EXODUS CHAPTER 6 ~ 10

EXODUS 6

1 Then YHWH said to Moses, "Now you
Shall see the thing that I will do
To Pharaoh. With a strong hand he
Will let them go, and it shall be
With a strong hand he'll drive them out
Of his land with clamour and rout."

WEEK 14

2 And Ælohim spoke to Moses
And said to him "I'm YHWH for this.
3 "I appeared to Abraham, and
To Isaac, Jacob, in the land
As El El God Almighty, but
By My name YHWH I did not strut
Before them. 4 "I have also cut
My covenant with them, to give
Them the land of Canaan to live,
The land of their pilgrimage, in
Which they were strangers or had been.

If Your name YHWH was still unknown before
You spoke to Moses on Nilotic shore,
Then all the stories I have read till now
Have been adjusted with that name somehow.
The second of creation calls you YHWH
And so I've heard and spoken it as true
Since then as I recite Your lovely names.
No doubt all faith on earth today lays claims
Of being brought down from Sinai's bright flames,
And so all things before that great announcement
Are rewritten in light of its pronouncement.
Rewrite my life as well, Beloved, to share
In every breath Your best names and repair
My emptinesses so that You are there.

5 "And I have also heard the groaning
Of the folk Egyptians were loaning
Of Israel to keep in bondage
With whip and lash and other frondage,
And I've remembered My treaty.
6 "Therefore say to Israel for Me:
'I am YHWH, I will bring you out
From under the Egyptians' clout,
I'll rescue you from their slavery,
And I'll redeem you with an arm
Outstretched and by great judgements' harm.
7 'I'll take you as My people, and
I'll be your Ælohim and hand.
Then you shall know that I am YHWH
Your Ælohim who brings you through
Out from the things Egyptians do.
8 'And I will bring you to the land
Which I swore to give by command
To Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
And I will give it when you wake up
To you as heritage: I'm YHWH.'"
9 So Moses spoke thus to the folk
Of Israel, but they were asoak
In anguish of spirit and cruel
Bondage, and did not heed the rule
That Moses in their favour spoke.

At one stroke You, Beloved, could take the whole
Of Egypt and divide it in a bowl,
Set one beyond the Nile and one in land
Of Canaan and let both of them there stand.
What is the sense of bringing one through toil
And slavery to cringe upon the soil,
And then another through rebellious hate
Only to have the plagues rain on his pate?
That you tell the slave trouble's coming on
The one who wields the whip and lash at dawn
Takes nothing from its sting. You have no skin
And therefore do not feel the pinch we're in.
Beloved, in skin I still turn to Your name
In hope and comfort before timely game.

10 And YHWH spoke to Moses, and said
11 "Go in, tell Pharaoh and the dread
King of Egypt to let the folk
Of Israel go out of his land."
12 And Moses spoke before the hand
Of YHWH, saying "The children of
Israel have not heeded my shove.
How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for
Uncircumcised lips are my score?"
13 Then YHWH spoke to Moses and Aaron,
And gave them a command not barren
For the children of Israel and
For Pharaoh king of Egypt's land,
To bring the folk of Israel out
Of the land of Egypt in rout.

Moses thinks that the humble and the good
Have not listened to his word as they should,
How then will powerful and proud relent
To hear unwanted words when he is sent?
In this Moses errs in the principle.
The humble and the proud have both in full
Capacity to turn from Your names grace
And hide themselves before the divine face.
Oppressor and oppressed of this in hand,
Both ignore mercy and divine command.
From breath to breath illusion can create
The veils to hide the blessed human state.
I flee to You, Beloved, from power and weakness
To You, and You alone, and Your uniqueness.

14 These are the chiefs of the houses
Of their ancestors and roses:
The sons of Reuben, the firstborn
Of Israel, were Hanoch his horn,
Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. These
Are families of Reuben to please.
15 And the sons of Simeon were there,
All six of them and all as fair,
Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin,
Zohar, and Shaul the son for spleen
Of a Canaanite woman. These
Are families of Simeon at ease.
16 These are the names of Levi's sons
According to generations:
Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.
The years of the life of Levi
Were one hundred and thirty-seven,
Lived on the earth and not in heaven.

Of twelve tribes only three are given here,
And in this short list I find there appear
The three firstborn and yet the three most hated:
Reuben, unstable, for an act ill-mated,
And Simeon and Levi who were scattered
For angry slaughter in a thing that mattered.
The wilful strong come always to the fore
Admired for leadership who force the door.
Yet these are set aside, three gates well tried,
For Judah's praise, whose name was well applied.
The lives of these three give the other p's
Of prayer in penance, plaint, petition, these
With praise make up the life of faithful prayer
In all the gates, earth, water, fire and air.

