Memar Marqah Book 1

1 In the name of God the Helper! Marqah’s Book of Wonders. God’s favor be with him! 2 Great is the power of his almighty rule! Let us clothe ourselves in fear of him, so that we are not destroyed. No secret is hidden from him, and everything is in his power. He knows what was, what is and what will be. He stands by himself and needs no one else. He knows every secret without its being made known or revealed to him. He does what he wills, and no king or ruler can stop him. The Lord is God, and there is no other besides him! He is a Lord who has no lord, and all dominion belongs to him. In the bush he made known to Moses secrets, the revelation of his power and of what his glory is. An angel stood before him and spoke with him about what is and what will be. The prophet stood there overwhelmed by what he saw, and his limbs trembled when he saw the messenger sent by the Lord; there is none like him. He became a prophet so that he would hear and proclaim it to his people. The Good One reveals himself to a person only according to that person’s nature: to the pious according to his piety, and to the sinner according to his sin. The angels who appeared to the righteous came only for a time, for one errand. Three of them appeared in disguise to Abraham, gave him their message and went away the same day. Two of them appeared to Lot toward evening, did what was needed and went away in the night. One appeared to Joseph in the field and showed him the way, and did not appear to him again. So the angel who appeared in the bush was sent by God with a message for the prophet. Great was the glory seen there in three forms, none like the others: a blazing fire, a bush that was burning, and an angel calling out! Moses heard it and trembled. 3 “And he said: Moses, Moses,” and “he said: Here I am.” May what is hidden gladden you and the whole revelation show you favor. And he said, “Moses, Moses”: the Abiding One made known to him his grace and his perfection. And he said, “Moses, Moses”: he revealed to him a double gift, the garment of his prophecy and the name of his divinity. And he said, “Moses, Moses”: he made known to him the redemption of the Hebrews and the killing of the Egyptians. When he said, “Abraham, Abraham,” he declared that he would remember him in the Time of Favor and in the Time of Disfavor. When he said, “Jacob, Jacob,” he made known to him the end of the time of sojourning and of being strangers. When he said in the bush, “Moses, Moses,” one referred to what he is and one to what he will be. “Moses, Moses”: this he said to him: “You are the one who will establish life in the world. Great is your greatness, Moses, purifier of all people; you will make them believe the ancient and the new mysteries.” It was sealed by the call that the Good One will proclaim before him on the summit of Mount Sinai.

1 And an angel of the Lord called from the midst of the bush, and Moses listened like a youth to the words of his teacher. “Great prophet Moses, light of the whole human household, turn back from the pasture; what you are now is nothing. Take your sandals off your feet, for you must walk on a holy path. Bring the flock in your hand back to its owner, for in time to come you will feed the offspring of Abraham.” 2 We present the great and awe-inspiring section, the conversation between God and his prophet. 3 And he said, “I am the God of your fathers.” Receive from me what is divine, and let your prophecy grow strong by it. I am the one who appeared to Adam after he had fallen to death, and I showed him favor when he said, “I heard your voice and I hid myself,” and the woman too, because of what had happened. I also rescued Enosh and gave him a memorial that does not fade and remains for ever. I rescued Noah and made him a head, and his inheritance is for ever, because I found him perfect. So I rescued Abraham and revealed to him the teaching of faith for his descendants after him. I rescued Isaac by means of a ram and gave him three great blessings. I rescued Jacob from his brother, and their enmity ended; they were reconciled in love. I rescued Joseph and showed him favor, and all the people bowed before him. I also kept you safe in the river of Egypt and raised you in peace in your enemy’s house. You come last in the line of the world’s righteous, and through you I will reveal their deliverance. In my grace I made a covenant with their forefathers, and I will never forget it. The children are held as a pledge in Egypt because of a matter in which Abraham erred at Ur of the Chaldeans. I made a covenant with him up to a known limit. The time to redeem them from their distress is near, and I have the power to do it. 4 So I give you leave to redeem them, for the jubilee is near. They are under great and heavy oppression, from the day their cry and their pleading rose up to me. In this woe I remember the three great covenants made with those three pious men! Do I not know their affliction? Pharaoh and all his people will be made to pay for it. Do I not know their affliction? My deputy goes down into Egypt with wonders. Do I not know their affliction? Go and wipe out the band of rebels. Do I not know their affliction? It would not be right for me to forget what my beloved ones did. Do I not know their affliction? Abraham’s eyes look out between the lion and the lioness. Do I not know their affliction? Sarah’s young are subject to the enemy. Do I not know their affliction? Isaac’s orchard lies neglected, with no one to tend it. Do I not know their affliction? Jacob’s holdings lie wasted and ruined. Do I not know their affliction? Joseph’s crown lies abandoned, with no one to inherit it. Do I not know their affliction? In the land of Canaan no voice calls out. Do I not know their affliction? Mount Gerizim lies deserted, with no prayer on it. Do I not know their affliction? I hold fast to the covenants with my beloved ones. 5 “So now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh.” I reveal it to you by the staff that is in my hand. Strengthen your feet, and no weakness will come near you, for I have made them stronger than the feet of those who live on dry land. Your hands are more radiant, for I have made them shine like the sun and the moon. Your tongue is strengthened, and no speechlessness will come near it, for with it you will strike them like the waves of the sea. Your ears are open and filled with light; with them you will turn them into formlessness and void. Your enemies will fall before you, and not one of them will be able to stand against you. Your enemies will lie broken before you, and they will never rise again. Today I will make a decision and raise my rank: from now on and in time to come you are the one who will free the whole congregation with me, and in my name you will redeem them with great power, in abundance. 6 Hear how the prophet answered the Lord when he heard these words! “Who am I, my Lord and Lord of the whole world, that I should go to Pharaoh the king? I count for nothing before him, for I am lowly and weak and he is higher than I. Mighty and Great One, a weak and tender little dove before a lion! Who could defeat him in war? All the kings of the earth fear when they think of him; no one can stand before him.” 7 Hear what the Lord answered him! “I know that you are faint of heart, and I know your tenderness too. I can, however, turn your weakness into strength. My hand gives you a staff out of the fire, and it will change into any shape you wish. Look at it with your eyes and be armed in your heart, and in time to come you will spread wonders abroad with it. 8 “Let this be a sign to you: a staff was revealed out of the fire for your sake. Let this be a sign to you, for great dominion and power are contained in it. Let this be a sign to you: a sword with which you will kill the apostates. Let this be a sign to you: with it you will make the Egyptians drink bitter water. Let this be a sign to you: with it you will pay the Egyptians their recompense. Let this be a sign to you: with it you will perform various wonders. Let this be a sign to you: with it you will kill Gihon, the son of Eden. Let this be a sign to you: through it the river will one day be healed. Let this be a sign to you: the dust of the earth is subject to its rule. Let this be a sign to you: the heavens will one day tremble because of it. Let this be a sign to you: no one can stand before you while it is in your hands.” 9 When Moses heard this, he grew strong, and the fear of Pharaoh left his heart. He stood upright before the Lord and listened to every word. He took his staff in his hand, holding it in his right hand, and stood there with great confidence and said: “With your leave, Lord, I will speak when I go up to Egypt, with your leave. I will tell the congregation your words in peace. When I tell them that the God of their ancestors has sent me to them with an honorable message, I know that they fear the Egyptians, and they will say to me, ‘What is this testimony you hold in your hand?’ And because they have a tradition, they will say, ‘Let us know what his name is!’ What shall I tell them?” 10 The All-Powerful answered and said: “Calm your mind, prophet, and receive the message, for everything you do will prove good by grace. I will make the name known to you so that they may recognize it. It is the sign that is in their hands, inherited from Abraham; this is the name I reveal to you, prophet. It is a sign by which they will recognize their redemption; make it clear to them. Hear from me now what it is, and do not be afraid to say it before them.” Then the world and every creature in it trembled as God said to Moses: 11 “I am who I am, who is and will be, a root that has no beginning. I am who I am, the Abiding One, who was in the beginning and on Mount Sinai. I am who I am, who spoke and a world came to be, and who called forth its creatures. I am who I am, the Creator of the body and the Founder of the soul. I am who I am, the Maker of the garden and the Destroyer of Sodom. I am who I am, the Sustainer of life and the poison of death. I am who I am, the God of the righteous and the Lord of the Hebrews. When they hear this great name, they will all obey and act in time to come. ‘So say to them, to the children of Israel: Ehyeh has sent me to you’ in peace, to fulfill the covenant he made with Abraham, swore to Isaac and concluded with Jacob. This is my name for ever, and this is my remembrance from generation to generation. One who lives and does not die, one who stands firm and does not turn away. With this great name you will overcome them, and they will not obey a stranger. Now take your staff in your hand and go to Egypt, and they will know that you are my messenger. Go back now and tell your family everything in detail. And when you arrive in Egypt, gather the elders of Israel so that you may proclaim to them; seated in order, announce the message before them and tell them in peace everything that was said to you at the bush. Tell it to them with forceful dignity. This is the first address to the elders: 12 “‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, appeared to me in awesome fire and in a great vision! The Lord, the God of your forefathers, appeared to me in the power of his grace and in the fullness of his truth. The Lord, the God of your ancestors, appeared to me in an awesome vision and in the glory of his majesty. The Lord, the God of your forefathers, appeared to me in grace, awesome and in great glory. His power has no root and his dominion no origin. He is the root of the world and the stock of its creatures. No beginning can be found in him; he is eternal, without start or finish. He knows what is and what will be; he sees into what is hidden, and he is hidden from all and not seen. 13 “‘He called Abraham, and Abraham walked after him, and he will never forget it for him. 14 “‘He tested Isaac, and Isaac let himself be bound before him, and he will not forget it for him through all time! 15 “‘He made great covenants with Jacob, and he does not deceive him or withhold them from his children. So I will remember them for the congregation and not abandon them in the oppression of the Egyptians. The appointed time is drawing near and there is not much time left, for I have been sent to you as a shepherd. He will bring you up out of Egypt into the land he allotted to the three perfect ones.’ 16 “Once you have declared these words to them, they will surely heed you, for out of their sorrow they cry out and say, ‘If it were not for these covenants, we would be destroyed, for we have secret signs from Abraham, and when we see them, redemption is near!’ And when you have proclaimed to the elders these words that were spoken to you, hurry and go up to Pharaoh the king, stand before him and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness.’ And God has this to tell you: ‘Send my people away quickly so that they may sacrifice to me there.’ I know for certain, prophet, that he will not let you go except through great wonders, for his heart is hardened and his sentence is written down. He will not depart in the least from his purpose. See, he is defiant toward me; from a crushed heart he says, ‘Who is this fearsome Mighty One? I will not let them go.’ But when I then harden his heart and he still does not give way, he has no complaint against me, for he has blasphemed against my name. This is the beginning of the wonders you will do in time to come. And I will give my people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and they will ask of them, and they will go out in peace and empty them of what belongs to them.” 17 Moses answered the Lord when he had heard all these words: “But if they do not believe me and do not listen to my voice, what is the sign I am to show them? For even before this they did not listen to my voice, and they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you!’” 18 And the Lord said to him (pay attention, reader, to the message he will now hear from the Lord!): “Because of all this, strengthen your heart, prophet. See, I am revealing to you signs that you are to perform before the assembly. 19 “What is that in your hand?” Praised be the Speaker, and glad be the one who hears what Moses answered him! He said, “A staff from the fire, given to me by your goodness with great dominion.” “Then throw it from your hand to the ground,” said God, “and we will see, prophet, what happens to the wood.” “And I threw it down quickly, at the Lord’s command, to the ground.” He threw it down in great agitation. Moses had scarcely finished throwing the staff from his hand when it became a serpent. The sight of it terrified him; he trembled and went away. In tremendous fear Moses fled from it and stood in great dread; there has never been anything like it! His heart trembled violently, and he could not bring himself to go near it. He stood there waiting, his heart full of anguish, for this was a great horror with no escape. “A piece of dry wood, that serpent, advancing against me! It was terrifying to see, and there is no escape from it for me! This is utterly oppressive; there is no release for one who is gripped by it. Unless the Mighty One exercises his power, I will be swallowed by it! There is no rescue, for no one is here to give me escape! And unless the Lord, the Glorious One, turns it away, I cannot stand before it for an hour; I will flee so that I do not have to look at it.” 20 His heart shook violently, and he squeezed his eyes shut so as not to see its form. Moses had not finished speaking in his heart when he received an answer from the great Victor, beside whom there is no other god: “Do not be dismayed by this, prophet of the world, for it is in my power to destroy things mightier than this. Prophet, let your heart grow strong because of all the wonders, for you must stand unafraid before everything greater than this! So ‘reach out your hand and take it by its tail,’ and you will see the wonders of my power. As soon as you take it in your right hand, it will change back into what it was, no more and no less.” There the great prophet marveled, and he spoke words of praise to the All-Powerful, who does what pleases him and changes his works by the power of his greatness. God said: “This sign that I let you see is enough for them to believe that I am their Creator and the God of their fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the three perfect ones, with whom I made a covenant. I will show you, prophet, a great sign, and you will marvel at it and be very afraid. Now see your second sign!” 21 And the Lord said to him again … 22 Great is his power; so he spoke, and it was beautiful to hear. Humbly Moses heard from the Lord: “‘Put your hand into your bosom,’ and do not delay, prophet; be quick about it and hear what the Creator tells you.” “And I put it into my bosom with tremendous speed.” He did not know what had happened to him, and he drew it out as soon as he was told, and he “saw it white, covering all his flesh.” He stood there in great and overwhelming terror. He looked at his hand and could not speak! He had been able to flee from the staff, and his heart had not trembled at his flight when he fled from it. He saw on his right hand something more terrible than the staff. He looked at his right hand, and its appearance filled him with fear; he could not flee, he could not hide it, and he could not throw his right hand away from himself, for with it he was to perform wonders in time to come. When the Lord saw him standing in great anguish, his hand only stiffened with fear, he said, “‘Put your hand into your bosom a second time,’ and I will take all this fear out of your heart. When you put it in, do not leave it in your bosom. Draw it out with thanksgiving, and your amazement will grow.” The prophet did as the Lord told him; he put it in and drew it out, and it was as it had been before his hand stiffened. 23 He praised the Lord of the world, who performs all these wonders, and said to him: “These signs are exalted beyond measure. Foolish is the heart that does not believe in all your deeds, and there is no end to your power, King of the world.” “Take these two signs, prophet, and if they will not believe them, you are to perform more glorious ones than these before them once you have done the first and second signs before them. If they do not believe through both signs, I will overcome their wickedness with my other wonders. 24 “When Pharaoh comes near you, ‘take some of the water of the river and pour it on the dry ground, and it will become blood.’ Great wonders shake all their hearts. No one will do the like except you, for you are second in the world below.” 25 When Moses heard these words, he answered in great fear: “I am your servant, Lord of the world; I will never oppose your words! I only ask that I may speak before you. Speaking is not my habit, that I should be master of it. I know in my heart everything you tell me, only my practice in it is too slight. ‘My tongue is heavy for speaking.’ I have no practice for this message. When I speak, your people and the people of King Pharaoh will soon notice it in me. Could you not call someone more capable than I am, so that they cannot say I lack the gift of speech? Your people have also heard that long ago I went from Egypt to Midian, and what happened to me. They will say that I was brought into Pharaoh’s house and raised there, and when I was grown and left Pharaoh’s house as an adult, I had not changed. My speech was poor, and I had no practice in speaking. ‘Truly I am slow of mouth and slow of tongue.’” 26 A great exposition is given here, but we will report only the words of God and the prophet. 27 Then God spoke to him with his mighty power, and the world was filled with fear: “Who formed the body and set it in order? Who gave understanding to the spirit within it? Who founded knowledge in its spirit? Who gives rest to its heart when its desire is stirred by its senses? ‘Who put the tongue in its mouth, and who lets speech come out of its voice, if not I, the Lord?’ My servant, since you know that I do all this, why have you answered me with all these words? If my grace had not gone before you, my punishment would have overtaken you. ‘See, I am sending your brother to meet you, for his tongue is well practiced.’ 28 “Hear the words from me and pass them on to your brother, and let him speak to the Egyptians and the people, ‘and you shall be his teacher and he shall be your prophet.’ You are my messengers; your task is to lay bare the disgrace of the Egyptians. Two great lights, Moses and Aaron, shine over the congregation of Israel. Take the staff of God in your hand and do not delay, for the time of deliverance is drawing near.”

