40 Sometime after that the Egyptian king’s cupbearer and baker sinned against their master, also known as Far’oh. 2 Far’oh was angry at those two officials 3 and he put them in the custody of the chief of the guards—in the prison where Yosef was also being held. 4 There the chief of the guards assigned Yosef to serve them.

After they’d been in custody for quite some time, 5 the king’s cupbearer and baker in prison each had separate dreams on the same night, and each man’s dream had its own interpretation. 6 The next morning, Yosef came to them, and wow, they were worried, 7 so he asked the two former officials of Far’oh, “Why are you looking so upset today?”

8 “We each had a dream last night,” they answered, “but there’s no one here who can tell us what our dreams mean.”

“God is the only one who gives someone the ability to interpret the meaning of dreams,” Yosef replied. “Please tell me what you dreamed.”

9 Then the chief of the cupbearers went first and told his dream to Yosef, “Listen, in my dream there was a grapevine in front of me 10 with three branches on it. Then as soon as the buds appeared on the branches, its blossoms came out straight away and its clusters ripened into grapes. 11 Then I was holding Far’oh’s cup and I took the grapes and squeezed them into it and I gave the cup to Far’oh.”

12 “This is the interpretation,” Yosef responded. “The three branches represent three days. 13 Within three days, Far’oh will display you publicly and then restore you to your position. Then you’ll place Far’oh’s cup into his hand, just like you used to before when you were his cupbearer. 14 But when it all goes well for you, if you remember me then please be kind and mention me to Far’oh to get me out of this prison, 15 because indeed I was trafficked from the land of the Hebrews. And even here, I didn’t do anything to deserve being held in this pit.”

16 Now when the chief of the bakers saw that this first dream was interpreted so favourably, he told Yosef, “I also was in my dream, and listen, there were three baskets of white bread on my head. 17 In the top basket there were various kinds of food for Far’oh—baker’s goods—but the birds were eating them out of the basket on my head.” 18 “This is the interpretation,” Yosef responded. “The three baskets are three days. 19 Within three days, Far’oh will display you publicly and then impale you on a pole, and the birds will eat your flesh off your bones.”

20 Then three days later, it was Far’oh’s birthday and he held a feast for all his officials and he got the chief of the cupbearers and the chief of the bakers brought in to stand publicly in the middle of everyone. 21 Then he restored the chief of the cupbearers to his position, and the man carried the cup across to Far’oh, 22 but he had the chief of the bakers executed, just like Yosef had described in the interpretation of the dream. 23 However, the chief of the cupbearers completely forgot about Yosef.

3 One time Mosheh (Moses) was shepherding the flock of his father-in-law Yetro (or Jethro, the priest at Midian), and he led the flock beyond the wilderness and came to a hill. (This was later known as the mountain of God at Horeb). 2 While he was there. Yahweh’s messenger appeared to him in a flame coming from the middle of a bush, and as Mosheh looked, to his surprise he saw that the bush was burning in the fire yet not actually being burnt up.[ref] 3 “I’ve got to go and see this amazing sight,” Mosheh said to himself. “How come the bush isn’t burning up?”

4 When Yahweh saw that he’d left his path in order to look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Mosheh, Mosheh.”

“I’m here,” he replied.

5 “Don’t come any closer,” Yahweh said. “Take off your sandals because the place where you’e standing is HOLY ground. 6 I’m the God of your father and the God of Abraham, Yitshak, and Yacob.” So Mosheh covered hid his face because he was scared to look at God.

7 “I’ve certainly noticed the suffering of my people in Egypt,” Yahweh continued, “I’ve heard their cries as the slave drivers oppress them—I’m unmistakingly aware of their pain. 8 So I’ve come down to set them free from Egyptian control and to bring them up from there to a good and wide land—a land flowing with milk and honey. It’s currently the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 Yes, the cry of the Israelis has now reached me and what’s more, I’ve seen how much the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So go now and I’ll send you to Far’oh (Pharaoh) and bring my people—Yisra’el’s descendants—out from Egypt.”

11 “Who am I, that I should go to Far’oh,” Mosheh asked God, “and that I should be the one to bring out the Israelis out from Egypt?”

12 “I’ll certainly be with you,” God replied, “and this will be your sign so that you’ll know that I have sent you: when you bring the people out from Egypt, you all will serve God on this very hill.”

13 “But listen,” Mosheh told God, “If I’m about to go to the Israelis and if I told them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you.’ then they’d ask me, ‘Oh yeah, what’s his name?’ then what would I tell them?”[ref]

14 “I AM WHO I AM,” God told Mosheh. “You’ll tell them this: ‘I AM sent me to you.’ ”[ref] 15 Then he continued, “This is what you need to tell the Israelis: ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Yitshak, and Yacob, sent me to you. This is my name forever, and this is my memorial from generation to generation.’ 16 Go and gather the Israeli elders, and tell them, ‘Yahweh, the God of your ancestors, appeared to me, the God of Abraham, Yitshak, and Yacob, to say, “I’ve certainly noticed you all and how you’re all being treated in Egypt, 17 and I’ve promised to take you all from your mistreatment in Egypt, away to the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and the Jebusites are currently living—to a land flowing with milk and honey.” ’

18 Then the people will listen to what you tell them, and you and the Israeli elders will go to the Egyptian king and you’ll all tell him, ‘Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, so we can sacrifice to Yahweh, our God.’ 19 But I know that the Egyptian king won’t let you go until he’s forced to. 20 So I will use force and I’ll strike Egypt with several supernatural acts, and after those, he’ll let you all go.