17 The sons of Gershon were Libni
And Shimi by each family.
18 And the sons of Kohath: Amram,
Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel.
And the years of Kohath's life well
Were one hundred and thirty-three,
Forty-two less than Abraham.
19 These were the sons of Merari:
Two boys Mahali and Mushi.
These the families of Levi
By their generations go by.

Again three sons step forward to relate
The first three gates and with each one its state.
Gershon for law is exile, which is known
By everyone who follows law alone.
Korah, the gathering, is named for love
That follows law up to the gate above.
Awareness comes with Merari whose is
The bitterness of knowing truly His.
The three deficient ones are perfect by
The eight sons of truth they get in reply.
Their names and their responses in the sly
Are secrets known only to innocent.
Hold back, Beloved, the secrets where they went
Until the bright illusions are all spent.

Gershon the law brings forth Libni the pure
And Shimi, the sema' or hearing sure.
The gate of love, Kohath, brings forth the four
Expressions of love's truth creating door.
Amram is folk exalted, cast upon
Your loving kindness from the rosy dawn.
Izhar is shining and Hebron alliance
Between Beloved and soul without defiance.
Love's last truth is Uzziel, God's my strength,
And so love is truth's happy breadth and length.
Mahli and Mushi are the bitter fruit
Of knowing, that's why true faith gets the boot.
The mild and drawing out are truth's last goal,
Beloved, and not the doing for the whole.

20 Now Amram took Jochebed for
Himself, his father's sister's score,
As wife, and she's the one who bore
Him Aaron and Moses, no mention
Of Miriam comes in this recension.
The years of Amram's life were one
Hundred and thirty-seven done.
21 The sons of Izhar were Korah,
Nepheg, and Zichri, plethora.
22 And the sons of Uzziel be
Mishael, Elzaphan, and Zithri.
23 Aaron took to himself as wife
Elisheba, the daughter of
Amminadab, a wife for life,
Sister of Nahshon (not above),
And she bore him Nadab, Abihu,
Eleazar, Ithamar, all I knew.
24 But Korah's sons were Assir and
Elkanah, Abiasaph's stand.
These are the families by rights
Of Izhar's sons the Korahites.
25 Eleazar, Aaron's son, took for
Himself one of the daughters store
Of Putiel as wife, she bore
Him Phinehas. These are the heads
Of the fathers' houses and spreads
Of the Levites by families' threads.

The third of three series of three comes here
Beloved, where three wives blessed at last appear.
The first is Jochebed, mother, great aunt
Of Moses and Aaron, whose name is grant
That YHWH is glory. My beloved, be mine.
The second wife is Elisheba, fine
Name meaning my God's oath, and so Your glory
Gives rise to promises of grace and story.
The third wife's name's a secret, daughter of
Putiel, God illuminates in love.
The secret here unstated is the wife
Of Moses, the fourth gate of real life,
Whose name's Zipporah, sparrow, that shows me
Truth's not deep thoughts but mere simplicity.

26 These are the same Aaron and Moses
To whom YHWH said "Bring out the roses,
Children of Israel from the land
Of Egypt each and every band."
27 These are the ones who spoke to Pharaoh
The king of Egypt to the marrow,
To bring from Egypt Israel's folk.
These Moses and Aaron both spoke.
28 It came to pass upon the day
YHWH spoke to Moses in the way
In Egypt's land, 29 that YHWH spoke saying
To Moses, who had not stopped praying,
"I am YHWH. Speak to Pharaoh king
Of Egypt when I say the thing."
30 But Moses said to YHWH, "Indeed,
I am of uncircumcised lips,
And how shall Pharaoh hear or heed
Me who is without guns and ships?"

There is a thought that one must have some power
To do a good thing in the witching hour.
Reflection's false, the truth is that alone
Good's done by powerless and to the bone.
Since power itself is an evil thing
When given to the pauper or the king,
It follows that whatever's done with power
Lacks goodness for its rate and for its tower.
Indeed, Pharaoh shall not hear what I say,
Because I have no power on him to play,
But that is just the good part of my game.
My strength could only suit me to my blame.
Beloved, let me like You be goodness still
And let the power reign until its fill.

EXODUS 7

1 So YHWH said to Moses, "Behold,
I've made you Ælohim to old
Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother
Shall be your prophet and concur.
2 "You shall speak all that I command
You. Aaron your brother shall stand
To speak to Pharaoh to send out
Israel's folk from his land about.
3 "And I will harden Pharaoh's heart,
And multiply My signs and art,
My wonders here in Egypt's land.
4 "But Pharaoh will not understand
Or heed you, so that I may lay
My hand on Egypt, no delay,
And bring My armies and My people,
Israel's folk, out from under steeple
Of Egypt by great judgements done.
5 "The Egyptians shall have begun
To know that I am YHWH, when I
Stretch out My hand on Egypt's sky
And bring out Israel's folk from them."
6 Then Moses and Aaron contemn
Not to follow YHWH's just command
To meet Pharaoh and to withstand.
7 And Moses was eighty years old
And Aaron eighty-three and bold
When they spoke to Pharaoh to scold.