1 “Moses went back quickly to Jethro” and took his leave of him before he went. He said to him, “I have brothers in Egypt whom I have not seen since the day I left in flight. I would like to go and see whether they are still alive in the world.” 2 I remember Jethro for blessing because of the words he answered, and I record it to his credit, for Jethro said, “Go in peace!” 3 And the Lord said to him in Midian, to strengthen his heart so that he would not be afraid: “Go, return to Egypt and do not be downcast, for all the men who sought your life are dead. Take dominion and power from me into your heart, for every enemy of yours will go down before you. Have no fear of them, for they are in your hand. Truly, you will overcome them with the staff I have given you, and who can stand against you? My great name is with you, and every enemy falls before you like a cast-off covering.” Toward evening his call came to him, and in the night he made ready to go. 4 “And Moses took his wife and his sons” on the morning after his call. “And Moses took his wife and his children”: a victor going out to war. “And Moses took his wife and his sons”: a bridegroom eager to go to his bride. “And Moses took his wife and his sons”: he went, a wise man, and climbed to his rank. “And Moses took his wife and his sons”: a lover going out to the one he loves. He saddled his donkey and took his wife and his sons to return. “Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey,” going in great haste. Abraham took his son and his two young men with him to go to Bethel and offer him there. Moses took his wife and his two sons and went to Mount Sinai to stand before his Lord. Abraham set out from Beersheba to go to the place God had shown him. Moses took courage and went to the place where Ehyeh had been told to him. Abraham’s young men did not go up to Bethel, and Moses’ sons did not go up to Mount Sinai. Abraham’s young men waited at a distance until Abraham came back, and Moses’ sons turned back from the struggle; they were afraid because of what they saw that night. 5 We give the section concerned, but we do not expound it, so as not to turn aside from the path we have taken. 6 “And the Lord said to Aaron: Go to meet your brother,” and receive from him the secrets that are in his hand. “And the Lord said to Aaron: Go to meet your brother,” for his wife and his sons have turned back from him, and he is left alone on the road, all by himself in grief. Go out to meet him, for his heart is sick. I know there is more strength in your heart than in his, and through you the struggle there will be won. I gave Moses my name so that he would not be afraid, and I handed him a staff out of the fire; I showed him signs so that his heart would not sink, and then he said, “I am slow of tongue.” So I told him about you: let him be your prophet. When he speaks, listen to his words; your tongue is certainly practiced. Rise early in the morning to meet your brother in the wilderness. 7 He went and met him at the mountain of God. Two lights met, this one and that one. 8 He went, and at the mountain of God the sun and the moon that came from Amram and Jochebed met each other. “And I went and met him at the mountain of God”: Tigris and Euphrates were alike. 9 It was a beautiful sight when they embraced, and great was the delight between them. They kissed each other, with tears in their eyes, and each one’s love glowed for his companion. “Come in peace, my brother,” Aaron said to him; “for many years I have longed for you. At the hour when the Lord of the world told me your name, my joy grew brighter and I grew strong. Blessed be the Mighty One, who has brought us together here after a long delay.” For a meeting after a delay greatly strengthens love. Jacob met Esau after many years of separation, and great was their joy; their enmity ended. It had grown strong in estrangement; now they both stood united in powerful love. “And Moses told Aaron all the words of God and showed him the signs,” and performed them before his eyes. When Aaron heard all this from Moses, he broke into praise of the God of the world: “How blessed you are, my brother, because he revealed these signs to you!” How glorious a sight they were as Moses and Aaron set out for Egypt, like the two angels who went to Sodom! “And two angels went up to Sodom in the evening.” They were sent to open the treasury of wrath on all the inhabitants in it. Moses and Aaron went to Egypt in the evening; they were sent to open the treasury of judgment there. Angels were sent to destroy Sodom, and Moses and Aaron were sent to destroy Egypt. The angels ate unleavened bread in Sodom, and Moses and Aaron instituted the Festival of Unleavened Bread in Egypt. 10 The angels kindled the coal from the abyss, and Moses and Aaron killed Pishon, the son of Eden. The angels brought Lot out at daybreak, and Moses and Aaron brought Israel out before daybreak. Glorious are these two for ever, and their majesty fills heaven and earth.

1 They went up to Egypt; so that no one would see them, God hid them in secret, and they slept that night. They rose early in the morning “and gathered the elders of the congregation” in haste. Moses revealed to them what the Lord had revealed to him, and their hearts rejoiced. When they heard this, they said to one another, “Where is the sign that is to show us redemption is near?” Then he performed the signs before them, and they all believed that God had sent them. On that day, when the leaders heard it, they told the whole congregation, and the people believed, gave thanks and spoke words of praise, as on a day when a king had died. They sighed and cried out because God had remembered and not forgotten. “And they bowed down and worshiped” the God of their forefathers. After they had told the people that they were to be redeemed, the prophets went up to Pharaoh the king and asked permission to come up to him. He granted it. They went up and stood before him, with his glory at their right hand and his grace at their left. Aaron said, “With your permission, king, I would like to speak a word before you!” 2 He said, “Speak!” He said: “‘Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Let my people go, so that they may serve me!’” Pharaoh grew agitated when he heard the speech and looked at them in tremendous anger. “Who is this king,” he said, “in whose name you come? I have heard the names of all the kings of the world, and I have not heard the name of this king. If it were not a disgrace for me, I would give leave for you to be killed if you do not leave. I will hide nothing from you: if I killed you, it would be a disgrace for me, because you are slaves in Egypt. Go to them, so that my anger does not blaze against them. If all the kings of the world gathered to take Israel away from me, they could not do it. Woe to you, you Hebrews, weak, worthless in my eyes, despised in my heart. Do you think I will say to you, ‘Go, take Israel and leave’?” When they saw that Pharaoh was bold toward them, they went out to tell the congregation. 3 The two prophets had scarcely finished leaving when every overseer in Egypt was summoned to the house of the chief overseer and ordered: “‘You are no longer to give the workers straw for making bricks, yet the number they made before is not to be reduced.’” So they were oppressed all the more by what happened, and their work became harder than it had been. In the morning they rose early with the bitter burdens on them and tears in their eyes; “burdened, they went about the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw” to make bricks, and their taskmasters drove them hard, harder than before, and beat them severely with a rod. “Woe to us, why is this happening to us?” they said to one another. “Great, extraordinary distress has come upon us. If only we had never seen Moses and Aaron, for they have put our favor at risk; we will fall in their land. Enough of this; come, let us drive them away.” They said, “We have seen no distress like this since the day they came.” They reviled them with their grumbling. They said out of grief … They ran quickly to Moses and Aaron and stood before them with faces full of grief and said to them: “‘May the Lord look on you and judge, for you have brought all this distress on us; you have made our lives bitter because of the labor with the bricks.’ From the day you came our distress began. We will be killed by your hand. Have you not made us stink in the whole land of Mizraim? For it would be a great disgrace for the king of Egypt to let six hundred thousand men of a people like us go. Because of the words you spoke to him, he holds a sword in his hand to kill us. So leave us alone!” When Moses and Aaron heard these words, they were in great grief. Then Moses said to the Lord, his heart full of fear: “Lord, tell me, what is this mystery? ‘Ever since I went up to Pharaoh, he has mistreated the people!’” This is an extraordinarily great evil, and the people are in great distress; their oppressions multiply far more than they were, and the hardship grows harsher every day than on the days before. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses: “Prophet, no! Their deliverance is near. I will show great wonders, for I will harden his heart, and in the end his memory will be wiped out. I will reveal to you my great name, the Lord, which I did not reveal to the righteous of the world. ‘I appeared to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob as El Shaddai, but my great name I did not reveal to them.’” This is the glorious name full of all majesty; by it the world was created, and by it too the covenants of the righteous were bound for ever, and I do not forget it, not for all eternity … “That is why I have revealed my great name to you. ‘See, I have made you God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall serve you as your prophet.’ See, I have made you God to Pharaoh for the destruction of him and his followers. See, I have made you God to Pharaoh to reveal wonders with the staff that is in your hand. See, I have made you God to Pharaoh, for through his wickedness all Egypt will, in the blink of an eye, be destroyed. See, I have made you God to Pharaoh; I will give him into your hand and kill him by judgment. See, I have made you God to Pharaoh; you are not to fear him, for I have given him into your hand. See, I have made you God to Pharaoh; he is defeated by you, and you need no support. 5 “A house of study has been set up; you are its teacher. Begin to learn in it the sentences against Pharaoh. Hear them from me and pass them on to Aaron, so that he may interpret them before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Go, Moses, steward of my house, for I am teaching you wonders. This is the beginning of the wonders you are to perform before Pharaoh the king. Go up to him, you and Aaron, and throw the staff down before him so that it becomes a serpent; when it changes before him, he will flee from it in fear! So it will be, just as it is done, and Pharaoh and all his servants will be afraid of it. For through you I show him wonders, and whenever he hardens his heart, his sentence is decreed against him.” 6 Let us listen to Moses and Aaron as they describe it. Moses said to Aaron, “Take courage, take the staff that is in your hand and go up with it to Pharaoh, so that you may make a serpent before him.” The two of them went in great haste and came to the king’s gate. They asked to be let in to him. Moses and Aaron said, “Peace to you! Now, you servants of the king, we ask you to obtain leave for us.” At the moment they stood at the entrance asking, the servants hurried up to bring the request. They said to him: “King, give leave now for these two to come to you for a little while; they want to speak with you so that you will let Israel go. On the day they first came up to you, their heads were bowed, and they spoke with you in great fear. Today they stand at the king’s gate with their heads raised like a lion and a lioness, and they ask your leave to come up to you. They are asking, so give them leave.” Then the king passed the message on to his counselors: “What do you think, shall I give them leave to come up? I know them, the two brothers; they want to speak with me about an important matter.” 