everything he was doing for the people, he said, "What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you sit here by yourself while all the people stand around you from morning until evening?"
15And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to enquire of God:
15Moses answered his father-in-law, "It is because the people come to me to find out what God wants.
16When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.
16Whenever they have a dispute, they come to me, and I decide between one person and another and make known to them God's rules and instructions."
Jethro's Counsel
17And Moses’ father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good.
17Moses' father-in-law said to him, "What you are doing is not good.
18Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.
18You will wear yourself out, and these people with you, because this job is too heavy for you. You cannot handle it by yourself.
19Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God:
19Now listen to me. I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You be the people's representative before God, and bring their cases to him.
20And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.
20Teach them the rules and the instructions, and show them the way they are to live and the work they are to do.
21Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens:
21But also pick out from among all the people capable men who fear God, men who are honest and who hate dishonest gain, and put them in charge as leaders over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
22And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.
22Let them judge the people at all times. Every major case they can bring to you, but every minor case they can settle themselves. That way it will be easier for you, because they will carry the load with you.
23If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.
23If you do this, and God commands you to, you will be able to hold up, and all these people will go home satisfied."
Moses Appoints Judges
24So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.
24Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he had said.
25And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
25Moses chose capable men from all Israel and made them heads over the people, leaders over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens.
26And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.
26They judged the people at all times. The hard cases they brought to Moses, but every minor case they settled themselves.
27And Moses let his father in law depart; and he went his way into his own land.
27Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country.
XIX
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
A Kingdom of Priests
1In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai.
1In the third month after the people of Israel had left the land of Egypt, on that very day, they came into the Wilderness of Sinai.
2For they were departed from Rephidim, and were come to the desert of Sinai, and had pitched in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.
2They had set out from Rephidim and come to the Desert of Sinai, and there they camped in the wilderness; Israel camped there in front of the mountain.
3And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
3Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain: "This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and tell the people of Israel:
4Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles’ wings, and brought you unto myself.
4'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.
5Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine:
5So now, if you will truly obey my voice and keep my covenant, you will be my own treasured possession out of all the peoples, for the whole earth is mine.
6And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.
6You will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the people of Israel."
The People Promise to Obey
7And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.
7So Moses went back and called together the elders of the people, and he set before them all the words the LORD had commanded him.
8And all the people answered together, and said, All that the LORD hath spoken we will do. And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.
8All the people answered as one, "Everything the LORD has said, we will do." And Moses brought the people's answer back to the LORD.
9And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.
9The LORD said to Moses, "Look, I am going to come to you in a thick cloud, so that the people can hear me speaking with you and will always trust you." Then Moses told the LORD what the people had said.
Preparing for the Third Day
10And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
10The LORD said to Moses, "Go to the people and make them holy today and tomorrow. Have them wash their clothes
11And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
11and be ready by the third day, because on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people.
12And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:
12Set boundaries for the people all around the mountain and tell them, 'Be careful not to go up the mountain or even touch its edge. Whoever touches the mountain must surely be put to death.
13There shall not an hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned, or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live: when the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount.
13No hand is to touch him; he must be stoned or shot with arrows. Whether animal or person, it must not live.' Only when the ram's horn gives a long blast may they come up to the mountain."
14And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.
14So Moses went down the mountain to the people and made them holy, and they washed their clothes.
15And he said unto the people, Be ready against the third day: come not at your wives.
15He told the people, "Be ready by the third day. Do not go near your wives."
The LORD Descends in Fire
16And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled.
16On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, a thick cloud on the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that everyone in the camp trembled.
17And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the nether part of the mount.
17Moses led the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.
18And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.
18Mount Sinai was completely covered in smoke, because the LORD had come down on it in fire. Its smoke rose up like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain shook violently.
19And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice.
19As the trumpet sound went on, growing louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him with a voice.
20And the LORD came down upon mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
20The LORD came down onto the top of Mount Sinai, and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.
Warning Not to Break Through
21And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.
21The LORD said to Moses, "Go down and warn the people not to push through to look at the LORD, or many of them will die.
22And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.
22Even the priests, who come near the LORD, must make themselves holy, or the LORD will break out against them."
23And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.
23Moses said to the LORD, "The people cannot come up Mount Sinai, because you yourself warned us, 'Set boundaries around the mountain and treat it as holy.'"
24And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them.
24The LORD said to him, "Go on, get down, and then come back up, bringing Aaron with you. But do not let the priests or the people push through to come up to the LORD, or he will break out against them."
25So Moses went down unto the people, and spake unto them.
25So Moses went down to the people and told them.
XX
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
The God Who Freed You
1And God spake all these words, saying,
1Then God spoke all these words:
2I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
2"I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place where you were slaves.
No Other Gods, No Idols
3Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
3You shall have no other gods besides me.
4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
4You shall not make for yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in the heavens above, or on the earth below, or in the waters under the earth.
5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
5You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God. I bring the guilt of the fathers down on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
6And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
6but I show mercy to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Honoring God's Name
7Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
7You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not let anyone go unpunished who misuses his name.
Remember the Sabbath
8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
8Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.
9Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
9Six days you are to labor and do all your work,
10But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
10but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you are not to do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your livestock, nor the foreigner living inside your gates.
11For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
11For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and everything in them, and he rested on the seventh day. That is why the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart as holy.
Honor Your Parents
12Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
12Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live a long time in the land the LORD your God is giving you.
Loving Your Neighbor
13Thou shalt not kill.
13You shall not murder.
14Thou shalt not commit adultery.
14You shall not commit adultery.
15Thou shalt not steal.
15You shall not steal.
16Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
16You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.
17Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
17You shall not covet your neighbor's house. You shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything at all that belongs to your neighbor."
The People Stand Afar Off
18And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
18All the people saw the thunder and lightning, heard the sound of the trumpet, and saw the mountain smoking. When the people saw it, they backed away and stood at a distance.
19And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.
19They said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen. But do not let God speak to us, or we will die."
20And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.
20Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of him will stay with you and keep you from sinning."
21And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
21The people stayed at a distance, while Moses went near the thick darkness where God was.
Instructions for the Altar
22And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.
22The LORD said to Moses, "This is what you are to say to the people of Israel: 'You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven.
23Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
23You are not to make gods of silver to set beside me, and you are not to make gods of gold for yourselves.
24An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings, and thy peace offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in all places where I record my name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.
24Make me an altar of earth, and on it sacrifice your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I cause my name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you.
25And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone: for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
25If you make me an altar of stone, do not build it out of cut stones, because if you use a tool on it, you make it unfit.
26Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not discovered thereon.
26And do not go up to my altar by steps, so that your nakedness is not exposed on it.'"
XXI
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Laws for Hebrew Servants
1Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them.
1"These are the rulings you are to lay out before the people.
2If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.
2"If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to work for you six years, and in the seventh year he goes free without paying anything.
3If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself: if he were married, then his wife shall go out with him.
3If he came to you alone, he leaves alone; if he was married when he came, his wife leaves with him.
4If his master have given him a wife, and she have born him sons or daughters; the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.
4If his master gave him a wife and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children belong to the master, and the man leaves by himself.
5And if the servant shall plainly say, I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free:
5But suppose the servant says plainly, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I do not want to go free.'
6Then his master shall bring him unto the judges; he shall also bring him to the door, or unto the door post; and his master shall bore his ear through with an aul; and he shall serve him for ever.
6Then his master is to bring him before the judges. He is to take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl, and the man will serve him for life.
7And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.
7"If a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free the way the male servants do.
8If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.
8If she does not please the master who chose her for himself, he must let her be bought back. He has no right to sell her to a foreign people, because he has broken faith with her.
9And if he have betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.
9If he chose her for his son, he must treat her as a daughter.
10If he take him another wife; her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage, shall he not diminish.
10If he takes another wife, he must not cut back on the first one's food, her clothing, or her rights as a wife.
11And if he do not these three unto her, then shall she go out free without money.
11If he fails to provide these three things for her, she may go free without any payment.
Capital Offenses
12He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death.
12"Whoever strikes a person so that he dies must certainly be put to death.
13And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand; then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.
13But if he was not lying in wait, and God let it happen by his hand, then I will set aside a place for him to run to.
14But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.
14But if a man deliberately attacks his neighbor and kills him by cunning, you are to take him even from my altar so that he may die.
15And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death.
15"Whoever strikes his father or his mother must certainly be put to death.
16And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
16"Whoever kidnaps a person and sells him, or is caught still holding him, must certainly be put to death.
17And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
17"Whoever curses his father or his mother must certainly be put to death.
Injuries and Fair Compensation
18And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone, or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed:
18"If men get into a fight and one hits the other with a stone or with his fist, and the man does not die but is confined to his bed,
19If he rise again, and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be quit: only he shall pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.
19then if he gets up again and walks around outside with his staff, the one who hit him is cleared. He only has to pay for the man's lost time and see to it that he is fully healed.
20And if a man smite his servant, or his maid, with a rod, and he die under his hand; he shall be surely punished.
20"If a man beats his male or female servant with a rod and the servant dies under his hand, he must certainly be punished.
21Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished: for he is his money.
21But if the servant survives a day or two, he is not to be punished, because the servant is his property.
22If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
22"If men are fighting and injure a pregnant woman so that she gives birth early, but no further harm follows, the man must certainly be fined whatever the woman's husband demands of him, and he must pay what the judges decide.
23And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
23But if further harm does follow, then you are to give life for life,
24Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
24eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
25burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
26And if a man smite the eye of his servant, or the eye of his maid, that it perish; he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake.
26"If a man strikes the eye of his male or female servant and destroys it, he must let the servant go free to make up for the eye.
27And if he smite out his manservant’s tooth, or his maidservant’s tooth; he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake.
27And if he knocks out the tooth of his male or female servant, he must let the servant go free to make up for the tooth.
The Goring Ox
28If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit.
28"If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox must certainly be stoned and its meat must not be eaten, but the owner of the ox is not held responsible.
29But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death.
29But if the ox had a habit of goring in the past and its owner had been warned yet did not keep it penned up, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox is to be stoned and its owner is also to be put to death.
30If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.
30If a sum of money is demanded of him instead, he must pay whatever is demanded to ransom his life.
31Whether he have gored a son, or have gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.
31Whether the ox gored a son or gored a daughter, the same ruling applies to him.
32If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant; he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.
32If the ox gores a male or female servant, the owner must pay their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox is to be stoned.
Damage to Livestock
33And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit, and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein;
33"If a man opens a pit, or digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it,
34The owner of the pit shall make it good, and give money unto the owner of them; and the dead beast shall be his.
34the owner of the pit must make it good. He is to pay money to the animal's owner, and the dead animal becomes his.
35And if one man’s ox hurt another’s, that he die; then they shall sell the live ox, and divide the money of it; and the dead ox also they shall divide.
35"If one man's ox injures another man's ox and it dies, they are to sell the live ox and split the money, and they are to divide the dead ox too.
36Or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in time past, and his owner hath not kept him in; he shall surely pay ox for ox; and the dead shall be his own.
36But if it was known that the ox had a habit of goring and its owner did not keep it penned up, he must surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal becomes his.
XXII
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Theft and Restitution
1If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep.
1"If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he must pay back five oxen for the ox and four sheep for the sheep.
2If a thief be found breaking up, and be smitten that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.
2"If a thief is caught breaking in and is struck so that he dies, no one is guilty of bloodshed for him.
3If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him; for he should make full restitution; if he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.
3But if the sun has already risen on him, then whoever kills him is guilty of bloodshed. A thief must pay back in full; if he has nothing, he is to be sold to pay for his theft.
4If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox, or ass, or sheep; he shall restore double.
4If the stolen animal is found alive in his possession, whether ox or donkey or sheep, he must pay back double.