At last You tell the plan, Beloved, of what
You'll do to Pharaoh, and how You will shut
His heart up in its hardness to refuse
To let the people go to where You choose.
It's rare You make such brittle revelations.
More often You let people's agitations
Run their own course in silence. Moses should
Be grateful to know that You're planning good.
I only ask, did You give Pharaoh choice
In his refusal not to hear Your voice?
And if You did or if You did not, why
Did You require permission from the guy?
Take Israel out directly, leave the bloke
To stew and smoulder till he has a stroke.

8 Then YHWH spoke to Moses and Aaron,
Saying 9 "When Pharaoh raises clarion,
Saying 'Show for yourselves a miracle
And make your message more empirical,'
Then you shall say to Aaron , 'Take
Your rod and cast for Pharaoh's sake,
And so let it become a snake.'"
10 So Moses and Aaron went in
To Pharaoh, and they did to win
Just as YHWH had commanded them.
And Aaron in the stratagem
Cast down his rod before Pharaoh
And before his servants to show,
And it became a snake to go.
11 But Pharaoh also called the wise
Men and the sorcerers in guise
Of magicians of Egypt, they
Also did in like manner sway
With their enchantments. 12 Every man
Threw down his rod, and they by plan
Became serpents. But Aaron's rod
Swallowed up their rods like a clod.
13 And Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he
Did not heed them, by YHWH's decree.

You never give a sign, Beloved, but what
There's explanation for the doubter's but.
You might as well give ne'er a sign at all
And just expect the troupe to heed Your call.
The human mind can always find a trail
To make ambiguous and without fail
The clear word You proclaim upon the mount,
Beside the river, or in Pharaoh's count.
I flee to You from choices that contrast
And yet give no sign clearly which is fast.
The true and false may both produce the snake,
And who can know which one of them is fake
Despite the appetite that one displays.
A bigger stomach's no proof of Your ways.

14 So YHWH said to Moses "Pharaoh's
Heart is hard, and harder it grows
Refusing to let people go.
15 "Go to Pharaoh at morning's show,
When he goes out to the water,
And you shall stand there grimlier
By the river's bank to meet him,
And the rod which was turned by whim
Into a serpent you shall take
In your hand. 16 "And you shall awake
To say to him, 'YHWH Ælohim
Of the Hebrews has sent, I deem,
Me to you, saying "Let My people
Go, that they may serve without steeple
Me in the wilderness," indeed,
Until now you just would not heed!
17 'Thus says YHWH "By this you shall know
That I am YHWH. Indeed, I'll go
And strike the waters which are in
The river with the rod that's in
My hand, and they'll be turned to blood.
18 "And the fish that are in the flood
Shall die, the river shall stink, and
The Egyptians will loathe the sand
To drink the water of the river."'"
19 YHWH spoke to Moses to deliver,
"Say to Aaron , 'Take your rod and
Stretch out on Egypt's waters’ hand,
Over their streams, over their rivers,
Over their ponds, and over sievers
Of all their pools of water, that
They may become blood where they're at.
And there shall be blood throughout all
The land of Egypt, both in haul
Of wood and in pitchers of stone.'"
20 And Moses and Aaron alone
Did just as YHWH commanded them.
He lifted the rod's diadem
And struck the waters that were in
The river, in Pharaoh's sight, in
The sight of his servants. And all
The waters in the river's sprawl
Were turned to blood. 21 The fish that were
In the river died silenter,
The river stank, and the Egyptians
Could not drink water by prescriptions
From the river. So there was blood
Throughout all Egypt's land for cud.

You accept that the earthly ruler's word
Must be had before Your own and preferred
Can lift a hand or foot obeying You.
And yet insist, without further ado,
On humbling the king and his right to rule.
Accept his right or cast aside the fool.
Why make the confused people drink the blood
That seeps up from the river's staining mud?
If You do this to prove idolatry
Is uncourageous in reality,
The proof lies unaccepted despite fate
Of death and all destruction for its mate.
If man cannot drink blood, then why should gods
Takes too much brain to think despite Your prods.

22 Then the magicians of the land
Of Egypt did so by command
Of their enchantments, and Pharaoh's
Heart grew hard and harder, he chose
Not to heed them, as YHWH had said.
23 And Pharaoh turned away in dread
And went into his house. His heart
Remained unmoved by Aaron's part.
24 So the Egyptians dug around
The river looking in the ground
For drinking water, because they
Could not drink water from the bay.
25 And seven days passed after YHWH
Had struck the river and bayou.