7 The counselors said, “Let them come up and hear what they have to say. Give an answer to those standing at the gate; tell them to come, so that we may hear their words.” The servants went out, hurried down and said to them, “Go up to the king, go up in peace, you two brothers, and tell the king everything you need.” 8 Fine was their appearance as they went up to King Pharaoh, and his glory and his grace upheld them as they were admitted to him. They stood before him and greeted him and all his counselors. Pharaoh raised his eyes and saw them standing with their faces lifted higher than before. He said to them, “Speak, you two brothers, so that all the counselors can hear too.” When the counselors saw them, they were seized with great and overwhelming astonishment and said: “There is none like them; there are none to match them in Egypt. We believe these are good men; there is no folly in them, for their outward appearance bears witness to what is within. They shine like two lights, these men who stand before you.” 9 Pharaoh said, “Is there anything that makes you believe the speakers are greater than we are? Then let us hear them, and you will see whether they are fools or not. See, I give them leave. Now say everything you wish; tell me! State your request, you two brothers, and if it is possible for me, I will do it.” They answered: “King, we ask nothing of you except that you hear from us what our Creator told us. Thus he says: Send Israel away, as he said at an earlier time. We have now been sent by him to you so that you let the congregation go with us. We know that you are not in the least inclined to do it, for we are the messengers of the Lord of all!” 10 He answered and said: “That king in whose name you come, sent with a message, what is the wonder you hold in your hands, anything from him? If you have a sign or a wonder from him in your hands, what use is it when the like is done before you?” 11 They said: “We have not been sent to you without a sign and a wonder, so that you may believe that he is a trustworthy God. If he did not know that your agreement was valid, he would not have sent us. He asks of you this people, which is a pledge in your hand because of the decree. The time has come, and the Lord now wants to free his people. He asks for his own property, and truly it is his property.” 12 Pharaoh said, “If you have signs or wonders, reveal them now; then I will see whether your signs are true or not.”

1 When they heard King Pharaoh’s speech, their hearts grew strong, very strong. “And Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh, and it became a serpent,” a terrifying sight! When Pharaoh and his counselors saw it, a great and overwhelming fear fell on them. The serpent opened its mouth toward Pharaoh as if to swallow him, and it raised its eyes against him like lightning, as if to burn him. Pharaoh looked to his council and began to consult about what to do in his distress. His counselors said to him: “King, we and you are troubled. This is a great wonder; we have not seen its like. We believe nothing like it has been seen in the whole land of Egypt since the day it came to be. Send at once, send for all the wise men, so that they may find out what this wonder is, whether it is a work of sorcery, for it is in their power to tell you, king.” 2 Hear what Pharaoh answered them, his heart full of terror, hard as iron. His servants who were in the house around him were not allowed to go out of the door of the house now. He noticed that they were as frightened as he was, and he did not let them go either right or left. All his servants who were outside fell on their faces in great fear. Pharaoh said: “If I raise my voice, it is a disgrace for me, and whoever hears it will mock me. If I had known that these men did such deeds, I would not have given them leave to come up to me, and I would not have saved my own person, for I am like one who goes out to war to win, and his enemies come near him and he does not recognize them.” 3 When his servants standing outside heard that the king was in such distress, they came and stood before him, and when they saw him from a distance they said to him, “We will do whatever pleases you.” He said, “Hurry for my sake with wisdom and with sorcery.” Then they ran in haste and great fear, as in a moment, and said to the wise men: “Hurry now to Pharaoh the king, for he is in tremendous terror; his body is shaken and his spirit is crushed.” They rose to follow them in great distress, and came. When they looked through the entrance toward Pharaoh, they saw him and all his servants trembling, limp as the dead from great fear. They stood still and then went up to Pharaoh the king and found him bowed down, with the serpent growing stronger before him; he was afraid it would swallow him. And the faces of Moses and Aaron shone like two lights in Pharaoh’s palace. 4 When the wise men and sorcerers arrived, they said to King Pharaoh: “Do not be afraid of it; it will soon go away, so take heart.” The sorcerers said, “We can do the same. Do not let these men triumph over you by it; we your servants will do something like it before you. If this was the work of sorcerers, then we have long been the chiefs of the sorcerers. This great fear, which makes a king like you afraid, comes only from what the sorcerers did. Now we will do something like it before your eyes, so that it may be known to which of us the victory belongs!” 5 “Mighty is the battle in which I was defeated by this serpent. I hold you to your demand only because of this hour. Remarkable things and wonders have passed before me, but I have never in my life seen a wonder like this one. If your arrival had not calmed me, my spirit would have left me.” 6 “Calm yourself, do not be afraid, for through us something will happen that is mightier than what they did.” With cunning they threw down their staffs, and they all became writhing serpents. Pharaoh saw, and all the counselors saw, the serpents the sorcerers had made, and the sight was extraordinarily great. 7 “The brothers will not triumph over us!” But the serpent looked right and left, and when it saw the serpents hurrying toward it, it opened its mouth and swallowed them all as in a moment. Then it turned toward Pharaoh and tried to swallow him. His body grew paler than it had been, and the sorcerers stood in great anguish; their insolence was crushed, and they could neither overcome it nor do anything to it. When Pharaoh saw that his sorcerers were defeated, he was forced, for his own sake, to make peace with Moses and Aaron. He said to them: “Hurry, take the serpent out of my house; my spirit is crushed by it. I am in great and overwhelming grief, and what you ask will be done for you. A long time has passed, and your request is still in your hand. Evening is coming, and I am not able to speak and listen to you today, for this serpent is strong; my heart is terrified of it and my spirit grows weak before it. Take it away from my sight now. If I see it before me a while longer, I will die. I was afraid of it even before it had swallowed anything. When it had swallowed the staffs, it became thinner, although it had swallowed all the serpents without growing at all. It crushed them as it pleased. It terrified me; my spirit could not rest and my bones were in bitterness. All the limbs of my body went weak at the sight of it. This wonder that you performed openly is true, a sign by which the truth is known. Take it away, go, come early tomorrow, and I will tell you the truth.” Aaron stretched out his hand, and the staff became what it had been. Blessed be he who performs wonders, for in everything he carries out his will by himself. 8 Toward evening Moses and Aaron went out with hearts full of joy; they had seen the victory of their God, as he had told them, and how he had subdued their enemies to them with mighty power. After they had gone, Pharaoh conceived an evil plan and said to his servants: “Later I will go out for a pleasant walk by the river, and if Moses and Aaron come in the morning, tell them, ‘The king has gone to war.’” Pharaoh spoke in secret with his servants, but the One who knows what is hidden revealed what was hidden. 9 “And the Lord said to Moses: Rise early in the morning and go out to the river to meet Pharaoh,” for he plans to go out to the water in the morning as if to flee from me and not meet you, “and give him the message with a strengthened heart: Let my people go, so that they may serve me. And if you refuse to send my people,” … I will afflict the people and strike the livestock; and if you refuse to send my people, I will cover the whole land of Egypt with distress; and if you refuse to send my people, I will strike you and all the Egyptians, your people. See, I stretch out the staff that is in my hand, and the waters in it will turn into blood. 10 The perfect ones rose early, as the Lord had told them, and found Pharaoh standing by the river. Pharaoh looked and saw them coming quickly, and he stood in great fear, greater than ever. He looked at his officials and said: “You have done something in secret. Did you not tell them I was going out to the water? See, I wanted to escape them, and yet they have come out here to meet me. For they hold in their hands the secrets of the sorcerers, by which they know the secrets of hearts. My spirit has not recovered from yesterday’s distress, and see, today I am pressed again, so that my sorrow is great.” “Peace to you, king,” said the prophets. “We have come here to you with a message from the True One. ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: Send my people away, so that they may serve me.’ Yesterday you said to us, ‘Come early in the morning, and I will answer you truthfully.’ We came to you in fear; tell us what you mean to do with us. ‘If you refuse to let my people go, I will strike the river and it will turn into blood,’ and you will perish, and your whole congregation, and the whole land of Egypt will be struck because of you. Everything that has the breath of life in it will die in the water and rot there.” 11 He took on an arrogant spirit and would not listen to them; his heart hardened, so that he would perish. 12 He took on an arrogant spirit and would not listen to them; his understanding grew dull, so that he would be hard pressed. 13 He took on an arrogant spirit and would not listen to them; he spoke with hardened speech, so that he would be plagued. 14 He took on an arrogant spirit and would not listen to them; his eyes grew wider and burned within him. He took on an arrogant spirit; his voice grew louder. May his memory be wiped out!

