<p class="bodytext">The Israelites brought a freewill offering to the <sc>Lordsc>, every man and woman whose heart was willing to bring materials for all the work that the <sc>Lordsc> through<n id="1" /> Moses had commanded them<n id="2" /> to do.p>

So Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person<n id="1" /> in whom the <sc>Lordsc> has put skill<n id="2" /> and ability<n id="3" /> to know how<n id="4" /> to do all the work for the service<n id="5" /> of the sanctuary are to do the work<n id="6" /> according to all that the <sc>Lordsc> has commanded.&#8221;p>

<p class="bodytext">Moses summoned<n id="1" /> Bezalel and Oholiab and every skilled person in whom<n id="2" /> the <sc>Lordsc> had put skill &#8211; everyone whose heart stirred him<n id="3" /> to volunteer<n id="4" /> to do the work,

He made the vessels which were on the table out of pure gold, its<n id="1" /> plates, its ladles, its pitchers, and its bowls, to be used in pouring out offerings.p>

<t /><p class="bodytext">From the blue, purple, and scarlet yarn they made woven garments for serving in the sanctuary; they made holy garments that were for Aaron, just as the <sc>Lordsc> had commanded Moses.<n id="1" />p>

The artistically woven waistband of the ephod that was on it was like it, of one piece with it,<n id="1" /> of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarn and fine twisted linen, just as the <sc>Lordsc> had commanded Moses.p>

They made their lives bitter<n id="1" /> by<n id="2" /> hard service with mortar and bricks and by all kinds of service<n id="3" /> in the fields. Every kind of service the Israelites were required to give was rigorous.<n id="4" />p>

But<n id="1" /> the midwives feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.<n id="2" />p>

God<n id="1" /> said, &#8220;Do not approach any closer!<n id="2" /> Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy<n id="3" /> ground.&#8221;<n id="4" />

<p class="bodytext">The <sc>Lordsc> said, &#8220;I have surely seen<n id="1" /> the affliction of my people who are in Egypt. I have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.<n id="2" />

And now indeed<n id="1" /> the cry<n id="2" /> of the Israelites has come to me, and I have also seen how severely the Egyptians oppress them.<n id="3" />

<p class="bodytext">God said to Moses, &#8220;<sc>I amsc> that <sc>I amsc>.&#8221;<n id="1" /> And he said, &#8220;You must say this<n id="2" /> to the Israelites, &#8216;<sc>I amsc> has sent me to you.&#8217;&#8221;

So I will extend my hand<n id="1" /> and strike Egypt with all my wonders<n id="2" /> that I will do among them, and after that he will release you.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">&#8220;So you are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And as for me, I will be with your mouth<n id="1" /> and with his mouth,<n id="2" /> and I will teach you both<n id="3" /> what you must do.<n id="4" />

Aaron spoke<n id="1" /> all the words that the <sc>Lordsc> had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people,

and they said to them, &#8220;May the <sc>Lordsc> look on you and judge,<n id="1" /> because you have made us stink<n id="2" /> in the opinion of<n id="3" /> Pharaoh and his servants,<n id="4" /> so that you have given them an excuse to kill us!&#8221;<n id="5" />p>

<p class="bodytext">Then the <sc>Lordsc> said to Moses, &#8220;Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh,<n id="1" /> for compelled by my strong hand<n id="2" /> he will release them, and by my strong hand he will drive them out of his land.&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

I also established my covenant with them<n id="1" /> to give them the land of Canaan, where they were living as resident foreigners.<n id="2" />

I<n id="1" /> have also heard<n id="2" /> the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving,<n id="3" /> and I have remembered my covenant.<n id="4" />

<p class="bodytext">It was the same Aaron and Moses to whom the <sc>Lordsc> said, &#8220;Bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt by their regiments.&#8221;<n id="1" />