In my idolatry I dig around
The bloody edges of the wind-cursed ground.
I do not doubt the Nile is still the vein
And artery of gods in sky and plain.
The bright illusions of creation's face
Are all that human mind and heart can trace,
And so the best in my theologies
Is something hard to give up for no cheese.
Beloved, I leave my digging tool and book
And flee to You alone! See, I forsook
The well-thought trinities of gods I knew,
And they indeed, those gods, are not a few.
I cling to You alone, One and unknown,
Because You are not made of blood and stone.

EXODUS 8

1 And YHWH spoke to Moses, "Go to
Pharaoh and tell him, 'Thus says YHWH,
"Let My people go, that they may
Serve Me. 2 "But if you block their way,
Indeed, I will smite all your land
With frogs. 3 "And so the river sand
Shall bring forth frogs abundantly,
Which shall go up and come freely
Into your house, into your room,
Upon your bed, in your costume,
Into the houses of your servants,
On your people, for your observance,
Into oven and kneading bowl.
4 "And the frogs shall come on your soul,
On your people, on all your servants."'"
5 Then YHWH spoke to Moses, "Say to
Aaron , 'Stretch out without ado
And tend your rod over the streams,
Over rivers, over ponds' gleams,
And cause frogs to come up upon
The land of Egypt before dawn.'"
6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over
The waters of Egypt, and rover
Frogs came up and covered the land
Of Egypt. 7 The magicians' hand
Of their enchantments did so too,
And brought up frogs and not a few
On the land of Egypt. 8 Then Pharaoh
Called to come faster than an arrow
Both Moses and Aaron, and said
"Entreat YHWH that He may be led
To take away the frogs from me
And from my people and country,
And I will let the people go,
That they may sacrifice to YHWH."
9 And Moses said to Pharaoh, "May
Ali be honoured! When, I pray,
Shall I intercede for you, for
Your servants, and your people more,
To destroy the frogs from you and
Your houses, that they may leave land,
Remaining in the river strand?"

Beloved, destroy the frogs from me and mine,
The frogs of unbelief as well as wine
Of false belief, and honoured be Ali
Whom You appointed at Ghadir to be
The Prophet's viceroy and the one to speak
In favour of Your law, defend the weak,
And raise the banner of the Unity
Of God as one, Muhammad and Ali.
Some flatter kings and bow before their reign,
And greet them with the finest words in vain,
For none of them seek justice nor attain
To right rule in a world of loss and gain.
But Moses greets the king with right submission
To God's appointed. Let that be my mission.

10 And he said "Tomorrow." And he
Said "According to your word be,
That you may know that there is none
Like YHWH our Ælohim when done.
11 "And the frogs shall depart from you,
From your houses, though not a few,
From your servants, and from your folk
To stay in the river and croak."
12 Then Moses and Aaron went out
From Pharaoh. And Moses cried out
To YHWH concerning frogs which He
Had brought against Pharaoh in glee.
13 And YHWH did by the word of Moses.
And the frogs died out of the houses,
Out of the villages and fields.
14 They gathered together their yields
In heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when
Pharaoh saw that there was relief,
He hardened his heart once again
And did not heed them in their grief,
Just as YHWH had said to be brief.

You leave the stinking refuse of what's done
Of evil here beneath the blistering sun
So that I do not think illusion's fun
Will disappear like magic when I wake.
Though all the world is just a dream of cake,
The waking is a stench for many's sake.
You might have had Moses wave magic wand
Once more to rid the world of what it donned.
Instead You make reality a stroke
On dearest senses of the blessèd folk.
You may or may not bring the cursing frogs,
But when You've done with miracles and cogs,
It's human hands pick up the pickled freight
And human nostrils quivering at the gate.

16 So YHWH said to Moses, "Say to
Aaron, 'Stretch out your rod, please do,
And strike the dust of the land, so
That it may become lice to grow
Throughout all Egypt's land and show.'"
17 And they did so. For Aaron stretched
Out his hand with his rod and fetched
A strike upon the dust of earth,
And it was lice on man and beast,
All the land's dust was lice for berth
Throughout all Egypt's land at least.
18 And the magicians in a trice
With their enchantments to make lice
Tried but they could not, so there were
Lice in man's hair and in beast's fur.
19 And the magicians said to Pharaoh,
"This is Ælohim's finger's arrow."
But Pharaoh's heart grew hard, and he
Did not heed them, by YHWH's decree.

