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And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, "Every son that is born to the Hebrews ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive."
And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took for his wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman had a son: and when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with pitch; and she put the child therein, and laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river side; and she saw the ark among the flags, and sent her handmaid to fetch it. And she opened it and saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."
Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?"
And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go."
And the maid went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages."
And the woman took the child, and nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, and said, "Because I drew him out of the water."
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THE SPHINXFrom a photograph in the possession of Mr. S. E. Bridgman and used by his kind permission.
The Great Sphinx at Gizeh is a colossal figure carved out of the solid rock. It perhaps represents the reigning monarch as a conqueror. The age of the Great Sphinx is thought to be about the same as that of the pyramids
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And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown up, that he went out to his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he saw an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he smote the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. And he went out the second day, and, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, "Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?"
And he said, "Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? thinkest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian?"
And Moses feared, and said, "Surely the thing is known."
Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, "How is it that ye are come so soon to-day?"
And they said, "An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock." And he said to his daughters, "And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread."
And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. And she had a{142}son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, "I have been a sojourner in a strange land."
And it came to pass in the course of those many days, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered them.
THE VOICE OF GOD FROM THE BURNING BUSH.The Lord Commissions Moses to Lead His People Out of Bondage.
Now Moses was keeping the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the back of the wilderness, and came to the mountain of God, to Horeb. And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, "I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt."
And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, "Moses, Moses."
And he said, "Here am I."
And he said, "Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground." Moreover he said, "I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob."
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And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows; and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good land and a large, to a land flowing with milk and honey. And now, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come to me: moreover I have seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt."
And Moses said to God, "Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
And he said, "Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be the token unto thee, that I have sent thee: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain."
And Moses said unto God, "Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, 'The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you'; and they shall say to me, 'What is his name?' what shall I say unto them?" And God said unto Moses, "I am that I am": and he said, "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, 'I am hath sent me unto you.'"
[Footnote: These phrases are a reference to the name Jehovah, which was thought to mean "He is."]
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And God said moreover to Moses, "Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me to you': this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial to all generations. Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, hath appeared to me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt: and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt, to a land flowing with milk and honey.' And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt, and ye shall say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, hath met with us: and now let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.' And I know that the king of Egypt will not give you leave to go, no, not by a mighty hand. And I will put forth my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty: but every woman shall ask of her neighbor, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians."
And Moses answered and said, "But, behold, they will{145}not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, 'The Lord hath not appeared to thee.'"
And the Lord said unto him, "What is that in thine hand?"
And he said, "A rod."
And he said, "Cast it on the ground."
And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And the Lord said unto Moses, "Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail." And he put forth his hand, and laid hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.
And the Lord said furthermore to him, "Put now thine hand into thy bosom."
And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow. And he said, "Put thine hand into thy bosom again." And he put his hand into his bosom again; and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.
The Lord said, "It shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe even these two signs, neither hearken to thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land."
And Moses said unto the Lord, "Oh Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken{146}unto thy servant: for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue."
And, the Lord said unto him, "Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh a man dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? is it not I, the Lord? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt speak."
And he said, "Oh Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send."
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he said, "Is there not Aaron thy brother the Levite? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak to him, and put the words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and it shall come to pass, that he shall be to thee a mouth, and thou shalt be to him as God. And thou shalt take in thine hand this rod, wherewith thou shalt do the signs."
And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-inn law, and said unto him, "Let me go, I pray thee, and return to my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive."
And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."
And the Lord said to Moses in Midian, "Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life."
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THE BANKS OF THE NILE NEAR CAIROFrom a photograph owned by Mr. S. E. Bridgman and used by his kind permission.
The Nile was the life and glory of Egypt. It afforded a magnificent waterway for commerce, and the annual overflow gave the greatest fertility to the soil.
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And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand. And the Lord said to Moses, "When thou goest back into Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, and he will not let the people go. And thou shalt say to Pharaoh, 'Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, my firstborn: and I have said to thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me; and thou hast refused to let him go: behold I will slay thy son, thy firstborn.'"
