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Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Now you will see what I will do to the king when I make him let my people go. I will powerfully force him to chase them from his land!”2 God spoke to Moses again, “I am Yahweh. 3 I showed myself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but they did not fully comprehend {the meaning of} my name Yahweh. 4 I also agreed to bless them. I promised to give them, as their own, the land where the descendants of Canaan live. That was the land in which they lived as foreigners.
5 Furthermore, I have heard the Israelites complaining because the Egyptians have made them slaves. I always remember what I promised. 6 Therefore tell the Israelite people that I said this: ‘I am Yahweh. I will take the Egyptian’s heavy loads off your back. I will deliver you from being their slaves. I will very powerfully save you by punishing them very harshly. 7 I will claim you as my own people, and I will be the God {you worship}. You will truly know that I am Yahweh, your God who frees you from the heavy loads that the Egyptians make you carry. 8 I will bring you to the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you, and it will be yours. I, Yahweh, am {promising this}.’”
9 Moses told that to the Israelites, but they did not believe what he said, because they were discouraged and overworked.
10 Then Yahweh said to Moses, 11 “Go tell the king of Egypt that he must allow the Israelites to leave his land!”
12 But Moses said to Yahweh, “Certainly, if the Israelites have not paid attention to what I told them, the king will not pay attention to what I tell him, since I am a poor speaker.” 13 But Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron and commanded them to go to the Israelites and to the king of Egypt in order to free the Israelites from their slavery in Egypt.
14 These are the original clan leaders:
Jacob’s oldest son Reuben had these sons: Hanok, Pallu, Hezron, and Karmi. The clans of Reuben are descended from them.
15 The sons of Simeon were: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jakin, Zohar, and Shaul. Shaul’s mother was a woman from the land of Canaan. They were ancestors of clans that have those same names.
16 These are the names of the descendants of Levi in each generation: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi was 137 years old when he died. 17 The sons of Gershon were Libni and Shimei. They were ancestors of clans that have those names. 18 The sons of Kohath were Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Kohath was 133 years old when he died. 19 The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These were ancestors of clans that descended from Levi by each generation.
20 Amram married his father’s sister, Jochebed. She was the mother of Aaron and Moses. Amram lived 137 years.
21 The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.
23 Aaron married Elisheba. She was the daughter of Amminadab and sister of Nahshon. Elisheba gave birth to Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.
24 The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. They were the ancestors of the Korahite people. 25 Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she gave birth to Phinehas. These were the clan leaders descended from Levi in each generation.
26 Aaron and Moses were the ones to whom Yahweh said, “Lead all the Israelites out of Egypt organized as army units.” 27 They were the ones who spoke to the king of Egypt in order to bring the Israelites out of Egypt.
28 On the day that Yahweh spoke to Moses in Egypt, 29 he said, “I am Yahweh. Tell the king everything that I say to you.”
30 But Moses said to Yahweh, “Please listen to me. I am not a good speaker. So why should the king listen to what I tell him?”