I wonder if magicians have the wit
To make appear frogs that could stink a bit.
I doubt they stayed but only disappeared.
It's only You can make a frog that's feared.
But they could make no tiny lice at all
No matter how they tried to seek and call.
Because they met something they could not do,
They said it had to be the hand of YHWH.
How faintly trite the argument goes round,
That I'm the fanciest thing to be found.
Pharaoh is not so motionless of mind,
But recognizes better magic's kind.
That's why his heart is hard before the sight
Of what You do, Beloved, both day and night.

20 And YHWH said to Moses, "Rise up
Early in the morning and stand
Before Pharaoh who brings his cup
Out to the water. Make demand
'Thus says YHWH, "Let My people go,
That they may serve Me. 21 "Or else know,
If you'll not let My people go,
Indeed, I'll send swarms on you and
Your servants, your folk in the land
And in your houses. Houses of
The Egyptians shall swarm above
And on the ground on which they stand.
22 "And in that day I'll set apart
The land of Goshen, where my heart,
My people live, that no swarms shall
Be there, that you may prodigal
Know that I'm YHWH within the land.
23 "I'll make a difference by command
Between My people and your folk.
Tomorrow this sign shall provoke."'"
24 And YHWH did so. Thick swarms of flies
Came into Pharaoh's house and eyes,
Into his servants' houses, and
Into all the Egyptians' land.
The land was spoiled because the flies
In swarms covered both earth and skies.

The king like all men is powerless before
Swarms of flies or anything at the door.
A brave man can face strength and cunning show,
But swarms of insects are another row.
And yet the miracle is nothing sure.
Science can always find, if not a cure,
At least an explanation of the kind.
The seeker loses fruit to taste the rind.
Whatever happens might be act of God
Or such blind fate with steady step and plod.
The messages themselves are nothing but
The suffering and not the why for what.
I understand Pharaoh whose constant song
Can never reach the certainty of wrong.

25 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and
Aaron , and said "Go by command,
Sacrifice to God in the land."
26 And Moses said "It is not right
To do so, for we would in sight
Of the Egyptians sacrifice
Abomination for YHWH's price
Who is our Ælohim. If we
Slay the abomination's fee
Of the Egyptians in their eyes,
Will they not stone us by surprise?
27 "We will go three days' journey in
The wilderness where we have been
And sacrifice to YHWH our God
As He'll command us where to trod."
28 And Pharaoh said "I'll let you go,
That you may sacrifice and show
To YHWH your Ælohim there in
The wilderness to peregrine,
Only don't go too far away,
And think of me too when you pray."
29 Then Moses said "Indeed I go
Out from you, and I'll a propos
Entreat YHWH, that the swarms depart
Tomorrow from both bread and tart
Of Pharaoh, from his servants, and
From his people. But let Pharaoh
Not deal deceitfully once more
In not letting the people go
Sacrifice to YHWH and implore."
30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh
And entreated YHWH on the go.
31 And YHWH did by the word of Moses,
Removing swarms of flies from noses
Of Pharaoh, from his servants, and
His folk till none stayed in the land.
32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart at
This time also, from where they sat
He would not let the people scat.

The king asks that the worshipper might share
Petition for his sake within the prayer.
That's why today in every church you find
Prayers offered for the government, though blind.
The hardened heart knows to confess in praise
The worship of a dozen gods and ways.
The king's hypocrisy finds a contrast
In Moses' wisdom by Egyptian blast.
He knows the people stone such likes as he,
And so he does not act his faith as free.
My sacrifice also is made today
In secret from the rabble out to play.
Beloved, I move between the holy mount
And Egypt, yet I seek Your face and count.

EXODUS 9

1 Then YHWH said to Moses, "Go in
To Pharaoh and to his chagrin
Tell him, 'Thus says YHWH Ælohim
Of the Hebrews, "Let go My people,
That they may serve Me without steeple.
2 "For if you refuse to let go,
And still hold them for work and show,
3 "Indeed, the hand of YHWH will be
On your cattle in field and lea,
On the horses, and on donkey,
On camels, on oxen, and sheep,
A grievous pestilence shall sweep.
4 "And YHWH will make a difference
Between Israel's cattle and fence
And the Egyptians' livestock, so
Nothing shall die of all pertaining
To Israel's folk whom I'm sustaining."'"
5 Then YHWH appointed a set time,
Saying "Tomorrow YHWH sublime
Will do this thing here in the land."
6 So YHWH did this thing by His hand
The next day, and all the livestock
Of Egypt died, but not a pock
Killed any of the cattle of
The folk of Israel in the shove.
7 Then Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not
One of Israel's cattle's shot,
But the heart of Pharaoh got hard,
To keep the people locked and barred.