1 The two prophets saw his stubbornness, for he showed them his insolence, as the Lord had told them. “And the Lord said to Moses: Say to Aaron, stretch out your hand over the river and strike it, and there will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, in wood and in stone.” It was surely to death, for living things were killed by the blood, and something great happened in the whole land of Egypt. Pharaoh stood by the river, and it was slaughtered before him, and he could not help it. And the True One called out in secret: “Sinner, why do you kill living things that have done no wrong? If the son of Eden is struck today, it returns to what it was; but when death reaches you, you will be killed and not live again, and your disgrace is written for all generations.” Great and terrible suffering came over the whole land of Egypt at the hour when the river and its branches were struck. Its brother rivers, the Gihon, the Tigris and the Euphrates, rose to avenge it, but they could not reach the land of Egypt. They raised their voices to the Creator of the formless and the void, saying, “We ask you: make Pharaoh pay for our brother.” “Go in peace,” he said to them in secret. “I am the one who avenges blood; I will make him pay in the end.” 2 “And Pharaoh turned away and went into his house”: his spirit hardened and his anger stayed in his heart. “And Pharaoh turned and went into his house,” an enemy of the world and a hater of its creatures. “And Pharaoh turned and went into his house,” after he had brought grief on those who speak and those who are mute, people and animals alike. “And Pharaoh turned and went into his house,” and all the Egyptians were bound by him in oppression. “And Pharaoh turned and went into his house,” and the guilt of sin against the living and the dead clung to him. For seven days the Egyptians waited, bound and greatly oppressed, and Moses and Aaron shone like two lights among the stars of Sarah and Abraham.

1 God read a third message to them; they heard it and read it before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. They ran with it in great haste and read it before him, but he would not listen. “Thus says the Lord: Let my people go to me, so that they may serve me and do my will. But if you refuse to let them go, I will perform great wonders against you. I will strike all your territory with frogs.” When the Good One speaks a word, he does not let it come to nothing. “They will come up to you and go up into your house,” eating your food, and it will not be in your power to destroy them. “And they will come into your inner rooms, into your bedrooms and onto your beds,” croaking in your ears and disturbing your sleep. “And into your ovens and your kneading troughs” they will come, covering your person, and no one will help you. “And on you and on your people and on all your servants the frogs will come up.” They will cling to you so that you cannot lift them off. If you do not obey, you yourself will be struck. He disregarded their words and did not listen to them in the least. 2 “And he hardened his heart and did not listen to them.” “And the Lord said to Moses: Say to Aaron, stretch out your hand with your staff over the river,” so that the frogs come up and cover the whole land of Egypt, and the enemies of the congregation are oppressed by them. The prophets did as their Creator had told them, and the frogs came up over the whole land of Egypt. Great was the horror that came about there: the rivers teeming, the houses filling, their bodies in torment, their souls in distress and their hearts grieved. When Pharaoh saw that the punishment was spreading over him, he called his magicians to take it away from him. The more they worked their magic, the more the punishment grew on him. They were able to strike the river, but not to heal him of the affliction. The king grew angry and threw down the magicians he had trusted. Like all physicians who come to a sick man and give him medicine to heal him, these magicians came to the king, and he saw that the judgment grew worse because of them. 3 When Pharaoh saw that no healing was to be expected from them, “he cried out to Moses and Aaron: Pray to the Lord, for if you pray to him, this great judgment will leave me.” “Hurry now with the prayer for my sake; I will let his people go so that they may sacrifice to the Lord.” “And they both went out and prayed,” as he had said, “and the frogs left him and his servants.” “But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen.” He said, “We are free of the judgment, and we will not let the people go.” Yet what had been said to him was true: your destruction is near.

1 “Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Strike the dust of the earth, so that it becomes gnats. And they did as the Lord commanded, and gnats swarmed throughout the land of Egypt; all the dust in the land of Egypt became gnats.” The gnats tormented people and plagued all the animals. “The magicians tried boldly to bring them forth, but they could not.” When the magicians saw themselves defeated, they said to Pharaoh: “This is the finger of God! It is not in our power to fight against the God of the prophets, for their God knows how to work wonders. They can destroy and restore, but we are destroyed, and there is no restoring for us.” “What use are you to me?” said Pharaoh. “Free me, and destroy their decree against me.” The magicians answered: “Do not let anger stir you up; restrain your wickedness, for greater plagues than these are in store for you.” He was angry with them, and they went out and left him grieved, his face trembling. The gnats had not yet left him when he was told: “A swarm of wild creatures has been made ready by the power of God as your plague. Turn back from your error and let Israel go; if not, I will destroy you by it.” He kept silent at their words and did not listen. The day had not yet ended when the swarm of insects came, and a great darkness was seen there. An exceedingly heavy swarm of insects ruled over Egypt, and a great darkness was seen there. 2 Its devastation went ahead of them destroying in Ham, and the land went to ruin before the swarm. It devoured their produce, and they stood there in terror, for because of the swarm there was no land left. Its tent was in their houses and its home was in the field. When Pharaoh felt hard pressed, he called Moses and Aaron, and his heart was full of fear. “Why do you demand to leave the land of Egypt?” said Pharaoh. “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.” The two answered with one voice: “O king, we are not permitted to do this. You say that there are two in the world, one in heaven and another on earth, and we say that there is no God but the One, the sole Owner of heaven and earth. You say that the spirit is shared by humans and animals, and we say that a human being consists of body and spirit, the soul for the body and the spirit for speech. The nurture of human beings lies in their soul and their spirit, and the nourishment of animals lies in their body. It is a deception! You say that it is not permitted to eat meat, and we want to slaughter and sacrifice from our livestock. You bow before the form of your livestock, and we offer meat from our livestock to our God. There is a great gulf between us and you. We may not sacrifice except in the holy dwelling. 3 ‘If we sacrificed what the Egyptians find abhorrent before their eyes, they would surely stone us at once.’ ‘We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord, the God of our fathers.’” “Pray now that this swarm may leave me; I fear the punishment is spreading.” “They said: We will pray and turn them away from you, but do not lie to us as you usually do.” “Moses prayed,” “and the swarm left.” “His heart hardened, and he did not let the people go.” Whenever many judgments were not weighing on Pharaoh, his heart grew proud and his defiance sharpened. After this judgment came a fifth. The Lord’s hand killed everything among his livestock, for his heart was hardened, and the judgment grew heavier and overpowered him. Moses testified to him and solemnly warned him that the moment he let the people go, this judgment would not come near. “And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Take soot from a furnace, and let Moses throw it toward the sky.” Then the great prophet Moses took soot from the furnace and threw it toward the vault of heaven, and it became a spreading inflammation that burned the bodies of the living. A great dwindling was seen among the Egyptians; they drank the bitterness of death, the living suffered, their bodies were struck and the freedom of their spirits was hemmed in. “And their magicians could not stand before Moses the prophet,” for they suffered pain from the skin disease, their flesh burning, their speech confused, their souls oppressed and their bodies defiled. 