And the Lord said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." And he went, and met him in the mountain of God, and kissed him. And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord wherewith he had sent him, and all the signs wherewith he had charged him. And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: and Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed.
"LET MY PEOPLE GO."Moses and Aaron Demand the Release of the Israelites.Pharaoh Refuses.
And afterward Moses and Aaron came, and said to Pharaoh, "Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.'"
And Pharaoh said, "Who is the Lord, that I should hearken to his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, and moreover I will not let Israel go."
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And they said, "The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword."
And the king of Egypt said to them, "Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, loose the people from their works? get you to your burdens." And Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land are now many, and ye make them rest from their burdens."
And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying, "Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves. And the number of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish aught thereof: for they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.' Let heavier work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein; and let them not regard lying words."
And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, "Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw. Go yourselves, get you straw where ye can find it: for naught of your work shall be diminished."
So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. And the taskmasters were urgent, saying, "Fulfill your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw."
And the officers of the children of Israel, which{151}Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, "Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task both yesterday and to-day, in making brick as heretofore?"
Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying, "Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants? There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, 'Make brick': and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people."
But he said, "Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.' Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the number of bricks."
And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in deep trouble when it was said, "Ye shall not diminish aught from your bricks, your daily tasks."
And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh: and they said to them, "The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made us to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us."
And the Lord said unto Moses, "Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for by a strong hand shall he let them go, and by a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land."
And it came to pass on the day when the Lord spoke unto Moses in the land of Egypt, that the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "I am the Lord: speak thou to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak to thee."
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And Moses said before the Lord, "Behold, I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?"
And the Lord said unto Moses, "See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy spokesman. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh will not hearken unto you, and I will lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them."
And Moses and Aaron did so; as the Lord commanded them, so did they.
And the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, "When Pharaoh shall speak to you, saying, 'Show a wonder for you:' then thou shalt say unto Aaron, 'Take thy rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent.'"
And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so, as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the magicians: and they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
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THE RIVER NILEFrom a photograph belonging to Miss Clara L. Bodman and used by her kind permission.
"And all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood."
This picture shows the broad Nile with one of the boats now in use called a "dahabiyeh." There has been built recently on the upper Nile an immense dam which will be used to regulate the flow of water and bring great agricultural prosperity to Egypt
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For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. And Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had spoken.
THE PLAGUES OF EGYPT.1. The Plague Of Blood.
And the Lord said unto Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is stubborn, he refuseth to let the people go. Get thee to Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand. And thou shalt say unto him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, hath sent me to thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou hast not hearkened. Thus saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink water from the river.'"
And the Lord said to Moses, "Say unto Aaron, 'Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their ponds of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.'"
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And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that were in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink water from the river; and the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt.
And the magicians of Egypt did in like manner with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had spoken. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he lay even this to heart. And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river. And seven days were fulfilled, after the Lord had smitten the river.
2. The Plague Of Frogs.
And the Lord spoke to Moses, "Go in unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, 'Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me. And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs: and the river shall swarm with frogs, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading-troughs: and the frogs shall come up both upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.'"
And the Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Stretch{157}forth thine hand with thy rod over the rivers, over the streams, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.'"
And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did in like manner with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.
Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, "Intreat the Lord, that he take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice unto the Lord."
And Moses said to Pharaoh, "For what time shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, that the frogs be destroyed from thee and thy houses, and remain in the river only?"
And he said, "For to-morrow."
And he said, "Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God. And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only."
And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the Lord concerning the frogs which he had brought upon Pharaoh. And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courts, and out of the fields. And they gathered them together in heaps: and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he{158}hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had spoken.
3. The Plague Of Lice.
And the Lord said unto Moses, "Say unto Aaron, 'Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the earth, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.'"
And they did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and there were lice upon man, and upon beast; all the dust of the earth became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: and there were lice upon man, and upon beast.
Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God": and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not to them; as the Lord had spoken.
4. The Plague Of Flies.
And the Lord said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say to him, 'Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me. Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are. And I will set apart in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the{159}Lord in the midst of the earth. And I will put a division between my people and thy people: by to-morrow shall this sign be.'"