The ancient incidence of hoof and mouth
Disease is evident from north to south
In Egypt except in the land of Goshen,
Exempt perhaps for lying near the ocean.
If all the problems were caused by eruption
Of some volcano, still the state's corruption
Was well affronted by the act of God,
A concept legal and religious that
I duly note with scorn from where I'm at.
If all destruction started with the rod
That Moses waved, but is not mentioned here,
Then there is still today reason to fear
Authorities may topple and the rabble
Pass on to Sinai where to stop their babble.

8 So YHWH said to Moses and Aaron,
"Take for yourselves handfuls of barren
Ashes from a furnace, and let
Moses scatter it toward the set
Sky in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 "And
It will be fine dust in the land
Of all Egypt, and it will cause
Boils that break out in awful sores
On man and beast throughout all of
Egypt's land lower and above."
10 Then they took ashes from the furnace
And stood before Pharaoh with sureness,
And Moses scattered toward the sky.
And it caused boils breaking thereby
In awful sores on man and beast.
11 And the magician and the priest
Could not stand before Moses for
The pain they had in boil and sore,
Because the boils were on magician
As well as on every Egyptian.
12 But YHWH hardened the heart of Pharaoh,
And he did not heed them for harrow,
Just as YHWH'd told Moses before.

If mad cow plague is not enough to make
A king submit to God for goodness' sake,
A fistful of ashes thrown in the air,
And magnified by what viral affair,
Ought to turn mind to know one has no power
To command earth to stay a blessèd hour.
If I had been the one to blow the horn
On status quo and send a plague of scorn,
I would have sent this first against the priest
And the magician in their fatal feast.
Beloved, why is the plague always hard first
On vulnerable instead of on worst?
Dictator eats his ill-got lamb in peace,
While righteous poor goes to bed without fleece.

13 Then YHWH said to Moses, "Rise early
In the morning and stand by surly
Pharaoh, and say to him, 'Thus says
YHWH God of the Hebrews for days,
"Let My people go for My praise,
14 "For this time I'll send all My plagues
On your own heart and to the dregs
On your servants and on your folk,
That you may know there's not a bloke
Like Me in all the earth, no joke.
15 "Now if I had stretched out My hand
And struck you and all in your land
With pestilence, you would have been
Cut off from all the earth by sin.
16 "But indeed for this purpose I
Have raised you up near to the sky,
That I may show My power in you,
And that My name may be shown true
In all the earth. 17 "And as yet you
Exalt yourself against My folk
Not to let them go out unyoke.
18 "Indeed, tomorrow at this time
I'll cause great hail in place and clime
To rain down, such as not been seen
In Egypt since the time it's been.
19 "Therefore send now and gather your
Livestock and all you have on shore
Or in the field, for hail shall come
Down on all men and every beast
Found in the field from great to least
And is left out and not brought home,
And they shall die, and that's the sum."'"
20 Who feared the word of YHWH among
Pharaoh's servants made slave unsung
And beast take refuge in the shed.
21 But who despised the word that said
YHWH left his servants and his cattle
Out in the field to do hail battle.

Not only Pharaoh, but each man is raised
Upon the earth where YHWH is to be praised
For but one purpose chosen between two,
Either to submit his own will to You,
Or by rebellion show Your name is grand
Throughout the centuries in every land.
Those who return to You in truth and grace
Are armed both with the bliss and with the face
Of suffering in this awful time and place.
Those who rebel sometimes find fleeting peace,
And other times their pains fail of release.
There is no answer to the flesh that cries
For reasons why the body hurts and dies.
Reason is virtue and so bears no lies.

22 Then YHWH said to Moses, "Stretch out
Your hand toward heaven, that without doubt
There may be hail in all the land
Of Egypt: on man, on beast, and
On every herb of field and sand,
Throughout the land of Egypt manned."
23 And Moses stretched out his rod to
The sky, and YHWH sent thunder, blew
The hail, and fire ran to the ground,
And YHWH rained hail in horrid sound
On the land of Egypt. 24 So there
Was hail, and mingled everywhere
With hail, was fire, and hail so great
That there was none in all the state
Like it since Egypt was a nation.
25 And the hail made a devastation
Throughout the whole land of Egypt,
All that was in the field was whipped,
Both man and beast, and the hail struck
Every herb of the field amuck
And broke every tree of the field.
26 Only in Goshen's land was shield,
Where the children of Israel stayed
There was no hail come in cascade.

For once it seems plague fell upon the guilty
Who sat for gain beside the river silty,
While the blessed were to find a saving shield
From the storm well wrought and so finely peeled.
Now the hail takes the one and leaves the other,
And there's no reason why the salvaged brother
Is left in respite instead of in hell.
There's no restraint in tolling of the bell,
And plague does not define the good in heart
And hand, against the wicked's flying dart.
Since justice happened once I can relate
To blind injustice now that seems my fate.
Beloved, You live eternal present so
One act of justice seems to let You go.