Damage to Fields
5If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast, and shall feed in another man’s field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution.
5"If a man lets his animals graze in a field or vineyard, turning them loose so they feed in someone else's field, he must repay it from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard.
6If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn, or the standing corn, or the field, be consumed therewith; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.
6"If a fire breaks out and spreads through the thornbushes so that stacked grain, standing grain, or the whole field is burned up, the one who started the fire must certainly pay for the damage.
Property Held in Trust
7If a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man’s house; if the thief be found, let him pay double.
7"If a man gives his neighbor money or goods to keep safe and they are stolen from that man's house, the thief, if he is caught, must pay back double.
8If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges, to see whether he have put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods.
8If the thief is not caught, the owner of the house is to be brought before the judges to find out whether he laid hands on his neighbor's property.
9For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour.
9"In every case of wrongdoing, whether it concerns an ox, a donkey, a sheep, clothing, or any lost thing that someone claims as his own, both parties are to bring their case before the judges, and whoever the judges find guilty must pay double to his neighbor.
10If a man deliver unto his neighbour an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast, to keep; and it die, or be hurt, or driven away, no man seeing it:
10"If a man gives his neighbor a donkey, an ox, a sheep, or any animal to keep, and it dies or is injured or is driven off while no one is watching,
11Then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good.
11then an oath before the LORD is to settle the matter between them, that the keeper did not lay hands on his neighbor's property. The owner must accept this, and the keeper does not have to make it good.
12And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof.
12But if it was stolen from him, he must repay the owner.
13If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn.
13If it was torn apart by a wild animal, let him bring the remains as evidence, and he does not have to make good what was torn.
14And if a man borrow ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good.
14"If a man borrows anything from his neighbor and it is injured or dies while its owner is not with it, he must certainly make it good.
15But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good: if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire.
15But if the owner was with it, he does not have to make it good. If it was hired, the hire fee covers the loss.
Seduction of an Unbetrothed Girl
16And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.
16"If a man seduces a young woman who is not engaged and sleeps with her, he must pay the bride price and make her his wife.
17If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.
17If her father flatly refuses to give her to him, he must still pay money equal to the bride price for virgins.
Offenses Against God
18Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
18"You must not allow a sorceress to live.
19Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death.
19"Anyone who has sexual relations with an animal must certainly be put to death.
20He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.
20"Whoever sacrifices to any god other than the LORD alone must be completely destroyed.
Protecting the Vulnerable
21Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
21"You must not mistreat a foreigner or oppress him, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
22Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
22"You must not take advantage of any widow or fatherless child.
23If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry;
23If you do take advantage of them in any way, and they cry out to me, I will surely hear their cry,
24And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
24and my anger will burn hot. I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.
25If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.
25"If you lend money to any of my people among you who are poor, you must not act like a moneylender toward him; you must not charge him interest.
26If thou at all take thy neighbour’s raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down:
26If you ever take your neighbor's cloak as security for a loan, give it back to him by sunset,
27For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.
27because it is his only covering; it is the clothing for his body. What else would he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I will hear him, for I am gracious.
Honor, Firstfruits, and Holiness
28Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.
28"You must not speak evil of God or curse a ruler of your people.
29Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me.
29"Do not hold back your offerings from the first of your harvest and from your presses. You are to give me the firstborn of your sons.
30Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me.
30Do the same with your oxen and your sheep: let the firstborn stay with its mother for seven days, and on the eighth day give it to me.
31And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.
31"You are to be holy people, set apart for me. So you must not eat any meat torn by wild animals in the field; throw it to the dogs.
XXIII
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Justice in Court and Toward Enemies
1Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
1"You must not spread a false report. Do not join hands with a wicked person by being a dishonest witness.
2Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:
2"You must not follow the crowd in doing wrong, and when you testify in a case, do not side with the majority to twist justice.
3Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.
3And do not show favoritism to a poor man in his case either.
4If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
4"If you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to bring it back to him.
5If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
5If you see the donkey of someone who hates you collapsed under its load, and you would rather leave him to it, you must surely help him with it.
6Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.
6"You must not deny justice to your poor in their lawsuits.
7Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
7Stay far away from a false charge, and do not put an innocent or righteous person to death, for I will not let the guilty go free.
8And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
8"You must not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who can see clearly and twists the words of the righteous.
9Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
9"You must not oppress a foreigner. You know how it feels to be a foreigner, because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
Sabbath Year and Sabbath Day
10And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof:
10"For six years you are to sow your land and gather in its crops,
11But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.
11but in the seventh year you are to let it rest and lie unworked, so that the poor among your people may eat from it, and what they leave the wild animals may eat. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.
12Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
12"Six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you are to rest, so that your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your servant woman and the foreigner may be refreshed.
13And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.
13"Be careful to do everything I have told you. Do not so much as mention the names of other gods; do not let them be heard from your lips.
The Three Annual Feasts
14Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.
14"Three times a year you are to hold a feast in my honor.
15Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
15You are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread: for seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Abib, because that is when you came out of Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed.
16And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
16Keep also the Feast of Harvest, with the firstfruits of the crops you sowed in the field, and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in your crops from the field.
17Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the LORD God.
17Three times a year all your men are to appear before the Lord GOD.
18Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.
18"You must not offer the blood of my sacrifice together with bread made with yeast, and the fat of my feast offering must not be left over until morning.
19The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.
19"Bring the very best of the firstfruits of your land into the house of the LORD your God. You must not boil a young goat in its mother's milk.
The Angel Who Goes Before
20Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.
20"Look, I am sending an Angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you into the place I have prepared.
21Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.
21Pay attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him. He will not forgive your rebellion, for my name is in him.
22But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.
22But if you truly obey his voice and do everything I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an opponent to your opponents.
23For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
23My Angel will go ahead of you and bring you in to the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.
Serve the Lord Alone
24Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
24You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or copy their practices. Instead you are to tear them down completely and smash their sacred pillars to pieces.
25And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
25You are to serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread and your water, and I will take sickness away from among you.
26There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.
26No woman in your land will miscarry or be childless, and I will give you a full number of days.
Conquest Little by Little
27I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.
27"I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into confusion every people you come to, and I will make all your enemies turn and run from you.
28And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.
28I will send hornets ahead of you to drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites before you.
29I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.
29I will not drive them out in a single year, or the land would become empty and the wild animals would multiply against you.
30By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.
30Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you have grown numerous enough to take possession of the land.
31And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.
31I will set your borders from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the river, for I will hand the people of the land over to you, and you will drive them out ahead of you.
32Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
32You must make no covenant with them or with their gods.
33They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.
33They must not live in your land, or they will make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely become a trap for you."
XXIV
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
The Summons to Come Up
1And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the LORD, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.
1Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from a distance.
2And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.
2Moses alone may come near the LORD; the others must not come close, and the people are not to come up with him at all."
The Blood of the Covenant
3And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said, All the words which the LORD hath said will we do.
3Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rulings, and all the people answered with one voice, "Everything the LORD has said, we will do."
4And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
4Then Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. He got up early the next morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, with twelve stone pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
5And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.
5He sent young men of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed bulls as peace offerings to the LORD.
6And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basons; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
6Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and the other half he sprinkled on the altar.
7And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.
7Then he took the book of the covenant and read it aloud for the people to hear, and they said, "Everything the LORD has said, we will do, and we will obey."
8And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant, which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words.
8Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said, "Look, this is the blood of the covenant the LORD has made with you on the basis of all these words."
The Elders See God
9Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:
9Then Moses went up with Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel,
10And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.
10and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement of sapphire stone, as clear as the sky itself.
11And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.
11God did not raise his hand against these leaders of Israel; they saw God, and they ate and drank.
Moses Enters the Cloud
12And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.
12The LORD said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain and stay there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandments I have written, so that you can teach them."
13And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.
13So Moses set out with Joshua, his assistant, and Moses went up the mountain of God.
14And he said unto the elders, Tarry ye here for us, until we come again unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.
14He said to the elders, "Wait here for us until we come back to you. Look, Aaron and Hur are with you; anyone who has a dispute can bring it to them."
15And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.
15Then Moses went up the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain.
16And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
16The glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days. On the seventh day he called to Moses from inside the cloud.
17And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.
17To the people of Israel, the glory of the LORD looked like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain.
18And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.
18Moses went into the cloud and climbed up the mountain, and Moses stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
XXV
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
A Willing Offering for the Sanctuary
1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
1The LORD spoke to Moses and said,
2Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring me an offering: of every man that giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take my offering.
2"Tell the people of Israel to bring me an offering. You are to receive my offering from everyone whose heart moves him to give.
3And this is the offering which ye shall take of them; gold, and silver, and brass,
3This is the offering you are to receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze;
4And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,
4blue, purple, and scarlet yarn; fine linen and goats' hair;
5And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood,
5rams' skins dyed red, fine leather, and acacia wood;
6Oil for the light, spices for anointing oil, and for sweet incense,
6oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense;
7Onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod, and in the breastplate.
7and onyx stones and other stones to be set in the ephod and the breastpiece.
8And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.
8Have them make me a sanctuary, so that I may live among them.
9According to all that I shew thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.
9You are to make it exactly as I show you, following the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings.
The Ark of the Testimony
10And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
10"They are to make an ark of acacia wood, two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
11And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.
11Overlay it with pure gold inside and out, and make a gold molding around the top of it.
12And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be in the one side of it, and two rings in the other side of it.
12Cast four gold rings for it and fasten them to its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other.
13And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
13Make poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold.
14And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.
14Slide the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark so that the ark can be carried with them.
15The staves shall be in the rings of the ark: they shall not be taken from it.
15The poles are to stay in the rings of the ark; they are never to be removed.
16And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.
16Then put into the ark the testimony that I will give you.
The Mercy Seat and Cherubim
17And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
17"Make a mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.
18And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat.
18Make two cherubim of hammered gold at the two ends of the mercy seat.
19And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
19Make one cherub at one end and the other cherub at the other end; make the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat at its two ends.
20And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.
20The cherubim are to have their wings spread upward, sheltering the mercy seat with their wings, and they are to face each other, with their faces turned toward the mercy seat.
21And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.
21Put the mercy seat on top of the ark, and inside the ark put the testimony that I will give you.
22And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.
22There I will meet with you, and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the testimony, I will speak with you about everything I command you for the people of Israel.
The Table of Showbread
23Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.
23"You are also to make a table of acacia wood, two cubits long, a cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high.
24And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.
24Overlay it with pure gold and make a gold molding around it.
25And thou shalt make unto it a border of an hand breadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown to the border thereof round about.
25Make a rim a handbreadth wide around it, and put a gold molding around the rim.
26And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.
26Make four gold rings for it and fasten them at the four corners where the four legs are.
27Over against the border shall the rings be for places of the staves to bear the table.
27The rings are to be close to the rim, as holders for the poles used to carry the table.
28And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.
28Make the poles of acacia wood and overlay them with gold, so that the table can be carried with them.
29And thou shalt make the dishes thereof, and spoons thereof, and covers thereof, and bowls thereof, to cover withal: of pure gold shalt thou make them.
29Make its plates and dishes, and its pitchers and bowls for pouring out drink offerings; make them of pure gold.
30And thou shalt set upon the table shewbread before me alway.
30And keep the bread of the Presence on the table before me at all times.
The Golden Lampstand
31And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft, and his branches, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, shall be of the same.
31"Make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand is to be made of hammered work; its base and shaft, its cups, its buds, and its flowers are all to be one piece with it.
32And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:
32Six branches are to come out from its sides, three branches of the lampstand on one side and three branches of the lampstand on the other.
33Three bowls made like unto almonds, with a knop and a flower in one branch; and three bowls made like almonds in the other branch, with a knop and a flower: so in the six branches that come out of the candlestick.
33On one branch there are to be three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a bud and a flower, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms on the next branch, each with a bud and a flower; the same for all six branches coming out of the lampstand.