And the Lord did so; and there came grievous swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses: and in all the land of Egypt the land was corrupted by reason of the swarms of flies. And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, "Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land."
And Moses said, "It is not right so to do; for we shall sacrifice the holy things of the Egyptians to the Lord our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the holy things of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us? We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the Lord our God, as he shall command us."
And Pharaoh said, "I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me."
And Moses said, "Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to-morrow: only let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord."
And Moses went out from Pharaoh and intreated the Lord. And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one. And Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go.
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5. The Plague Of Cattle Disease.
Then the Lord said unto Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, 'Thus saith the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, Let my people go that they may serve me. For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which are in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the herds, and upon the flocks: there shall be a very grievous distemper. And the Lord shall distinguish between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt: and there shall nothing die of all that belongeth to the children of Israel.'"
And the Lord appointed a set time, saying, "To-morrow the Lord shall do this thing in the land."
And the Lord did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one. And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not so much as one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he did not let the people go.
6. The Plague Of Boils.
And the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron, "Take to you handfuls of ashes, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. And it shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth upon man and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt."
And they took ashes, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became a boil breaking forth upon man and upon beast.
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And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not to them: as the Lord had spoken to Moses.
And the Lord said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, 'Thus saith the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me. For I will this time send all my plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like me in all the earth. For now I had put forth my hand, and smitten thee and thy people with pestilence, and thou hadst been cut off from the earth: but for this very cause have I made thee to stand, in order to show thee my power, that my name may be declared throughout all the earth. Exaltest thou thyself still against my people, that thou wilt not let them go? Behold, to-morrow about this time I will cause a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now. Now therefore send, hasten in thy cattle and all that thou hast in the field; for every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.'"
He that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses: and he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his servants and his cattle in the field.
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'T was morn,--the rising splendor rolledOn marble towers and roofs of gold;Hall, court, and gallery, below,Were crowded with a living flow;Egyptian, Arab, Nubian, there,--The bearers of the bow and spear,The hoary priest, the Chaldee sage,The slave, the gemmed and glittering page,--Helm, turban, and tiara, shoneA dazzling ring round Pharaoh's throne.
There came a man:--the human tideShrank backward from his stately stride:His cheek with storm and time was tanned;A shepherd's staff was in his hand;A shudder of instinctive fearTold the dark king what step was near;On through the host the stranger came,It parted round his form like flame.
He stooped not at the footstool stone,He clasped not sandal, kissed not throne;Erect he stood amid the ring,His only words, "Be just, a king!"On Pharaoh's cheek the blood flushed high,A fire was in his sullen eye;{163}Yet on the chief of IsraelNo arrow of his thousands fell;All mute and moveless as the graveStood chilled the satrap and the slave.
"Thou'rt come," at length the monarch spoke;(Haughty and high the words outbroke;)"Is Israel weary of its lair,The forehead peeled, the shoulder bare?Take back the answer to your band:Go, reap the wind! go, plow the sand!Go, vilest of the living vile,To build the never-ending pile,Till, darkest of the nameless dead,The vulture on their flesh is fed!What better asks the howling slaveThan the base life our bounty gave?"
Shouted in pride the turbaned peers,Upclashed to heaven the golden spears.."King! thou and thine are doomed!--Behold!'The prophet spoke,--the thunder rolled!Along the pathway of the sunSailed vapory mountains, wild and dun."Yet there is time," the prophet said:He raised his staff,--the storm was stayed:"King! be the word of freedom given:What art thou, man, to war with Heaven?"
There came no word.--The thunder broke!--Like a huge city's final smoke,Thick, lurid, stifling, mixed with flame,Through court and hall the vapors came.Loose as the stubble in the field,{164}Wide flew the men of spear and shield;Scattered like foam along the wave,Flew the proud pageant, prince and slave;Or in the chains of terror bound,Lay, corpse-like, on the smouldering ground."Speak, king!--the wrath is but begun!--Still dumb?--then, Heaven, thy will be done!"