4 “And Pharaoh hardened his heart and did not let the people go.” “And the Lord said to Moses: Stretch out your hand toward the sky, so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt,” killing the livestock and destroying all their food. And there was hail in all the land of Egypt, tearing out roots and stripping branches of their leaves. And there was hail in all the land of Egypt, overturning cedars and smashing oaks. And there was hail in all the land of Egypt, zealous against the sinners who do not believe in God. “Everything that was in the field, from human beings to animals: the hail came down on them and they died,” as in a moment. A great zeal raged in the land of Egypt: “trees broken” and “plants struck down!” Fire flamed in the midst of the hail, burning people and livestock. Out of great fear Pharaoh the king made peace with the prophet Moses and said, “The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are sinners.” He implored Moses because of the great distress and said, “Pray to the Lord that this hail may end and the thunder fall silent, for my heart is afraid of them, and I will quickly let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord!” “The great prophet Moses spread out his hands before the Lord, and the hail and the rain stopped and the thunder was still.” “And his heart hardened this time too, and he did not let the people go, as the Lord had commanded.” 5 “And the Lord said to Moses: Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, and let the locusts come up,” a plague for the Egyptians, a great plague beyond measure, more than the terrible judgments that came before. When Moses stretched out his hand, the countless swarm of locusts came up; it covered the face of the earth, and the land was darkened by it, “and it sucked dry their trees and damaged their leaves,” bored through their houses and emptied out their food. King Pharaoh’s spirit was in anguish and his courage died. “He called Moses and Aaron and said: Pray to the Lord that he may take this death away from me.” “Moses pleaded with his Lord, and He granted his request.” “And He sent a very strong west wind and plunged them into the Sea of Reeds.” “And his heart hardened, and he did not let the children of Israel go.” “And God said to Moses: Stretch out your hand toward the sky, and there will be darkness throughout the land of Egypt.” “And Moses did as his Lord had commanded him and stretched out his hand, and there was thick darkness before the eyes of the Egyptians for three days; they did not see the light.” A bitter bond was the bond of the darkness. “But none of the children of Israel was bound by it in the least.” The darkness was a prison house, for no light shone, and all who were in it were bound and lost their way. 6 For the Hebrews opposite them a light shone, and the Egyptians were bound behind them as if with iron. On the third day Pharaoh called Moses and cried out before him, but he could not see him. “Open the prison house of darkness I am in,” said Pharaoh, “and when I come out your people may leave Egypt.” Moses opened the prison house of darkness, and Pharaoh and a crowd of Egyptians came out. Moses rose early in the morning, stood before him and said to him, “Let the people go, as you promised!” He answered with great cunning, “Leave behind what belongs to you, and go and sacrifice!” Then Moses said to him, “We cannot go out except with our livestock, for we must offer sacrifices from them.” “And Pharaoh’s heart hardened, and he would not let them go.” “Pharaoh said to him: Go away from me; you will not see my face again. If I see you again, I will give orders for your death.” “And he said to him: What you have said is right.” The pillar of cloud came down in great glory, and the power of the Lord was within it in a way that could be heard.

1 “And the Lord said to Moses: I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt, and after that he will send you away,” after this judgment, the tenth. “At the turn of the night his glory will come down and kill all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of his slave woman who is behind the mill, and the firstborn of his livestock and the firstborn of his captives. And a great cry will be heard, such as there has never been and never will be again.” The great prophet Moses spoke to King Pharaoh again and again, warning him, so that he would be free of guilt on his account. “Thus says the Lord, the God of the world: Let my son, my firstborn, go, so that he may serve me; and if you do not let him go, he will kill your son, your firstborn, and every firstborn in your land.” And all these servants of yours will come to you, and they will ask that I and all the people who follow me go out, and after that it will go out. God’s word came true. They left him; he did not listen, for the wonders were enough and the time of his destruction had come. “And the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.” 2 “And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,” after these judgments that had been decreed: “This month shall be for you the beginning of months,” the end of distress and the beginning of delight. This month shall be for you the beginning of months, the opening of favor and the end of the Time of Disfavor. This month shall be for you the beginning of months, the path of observance and the way of faith. This month shall be for you the beginning of months, the coming in of good and the going out of evil. This month shall be for you the beginning of months, the gate of blessing and the sealing of the curse. This month shall be for you the beginning of months, the end of slavery and the beginning of dominion. It is the first of the months of the year; from it every year of the world proceeds. In it I created the world; in it I brought the waters of the flood; in it I scattered the builders of the tower; in it I destroyed Sodom; in it I made the promise to Abraham; in it I blessed Jacob; in it I began the judgments, and in it I will root them out. In it I will destroy Egypt. That is why it has been made the beginning of the months, just as in the beginning it was the beginning of creation. On the first day, the creation of heaven and earth. 3 On the second day I spread out the high expanse. On the third day I set out a table and made various kinds of grain sprout from the ground. On the fourth day I set up lights to mark the seasons and divide the months. On the fifth day I made various glorious things blossom from the water. On the sixth day I brought various living things out of the earth. On the seventh day I finished, and I made it holy. I delighted in it in awesome glory; I gave it my love, glorified it and took pleasure in it. Hear further: my name and your name are hidden in it, showing that I created it and that you are included in it. So on the first day of the first month proclaim and make known that on it I began the creation of the world, to announce to them that they should all gather for deliverance. And the prophet Moses stood in the assembly of the Israelites and announced that they were to be delivered. He said to them: “Prepare a sacrifice and take it on the tenth of the month, a perfect lamb a year old.” Notice what God commanded the great prophet Moses! On the tenth of the month carry out the command, and let it be kept ready four days until the fourteenth; then a sacrifice to the Lord is to be slaughtered. 4 The first day is the day of Adam’s creation, consecrated to his praise; he was set apart, and on that day they were delivered. The second day is for the service of Abel, who was set apart as the first of the precious ones. The third day is the day of Enosh’s calling on the name; with him the generations of Adam began. The fourth day is for the piety of Enoch, who walked in his Lord’s favor and served him in truth. The fifth day is for Noah, who was perfect and righteous in his generation. The sixth day is for the righteous Abraham, with whom the first covenant was made. The seventh day is for the holiness of Isaac, because he was a holy offering with a pleasing fragrance. The eighth day is dedicated to the perfection of Jacob, for from him arose the one worthy of holiness. And the ninth day is for the purity of Joseph, for he was full of his father’s wisdom. And the tenth day is for the perfection of your prophecy. All will hear it from your mouth, and through you they will believe. Had it not been for your prophecy, I would not have revealed myself or let my voice be heard, for ever and ever. I appeared to the pious through an angel, not in a revelation of the essence of my power. But I revealed myself to you, let you hear my voice and made you great in every place. That is why I have raised you up, so that you may proclaim to them the tenth day, on which a lamb is to be taken for the sacrifice. 