34And in the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their knops and their flowers.
34On the lampstand itself there are to be four cups shaped like almond blossoms, with their buds and their flowers.
35And there shall be a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.
35There is to be a bud under the first pair of branches coming from it, a bud under the second pair, and a bud under the third pair, for all six branches that come out of the lampstand.
36Their knops and their branches shall be of the same: all it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.
36The buds and the branches are to be one piece with it; the whole thing is to be a single piece of hammered pure gold.
37And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof: and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over against it.
37Then make its seven lamps, and set the lamps up so that they shed light on the space in front of it.
38And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold.
38Its tongs and its trays are to be of pure gold.
39Of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.
39The lampstand and all these utensils are to be made from a talent of pure gold.
40And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shewed thee in the mount.
40And see that you make them according to the pattern that was shown to you on the mountain.
XXVI
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
The Inner Linen Curtains
1Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them.
1For the tabernacle itself, make ten curtains of finely twisted linen and of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and have a skilled craftsman work cherubim into them.
2The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and every one of the curtains shall have one measure.
2Each curtain is to be twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide; every one of the curtains must be the same size.
3The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.
3Join five of the curtains to one another, and join the other five to one another as well.
4And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
4Along the edge of the last curtain in the first set, make loops of blue cloth, and make loops the same way along the edge of the last curtain in the second set.
5Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second; that the loops may take hold one of another.
5Put fifty loops on the one curtain and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain in the second set, so that the loops catch hold of one another.
6And thou shalt make fifty taches of gold, and couple the curtains together with the taches: and it shall be one tabernacle.
6Then make fifty gold clasps and fasten the curtains to each other with the clasps, so that the tabernacle is a single piece.
The Tent and Its Coverings
7And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make.
7Make curtains of goat hair as a tent over the tabernacle; make eleven of these curtains.
8The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: and the eleven curtains shall be all of one measure.
8Each curtain is to be thirty cubits long and four cubits wide; all eleven curtains must be the same size.
9And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tabernacle.
9Fasten five of the curtains together as one set and the other six as a second set, and double over the sixth curtain at the front of the tent.
10And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops in the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.
10Make fifty loops along the edge of the outer curtain in the one set, and fifty loops along the edge of the curtain that joins the second set.
11And thou shalt make fifty taches of brass, and put the taches into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.
11Make fifty bronze clasps, put them into the loops, and join the tent together so that it forms one piece.
12And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle.
12As for the part of the tent curtains that is left over, the extra half curtain is to hang down over the back of the tabernacle.
13And a cubit on the one side, and a cubit on the other side of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, it shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it.
13The extra cubit on each side, along the length of the tent curtains, is to hang over the sides of the tabernacle on both sides to cover it.
14And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers’ skins.
14Make a covering for the tent out of ram skins dyed red, and over that a covering of badger skins.
The Boards and Silver Sockets
15And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing up.
15Make boards of acacia wood to stand upright for the tabernacle.
16Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board.
16A board is to be ten cubits long, and each board a cubit and a half wide.
17Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order one against another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle.
17Each board is to have two pegs, one lined up beside the other; make every board of the tabernacle like this.
18And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards on the south side southward.
18Make the boards for the tabernacle like this: twenty boards for the south side, facing south,
19And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
19and forty silver bases to go under the twenty boards, two bases under one board for its two pegs, and two bases under the next board for its two pegs.
20And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side there shall be twenty boards:
20For the second side of the tabernacle, the north side, there are to be twenty boards
21And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
21and their forty silver bases, two bases under one board and two bases under the next.
22And for the sides of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards.
22For the back of the tabernacle, on the west, make six boards.
23And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.
23Make two more boards for the corners of the tabernacle at the back.
24And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.
24These are to be joined at the bottom and joined at the top into a single ring; it is to be this way for both of them, and they will form the two corners.
25And they shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
25So there will be eight boards with their silver bases, sixteen bases in all, two bases under one board and two bases under the next.
The Bars and the Heavenly Pattern
26And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
26Make bars of acacia wood as well: five for the boards on one side of the tabernacle,
27And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward.
27five for the boards on the other side, and five for the boards on the back side of the tabernacle, toward the west.
28And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end.
28The middle bar is to run through the center of the boards from one end to the other.
29And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold.
29Plate the boards with gold, and make gold rings on them as holders for the bars; plate the bars with gold as well.
30And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shewed thee in the mount.
30Then raise the tabernacle, following the design you were shown on the mountain.
The Veil and the Most Holy Place
31And thou shalt make a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen of cunning work: with cherubims shall it be made:
31Make a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet thread and finely twisted linen, with cherubim worked into it by a skilled craftsman.
32And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold: their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.
32Hang it on four pillars of acacia wood plated with gold, with gold hooks, standing on four silver bases.
33And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.
33Hang the veil beneath the clasps, and bring the ark of the testimony in behind the veil; the veil will divide the holy place from the most holy place for you.
34And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.
34Put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.
35And thou shalt set the table without the vail, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.
35Set the table outside the veil, and put the lampstand across from the table on the south side of the tabernacle; the table goes on the north side.
The Screen for the Door
36And thou shalt make an hanging for the door of the tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework.
36Make a hanging for the doorway of the tent, of blue, purple, and scarlet thread and finely twisted linen, decorated with needlework.
37And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.
37Make five pillars of acacia wood for this hanging and plate them with gold; their hooks are to be gold, and cast five bronze bases for them.
XXVII
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
The Bronze Altar
1And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof shall be three cubits.
1Make the altar out of acacia wood, five cubits long and five cubits wide; the altar is to be square, and it is to be three cubits high.
2And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof: his horns shall be of the same: and thou shalt overlay it with brass.
2Make its horns on its four corners, the horns being part of the altar itself, and plate the whole thing with bronze.
3And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels, and his basons, and his fleshhooks, and his firepans: all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass.
3Make its pots for carrying away the ashes, along with its shovels, basins, meat forks, and fire pans; make all its utensils of bronze.
4And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four brasen rings in the four corners thereof.
4Make a grating of bronze mesh for it, and on the mesh make four bronze rings, one at each of its four corners.
5And thou shalt put it under the compass of the altar beneath, that the net may be even to the midst of the altar.
5Set it below the rim of the altar, lower down, so that the mesh comes up to the middle of the altar.
6And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass.
6Make carrying poles for the altar out of acacia wood and plate them with bronze.
7And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, to bear it.
7Slide the poles through the rings so that they run along both sides of the altar for carrying it.
8Hollow with boards shalt thou make it: as it was shewed thee in the mount, so shall they make it.
8Make the altar hollow, out of boards. They are to make it just as it was shown to you on the mountain.
The Court of the Tabernacle
9And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: for the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of fine twined linen of an hundred cubits long for one side:
9Make the courtyard of the tabernacle. On the south side, facing south, the courtyard is to have curtains of finely twisted linen a hundred cubits long for that one side,
10And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.
10with twenty pillars and twenty bronze bases; the hooks and bands on the pillars are to be silver.
11And likewise for the north side in length there shall be hangings of an hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars and their twenty sockets of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
11Likewise on the north side, along its length, there are to be curtains a hundred cubits long, with twenty pillars and twenty bronze bases, and silver hooks and bands on the pillars.
12And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits: their pillars ten, and their sockets ten.
12Across the width of the courtyard on the west side there are to be curtains fifty cubits long, with ten pillars and ten bases.
13And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.
13The width of the courtyard on the east side, toward the sunrise, is to be fifty cubits.
14The hangings of one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.
14The curtains on one side of the gate are to be fifteen cubits long, with three pillars and three bases,
15And on the other side shall be hangings fifteen cubits: their pillars three, and their sockets three.
15and on the other side the curtains are to be fifteen cubits long, with three pillars and three bases.
16And for the gate of the court shall be an hanging of twenty cubits, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, wrought with needlework: and their pillars shall be four, and their sockets four.
16For the gate of the courtyard there is to be a hanging twenty cubits long, of blue, purple, and scarlet thread and finely twisted linen, decorated with needlework, with four pillars and four bases.
17All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver, and their sockets of brass.
17Every pillar around the courtyard is to be banded with silver, with silver hooks and bronze bases.
18The length of the court shall be an hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty every where, and the height five cubits of fine twined linen, and their sockets of brass.
18The courtyard is to be a hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide throughout, with curtains of finely twisted linen five cubits high, and bronze bases.
19All the vessels of the tabernacle in all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass.
19All the equipment used in the service of the tabernacle, and all its tent pegs and all the pegs of the courtyard, are to be bronze.
Oil for the Lamp
20And thou shalt command the children of Israel, that they bring thee pure oil olive beaten for the light, to cause the lamp to burn always.
20Order the people of Israel to bring you pure olive oil, beaten from the olives, for the light, so that the lamp can be kept burning at all times.
21In the tabernacle of the congregation without the vail, which is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall order it from evening to morning before the LORD: it shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.
21In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that hangs in front of the testimony, Aaron and his sons are to tend it from evening until morning before the LORD. This is a rule that will stand forever, kept by their generations on behalf of the people of Israel.
XXVIII
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Aaron and His Sons Set Apart
1And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office, even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.
1Now bring your brother Aaron to you, along with his sons, out of the people of Israel, so that he may serve me as priest: Aaron, together with Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.
2And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.
2Make holy garments for your brother Aaron, for glory and for beauty.
3And thou shalt speak unto all that are wise hearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
3Speak to all the skilled workers, whom I have filled with a spirit of wisdom, and have them make Aaron's garments to set him apart, so that he may serve me as priest.
4And these are the garments which they shall make; a breastplate, and an ephod, and a robe, and a broidered coat, a mitre, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
4Here are the garments they must make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a tunic with embroidered work, a turban, and a sash. They are to make these holy garments for your brother Aaron and his sons, so that he can serve me as priest.
5And they shall take gold, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen.
5For these they are to take gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine linen.
The Ephod and the Onyx Stones
6And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue, and of purple, of scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cunning work.
6They are to make the ephod of gold, and of blue, purple, and scarlet thread and finely twisted linen, skillfully worked.
7It shall have the two shoulderpieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof; and so it shall be joined together.
7It is to have two shoulder pieces attached at its two edges, so that it is joined together.
8And the curious girdle of the ephod, which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
8The finely made waistband of the ephod, which is on it, is to be of the same materials and workmanship: gold, and blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and finely twisted linen.
9And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and grave on them the names of the children of Israel:
9Then take two onyx stones and carve into them the names of the sons of Israel:
10Six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.
10six of the names on one stone and the six that remain on the other, in birth order.
11With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel: thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold.
11Engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel the way a gem cutter engraves a seal, and set them in gold settings.
12And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel: and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.
12Set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel; Aaron will carry their names on his two shoulders before the LORD as a reminder.
13And thou shalt make ouches of gold;
13Make settings of gold,
14And two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathen work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathen chains to the ouches.
14and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords, and attach the corded chains to the settings.
The Breastplate of Judgment
15And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with cunning work; after the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine twined linen, shalt thou make it.
15Make the breastpiece of judgment with skilled work; make it the same way as the ephod, of gold, and of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and finely twisted linen.
16Foursquare it shall be being doubled; a span shall be the length thereof, and a span shall be the breadth thereof.
16It is to be folded double to form a square, one span long and one span wide.
17And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row.
17Mount four rows of stones on it. The first row is to be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle; that is the first row.
18And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
18The second row is to be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
19And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
19The third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
20And the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx, and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.
20And the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They are to be mounted in gold settings.
21And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.
21There are to be twelve stones, one for each of the names of the sons of Israel, each engraved like a seal with the name of one of the twelve tribes.
22And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathen work of pure gold.
22For the breastpiece, make chains of pure gold twisted like cords.