27 And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses
And Aaron , his secret discloses,
"I've sinned now, YHWH is right and just,
I and my people wicked dust.
28 "Entreat YHWH, that there may be no
Thunder of Ælohim to show
Nor hail, enough, and I'll release,
You'll stay no more, but go in peace."
29 So Moses said to him, "As soon
As I have gone out of the city,
I'll spread my hands to YHWH for pity,
Thunder will cease, there'll be no more
Hail, that you may know that the earth
Is YHWH's and all in it of worth,
Both those who're safe and those who're sore.
30 "But as for you and your servants,
I know that you'll make no relents
To fear YHWH Ælohim with sense."
31 Now the flax and the barley were
Struck, for the barley was astir
In ear and flax was in the bud,
So both were lost in hail and mud.
32 But the wheat and the spelt were not
Struck, for they are late crops in plot.
33 So Moses went out of the city
From Pharaoh to spread hands for pity
To YHWH, and then the thunder and
The hail ceased, and the rain on sand
Was not poured out. 34 And when Pharaoh
Saw that the rain, the hail, also
The thunder had ceased, he sinned yet
More, and he hardened his heart set,
He and his servants. 35 So the heart
Of Pharaoh was hard, for his part
Neither would he let Israel go,
As YHWH had told Moses to show.

My soul like every soul in trouble cries
For just deliverance, or if not just,
At least relief from pain of sore and sighs,
And pleasure instead of the aching dust.
And like Pharaoh and every other soul,
As soon as pain stops and I've reached the goal,
I straight away forget the promise made
That I'd do this or that in light or shade
If You, Beloved, would only come in aid.
The pink and purple blossoms flutter at
The tugging autumn breeze turned acrobat.
My fragile life and happiness are bold
Against the waning summer and the cold.
Beloved, let glorious visions not be sold.

WEEK 15 EXODUS 10

1 Now YHWH said to Moses, "Go in
To Pharaoh, for in his own sin
I've hardened his heart and the hearts
Of his servants who play their parts,
That I may show these signs of Mine
Before him, 2 "and to you consign
The telling in the hearing of
Your son and your son's son in love
About the mighty things I've done
In Egypt, and My signs I've done
Among them, that you may know that
I am YHWH and an autocrat."
3 So Moses and Aaron came in
To Pharaoh and told him like kin,
"Thus says YHWH God of the Hebrews,
'How long will you indeed refuse
To humble yourself before Me?
Let My people go to serve Me.
4 'Or else, if you refuse to let
My people go, indeed, I'll get
Locusts tomorrow on your land.
5 'And they shall cover earth and sand
So that no one can see the earth,
And they shall eat what's left of worth
From the hail, and they'll eat each tree
That grows for you in field and lea.
6 'They shall fill your houses, and all
The houses of your servants small
And great, and all the houses of
The Egyptians, for hate or love,
Like neither your fathers nor your
Fathers' fathers have seen before,
Since the day that they were on earth
To this day.'" And he, without mirth,
Turned and went out from Pharaoh's sight.

Like nothing known before, Beloved, You say,
Out of the east the locusts come to prey.
Come with the east wind to proclaim the fate
Upon Egyptian and Egyptian state.
Since the day that they were on earth they saw
That locusts limited themselves to law.
Servants of You, Beloved, they come in wave
Locusts well-armed, hungry, swarming and brave,
On all the land of Egypt, everywhere
Covering earth and sand, filling the air
Upon all fields of green and every tree.
Still and submitted, My Beloved, to Thee,
Throughout the night I wait the coming horde,
Submitted to Your hand, Your word and sword.

7 Then Pharaoh's servants said to him,
"How long shall this man be a blight
To us? Let the men go and hymn
In service to YHWH Ælohim.
Do you not yet know that Egypt
Is destroyed and its wings all clipped?"
8 So Moses and Aaron were brought
Again to Pharaoh, and he taught
Them saying "Go, serve YHWH your God.
Who are the ones to go by prod?"
9 And Moses said "We will go out
With our young and our old, no doubt,
With our sons and our daughters, and
With our flocks and our herds in hand,
For we must hold a feast to YHWH."
10 Then he told them, "YHWH be with you
When I let you and yours go out!
It's evil you're thinking about!
11 "Not so! Go now, you who are men,
And serve YHWH and come back again,
For that is what you first desired."
Driven from Pharaoh, they retired.

The king's no fool, he knows that he will lose
The labour force of all the land to choose
To let them go out with both herd and child.
He states his fears outright, he's not beguiled.
It's Moses and Aaron equivocate
And You Yourself, Beloved, the truth to state.
The promise to the king is that they go
To hold a feast only and then to show
Up at their jobs once they've returned. The thought
The king calls evil is not only wrought
In Moses' heart, Beloved, but in Your own.
You do not lie, who strike fear to the bone,
But can show truth only to faces that
Return in truth, Beloved, to where You're at.

