“Understand what I am telling you. I will bring a great flood of water on the earth. I will destroy all living things that live under heaven. Everything on the earth will die.
I will make Pharaoh brave, and he will chase you. But I will defeat Pharaoh and his army. This will bring honor to me. Then the people of Egypt will know that I am the Lord.” The people of Israel obeyed God—they did what he told them.
The people of Israel were leaving with their arms raised in victory. But the Lord caused Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, to become brave. And Pharaoh chased the people of Israel.
While Moses was traveling back to Egypt, God spoke to him. God said, “When you talk to Pharaoh remember to show him all the miracles that I have given you the power to do. But I will cause Pharaoh to be very stubborn. He will not let the people go.
The Lord says, ‘Israel is my firstborn [35] son. And I am telling you to let my son go and worship me! If you refuse to let Israel go, then I will kill your firstborn son.’”
But I will make Pharaoh stubborn. {He will not obey the things you tell him.} Then I will do many miracles in Egypt to prove who I am. But he will still refuse to listen.
The Lord says,\par “I am the One who comforts you.\par So why should you be afraid of people?\par They are only people that live and die.\par They are only humans—\par they die the same as grass.”\par
But you called my message a heavy load, so I will pick you up like a heavy load and throw you away from me. I gave the city of Jerusalem to your ancestors. {\cf2\super [195]} But I will throw you and that city away from me.
Why? Because I will be like a lion to Ephraim.\par I will be like a young lion\par to the nation {\cf2\super [62]} of Judah.\par I—yes, I (the Lord)—will rip them to pieces.\par I will carry them away,\par And no person can save.\par
Then Moses said to Aaron, “The Lord says, ‘The priests that come near me must respect me! I must be holy to them and to all the people.’” So Aaron did not say anything {about his sons dying}.
“‘Now, see that I and only I am God!
There is no other God!
I put people to death
and I let people live.
I can hurt people,
and I can make them well.
No one can save another person
from my power!
The Lord wanted those people to think they were strong. Then they would fight against Israel. This way he could destroy them without mercy. He could destroy them the way the Lord had commanded Moses to do.
I will make Sisera, the commander of King Jabin’s army, come to you. I will make Sisera, his chariots and his army come to the Kishon River. [33] I will help you to defeat Sisera there.’”