23And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
23Make two gold rings for the breastpiece and attach them to its two ends.
24And thou shalt put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.
24Fasten the two corded gold chains to the two rings at the ends of the breastpiece,
25And the other two ends of the two wreathen chains thou shalt fasten in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod before it.
25and fasten the other two ends of the two chains to the two settings, attaching them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front.
26And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is in the side of the ephod inward.
26Make two more gold rings and put them on the two lower ends of the breastpiece, on the inside edge next to the ephod.
27And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.
27Make two more gold rings and attach them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at the front, near the seam, just above the waistband of the ephod.
28And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.
28The breastpiece is to be tied by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it sits above the waistband of the ephod and does not come loose from the ephod.
29And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.
29So Aaron will carry the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of judgment each time he goes into the holy place, as a constant reminder before the LORD.
30And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart, when he goeth in before the LORD: and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.
30Put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece of judgment, so that they are over Aaron's heart whenever he goes in before the LORD. In this way Aaron will always carry the judgment of the people of Israel over his heart before the LORD.
The Robe of the Ephod
31And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue.
31The robe that goes with the ephod is to be made completely of blue cloth.
32And there shall be an hole in the top of it, in the midst thereof: it shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of an habergeon, that it be not rent.
32There is to be an opening at the top, in the middle of it, with a woven border around the opening like the neck of a coat of armor, so that it will not rip.
33And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, round about the hem thereof; and bells of gold between them round about:
33Around its lower hem make pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, with gold bells between them all the way around:
34A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.
34a gold bell and a pomegranate, a gold bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe.
35And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.
35Aaron must wear it whenever he serves; its ringing will be heard as he goes into the holy place before the LORD and as he comes back out, and so he will not die.
Holiness to the LORD
36And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
36Make a plate out of pure gold and carve into it, the way a seal is carved, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
37And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the mitre; upon the forefront of the mitre it shall be.
37Attach it to a blue cord so that it can be worn on the turban, at the very front of the turban.
38And it shall be upon Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.
38It is to sit on Aaron's forehead, and Aaron will carry whatever guilt clings to the holy things that the people of Israel dedicate as their sacred gifts. It must stay on his forehead at all times, so that they will be accepted before the LORD.
Garments for the Sons of Aaron
39And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.
39Make the tunic of fine linen with a woven pattern, make the turban of fine linen too, and make the sash with embroidered work.
40And for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.
40For Aaron's sons make tunics, sashes, and headbands, for glory and for beauty.
41And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them, and consecrate them, and sanctify them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
41Put these on your brother Aaron and on his sons with him. Then anoint them, ordain them, and set them apart, so that they may serve me as priests.
42And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach:
42Make them linen undergarments to cover their bodies, reaching from the waist down to the thighs.
43And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.
43Aaron and his sons must have them on when they go into the tent of meeting or come near the altar to serve in the holy place, or they will bring guilt on themselves and die. This is a lasting rule for him and for his descendants after him.
29
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Washing, Clothing and Anointing
1And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest’s office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish,
1Here is what you must do to make them holy, so that they can serve me as priests. Take a young bull and two rams that have no defect,
2And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them.
2along with unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers brushed with oil; make them from fine wheat flour.
3And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams.
3Put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, together with the bull and the two rams.
4And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.
4Bring Aaron and his sons to the doorway of the tent of meeting and wash them there with water.
5And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod:
5Take the garments and clothe Aaron with the tunic, the robe that goes with the ephod, the ephod, and the breastpiece, and fasten the finely made waistband of the ephod around him.
6And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre.
6Put the turban on his head and fasten the holy crown to the turban.
7Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.
7Then take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him.
8And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them.
8Then bring his sons and put the tunics on them.
9And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest’s office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.
9Tie sashes around Aaron and his sons and put the headbands on them. The priesthood will belong to them by a lasting rule. This is how you are to ordain Aaron and his sons.
The Bull for a Sin Offering
10And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.
10Have the bull led up in front of the tent of meeting, and Aaron and his sons are to place their hands on its head.
11And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
11Then slaughter the bull before the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
12And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.
12Dip your finger in some of the bull's blood and put it on the horns of the altar, then pour out all the rest of the blood at the foot of the altar.
13And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar.
13Take all the fat that covers the insides, the lobe over the liver, and the two kidneys along with the fat on them, and burn these on the altar.
14But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering.
14But burn the bull's flesh, hide, and waste in a fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering.
The Ram for a Burnt Offering
15Thou shalt also take one ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.
15Next take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons are to place their hands on the ram's head.
16And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood, and sprinkle it round about upon the altar.
16Slaughter the ram, take its blood, and sprinkle it on all sides of the altar.
17And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and wash the inwards of him, and his legs, and put them unto his pieces, and unto his head.
17Cut the ram up into pieces, wash its insides and its legs, and set them with the pieces and with its head.
18And thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar: it is a burnt offering unto the LORD: it is a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
18Burn the entire ram on the altar; it is a burnt offering to the LORD, a sweet-smelling aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire.
The Ram of Consecration
19And thou shalt take the other ram; and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.
19Then take the second ram, and Aaron and his sons are to place their hands on its head.
20Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.
20Then slaughter the ram, take some of its blood, and put it on the lobe of Aaron's right ear and on the lobes of his sons' right ears, on the thumbs of their right hands, and on the big toes of their right feet; then sprinkle the blood on all sides of the altar.
21And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron, and upon his garments, and upon his sons, and upon the garments of his sons with him: and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him.
21Take some of the blood that is on the altar, along with some of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and their garments with him. Then he and his garments will be holy, and so will his sons and their garments with him.
22Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder; for it is a ram of consecration:
22Also take from the ram the fat, the fat tail, the fat that covers the insides, the lobe over the liver, the two kidneys with the fat on them, and the right shoulder, for this is a ram of ordination;
23And one loaf of bread, and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD:
23and take one loaf of bread, one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer from the basket of unleavened bread that is before the LORD.
24And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron, and in the hands of his sons; and shalt wave them for a wave offering before the LORD.
24Place all of it in Aaron's hands and in the hands of his sons, and have them wave it before the LORD as a wave offering.
25And thou shalt receive them of their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savour before the LORD: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
25Then take it back from their hands and burn it on the altar as a burnt offering, a sweet-smelling aroma before the LORD; it is an offering made to the LORD by fire.
26And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD: and it shall be thy part.
26Then take the breast of the ram used for Aaron's ordination and wave it before the LORD as a wave offering; this part is yours.
27And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons:
27Set apart the breast of the wave offering and the shoulder of the offering that is lifted up, the parts that were waved and lifted up from the ram of ordination, from what belongs to Aaron and from what belongs to his sons.
28And it shall be Aaron’s and his sons’ by a statute for ever from the children of Israel: for it is an heave offering: and it shall be an heave offering from the children of Israel of the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the LORD.
28This is to be the share of Aaron and his sons from the people of Israel by a lasting rule, for it is an offering lifted up to the LORD; it is to be the offering the people of Israel lift up from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, their offering lifted up to the LORD.
Seven Days of Consecration
29And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons’ after him, to be anointed therein, and to be consecrated in them.
29The holy garments that belong to Aaron are to go to his sons after him, and they are to be anointed and ordained wearing them.
30And that son that is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.
30The son who becomes priest in his place is to wear them for seven days when he enters the tent of meeting to serve in the holy place.
31And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration, and seethe his flesh in the holy place.
31Take the ordination ram and cook its meat by boiling it in a holy place.
32And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
32Aaron and his sons are to eat the meat of the ram and the bread in the basket at the entrance of the tent of meeting.
33And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.
33They are to eat the things through which atonement was made, ordaining them and setting them apart; an outsider must not eat any of it, because it is holy.
34And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy.
34If any of the meat of the ordination or any of the bread is left until morning, burn what is left in the fire. It must not be eaten, because it is holy.
35And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron, and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee: seven days shalt thou consecrate them.
35Do for Aaron and his sons everything I have commanded you; take seven days to ordain them.
36And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement: and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it.
36Every day offer a bull as a sin offering, to make atonement. Cleanse the altar when you make atonement for it, and anoint it so that it is set apart as holy.
37Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar, and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy: whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.
37For seven days make atonement for the altar and set it apart; then the altar will be most holy, and whatever touches the altar will be holy.
The Daily Offerings
38Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar; two lambs of the first year day by day continually.
38Now this is what you are to offer on the altar: two year-old lambs, every single day, without fail.
39The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning; and the other lamb thou shalt offer at even:
39One lamb is to be offered in the morning, and the other lamb in the evening,
40And with the one lamb a tenth deal of flour mingled with the fourth part of an hin of beaten oil; and the fourth part of an hin of wine for a drink offering.
40and along with the one lamb offer a tenth of a measure of flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of pressed olive oil, plus a quarter of a hin of wine to pour out as a drink offering.
41And the other lamb thou shalt offer at even, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning, and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savour, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.
41Offer the other lamb in the evening, with the same grain offering and drink offering as in the morning, as a sweet-smelling aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire.
42This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.
42This is to be a regular burnt offering for all your generations, at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you and speak to you there.
God Dwelling Among His People
43And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory.
43There I will meet with the people of Israel, and the tabernacle will be made holy by my glory.
44And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation, and the altar: I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest’s office.
44I will make the tent of meeting holy, and the altar too; and I will make Aaron and his sons holy so that they can serve me as priests.
45And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will be their God.
45I will make my home among the people of Israel, and I will be their God.
46And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, that brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them: I am the LORD their God.
46And they will know that I am the LORD their God, the one who led them out of the land of Egypt so that I could make my home among them. I am the LORD their God.
30
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
The Altar of Incense
1And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon: of shittim wood shalt thou make it.
1"You are to make an altar for burning incense on. Make it out of acacia wood.
2A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be of the same.
2It is to be a cubit long and a cubit wide, a perfect square, and two cubits high. Its horns are to be all one piece with it.
3And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.
3Cover it with pure gold, its top, all four sides, and its horns, and put a border of gold all the way around it.
4And two golden rings shalt thou make to it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal.
4Make two gold rings for it below the border, on two opposite corners, one on each side; they will hold the poles used to carry it.
5And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.
5Make the poles of acacia wood and cover them with gold.
6And thou shalt put it before the vail that is by the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee.
6Put the altar in front of the curtain that hangs before the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that covers the testimony, where I will meet with you.
7And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning: when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.
7Aaron is to burn fragrant incense on it every morning; when he tends the lamps, he is to burn incense on it.
8And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at even, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.
8And when Aaron lights the lamps at evening, he is to burn incense on it again, so that incense rises before the LORD without fail, for all generations to come.
9Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.
9You are not to offer any unauthorized incense on it, nor a burnt offering or a grain offering, and you are not to pour a drink offering on it.
10And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements: once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations: it is most holy unto the LORD.
10Once a year Aaron is to make atonement on its horns with the blood of the sin offering of atonement. Once a year, for all generations to come, he is to make atonement on it. It is most holy to the LORD."
The Ransom for Every Life
11And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
11Then the LORD spoke to Moses and said,
12When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel after their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD, when thou numberest them; that there be no plague among them, when thou numberest them.
12"When you take a census of the people of Israel and count them, each man is to pay the LORD a ransom for his life at the time he is counted, so that no plague comes on them when you count them.
13This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD.
13Everyone who is counted is to give this: half a shekel, measured by the sanctuary shekel (a shekel is twenty gerahs). This half shekel is an offering to the LORD.
14Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.
14Everyone who is counted, twenty years old and up, is to give this offering to the LORD.
15The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
15The rich are not to give more, and the poor are not to give less, than half a shekel when they bring the LORD's offering to make atonement for your lives.
16And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls.
