"Then you shall sayto Pharaoh,'Thussaysthe LORD,"Israelis My son,My firstborn.
WhenIsrael[was] a youthI lovedhim, And out of EgyptI calledMy son.
whoare Israelites,to whombelongs the adoption as sons,and the gloryand the covenantsand the giving of the Lawand the [temple] serviceand the promises,
to the general assemblyand churchof the firstbornwho are enrolledin heaven,and to God,the Judgeof all,and to the spiritsof [the] righteousmade perfect,
"With weepingthey will come,And by supplicationI will leadthem; I will make them walkby streamsof waters,On a straightpathin which they will not stumble;For I ama fatherto Israel,And Ephraimis My firstborn."
But now,O LORD,You are our Father,We are the clay,and You our potter;And allof us are the workof Your hand.
For You are our Father,thoughAbrahamdoes not knowus And Israeldoes not recognizeus. You, O LORD,are our Father,Our Redeemerfrom of oldis Your name.
"You are the sonsof the LORDyour God;you shall not cutyourselves norshaveyour foreheadfor the sake of the dead.
In the exercise of His willHe brought us forthby the wordof truth,sothat we would be a kindof first fruitsamong His creatures.
"And I will be a fatherto you, And you shall be sonsand daughtersto Me," Saysthe LordAlmighty.
He remainedthereuntilthe deathof Herod.[This was] to fulfillwhathad been spokenby the Lordthroughthe prophet:"OUT OF EGYPTI CALLEDMY SON."
"Go,tellPharaohkingof Egyptto letthe sonsof Israelgoout of his land."
"You shall sayto him, 'The LORD,the Godof the Hebrews,sentme to you, saying,"LetMy peoplego,that they may serveMe in the wilderness.But behold,you have not listeneduntilnow."
"I alsoshall makehim [My] firstborn,The highestof the kingsof the earth.
"Do you thusrepaythe LORD,O foolishand unwisepeople?Is not He your Fatherwho has boughtyou? He has madeyou and establishedyou.
"Is Israela slave?Oris he a homebornservant? Whyhas he becomea prey?
"'A sonhonors[his] father,and a servanthis master.Then ifI am a father,whereis My honor?And ifI am a master,whereis My respect?'saysthe LORDof hoststo you, O priestswho despiseMy name.But you say,'Howhave we despisedYour name?'