5 This service is to be performed in every age, and its memory will never cease; this day is a memorial of your prophecy. This service is a memorial of the deliverance, for through you they were redeemed, they recovered from their hardship, through you they were set free, and through your message they were glorified. The offering is to be kept ready for four days until it is brought on the fourteenth. Aaron, Eleazar and Phinehas, these three were honored and raised up. As they are united in their goodness, so they are united as one in their purity. The tenth day is yours, and the day after it his. What you hear, he will repeat. The tenth day is yours and the following day Aaron’s. You have put on my name, and I have clothed him with your name. The tenth day is yours and the following day Aaron’s. You begin, he completes. Eleazar was joined in the holy service and given to him as his second, and his day is as glorious as yours. Phinehas too was raised up; he and his father are equal in goodness. Ten and three were crowned in peace. O ten and three were crowned with glory! In peace comes the day of deliverance, so that glory and blessing may be joined in it. In peace may the day come when the Glorious One will reveal the truth in the world. May the day come whose evening belongs to God but whose day belongs to Israel, as it is said: this night belongs to God, and the day to Israel, as he said: “This night belongs to the Lord.” 6 He did three things on this night, as it was said: “At midnight I will go out through the land of Egypt,” and seeing, as it is said, “I will see the blood” and read the writing written on the doorposts, and I will pass over the houses of the sons of my beloved ones, and the firstborn of the enemies will be killed, and I will throw down all their gods and all their worshipers. This is the work of the God of gods on this night, as it was said: the night belongs to the Lord and the morning to his people, as it was said: “And he gave you this day as a memorial”; it will never be abolished. May the Taheb come in peace and drive off the darkness that has grown in the world. May the Taheb come in peace and destroy the enemies who anger God. May the Taheb come in peace and offer the sacrifices of righteousness before Bethel. May the Taheb come in peace, so that the Lord shows mercy and reveals his favor, and Israel sacrifices between the evenings. May the Taheb come in peace and divide the chosen from the rejected, and turn this distress into relief. The day on which the sacrifice was brought turns toward release. The fourteenth day is set entirely for the service. And so he told us: “They are to slaughter the sacrifices between the evenings.” One is joined to the fourteenth day: in the evening, when the sun sets, the thanksgiving offering is brought for the release of their forefathers, and the offering of joy as payment for their firstborn, and Israel is to offer a sin offering whose blood is sprinkled between the evenings. 7 One realm was closed and another realm opened. The realm in which there was lamentation was closed, and the realm in which there is joy was opened. Great is our God, who glorified us so and commanded that the Passover offering be prepared for his name, as he said: “It is the Lord’s Passover,” who passed over Israel; he loved them with power. And so he said: between the evenings a Passover: there will never be any change in it for ever. It is always to be prepared on the same day, and whatever is left of it until morning is to be burned in the fire. “On the first day there is a holy gathering, and on the seventh day a holy assembly”; no work of any kind is to be done. The one day is set for the protection of the holy, and the other for the glory of the Passover. If not for the Passover, nothing would have been created, and the holy Sabbath would not have been revealed. 8 Take care not to slaughter it before the time God commanded you. It is to be prepared between the evenings; this is a fixed boundary that will never be moved. Between the evenings the angels went up and turned in to Lot’s house, for Abraham’s sake. Lot delighted them with baked unleavened bread that he set before them, and he was told of the deliverance while he was making them a meal. Then the destruction began in the houses of their worship; so they came to Lot and looked for the men who had come to him. When Israel sacrificed between the evenings, judgment began in the houses of the Egyptians. Israel rejoiced at its deliverance, and Egypt mourned its devastation. Israel sacrificed and sprinkled the blood as the Lord had commanded. “And the blood will be a sign for you on your houses, so that the destroyer sees it and passes over.” “And the blood will be a sign for you on your houses, for I will see the mystery, and the destroyer will pass over.” And the blood will be a sign for you on your houses from outside, and the glory of God will be within them. Yet I do not need the sign; it is only so that it may be a memorial for all their generations, an everlasting ordinance as a memorial. 9 “And you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord; nothing leavened is to be seen during it. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.” “Whoever eats anything leavened during them shall be cut off,” and the Good One will never accept him. “From the first day to the seventh you shall eat unleavened bread in all your dwellings.” “And you shall eat the Passover like this: your waist belted, your sandals on your feet and your staffs in your hands. Then the Ruler will come down and kill all the firstborn of Egypt, from people to animals.” And you will go out with an uplifted hand, led by the pillar of cloud and of fire, equipped with every good thing and with favor, with the Egyptians’ vessels of silver and gold, with the clothing that has made you rich, and with great treasures; and all the Egyptians will be emptied of their possessions, of silver and of garments. I teach you, great prophet Moses, the ordinance of the Passover, and you teach it to the whole assembly. 10 Moses called together all the wise men of Israel to teach them the ordinance of the Passover. Moses called together all the wise men of Israel to bring sheep, and they slaughtered them as he would tell them. Moses called together all the wise men of Israel to reveal the first festival to the assembly. Moses called together all the wise men of Israel to tell the whole people, “Bring and take for yourselves.” Then the wise men called out, so that it was heard in the congregation: “Bring out the sheep that were set aside for keeping and prepare the sacrifices, for the hour has come and the destroyer’s sword is appointed for the night. Take a bunch of hyssop and sprinkle some of the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, for the destroyer is coming down and will destroy every house that has no sign of the blood on it.” And the children of Israel went and did it: they brought the lambs that had been prepared, in submission, into their teacher’s house. And the children of Israel went and did it, the stars of Abraham set in rows in the firmament. And the children of Israel went and did it, the gleanings of Isaac heaped up on the threshing floor. And the children of Israel went and did it, the trees of Jacob standing upright in paradise. As the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did; they bowed and worshiped. 11 King Pharaoh was told that this night was approaching, and he set guards over his son from the evening on. He urged them not to sleep for even an hour, and in his anger he ordered them to stand in battle order: “If you see a comrade asleep there, set a sharp sword in front of him and call out with a raised voice. The guards are coming with drawn, sharpened swords in their hands. And you are to stand by Pharaoh’s firstborn so that he does not sleep.” The destroyer came down in the middle of the night and killed all the firstborn of Egypt, but the guards did not know it. Every firstborn in the land of Egypt was killed that night, and Pharaoh’s gods along with his firstborn, and the guards who stood beside him. When the hour came, the destroyer came down, threw down their gods and killed their firstborn. When they later looked in on Pharaoh’s firstborn, they found him dead with his blood beside him. Their spirits were crushed and their hearts were afraid when they saw him dead and his gods fallen. 12 “And it was at midnight,” and the Lord struck down the firstborn of the unclean and the unclean gods. And it was at midnight, and the Lord struck down the trees that stood upright on uncleanness. And it was in the middle of the night, and the Lord struck down their vines that climbed on the trees of wickedness. And it was in the middle of the night, and the Lord struck down the firstborn who sacrificed to demons. And it was in the middle of the night, and the Lord struck down the high gods and those who bow to idols. And it was in the middle of the night, and the Lord struck down all the firstborn of Egypt. And Israel sacrificed and cried out to the Lord. There was a great cry in the houses of the Israelites, for the Lord looked down and revealed the deliverance. And there was a great cry in the houses of the Egyptians, for the Lord looked down and began their destruction. “And there was a great cry” in the houses of the Israelites, and they sacrificed, praised and exalted their Lord. And there was a great cry in all the houses of the Egyptians. The houses were destroyed and the firstborn killed. Truly, there was not a house there without someone dead. And their cry was shattering and terribly fearful. 13 The sons of Ham were in great and hard anger, and the sons of Shem in extraordinary joy. The firstborn of Ham were killed, and the firstborn of Israel were made holy with rejoicing. The paradise of Ham was destroyed in anger, and the paradise of Shem was tended in kindness. The gods of Ham were overthrown in judgment, and the God of Shem was magnified and exalted. Ham’s grain brought forth rotten fruit, and Shem’s grain brought forth rich fruit. The rule of Ham came to an end, and the rule of Shem had its beginning. Truly, there was not a house without someone dead; the light was taken from the houses, and great was the darkness in them. Truly, there was not a house without a dead evildoer in it, for the door of wrath was opened on their account. Truly, there was not a house without someone dead; an overthrow like Sodom’s fell upon them.