16Take this atonement money from the people of Israel and set it apart for the service of the tent of meeting, so that it will be a reminder before the LORD on behalf of the people of Israel, making atonement for your lives."
The Laver for Washing
17And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
17Then the LORD spoke to Moses and said,
18Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.
18"You are also to make a bronze basin for washing, with a bronze stand, and place it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and fill it with water.
19For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:
19Aaron and his sons are to wash their hands and feet there.
20When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD:
20When they go into the tent of meeting, they are to wash with water so that they will not die; and the same when they come near the altar to serve, to burn an offering made by fire to the LORD.
21So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.
21They are to wash their hands and their feet so that they will not die. This is to be a permanent rule for them, for Aaron and his descendants, for all generations to come."
The Holy Anointing Oil
22Moreover the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
22The LORD also spoke to Moses and said,
23Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,
23"Gather the finest spices: five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much of fragrant cinnamon, that is two hundred and fifty shekels, and two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane,
24And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of oil olive an hin:
24five hundred shekels of cassia, all measured by the sanctuary shekel, and a hin of olive oil.
25And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary: it shall be an holy anointing oil.
25Blend these into a holy anointing oil, a fragrant mixture made the way a perfumer makes it. It will be the holy anointing oil.
26And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony,
26With it anoint the tent of meeting and the ark of the testimony,
27And the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,
27the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and its utensils, the altar of incense,
28And the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot.
28the altar of burnt offering with all its utensils, and the basin with its stand.
29And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy: whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.
29Set them apart so that they are most holy; whatever touches them will become holy.
30And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons, and consecrate them, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
30Anoint Aaron and his sons too, and set them apart, so that they can serve me as priests.
31And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, This shall be an holy anointing oil unto me throughout your generations.
31And tell the people of Israel, 'This is to be my holy anointing oil for all generations to come.
32Upon man’s flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.
32It is not to be poured on the body of an ordinary person, and you are not to make any other oil using the same recipe. It is holy, and you must treat it as holy.
33Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.
33Anyone who mixes up oil like it, or who puts any of it on an outsider, is to be cut off from his people.'"
The Sacred Incense
34And the LORD said unto Moses, Take unto thee sweet spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense: of each shall there be a like weight:
34The LORD said to Moses, "Take fragrant spices, gum resin, onycha, and galbanum, along with pure frankincense, all in equal amounts,
35And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection after the art of the apothecary, tempered together, pure and holy:
35and make them into incense, a blend made the way a perfumer makes it, seasoned with salt, pure and holy.
36And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put of it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation, where I will meet with thee: it shall be unto you most holy.
36Grind some of it into a fine powder and place it in front of the testimony in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. It is to be most holy to you.
37And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make to yourselves according to the composition thereof: it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.
37As for the incense you make, you are not to make any for yourselves with the same recipe. You are to treat it as holy, set apart for the LORD.
38Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people.
38Anyone who makes incense like it just to enjoy the smell is to be cut off from his people."
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King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Bezaleel and Aholiab Gifted for the Work
1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
1Then the LORD spoke to Moses and said,
2See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:
2"Look, I have chosen by name Bezalel son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,
3And I have filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, and in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,
3and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and skill in every kind of craft,
4To devise cunning works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
4so that he can design artistic work and work in gold, silver, and bronze,
5And in cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.
5cut and set stones, carve wood, and do every kind of craftsmanship.
6And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan: and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee;
6And I myself have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to work with him. I have also put wisdom in the hearts of all the skilled workers, so that they can make everything I have commanded you:
7The tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the testimony, and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle,
7the tent of meeting, the ark of the testimony, the mercy seat that rests on it, and all the furnishings of the tent,
8And the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense,
8the table and its furnishings, the pure gold lampstand with all its furnishings, the altar of incense,
9And the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot,
9the altar of burnt offering with all its furnishings, the basin with its stand,
10And the cloths of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office,
10the finely woven garments, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments his sons wear when they serve as priests,
11And the anointing oil, and sweet incense for the holy place: according to all that I have commanded thee shall they do.
11the anointing oil, and the fragrant incense for the Holy Place. They are to make all of it just as I have commanded you."
The Sabbath, a Sign Forever
12And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
12Then the LORD spoke to Moses and said,
13Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you.
13"Tell the people of Israel this: 'You must truly keep my Sabbaths, because the Sabbath is a sign between me and you for all generations to come, so that you will know that I am the LORD who makes you holy.
14Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it is holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death: for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
14So keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you. Anyone who treats it as ordinary must surely be put to death; whoever does any work on that day is to be cut off from his people.
15Six days may work be done; but in the seventh is the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.
15Work may be done for six days, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must surely be put to death.
16Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual covenant.
16So the people of Israel are to keep the Sabbath, observing it for all generations to come as a lasting covenant.
17It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he rested, and was refreshed.
17It is a sign between me and the people of Israel forever, because in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day he stopped and was refreshed.'"
The Tables Written by God
18And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
18When he had finished speaking with Moses on Mount Sinai, he gave him the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone written on by the finger of God.
32
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
The People Make a Golden Calf
1And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
1When the people saw that Moses was taking so long to come down from the mountain, they crowded around Aaron and said to him, "Come on, make us gods to lead the way for us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we have no idea what has happened to him."
2And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me.
2Aaron said to them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons, and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me."
3And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.
3So all the people took off the gold earrings from their ears and brought them to Aaron.
4And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
4He took what they handed him, shaped it with an engraving tool, and made it into a metal calf. Then they said, "These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!"
5And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation, and said, To morrow is a feast to the LORD.
5When Aaron saw this, he built an altar in front of it, and Aaron announced, "Tomorrow there will be a feast to the LORD."
6And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.
6So the next day they got up early, offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and drink, and then got up to party.
Moses Pleads for Israel
7And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:
7Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go down at once, because your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have ruined themselves.
8They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
8They have been quick to turn away from the road I commanded them to walk. They have made themselves a metal calf, bowed down to it, offered sacrifices to it, and said, 'These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.'"
9And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
9The LORD said to Moses, "I have watched this people, and look, they are a stubborn, stiff-necked people.
10Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.
10Now leave me alone, so that my anger can burn against them and I can wipe them out. Then I will make you into a great nation."
11And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?
11But Moses pleaded with the LORD his God and said, "LORD, why does your anger burn against your own people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?
12Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.
12Why give the Egyptians reason to say, 'He brought them out with evil in mind, to kill them in the mountains and wipe them off the face of the earth'? Turn back from your fierce anger, and change your mind about this disaster for your people.
13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.
13Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, saying, 'I will make your descendants as many as the stars of the sky, and all this land I have promised I will give to your descendants, and they will possess it forever.'"
14And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.
14So the LORD changed his mind about the disaster he had said he would bring on his people.
Moses Breaks the Tables
15And Moses turned, and went down from the mount, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.
15Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand. The tablets were written on both sides, front and back.
16And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables.
16The tablets were God's own work, and the writing was God's own writing, engraved on the tablets.
17And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, There is a noise of war in the camp.
17When Joshua heard the noise of the people shouting, he said to Moses, "It sounds like war in the camp."
18And he said, It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome: but the noise of them that sing do I hear.
18But Moses said, "That is not the sound of victory cheers, and it is not the sound of cries of defeat. What I hear is the sound of singing."
19And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf, and the dancing: and Moses’ anger waxed hot, and he cast the tables out of his hands, and brake them beneath the mount.
19As soon as he came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, Moses's anger blazed up. He threw the tablets out of his hands and smashed them at the foot of the mountain.
20And he took the calf which they had made, and burnt it in the fire, and ground it to powder, and strawed it upon the water, and made the children of Israel drink of it.
20He took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it into powder, scattered it on the water, and made the people of Israel drink it.
Aaron's Excuse
21And Moses said unto Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?
21Then Moses said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you, that you led them into such a terrible sin?"
22And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.
22Aaron said, "Please do not let my lord's anger burn. You know these people; they are bent on doing wrong.
23For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
23They said to me, 'Make us gods to lead the way for us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we have no idea what has happened to him.'
24And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf.
24So I told them, 'Whoever has any gold, take it off.' They gave it to me, I threw it into the fire, and out came this calf!"
The Levites Take the Lord's Side
25And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)
25Moses saw that the people were out of control, because Aaron had let them run wild, making them a laughingstock to their enemies.
26Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.
26So Moses stood at the entrance to the camp and said, "Whoever is on the LORD's side, come to me!" And all the sons of Levi gathered around him.
27And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.
27He said to them, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Every man strap on his sword, go back and forth through the camp from gate to gate, and each of you kill his brother, his friend, and his neighbor.'"
28And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.
28The sons of Levi did what Moses said, and about three thousand men of the people died that day.
29For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day.
29For Moses had said, "Today you have set yourselves apart for the LORD, each of you at the cost of his son or his brother, so that he may give you a blessing today."
Moses Offers Himself
30And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.
30The next day Moses said to the people, "You have committed a terrible sin. Now I will go up to the LORD; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin."
31And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
31So Moses went back to the LORD and said, "Oh, these people have committed a terrible sin; they have made themselves gods of gold.
32Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
32But now, if you will forgive their sin... and if not, then please blot me out of the book you have written."
33And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.
33The LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against me, that is the one I will blot out of my book.
34Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.
34Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about. See, my Angel will go ahead of you. Still, when the day comes for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin."
35And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made.
35And the LORD struck the people with a plague because of what they did with the calf, the one Aaron made.
33
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Israel Mourns God's Withdrawal
1And the LORD said unto Moses, Depart, and go up hence, thou and the people which thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I sware unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, Unto thy seed will I give it:
1The LORD said to Moses, "Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of the land of Egypt, and go up to the land I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, when I said, 'I will give it to your descendants.'
2And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite:
2I will send an angel ahead of you and drive out the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
3Unto a land flowing with milk and honey: for I will not go up in the midst of thee; for thou art a stiffnecked people: lest I consume thee in the way.
3Go up to a land flowing with milk and honey. But I will not go with you myself, because you are a stiff-necked people, and I might destroy you on the way."
4And when the people heard these evil tidings, they mourned: and no man did put on him his ornaments.
4When the people heard this hard news, they went into mourning, and no one put on any jewelry.
5For the LORD had said unto Moses, Say unto the children of Israel, Ye are a stiffnecked people: I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment, and consume thee: therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.
5For the LORD had told Moses, "Say to the people of Israel, 'You are a stiff-necked people. If I went with you for even a moment, I might destroy you. So now take off your jewelry, and I will decide what to do with you.'"
6And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by the mount Horeb.
6So the people of Israel stripped off their jewelry at Mount Horeb.
The Tent Outside the Camp
7And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
7Now Moses used to take the tent and pitch it outside the camp, a good distance away, and he called it the tent of meeting. Anyone who wanted to seek the LORD would go out to the tent of meeting outside the camp.
8And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
8Whenever Moses went out to the tent, all the people would stand up, each one at the door of his own tent, and watch Moses until he had gone inside.
9And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.
9As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance of the tent, and the Lord would talk with Moses.
10And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
10When all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the entrance of the tent, they would all rise and worship, each one at the door of his own tent.
11And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
11The LORD would speak with Moses face to face, the way a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would go back to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun never left the tent.
Moses Asks for God's Presence
12And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
12Moses said to the LORD, "Look, you keep telling me, 'Lead this people up,' but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, 'I know you by name, and you have found favor with me.'
13Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
13So now, if I really have found favor with you, please show me your ways, so that I can know you and keep on finding favor with you. And remember that this nation is your people."
14And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
14He answered, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."
15And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
15Moses said to him, "If your presence does not go with us, do not lead us up from here.
16For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
16How else will anyone know that I and your people have found favor with you? Is it not by your going with us? That is what sets us apart, me and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth."