Echoed from earth a hollow roarLike ocean on the midnight shore!A sheet of lightning o'er them wheeled,The solid ground beneath them reeled;In dust sank roof and battlement;Like webs the giant walls were rent;Red, broad, before his startled gazeThe monarch saw his Egypt blaze.Still swelled the plague,--the flame grew pale,Burst from the clouds the charge of hail:With arrowy keenness, iron weight,Down poured the ministers of fate;Till man and cattle, crushed, congealed,Covered with death the boundless field.
Still swelled the plague,--uprose the blast,The avenger, fit to be the last:On ocean, river, forest, vale,Thundered at once the mighty gale.Before the whirlwind flew the tree,Beneath the whirlwind roared the sea;A thousand ships were on the wave--Where are they?--ask that foaming grave!Down go the hope, the pride of years,Down go the myriad mariners;The riches of earth's richest zone,Gone! like a flash of lightning, gone!{165}
And, lo! that first fierce triumph o'er,Swells ocean on the shrinking shore;Still onward, onward, dark and wide,Engulfs the land the furious tide..Then bowed thy spirit, stubborn king,Thou serpent, reft of fang and sting;Humbled before the prophet's knee,He groaned, "Be injured Israel free!"
To heaven the sage upraised his hand;Back rolled the deluge from the land;Back to its caverns sank the gale;Fled from the moon the vapors pale;Broad burned again the joyous sun:The hour of wrath and death was done.
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7. The Plague Of Hail.
And the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt."
And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning; and the Lord sent hail upon the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and lightning mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail. And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Intreat the Lord; for there hath been enough of these mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer."
And Moses said unto him, "As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands to the Lord; the thunders shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know that the earth is the Lord's. But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the Lord God."
And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and{167}spread abroad his hands unto the Lord: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth. And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the children of Israel go; as the Lord had spoken by Moses.
And the Lord said unto Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs in the midst of them: and that thou mayest tell to thy son, and to thy son's son, what things I have wrought upon Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know that I am the Lord."
And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and said to him, "Thus saith the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, 'How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me. Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to-morrow will I bring locusts into thy border: and they shall cover the face of the earth, that one shall not be able to see the earth: and they shall eat what remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field: and thy houses shall be filled, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; as neither thy fathers nor thy fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth to this day.'" And he turned, and went out from Pharaoh.
And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, "How long{168}shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?"
And Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh: and he said unto them, "Go, serve the Lord your God: but who are they that shall go?" And Moses said, "We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the Lord."
And he said unto them, "No, I will not let you go with your little ones. Not so. But go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord; for that is what ye desire."
And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.
8. The Plague Of Locusts.
And the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left."
And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all the night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt; very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such. For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
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CLIFFS NEAR LUXOR. TEMPLE OF DAR EL BAHARIFrom a photograph belonging to Miss Clara L. Bodman and used by her kind permission.
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Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, "I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only."
And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the Lord. And the Lord turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea; there remained not one locust in all the border of Egypt. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.
9. The Plague Of Darkness.
And the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt."
And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days; they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
And Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, "Go ye, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you."
And Moses said, "Thou must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God. Our cattle also shall go with us; there{172}shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God; and we know not with what we must serve the Lord, until we come thither."
But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.
And Pharaoh said to him, "Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in the day thou seest my face thou shalt die."
And Moses said, "Thou hast spoken well; I will see thy face again no more."
And the Lord said to Moses, "Yet one plague more will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether. Speak now to the people, and let them ask every man of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold."
And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people.
And Moses said, "Thus saith the Lord, 'About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even to the firstborn of the maidservant who grinds at the mill; and all the firstborn of cattle. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there hath been none like it, nor shall be like it any more. But against{173}any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.' And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves unto me, saying, 'Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee: and after that I will go out.'" And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger.
And the Lord said unto Moses, "Pharaoh will not hearken unto you: that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt."
And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: and the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.
(After the ninth plague, the plague of darkness, came a tenth plague, the very worst of all, the description of which is given in another place.)