The LORDsaid,"I have surelyseenthe afflictionof My peoplewhoare in Egypt,and have givenheedto their crybecauseof their taskmasters,for I am awareof their sufferings.
The angelof the LORDsaidto her further, "Behold,you are with child,And you will beara son;And you shall callhis nameIshmael,Becausethe LORDhas givenheedto your affliction.
"I will godownnow,and seeif they have doneentirelyaccording to its outcry,which has cometo Me; and ifnot, I will know."
Godheardthe ladcrying;and the angelof Godcalledto Hagarfrom heavenand saidto her, "Whatis the matter with you, Hagar?Do not fear,for Godhas heardthe voiceof the ladwherehe is.
Leahconceivedand borea sonand namedhim Reuben,for she said,"Becausethe LORDhas seenmy affliction;surelynowmy husbandwill loveme."
"He said,'Liftup nowyour eyesand see[that] allthe malegoatswhich are matingare striped,speckled,and mottled;for I have seenallthat Labanhas been doingto you.
"Ifthe Godof my father,the Godof Abraham,and the fearof Isaac,hadnot beenfor me, surelynowyou would have sentme awayempty-handed.Godhas seenmy afflictionand the toilof my hands,so He renderedjudgmentlastnight."
"And You savean afflictedpeople;But Your eyesare on the haughty[whom] You abase.
Then Jehoahazentreatedthe favorof the LORD,and the LORDlistenedto him; for He sawthe oppressionof Israel,howthe kingof Aramoppressedthem.
"Returnand sayto Hezekiahthe leaderof My people,'Thussaysthe LORD,the Godof your fatherDavid,"I have heardyour prayer,I have seenyour tears;behold,I will healyou. On the thirddayyou shall goup to the houseof the LORD.
"You sawthe afflictionof our fathersin Egypt,And heardtheir cryby the RedSea.
Nevertheless He lookedupon their distressWhen He heardtheir cry;
The wordsof the LORDare purewords;As silvertriedin a furnaceon the earth,refinedseventimes.
When my spiritwas overwhelmedwithinme, You knewmy path.In the waywhereI walkThey have hiddena trapfor me.
He will fulfillthe desireof those who fearHim; He will also heartheir cryand will savethem.
For He has not despisednorabhorredthe afflictionof the afflicted;Norhas He hiddenHis facefrom him; But when he criedto Him for help,He heard.
I soughtthe LORD,and He answeredme, And deliveredme from allmy fears.
Thispoormancried,and the LORDheardhim And savedhim out of allhis troubles.
You have seenit, O LORD,do not keepsilent;O Lord,do not be farfrom me.
That I may tellof allYour praises,That in the gatesof the daughterof ZionI may rejoicein Your salvation.
So they appointedtaskmastersoverthem to afflictthem with hardlabor.And they builtfor Pharaohstoragecities,Pithomand Raamses.
Now a newkingaroseoverEgypt,whodid not knowJoseph.
"Ifyou afflicthim at all,[and] ifhe does cryout to Me, I will surelyhearhis cry;
"Nowtherefore, I prayYou, ifI have foundfavorin Your sight,let me knowYour waysthat I may knowYou, sothat I may findfavorin Your sight.Considertoo, that thisnationis Your people."
So the taskmastersof the peopleand their foremenwentout and spoketo the people,saying,"ThussaysPharaoh,'I am not going to giveyou [any] straw.
So the samedayPharaohcommandedthe taskmastersover the peopleand their foremen,saying,
In alltheir afflictionHe was afflicted,And the angelof His presencesavedthem; In His loveand in His mercyHe redeemedthem, And He liftedthem and carriedthem allthe daysof old.
But when we criedout to the LORD,He heardour voiceand sentan angeland broughtus out from Egypt;now behold,we are at Kadesh,a townon the edgeof your territory.
I HAVE CERTAINLY SEENTHE OPPRESSIONOF MY PEOPLEIN EGYPTAND HAVE HEARDTHEIR GROANS,AND I HAVE COME DOWNTO RESCUETHEM; COMENOW,AND I WILL SENDYOU TO EGYPT.'
For we do not havea high priestwhocannotsympathizewith our weaknesses,but One whohas been temptedin all thingsas [we are, yet] withoutsin.
"About this timetomorrowI will sendyou a manfrom the landof Benjamin,and you shall anointhim to be princeoverMy peopleIsrael;and he will deliverMy peoplefrom the handof the Philistines.For I have regardedMy people,becausetheir cryhas cometo Me."