17And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
17The LORD said to Moses, "I will do this very thing you have asked, because you have found favor with me, and I know you by name."
Show Me Your Glory
18And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
18Then Moses said, "Please, show me your glory."
19And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
19He said, "I will make all my goodness pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD in your presence. I will be gracious to whom I choose to be gracious, and I will show mercy to whom I choose to show mercy."
20And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
20Then he said, "You cannot see my face, because no one can see me and live."
21And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
21The LORD said, "Look, there is a place near me where you can stand on the rock.
22And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
22While my glory passes by, I will put you in a crack in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.
23And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.
23Then I will take my hand away, and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen."
34
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
New Tables of Stone
1And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.
1The LORD said to Moses, "Cut two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, the ones you smashed.
2And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto mount Sinai, and present thyself there to me in the top of the mount.
2Be ready in the morning, and come up Mount Sinai in the morning, and present yourself to me there on the top of the mountain.
3And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount.
3No one is to come up with you; no one is to be seen anywhere on the mountain, and not even the flocks or herds may graze in front of it."
4And he hewed two tables of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tables of stone.
4So Moses cut two stone tablets like the first ones, and he got up early in the morning and climbed Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, carrying the two stone tablets in his hands.
The Lord Proclaims His Name
5And the LORD descended in the cloud, and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.
5The LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.
6And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,
6The LORD passed in front of him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and overflowing with goodness and truth,
7Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
7keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving wrongdoing, rebellion, and sin, yet by no means letting the guilty go unpunished, bringing the consequences of the fathers' wrongdoing on the children and grandchildren, to the third and fourth generation."
8And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped.
8Moses quickly bowed his head to the ground and worshiped.
9And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O LORD, let my LORD, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.
9He said, "If I have found favor with you, O LORD, then please, my LORD, go along with us. Yes, they are a stiff-necked people, but pardon our wrongdoing and our sin, and take us as your own possession."
The Covenant Renewed
10And he said, Behold, I make a covenant: before all thy people I will do marvels, such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation: and all the people among which thou art shall see the work of the LORD: for it is a terrible thing that I will do with thee.
10He said, "Look, I am making a covenant. In front of all your people I will do wonders such as have never been done anywhere on earth or in any nation, and all the people you live among will see the work of the LORD, because what I am going to do with you is awesome.
11Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite.
11Obey what I command you today. See, I am driving out ahead of you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.
12Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:
12Be careful not to make a treaty with the people living in the land you are going into, or it will become a trap right in the middle of you.
13But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:
13Instead, you are to tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and cut down their sacred poles,
14For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:
14because you must not worship any other god. The LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.
15Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;
15Do not make a treaty with the people of the land, because when they chase after their gods and sacrifice to them, someone will invite you, and you will eat from his sacrifice.
16And thou take of their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.
16Then you will take some of their daughters as wives for your sons, and when their daughters chase after their gods, they will lead your sons to chase after their gods too.
17Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
17Do not make yourselves any metal gods.
Feasts, Firstborn, and Sabbath
18The feast of unleavened bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib thou camest out from Egypt.
18Keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you, at the set time in the month of Abib, because it was in the month of Abib that you came out of Egypt.
19All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male.
19Every firstborn that opens the womb belongs to me, including every firstborn male among your livestock, whether ox or sheep.
20But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty.
20But a firstborn donkey you are to buy back with a lamb, and if you do not buy it back, you are to break its neck. You must buy back every firstborn among your sons. And no one is to appear before me empty-handed.
21Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest: in earing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.
21Work for six days, but on the seventh day rest; even at plowing time and at harvest you are to rest.
22And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end.
22Celebrate the Feast of Weeks with the firstfruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year.
23Thrice in the year shall all your menchildren appear before the LORD God, the God of Israel.
23Three times a year all your males are to appear before the LORD God, the God of Israel.
24For I will cast out the nations before thee, and enlarge thy borders: neither shall any man desire thy land, when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year.
24For I will drive out the nations ahead of you and enlarge your territory, and no one will want to grab your land while you go up to appear before the LORD your God three times a year.
25Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leaven; neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the passover be left unto the morning.
25Do not offer the blood of my sacrifice together with anything containing yeast, and do not let the sacrifice of the Passover feast be left over until morning.
26The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.
26Bring the best of the firstfruits of your land to the house of the LORD your God. Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk."
Forty Days on the Mountain
27And the LORD said unto Moses, Write thou these words: for after the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel.
27Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write these words down, because it is on the basis of these words that I have made a covenant with you and with Israel."
28And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
28Moses was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he ate no bread and drank no water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.
Moses' Shining Face
29And it came to pass, when Moses came down from mount Sinai with the two tables of testimony in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.
29When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand, as he came down the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face was shining because he had been talking with him.
30And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid to come nigh him.
30When Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, the skin of his face was shining, and they were afraid to come near him.
31And Moses called unto them; and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him: and Moses talked with them.
31But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the community came back to him, and Moses talked with them.
32And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh: and he gave them in commandment all that the LORD had spoken with him in mount Sinai.
32After that all the people of Israel came near, and he passed on to them as commands everything the LORD had said to him on Mount Sinai.
33And till Moses had done speaking with them, he put a vail on his face.
33When Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil over his face.
34But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the vail off, until he came out. And he came out, and spake unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.
34But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with him, he took the veil off until he came out. Then he would come out and tell the people of Israel what he had been commanded.
35And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone: and Moses put the vail upon his face again, until he went in to speak with him.
35The people of Israel would see Moses's face, that the skin of his face was shining, and Moses would put the veil back over his face until he went in to speak with him again.
35
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
The Sabbath Comes First
1And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together, and said unto them, These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them.
1Moses gathered the whole community of the people of Israel together and said to them, "These are the things the LORD has commanded you to do.
2Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.
2"Work may be done for six days, but the seventh day is to be a holy day for you, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Anyone who does work on it must be put to death.
3Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the sabbath day.
3"You are not to light a fire in any of your homes on the Sabbath day."
A Call for Willing Gifts
4And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying,
4Then Moses said to the whole community of the people of Israel, "This is what the LORD has commanded:
5Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD; gold, and silver, and brass,
5"Take up an offering for the LORD from among you. Everyone whose heart is willing should bring it as an offering to the LORD: gold, silver, and bronze;
6And blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair,
6blue, purple, and scarlet material, fine linen, and goats' hair;
7And rams’ skins dyed red, and badgers’ skins, and shittim wood,
7rams' skins dyed red, fine leather, and acacia wood;
8And oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil, and for the sweet incense,
8oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense;
9And onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod, and for the breastplate.
9and onyx stones and other stones to be mounted on the ephod and the breastpiece.
Work for Every Skilled Hand
10And every wise hearted among you shall come, and make all that the LORD hath commanded;
10"Every skilled worker among you is to come and make everything the LORD has commanded:
11The tabernacle, his tent, and his covering, his taches, and his boards, his bars, his pillars, and his sockets,
11the tabernacle with its tent and its covering, its clasps, its frames, its crossbars, its posts, and its bases;
12The ark, and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat, and the vail of the covering,
12the ark and its poles, with the mercy seat and the curtain that screens it;
13The table, and his staves, and all his vessels, and the shewbread,
13the table with its poles and all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence;
14The candlestick also for the light, and his furniture, and his lamps, with the oil for the light,
14the lampstand for light with its accessories and its lamps, and the oil for the light;
15And the incense altar, and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entering in of the tabernacle,
15the incense altar with its poles, the anointing oil and the fragrant incense, and the screen for the doorway at the entrance to the tabernacle;
16The altar of burnt offering, with his brasen grate, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
16the altar of burnt offering with its bronze grate, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin with its stand;
17The hangings of the court, his pillars, and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court,
17the curtains of the courtyard with their posts and bases, and the screen for the gate of the courtyard;
18The pins of the tabernacle, and the pins of the court, and their cords,
18the tent pegs of the tabernacle and of the courtyard, with their ropes;
19The cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest’s office.
19the finely worked garments for serving in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to serve as priests."
The People Give Generously
20And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.
20Then the whole community of the people of Israel went away from Moses.
21And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD’s offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments.
21And everyone whose heart was stirred and whose spirit was willing came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments.
22And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the LORD.
22Both men and women came, all who were willing, and brought brooches, earrings, rings, and necklaces, all kinds of gold jewelry; everyone who gave presented a gold offering to the LORD.
23And every man, with whom was found blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine linen, and goats’ hair, and red skins of rams, and badgers’ skins, brought them.
23Everyone who had blue, purple, or scarlet material, fine linen, goats' hair, rams' skins dyed red, or fine leather brought it.
24Every one that did offer an offering of silver and brass brought the LORD’s offering: and every man, with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service, brought it.
24Everyone who could give an offering of silver or bronze brought it as an offering to the LORD, and everyone who had acacia wood for any part of the work brought it.
25And all the women that were wise hearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen.
25Every skilled woman spun with her hands and brought what she had spun: blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine linen.
26And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats’ hair.
26And all the women whose hearts moved them to use their skill spun the goats' hair.
27And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate;
27The leaders brought onyx stones and other stones to be mounted on the ephod and the breastpiece,
28And spice, and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.
28along with spice and oil for the lamps, for the anointing oil, and for the fragrant incense.
29The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman, whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.
29The people of Israel, every man and woman whose heart moved them to give for all the work the LORD had commanded through Moses, brought a freewill offering to the LORD.
Bezaleel and Aholiab Appointed
30And Moses said unto the children of Israel, See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah;
30Then Moses said to the people of Israel, "Look, the LORD has called by name Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, from the tribe of Judah,
31And he hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship;
31"and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, giving him skill, understanding, and knowledge in every kind of craft:
32And to devise curious works, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass,
32to design artistic work, to work in gold, silver, and bronze,
33And in the cutting of stones, to set them, and in carving of wood, to make any manner of cunning work.
33to cut and set stones, to carve wood, and to do every kind of skilled work.
34And he hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan.
34"He has also given him the ability to teach others, both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan.
35Them hath he filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work, of the engraver, and of the cunning workman, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, even of them that do any work, and of those that devise cunning work.
35"He has filled them with skill to do every kind of work: engraving, designing, embroidering in blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine linen, and weaving. They can do any kind of work and create artistic designs.
36
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
More Than Enough
1Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the LORD had commanded.
1"So Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person to whom the LORD has given wisdom and understanding to know how to do all the work of building the sanctuary are to do it, just as the LORD has commanded."
2And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work to do it:
2Then Moses called Bezalel, Oholiab, and every skilled person in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, everyone whose heart stirred them to come and do the work.
3And they received of Moses all the offering, which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it withal. And they brought yet unto him free offerings every morning.
3They received from Moses the whole offering the people of Israel had brought for the work of building the sanctuary. But the people kept bringing freewill offerings to him every morning.
4And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the sanctuary, came every man from his work which they made;
4So all the skilled workers who were doing the work on the sanctuary left what they were doing
5And they spake unto Moses, saying, The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work, which the LORD commanded to make.
5and said to Moses, "The people are bringing far more than enough for the work the LORD has commanded us to do."
6And Moses gave commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary. So the people were restrained from bringing.
6So Moses gave an order, and word was sent all through the camp: "No man or woman is to make anything more for the sanctuary offering." So the people were kept from bringing more.
7For the stuff they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.
7What they already had was enough for doing all the work, and more than enough.
The Curtains and Coverings
8And every wise hearted man among them that wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work made he them.
8All the skilled workers among them who did the work made the tabernacle with ten curtains of finely twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet material, with cherubim skillfully worked into them.
9The length of one curtain was twenty and eight cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits: the curtains were all of one size.
9Each curtain was twenty-eight cubits long and four cubits wide; all the curtains were the same size.
10And he coupled the five curtains one unto another: and the other five curtains he coupled one unto another.