1 When the Egyptians found their firstborn dead, they all came to King Pharaoh and cried out before him with an overwhelming cry and said to him, “Let this people go, for Moses and Aaron are praying; they stand in the field pleading before their God.” When Moses and Aaron looked back and saw the messengers coming from Pharaoh, the hard-pressed king, they presented themselves before him in great haste. His wickedness was defeated and his resistance had softened. At the hour when they went up to him from the door, the dwelling was filled with light. When he saw them, Pharaoh said to them with an insolent spirit, “Get away from my people, you and your whole assembly.” When Pharaoh had said to them, “Get away from my people,” the prophets Moses and Aaron hurried off to announce to the congregation of Israel: “Set out, go out in peace!” There was not much room; the Egyptians pressed hard on them in anger, and their dispatch from the land came in haste. They asked of them whatever their souls desired, and they went out, and they gave them clothing. 2 A demand, bitter beyond measure: a costly measure, a high interest. 3 A demand, bitter beyond measure, emptying those it was made of and filling those who made it. 4 A demand, bitter beyond measure, for the one who made it, and for Moses. 5 A demand, bitter beyond measure: a mighty plundering in the dwelling of those from whom it was demanded. 6 A demand, bitter beyond measure, a demand for service that is not erased. From it came the emptying of the Egyptians, and through it humiliations came to Israel and emptyings to the Egyptians. It became bitter for those who demanded, and the sinners were punished because of them. Cursed be this demand for ever, for it brought about a sin for us that cannot be wiped away! 7 And the children of Israel set out from Rameses to Succoth, a cloud above them and fire before them, and the six hundred thousand breathing freely, the Creator, his glory and his favor supporting them. There they found ease and a support on the long road; he smoothed every one of their steps. The stars of Abraham were shining, the turtledoves of Isaac were gleaming, the cedars of Rachel were beautiful, and the ranks of Leah were in good order. Succoth was like the Garden of Eden, and the children of Israel like the trees in it; it was like what he had sworn to his beloved Abraham. Sarah’s turtledoves cooed, and Isaac’s ram walked about in it, butting with its horns whoever struck it. The fruits in it were sown and grew great and were bound into heaps of sheaves by the arm of the Good One, and held together by three guardians. They were fenced in by three high fences: the cloud, the fire and the holy spirit. One led them, one gave light, and one covered them. A good planting whose height has no end: sown in Philistia and grown great in the land of Egypt, and God tended them after they had been sown for four hundred and thirty years. Their years were weighed on a true scale: half of them were spent in the land of Egypt and the other half in the land of Canaan. At the end of those years Israel was gathered in, and in the valley of Succoth it was set free. Beautiful were these plantings of favor, for beautiful is their exaltation among created things. 8 The Sea of Reeds called to them with a smile: “Go through in peace; no barrier has been set for you.” 9 The bitter waters called to them with a smile: “Come quickly; the waters will turn sweet.” 10 The manna called to them with a smile: “Hurry, for I will come down to sustain you.” 11 The rock called to them with a smile: “I will put up no resistance.” 12 The hill called to them with a smile: “Come quickly, go up and do not be afraid, for on me there is a great victory.” 13 Mount Sinai called to them with a smile: “Come joyfully, children of favor.” 14 The Jordan called to them with a smile: “Cross over joyfully; in time to come I will dry up.” 15 The spheres called to them with a smile: “Make yourselves holy now, hosts of favor.” 16 The plain of vision, Mamre, called to them with a smile: “Go there in peace, lights of purity. All this we longed to see,” and they longed to invite them to pass through. 17 In Rameses they sacrificed, and to Succoth they went. Those who wanted to move on could not, for the cloud and the pillar of fire stood before them so that they would not leave the borders of Succoth. Moses and Aaron saw it and were afraid, and the whole congregation was alarmed at what this sign might mean. Moses told Aaron to announce it, so that it would be known that he was to give a signal in the congregation to call their wise men together. Let one tell another, so that they make it known in their tribe. Then their wise men came to Moses and Aaron, and their hearts were full of terror. 18 Moses said to them: “Go in peace, you wise men of the congregation, and ask in every tribe what this sign might mean. It is not believable that the magicians could hold back the children of the oath with their sorcery. This is nothing but a sign, but we have not yet grasped its meaning. The time is near when the True One will reveal it.” Satisfied, they set out before the assembly and began to ask each tribe, and when they raised their voices to the tribe of Asher, Serah came out to them in haste and said, “There is nothing bad here for you; I will explain to you what this sign means!” They helped her along gently and led her to the great prophet Moses. She stood in front of him, and he was radiant like the full moon. She said to him: “Peace be with you, great prophet, most glorious of humankind. Hear from me the matter you are inquiring into! They are right to remind you of my uncle, but you have forgotten him. If the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire had not stood still, you would have set out and he would have been left behind in Egypt. 19 I remember the day he died; he made the whole people swear to take his bones up with them.” The great prophet Moses said to her, “It becomes you well, Serah, most enlightened of women; from this day on your greatness will be proclaimed!” A voice rose within the congregation, and they were told, “Look! Joseph is coming; he is setting out with them now.” Serah went, and the whole tribe of Ephraim carried him. Moses and Aaron followed them until they reached the place where he was hidden. There they stopped, his coffin was revealed to them, and they lifted it quickly. When Serah had parted from Moses and Aaron, the great prophet Moses opened the coffin with his right hand, bent over it, kissed him and wept, and at that hour he began to mourn him. He said, “May your spirit have found rest, glorious one of the house.” And the whole congregation stood and mourned him and said, “May your spirit find rest, Joseph, lord of freedom.” The great prophet Moses raised his voice and said to him: “May your spirit know, Joseph, that my hand is carrying you, six hundred thousand are rejoicing over your bones, the cloud and the pillar of fire go before you, and your descendants are your bearers, after you lay hidden in Egypt for a hundred and forty years. 20 After all these years, rejoice in your going up to the land that was allotted to you. May it be pleasing to your spirit, son of the fruitful vine, King Joseph, clothed in fine linen, for a great distinction has come to you, extraordinary and glorious, and you were glorified in life and after your death. In your life you were glorified through peace, and the sons of the women bowed before you. And after your death you will be glorified still more, for you are praised through the cloud and the fire.” When Moses had finished mourning him, he said to the house of Ephraim, “Carry him!” Joshua stepped forward, carried him and said: “May it be pleasing to your spirit, father, most glorious of your father’s house, an heir who inherited the crown from him and passed on to his offspring the scepter of his exaltation.” At the hour when he was carried by the hands of his children, the cloud and the fire went before them.

1 “And they set out from Succoth and camped at Etham,” near the edge of the wilderness. On that day God said to Moses: “Have the people make ready before Pi-hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, before Baal-zephon. And I will fight for you with great mercy. For I will turn Pharaoh’s heart against them, so that he pursues them and his disgrace is revealed. For it will be said to him in Egypt: They are hemmed in at that place; the wilderness has shut them in. Up! Go after them, so that we bring them back into our service.” When the Egyptians had finished burying their sons, they woke from the sleep of their distress. They came to King Pharaoh and said to him, “What is this we have done, letting Israel go? Up! Harness the chariots, and we will all pursue them with you until we bring them back into our service. They were slaves to us and to our fathers before us; why did we let them leave Egypt? We also want to bring back the vessels in their hands, which they asked of us, leaving us emptied.” Heralds went out through the land of Egypt and gathered the men of war. Pharaoh harnessed his chariot and took his people with him, and his heart grew proud as he gathered his people and readied six hundred chosen chariots around him for war, and all the chariots of Egypt, with officers over them all! 2 They pursued Israel and overtook them, and they were camped by the Sea of Reeds. King Pharaoh stood before Baal-zephon and brought it a sacrifice, for it was one of the gods he relied on. Great was the division, for some deserters rose up and said to Moses, “We want to go back to Egypt.” They said to Moses in great fear: “It is known that you are the killer of Israel; this is how we are treated, and we will think about what is in our minds. The enemy is behind us and the sea in front of us! Did we not say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone, so that we may serve the Egyptians’? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt, for we will all be killed in a moment!” Then Moses said to the people: “Do not be afraid; you will never see the Egyptians again. The Lord’s help shields us; the Lord will fight for you, and you are to keep still.” 3 Afterward Moses took permission from the Lord of the world and struck toward the sea with his staff. At that hour the Sea of Reeds opened before them; they went on, and the cloud and the Glory led them. The children of favor were lifted high, for the sea was laid dry before them and they walked on it. The Egyptians also went after them into the sea, but it closed before them and they could not get out of it. See the difference between the going up of the two! The great prophet Moses went up, and Pharaoh, king of Egypt, went up. Moses went up with the Glory before him, and Pharaoh went up with the destroyer before him, for his ruin. Moses went up and his God glorified him; Pharaoh went up and his God cut him down. Moses went up and the angels served him; Pharaoh went up and the angels struck him down. No one like Moses has arisen, and none ever will! 4 Ten times the Egyptians were killed in the sea, because they denied the ten wonders! 5 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army were thrown into the sea; his blood was poured out in it like the river of Egypt. 6 The deeps covered him, as the frogs had covered them. 7 They sank into the depths like a stone, as the gnats had crept into their flesh. 8 You sent out your fury; it consumed them like stubble, as the wild creatures had devoured their bodies. 9 At the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up, as the hand of God had killed their livestock. 10 They stood upright like a trickling wall, as they had stood in the plague of skin disease. 11 They were shattered in the heart of the sea, as the hail had struck them in the field. 12 You blew with your wind, and the sea covered them, as the cloud of locusts had covered them. 13 They sank deep like lead in the mighty waters, as they had sunk into thick darkness. 14 You stretched out your right hand, and the earth swallowed them, as the destroyer had swallowed their firstborn. 15 Ten times they resisted in Egypt, and ten times they were killed in the sea. And Israel went out with an uplifted arm and walked on dry ground. And the great prophet Moses sang, and all Israel with him, to the God of gods and the Lord of lords: “Honored and exalted are you, worker of wonders, for you endure, and your existence lasts for ever.” Blessed be our God for all eternity, and blessed be his name for ever. There is only one God!