12 Then YHWH said to Moses, "Stretch out
Your hand over the land about
Egypt for the locusts, that they
May come on Egypt's land a way
And eat all grass upon the land,
All that the hail has left in hand."
13 So Moses stretched out his rod over
The land of Egypt and its clover,
And YHWH brought an east wind on all
The land that day and all that night.
At morning locusts came to fall
From the east wind and out of sight.
14 And the locusts went up on all
The land of Egypt to rest on
All the land of Egypt at dawn.
Very severe, like none before
Had there been such locusts in store
Nor shall there be such after them.
15 For they covered in stratagem
The face of the whole earth, so that
The land was darkened where they're at,
And they ate every herb of field
And all the fruit that trees might yield
Left by the hail, so there remained
No green thing by the unrestrained
On tree or herb of field throughout
The land of Egypt round about.

Beloved, I do not pity grass so much,
Although I know also that grass is such,
Despite its lower stature, still a voice
In every leaf and blade that must rejoice
In You and in Your holy name. The grass
Says constantly, repeating sacred mass
Of Your name and Your praises night and day.
I hear its praise in whispers on its sway.
But what I pity, my Beloved, is trees!
You let the locusts touch the holy frieze
Of leaf and branch! Even today the land
Of Egypt is bereft of fir and oak.
Why did You give the fatal, foul command
And cut the world down with one blasting stroke?

16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and
Aaron in haste, and told the band,
"I've sinned against YHWH Ælohim
And against you, so it would seem.
17 "Now therefore, please forgive my sin
Only this once, I'm genuine,
And entreat YHWH your God, that He
May take from me this death only."
18 So he went out from Pharaoh and
Entreated YHWH at his command.
19 And YHWH turned a very strong west
Wind, which took the locust and pest
Away and blew them in the sea,
The Red Sea, till no one could see
A single locust in the lea
In all the Egyptian country.
20 And so YHWH hardened Pharaoh's heart,
Not to let Israel depart.

Before You let Your west wind blow on me,
Beloved, Beloved, hear my apology
And my confession. Like Pharaoh I think
That my heart turns to you upon the brink
Of fear and exaltation. Feelings are
The human measure of the guiding star.
But You know what I in my ignorance
Deny with horror for my own defence.
Soften the heart in me that thinks I am
The meek and mild and humble woolly lamb.
Remove the hidden Christian violence
From my unspoken motives. Hear my prayer,
The words that Pharaoh failed at last to share.
Save from the faith I feel and know and bear.

21 Then YHWH said to Moses, "Stretch out
Your hand toward heaven, that all about
There may be darkness in the land
Of Egypt, darkness felt by hand."
22 And so Moses stretched out his hand
Toward the sky, and there was thick
Darkness over the bishopric
Of Egypt three days. 23 They did not
See one another, and none got
Up from his bed for three days, but
In all the folk of Israel's hut
They had their light. 24 Then Pharaoh called
To Moses and Aaron and bawled,
"Go, serve YHWH, only let your flocks
And your herds stay here in their docks,
But let your families go in pax."
25 But Moses said "You must also
Give us sacrifice and bestow
On us burnt offerings, that we may
Offer YHWH our God the right way.
26 "Our livestock shall go with us, not
A hoof shall be left nor forgot.
For we must take from them to serve
YHWH our Ælohim and not swerve
Since we do not know what we need
To serve YHWH till we're there indeed."
27 And so YHWH hardened Pharaoh's heart,
And he would not let them depart.
28 Then Pharaoh told him, "Get away
From me! Take heed, because you may
Not see my face again! The day
You see my face, know you shall die!"
29 And Moses said "You do not lie,
For you have spoken not in vain.
I'll never see your face again."

The hand of might comes to its last defence,
Which is always threat of the death sentence.
There is no power on earth but carries out
That threat despite all laws, the law of clout
Is basis of all rule, the clandestine
Or heavy-handed rule of Constantine.
The civil servant may be civil when
He has cooperation of all men.
But let a man make some polite request
To lift the yoke of service from his breast,
And governor, elected or well set,
Will smile at first, and then begin to fret,
And then pass the death sentence, for the nation
Finds it expedient to deal that ration.


AUTHOR: THOMAS G. MCELWAIN

Copyright © 2007 Adams & McElwain Publishers and Thomas McElwain First Published in two volumes, The Beloved and I 2005, and Led of the Beloved, 2006. Second Edition, 2010 Third and revised edition, 2012 All rights reserved. No part of this verse commentary on the sacred Scriptures may be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, without permission in writing from publisher.

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