10He joined five of the curtains to one another, and the other five curtains he joined to one another.
11And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling: likewise he made in the uttermost side of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.
11He made loops of blue material along the edge of the end curtain in the first set, and he did the same along the edge of the end curtain in the second set.
12Fifty loops made he in one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the curtain which was in the coupling of the second: the loops held one curtain to another.
12He made fifty loops on the one curtain and fifty loops on the edge of the end curtain of the second set, so that the loops were opposite one another.
13And he made fifty taches of gold, and coupled the curtains one unto another with the taches: so it became one tabernacle.
13Then he made fifty gold clasps and used them to join the curtains to one another, so the tabernacle became one whole.
14And he made curtains of goats’ hair for the tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains he made them.
14He made curtains of goats' hair for the tent over the tabernacle; he made eleven of them.
15The length of one curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits was the breadth of one curtain: the eleven curtains were of one size.
15Each curtain was thirty cubits long and four cubits wide; the eleven curtains were all the same size.
16And he coupled five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves.
16He joined five of the curtains into one set and the other six into another set.
17And he made fifty loops upon the uttermost edge of the curtain in the coupling, and fifty loops made he upon the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.
17He made fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain of the first set and fifty loops along the edge of the end curtain of the second set.
18And he made fifty taches of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one.
18He made fifty bronze clasps to fasten the tent together so it would be one whole.
19And he made a covering for the tent of rams’ skins dyed red, and a covering of badgers’ skins above that.
19He made a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of fine leather to go over that.
The Frames and Bars
20And he made boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood, standing up.
20He made upright frames of acacia wood for the tabernacle.
21The length of a board was ten cubits, and the breadth of a board one cubit and a half.
21Each frame was ten cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.
22One board had two tenons, equally distant one from another: thus did he make for all the boards of the tabernacle.
22Each frame had two pegs set parallel to each other; he made all the frames of the tabernacle this way.
23And he made boards for the tabernacle; twenty boards for the south side southward:
23He made the frames for the tabernacle: twenty frames for the south side,
24And forty sockets of silver he made under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.
24and he made forty silver bases to go under the twenty frames, two bases under one frame for its two pegs, and two bases under the next frame for its two pegs.
25And for the other side of the tabernacle, which is toward the north corner, he made twenty boards,
25For the other side of the tabernacle, the north side, he made twenty frames
26And their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.
26and their forty silver bases, two bases under one frame and two bases under the next.
27And for the sides of the tabernacle westward he made six boards.
27For the back of the tabernacle, on the west, he made six frames,
28And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.
28and he made two frames for the corners of the tabernacle at the back.
29And they were coupled beneath, and coupled together at the head thereof, to one ring: thus he did to both of them in both the corners.
29These were joined at the bottom and joined together at the top into a single ring; he did this for both of them, at both corners.
30And there were eight boards; and their sockets were sixteen sockets of silver, under every board two sockets.
30So there were eight frames with their silver bases, sixteen bases in all, two bases under each frame.
31And he made bars of shittim wood; five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,
31He also made crossbars of acacia wood: five for the frames on one side of the tabernacle,
32And five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the sides westward.
32five crossbars for the frames on the other side of the tabernacle, and five crossbars for the frames at the back of the tabernacle, on the west.
33And he made the middle bar to shoot through the boards from the one end to the other.
33He made the middle crossbar run through the frames from one end to the other.
34And he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold to be places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.
34He covered the frames with gold and made gold rings to hold the crossbars, and he covered the crossbars with gold too.
The Veil and the Door Curtain
35And he made a vail of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubims made he it of cunning work.
35He made the inner curtain of blue, purple, and scarlet material and finely twisted linen, with cherubim skillfully worked into it.
36And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold: their hooks were of gold; and he cast for them four sockets of silver.
36He made four posts of acacia wood for it and covered them with gold; their hooks were gold, and he cast four silver bases for them.
37And he made an hanging for the tabernacle door of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, of needlework;
37He made a screen for the doorway of the tent of blue, purple, and scarlet material and finely twisted linen, the work of an embroiderer,
38And the five pillars of it with their hooks: and he overlaid their chapiters and their fillets with gold: but their five sockets were of brass.
38along with its five posts and their hooks. He covered the tops of the posts and their bands with gold, but their five bases were bronze.
37
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
The Ark and Mercy Seat
1And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it:
1Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood. It was two and a half cubits long, a cubit and a half wide, and a cubit and a half high.
2And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold to it round about.
2He covered it with pure gold inside and out and made a gold molding around it.
3And he cast for it four rings of gold, to be set by the four corners of it; even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.
3He cast four gold rings for it and fastened them to its four feet, two rings on one side and two rings on the other.
4And he made staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.
4He made poles of acacia wood and covered them with gold.
5And he put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.
5He slid the poles into the rings on the sides of the ark so it could be carried.
6And he made the mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.
6He made the mercy seat of pure gold, two and a half cubits long and a cubit and a half wide.
7And he made two cherubims of gold, beaten out of one piece made he them, on the two ends of the mercy seat;
7He made two cherubim of hammered gold at the two ends of the mercy seat;
8One cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side: out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.
8one cherub at one end and the other cherub at the other end. He made the cherubim of one piece with the mercy seat, at its two ends.
9And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered with their wings over the mercy seat, with their faces one to another; even to the mercy seatward were the faces of the cherubims.
9The cherubim spread their wings upward, shielding the mercy seat with their wings. They faced each other, looking toward the mercy seat.
The Table of Showbread
10And he made the table of shittim wood: two cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof:
10He made the table of acacia wood. It was two cubits long, a cubit wide, and a cubit and a half high.
11And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about.
11He covered it with pure gold and made a gold molding around it.
12Also he made thereunto a border of an handbreadth round about; and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about.
12He also made a rim around it a handbreadth wide and put a gold molding around the rim.
13And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the four corners that were in the four feet thereof.
13He cast four gold rings for it and fastened the rings to the four corners where the four legs were.
14Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table.
14The rings were placed close to the rim to hold the poles used for carrying the table.
15And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, to bear the table.
15He made the poles for carrying the table of acacia wood and covered them with gold.
16And he made the vessels which were upon the table, his dishes, and his spoons, and his bowls, and his covers to cover withal, of pure gold.
16And he made the utensils that go on the table, its plates, dishes, bowls, and pitchers for pouring out drink offerings, of pure gold.
The Golden Lampstand
17And he made the candlestick of pure gold: of beaten work made he the candlestick; his shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his knops, and his flowers, were of the same:
17He made the lampstand of pure gold, hammered out of one piece: its base and shaft, its cups, buds, and blossoms were all of one piece with it.
18And six branches going out of the sides thereof; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof:
18Six branches came out from its sides, three branches of the lampstand on one side and three on the other.
19Three bowls made after the fashion of almonds in one branch, a knop and a flower; and three bowls made like almonds in another branch, a knop and a flower: so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.
19On one branch were three cups shaped like almond blossoms, each with a bud and a flower, and three cups shaped like almond blossoms on the next branch, each with a bud and a flower; it was the same for all six branches coming out of the lampstand.
20And in the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, his knops, and his flowers:
20On the lampstand itself were four cups shaped like almond blossoms, with their buds and flowers,
21And a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, and a knop under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it.
21with one bud under the first pair of branches coming out of it, one bud under the second pair, and one bud under the third pair, for all six branches coming out of it.
22Their knops and their branches were of the same: all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.
22The buds and the branches were all of one piece with it; the whole thing was one piece of hammered pure gold.
23And he made his seven lamps, and his snuffers, and his snuffdishes, of pure gold.
23He made its seven lamps, its wick trimmers, and its trays of pure gold.
24Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.
24He made the lampstand and all its accessories from a talent of pure gold.
The Incense Altar and Anointing Oil
25And he made the incense altar of shittim wood: the length of it was a cubit, and the breadth of it a cubit; it was foursquare; and two cubits was the height of it; the horns thereof were of the same.
25He made the incense altar of acacia wood. It was a cubit long and a cubit wide, square, and two cubits high; its horns were of one piece with it.
26And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it, and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it: also he made unto it a crown of gold round about.
26He covered it with pure gold, its top, all its sides, and its horns, and he made a gold molding around it.
27And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it withal.
27He made two gold rings for it below the molding, on two opposite sides, to hold the poles used for carrying it.
28And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold.
28He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them with gold.
29And he made the holy anointing oil, and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the apothecary.
29He also made the holy anointing oil and the pure, fragrant incense, blended the way a perfumer would.
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King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
The Altar of Burnt Offering
1And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood: five cubits was the length thereof, and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare; and three cubits the height thereof.
1He made the altar of burnt offering of acacia wood. It was five cubits long and five cubits wide, square, and three cubits high.
2And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same: and he overlaid it with brass.
2He made a horn at each of its four corners, of one piece with the altar, and covered it with bronze.
3And he made all the vessels of the altar, the pots, and the shovels, and the basons, and the fleshhooks, and the firepans: all the vessels thereof made he of brass.
3He made all the utensils for the altar: the pots, shovels, basins, meat forks, and firepans. He made all its utensils of bronze.
4And he made for the altar a brasen grate of network under the compass thereof beneath unto the midst of it.
4He made a bronze grating for the altar, a network under its ledge, reaching halfway up the altar.
5And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.
5He cast four rings for the four corners of the bronze grating to hold the poles.
6And he made the staves of shittim wood, and overlaid them with brass.
6He made the poles of acacia wood and covered them with bronze.
7And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar, to bear it withal; he made the altar hollow with boards.
7He slid the poles into the rings on the sides of the altar so it could be carried. He made the altar hollow, out of boards.
The Bronze Laver
8And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.
8He made the bronze basin and its bronze stand from the mirrors of the women who served at the entrance to the tent of meeting.
The Courtyard and Its Gate
9And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of fine twined linen, an hundred cubits:
9Then he made the courtyard. On the south side the curtains of the courtyard were of finely twisted linen, a hundred cubits long,
10Their pillars were twenty, and their brasen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.
10with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases; the hooks on the posts and their bands were silver.
11And for the north side the hangings were an hundred cubits, their pillars were twenty, and their sockets of brass twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
11On the north side the curtains were a hundred cubits long, with twenty posts and twenty bronze bases; the hooks on the posts and their bands were silver.
12And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten, and their sockets ten; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.
12On the west side the curtains were fifty cubits long, with ten posts and ten bases; the hooks on the posts and their bands were silver.
13And for the east side eastward fifty cubits.
13The east side, toward the sunrise, was fifty cubits wide.
14The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
14The curtains on one side of the gate were fifteen cubits long, with three posts and three bases,
15And for the other side of the court gate, on this hand and that hand, were hangings of fifteen cubits; their pillars three, and their sockets three.
15and on the other side of the courtyard gate, on both sides of the entrance, the curtains were fifteen cubits long, with three posts and three bases.
16All the hangings of the court round about were of fine twined linen.
16All the curtains around the courtyard were of finely twisted linen.
17And the sockets for the pillars were of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver; and the overlaying of their chapiters of silver; and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.
17The bases for the posts were bronze; the hooks on the posts and their bands were silver; the tops of the posts were covered with silver; and all the posts of the courtyard had silver bands.
18And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, answerable to the hangings of the court.
18The screen for the gate of the courtyard was embroidered work in blue, purple, and scarlet material and finely twisted linen. It was twenty cubits long and five cubits high, matching the curtains of the courtyard.
19And their pillars were four, and their sockets of brass four; their hooks of silver, and the overlaying of their chapiters and their fillets of silver.
19It had four posts and four bronze bases; their hooks were silver, and the tops of the posts and their bands were covered with silver.
20And all the pins of the tabernacle, and of the court round about, were of brass.
20All the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard around it were bronze.