21 Then I’ll make the Egyptian people favour you all in such a way that when you go, you won’t leave empty-handed.[ref] 22 For example, an Israeli woman will ask her Egyptian neighbour (or from someone staying where she lives) for gold and silver items and for clothing. Then you’ll put them on your sons and daughters, and in this way you’ll all plunder the Egyptians.”

4 “But listen,” Mosheh responded, “they won’t believe me and won’t listen to what I say, because they’ll say, ‘Yahweh never showed himself to you.’” 2 “Well, what’s that in your hand?” Yahweh asked.

“My shepherd’s staff,” he said. 3 “Throw it on the ground,” Yahweh said. So Mosheh he threw it onto the ground and it became a snake, and he quickly moved back away from it. 4 “Pick it up by its tail.” Yahweh told him. So Mosheh picked it up by the tail and it became a staff in his hand again. 5 “That’s so that they’ll believe that I appeared to you: Yahweh—the God of their ancestors—the God of Abraham, Yitshak, and Yacob.”

6 “Now put your hand on your chest—inside your robe.” Yahweh added. So Mosheh did that, and when he pulled it out again, his hand had gone totally white with disease. 7 Then Yahweh said, “Now, put your hand back in again.” So Mosheh did it again, and when he pulled it out, wow, it had returned to normal. 8 “So, if they don’t believe you, and if the first miracle doesn’t convince them, then they’ll believe that second miracle. 9 And then, even if they don’t believe those two miracles and won’t believe what you tell them, then you should take some water from the river and pour it onto the dry land. Then the water which came from the river will turn into blood there on the dry land.”

10 “Oh my master,” Mosheh responded, “I’m not very good at speaking to others—I never have been and still aren’t. I seem to get tongue-tied easily.”

11 “Who was it that made people’s mouths?” Yahweh said. “Who makes someone mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Isn’t it me, Yahweh? 12 So get going now, and I’ll look after your mouth and show you what you to say.”

13 But Mosheh replied, “Oh master, please send someone else.”

14 Then Yahweh got angry with Mosheh and told him, “Isn’t Aharon (Aaron) a fellow Levite and your brother? I know that he can speak well, and what’s more, he’ll come from Egypt to meet you, and when he does, he’ll be very happy. 15 He’ll become your speaker and you’ll be able to talk to him and tell him what to say. I’ll be helping both of you speak and I’ll teach you both what you should do. 16 So in that way, he’ll be like a mouth for you and speak to the people for you, and you’ll be like God to him. 17 In addition, you’ll have that staff with you in order to do those miracles.”

21 Then Yahweh told Mosheh, “Raise your hand up toward the sky and let it become dark over all Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” 22 So Mosheh stretched his hand out towards the sky, and a thick darkness was in all Egypt for three days.[ref] 23 No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one was able to go anywhere, yet there was light in the region where the Israelis lived.

20 Then Yahweh said to Mosheh, “Get up early in the morning and when you see Far’oh coming down to the river, station yourself in front of him and tell him, ‘Yahweh saw that you must let my people go so they can serve me. 21 Certainly if you don’t release my people immediately, then take note: I’m about to send the swarm[fn] at you and your servants and at your people and into your houses. The Egyptians’ houses will be full of the swarm and even the ground that they’re on. 22 But when it happens, I’ll distinguish the Goshen region where my people live so the swarm won’t be there, so that you’ll be able to see that I’m Yahweh and I’m right here in this land. 23 This sign will happen tomorrow and you’ll see how I plan to set my people free from your people.’ ” 24 So Yahweh did what he’d said and a heavy swarm came to Far’oh’s house and the houses of his servants and all the Egyptians—the country was ruined by the arrival of the swarm.

16 Then Yahweh said to Mosheh, “Tell Aharon: Stretch out your staff and strike the dust on the ground, and it will turn into lice[fn] all over Egypt.” 17 So Aharon held out his staff and struck the dust with it, and the dust became lice on the people and on the animals. All over Egypt, the dust turned into lice

29 Then, in the middle of the night, Yahweh struck all the oldest males in Egypt, from the oldest son of Far’oh who sat on his throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon and all oldest male offspring of the animals.[ref]

17 Then all the Israelis moved on from Siyn in the wilderness, travelling following Yahweh’s instructions. They camped at Refidim but there was no water for the people to drink.[ref] 2 So the people argued with Mosheh again, saying, “Give us water to drink!”

“Why are you all quarreling with me?” Mosheh answered. “Why are you all testing Yahweh?”

3 But the people were very thirsty there and they murmured against Mosheh, so he demanded, “Is this why you brought us out of Egypt? To kill me and my sons and my cattle with thirst?” ???

4 Mosheh cried out to Yahweh, asking, “What should I do for these people? It won’t take much more and they’ll stone me.”

5 “Walk on ahead of the people,” Yahweh told Mosheh, “and take some of the Israeli elders with you, and your staff—the one which you struck the river with. Take it in your hand and go. 6 Watch me. I will stand in front of you there on the rock at Horeb (Mt. Sinai). Then you will strike the rock and water will come out of it, and the people will drink.” So Mosheh did that while the Israeli elders watched.

7 Mosheh named that place both ‘Massah’ (which means ‘testing’) and ‘Meribah’ (which means ‘complaining’), because of the conflict among the Israelis and because of how they tested of Yahweh by saying, ‘Is Yahweh among us or not?’

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