The Record and the Craftsmen
21This is the sum of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted, according to the commandment of Moses, for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son to Aaron the priest.
21These are the amounts of material used for the tabernacle, the tabernacle of the testimony, as they were counted at Moses' command by the Levites under the direction of Ithamar, the son of Aaron the priest.
22And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses.
22Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, from the tribe of Judah, made everything the LORD had commanded Moses.
23And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver, and a cunning workman, and an embroiderer in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.
23With him was Oholiab son of Ahisamach, from the tribe of Dan, an engraver, a designer, and an embroiderer in blue, purple, and scarlet material and fine linen.
The Gold, Silver, and Bronze Totals
24All the gold that was occupied for the work in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary.
24All the gold used in the work, in every part of the work on the sanctuary, the gold that was given as an offering, came to twenty-nine talents and seven hundred thirty shekels, by the sanctuary shekel.
25And the silver of them that were numbered of the congregation was an hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary:
25The silver from those in the community who were counted came to a hundred talents and one thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels, by the sanctuary shekel:
26A bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one that went to be numbered, from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.
26a beka for each man, that is, half a shekel by the sanctuary shekel, from everyone who was counted, twenty years old and up, a total of 603,550 men.
27And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary, and the sockets of the vail; an hundred sockets of the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.
27The hundred talents of silver were used to cast the bases for the sanctuary and the bases for the inner curtain: a hundred bases from a hundred talents, one talent for each base.
28And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their chapiters, and filleted them.
28From the one thousand seven hundred seventy-five shekels he made the hooks for the posts, covered the tops of the posts, and made bands for them.
29And the brass of the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels.
29The bronze from the offering came to seventy talents and two thousand four hundred shekels.
30And therewith he made the sockets to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the brasen altar, and the brasen grate for it, and all the vessels of the altar,
30With it he made the bases for the entrance to the tent of meeting, the bronze altar with its bronze grating, all the utensils for the altar,
31And the sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pins of the tabernacle, and all the pins of the court round about.
31the bases for the courtyard all around, the bases for the courtyard gate, and all the tent pegs for the tabernacle and for the courtyard all around.
39
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
The Ephod and Its Memorial Stones
1And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as the LORD commanded Moses.
1From the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn they made the finely woven garments for serving in the holy place, and they made the holy garments for Aaron, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
2And he made the ephod of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
2He made the ephod out of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely twisted linen.
3And they did beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.
3They hammered the gold into thin sheets and cut it into threads so it could be worked into the blue, the purple, the scarlet, and the fine linen by a skilled craftsman.
4They made shoulderpieces for it, to couple it together: by the two edges was it coupled together.
4They made shoulder pieces for it so it could be joined together; it was fastened at its two edges.
5And the curious girdle of his ephod, that was upon it, was of the same, according to the work thereof; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen; as the LORD commanded Moses.
5The skillfully woven belt of the ephod, which was attached to it, was made of the same materials and in the same way: gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely twisted linen, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
6And they wrought onyx stones inclosed in ouches of gold, graven, as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.
6They prepared onyx stones set in gold settings and engraved them with the names of the sons of Israel, the way a seal is engraved.
7And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses.
7He fastened them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod as stones of remembrance for the children of Israel, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
The Breastplate of Judgment
8And he made the breastplate of cunning work, like the work of the ephod; of gold, blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen.
8He made the breastplate with skilled craftsmanship, in the same style as the ephod: gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, and finely twisted linen.
9It was foursquare; they made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled.
9It was square; they made the breastplate folded double, a hand's span long and a hand's span wide when doubled over.
10And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this was the first row.
10They set four rows of stones in it. The first row was a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle; that was the first row.
11And the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
11The second row was an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond.
12And the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
12The third row was a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst.
13And the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper: they were inclosed in ouches of gold in their inclosings.
13The fourth row was a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were mounted in gold settings.
14And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name, according to the twelve tribes.
14The stones matched the names of the sons of Israel, twelve of them, one for each name, engraved like a seal, each with its own name for the twelve tribes.
15And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathen work of pure gold.
15On the breastplate they made chains of pure gold, braided like cord, at the corners.
16And they made two ouches of gold, and two gold rings; and put the two rings in the two ends of the breastplate.
16They made two gold settings and two gold rings, and they attached the two rings to the two upper corners of the breastplate.
17And they put the two wreathen chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate.
17They fastened the two braided gold chains to the two rings at the corners of the breastplate.
18And the two ends of the two wreathen chains they fastened in the two ouches, and put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, before it.
18The other two ends of the two braided chains they fastened to the two settings and attached them to the shoulder pieces of the ephod, at the front.
19And they made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it, which was on the side of the ephod inward.
19They made two gold rings and put them on the two lower corners of the breastplate, on the inside edge next to the ephod.
20And they made two other golden rings, and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart of it, over against the other coupling thereof, above the curious girdle of the ephod.
20They made two more gold rings and attached them to the bottom of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, on the front, near the seam, just above the woven belt of the ephod.
21And they did bind the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the curious girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod; as the LORD commanded Moses.
21They tied the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a blue cord, so that it would sit above the woven belt of the ephod and would not come loose from the ephod, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
The Robe of the Ephod
22And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
22He made the robe of the ephod entirely of blue woven cloth.
23And there was an hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of an habergeon, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend.
23There was an opening in the middle of the robe, like the neck opening of a coat of armor, with a woven band around the opening so it would not tear.
24And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and twined linen.
24On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and twisted linen.
25And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates;
25They made bells of pure gold and put the bells between the pomegranates all around the hem of the robe, in between the pomegranates:
26A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in; as the LORD commanded Moses.
26a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all the way around the hem of the robe worn for serving, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
The Linen Garments and the Holy Crown
27And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,
27They made tunics of finely woven linen for Aaron and his sons,
28And a mitre of fine linen, and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of fine twined linen,
28and a turban of fine linen, fine linen caps, and undergarments of finely twisted linen,
29And a girdle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, of needlework; as the LORD commanded Moses.
29and a sash of finely twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, worked with embroidery, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
30And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
30They made the plate of the holy crown out of pure gold and engraved on it, like the engraving on a seal, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.
31And they tied unto it a lace of blue, to fasten it on high upon the mitre; as the LORD commanded Moses.
31They tied a blue cord to it to fasten it on the front of the turban, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
The Work Is Finished and Blessed
32Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished: and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did they.
32So all the work on the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, was finished. The children of Israel did everything just as the LORD had commanded Moses; that is exactly what they did.
33And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses, the tent, and all his furniture, his taches, his boards, his bars, and his pillars, and his sockets,
33Then they brought the tabernacle to Moses: the tent and all its furnishings, its clasps, its frames, its crossbars, its posts, and its bases;
34And the covering of rams’ skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers’ skins, and the vail of the covering,
34the covering of rams' skins dyed red, the covering of fine leather, and the veil that hangs as a screen;
35The ark of the testimony, and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat,
35the ark of the testimony with its poles, and the mercy seat;
36The table, and all the vessels thereof, and the shewbread,
36the table with all its utensils, and the bread of the Presence;
37The pure candlestick, with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light,
37the pure gold lampstand with its lamps arranged in a row, all its utensils, and the oil for the light;
38And the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door,
38the golden altar, the anointing oil, the fragrant incense, and the curtain for the entrance to the tabernacle;
39The brasen altar, and his grate of brass, his staves, and all his vessels, the laver and his foot,
39the bronze altar with its bronze grating, its poles, and all its utensils; the basin with its stand;
40The hangings of the court, his pillars, and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords, and his pins, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle, for the tent of the congregation,
40the curtains of the courtyard, its posts and its bases, the curtain for the courtyard gate, its ropes and its pegs, and all the equipment for serving in the tabernacle, the tent of meeting;
41The cloths of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and his sons’ garments, to minister in the priest’s office.
41the finely woven garments for serving in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments for his sons to serve as priests.
42According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.
42The children of Israel had done all the work exactly as the LORD had commanded Moses.
43And Moses did look upon all the work, and, behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.
43Moses inspected all the work, and there it was: they had done it just as the LORD had commanded. So Moses blessed them.
40
King James Version — 1611
In Plain English
Instructions to Set Up the Tabernacle
1And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
1Then the LORD said to Moses,
2On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.
2"On the first day of the first month you are to set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting.
3And thou shalt put therein the ark of the testimony, and cover the ark with the vail.
3Put the ark of the testimony inside it and hang the veil in front of the ark.
4And thou shalt bring in the table, and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick, and light the lamps thereof.
4Bring in the table and arrange on it the things that belong there; bring in the lampstand and light its lamps.
5And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the testimony, and put the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.
5Place the gold altar for incense in front of the ark of the testimony, and hang the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
6And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.
6Set the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting.
7And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.
7Set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it.
8And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.
8Set up the courtyard all around, and hang the curtain at the courtyard gate.
Anointing the Tabernacle and the Priests
9And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle, and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it, and all the vessels thereof: and it shall be holy.
9Then take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; set it apart along with all its furnishings, and it will be holy.
10And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering, and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar: and it shall be an altar most holy.
10Anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; set the altar apart, and it will be a most holy altar.
11And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it.
11Anoint the basin and its stand, and set it apart.
12And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.
12Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water.
13And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.
13Dress Aaron in the holy garments, anoint him, and set him apart, so that he may serve me as priest.
14And thou shalt bring his sons, and clothe them with coats:
14Bring his sons and dress them in tunics,
15And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto me in the priest’s office: for their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations.
15and anoint them just as you anointed their father, so that they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will give them a priesthood that lasts forever, through all their generations."
Moses Raises the Tabernacle
16Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.
16Moses did this; he did everything exactly as the LORD had commanded him.
17And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up.
17So in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, the tabernacle was set up.
18And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets, and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up his pillars.
18Moses set up the tabernacle: he laid its bases, put up its frames, slid in its crossbars, and raised its posts.
19And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it; as the LORD commanded Moses.
19He spread the tent over the tabernacle and placed the covering of the tent on top of it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
Furnishing the Holy Places
20And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark:
20He took the testimony and put it in the ark, attached the poles to the ark, and set the mercy seat on top of the ark.
21And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the vail of the covering, and covered the ark of the testimony; as the LORD commanded Moses.
21He brought the ark into the tabernacle, hung the veil as a screen, and shielded the ark of the testimony, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
22And he put the table in the tent of the congregation, upon the side of the tabernacle northward, without the vail.
22He placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle, outside the veil,
23And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD; as the LORD had commanded Moses.
23and arranged the bread on it before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
24And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation, over against the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward.
24He placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting across from the table, on the south side of the tabernacle,
25And he lighted the lamps before the LORD; as the LORD commanded Moses.
25and lit the lamps before the LORD, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
26And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the vail:
26He placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the veil
27And he burnt sweet incense thereon; as the LORD commanded Moses.
27and burned fragrant incense on it, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
The Altar, the Laver and the Court
28And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.
28He hung the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.
29And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering; as the LORD commanded Moses.
29He put the altar of burnt offering by the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it the burnt offering and the grain offering, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
30And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there, to wash withal.
30He set the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing.
31And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat:
31Moses, Aaron, and his sons washed their hands and feet at it.
32When they went into the tent of the congregation, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as the LORD commanded Moses.
32Whenever they went into the tent of meeting or came near the altar, they washed, just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
33And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.
33He set up the courtyard all around the tabernacle and the altar and hung the curtain at the courtyard gate. And so Moses finished the work.
The Glory Fills the Tabernacle
34Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
34Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
35And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
35Moses could not go into the tent of meeting, because the cloud rested on it and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.
36And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys:
36Whenever the cloud lifted from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel moved on in all their travels;
37But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up.
37but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out until the day it lifted.
38For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys.
38For the cloud of the LORD was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their travels.