Fragmenda

Scripture

Exodus 5–7

Exodus 5

Pharao refuseth to let the people go. They are more oppressed.

1 

After these things, Moses and Aaron went in, and said to Pharao: Thus saith the Lord God of Israel: Let my people go, that they may sacrifice to me in the desert.

2 

But he answered: Who is the Lord, that I should hear his voice, and let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.

3 

And they said: The God of the Hebrews hath called us, to go three days’ journey into the wilderness, and to sacrifice to the Lord our God; lest a pestilence or the sword fall upon us.

4 

The king of Egypt said to them: Why do you Moses and Aaron draw off the people from their works? Get you gone to your burdens.

5 

And Pharao said: The people of the land are numerous; you see that the multitude is increased; how much more if you give them rest from their works?

6 

Therefore he commanded the same day the overseers of the works, and the task-masters of the people, saying:

7 

You shall give straw no more to the people to make brick, as before; but let them go and gather straw.

8 

And you shall lay upon them the task of bricks, which they did before; neither shall you diminish any thing thereof, for they are idle, and therefore they cry, saying: Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

9 

Let them be oppressed with works, and let them fulfil them; that they may not regard lying words.

10 

And the overseers of the works, and the taskmasters, went out and said to the people: Thus saith Pharao: I allow you no straw;

11 

Go, and gather it where you can find it; neither shall any thing of your work be diminished.

12 

And the people was scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather straw.

13 

And the overseers of the works pressed them, saying: Fulfil your work every day, as before ye were wont to do, when straw was given you.

14 

And they that were over the works of the children of Israel, were scourged by Pharao’s taskmasters, saying: Why have you not made up the task of bricks, both yesterday and to day, as before?

15 

And the officers of the children of Israel came, and cried out to Pharao, saying: Why dealest thou so with thy servants?

16 

Straw is not given us, and bricks are required of us as before; behold we, thy servants, are beaten with whips, and thy people is unjustly dealt withal.

17 

And he said: You are idle, and therefore you say: Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.

18 

Go therefore and work: straw shall not be given you, and you shall deliver the accustomed number of bricks.

19 

And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in evil case, because it was said to them: There shall not a whit be diminished of the bricks for every day.

20 

And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood over against them as they came out from Pharao:

21 

And they said to them: The Lord see and judge, because you have, made our savour to stink before Pharao and his servants, and you have given him a sword, to kill us.

22 

And Moses returned to the Lord, and said: Lord, why hast thou afflicted this people? wherefore hast thou sent me?

23 

For since the time that I went in to Pharao to speak in thy name, he hath afflicted thy people: and thou hast not delivered them.


Exodus 6

God reneweth his promise. The genealogies of Ruben, Simon and Levi, down to Moses and Aaron.

1 

And the Lord said to Moses: Now thou shalt see what I will do to Pharao: for by a mighty hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he cast them out of his land.

2 

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: I am the Lord

3 

That appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, by the name of God Almighty: and my name ADONAI I did not shew them.

4 

And I made a covenant with them, to give them the land of Chanaan, the land of their pilgrimage wherein they were strangers.

5 

I have heard the groaning of the children of Israel, wherewith the Egyptians have oppressed them: and I have remembered my covenant.

6 

Therefore say to the children of Israel: I am the Lord who will bring you out from the work-prison of the Egyptians, and will deliver you from bondage: and redeem you with a high arm, and great judgments.

7 

And I will take you to myself for my people, I will be your God: and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the work-prison of the Egyptians:

8 

And brought you into the land, concerning which I lifted up my hand to give it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: and I will give it you to possess: I am the Lord.

9 

And Moses told all this to the children of Israel: but they did not hearken to him, for anguish of spirit, and most painful work.

10 

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

11 

Go in, and speak to Pharao king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.

12 

Moses answered before the Lord: Behold the children of Israel do not hearken to me: and how will Pharao hear me, especially as I am of uncircumcised lips?

13 

And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, and he gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharao the king of Egypt, that they should bring forth the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

14 

These are the heads of their houses by their families. The sons of Ruben the firstborn of Israel: Henoch and Phallu, Hesron and Charmi.

15 

These are the kindreds of Ruben. The sons of Simeon, Jamuel and Jamin, and Ahod, and Jachin, and Soar, and Saul the son of a Chanaanitess: these are the families of Simeon.

16 

And these are the names of the sons of Levi by their kindreds: Gerson, and Caath, and Merari. And the years of the life of Levi were a hundred and thirty-seven.

17 

The sons of Gerson: Lobni and Semei, by their kindreds.

18 

The sons of Caath: Amram, and Isaar, and Hebron and Oziel. And the years of Caath’s life, were a hundred and thirty-three.

19 

The sons of Merari: Moholi and Musi. These are the kindreds of Levi by their families.

20 

And Amram took to wife Jochabed his aunt by the father’s side: and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of Amram’s life, were a hundred and thirty-seven.

21 

The sons also of Isaar: Core, and Nepheg, and Zechri.

22 

The sons also of Oziel: Mizael, and Elizaphan, and Sethri.

23 

And Aaron took to wife Elizabeth the daughter of Aminadab, sister of Nahason, who bore him Nadab, and Abiu, and Eleazar, and Ithamar.

24 

The sons also of Core: Aser, and Elcana, and Abiasaph. These are the kindreds of the Corites.

25 

But Eleazar the son of Aaron took a wife of the daughters of Phutiel: and she bore him Phinees. These are the heads of the Levitical families by their kindreds.

26 

These are Aaron and Moses, whom the Lord commanded to bring forth the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their companies.

27 

These are they that speak to Pharao, king of Egypt, in order to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron,

28 

In the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt.

29 

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: I am the Lord; speak thou to Pharao, king of Egypt, all that I say to thee.

30 

And Moses said before the Lord: Lo I am of uncircumcised lips, how will Pharao hear me?


Exodus 7

Moses and Aaron go into Pharao: they turn the rod into a serpent; and the waters of Egypt into blood, which was the first plague. The magicians do the like, and Pharao’s heart is hardened.

1 

And the Lord said to Moses: Behold, I have appointed thee the god of Pharao; and Aaron, thy brother, shall be thy prophet.

2 

Thou shalt speak to him all that I command thee; and he shall speak to Pharao, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.

3 

But I shall harden his heart, and shall multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.

4 

And he will not hear you: and I will lay my hand upon Egypt, and will bring forth my army and my people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt, by very great judgments.

5 

And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, who have stretched forth my hand upon Egypt, and have brought forth the children of Israel out of the midst of them.

6 

And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord had commanded; so did they.

7 

And Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharao.

8 

And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron:

9 

When Pharao shall say to you, Shew signs; thou shalt say to Aaron: Take thy rod, and cast it down before Pharao, and it shall be turned into a serpent.

10 

So Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharao, and did as the Lord had commanded. And Aaron took the rod before Pharao and his servants, and it was turned into a serpent.

11 

And Pharao called the wise men and the magicians; and they also by Egyptian enchantments and certain secrets, did in like manner.

12 

And they every one cast down their rods, and they were turned into serpents: but Aaron’s rod devoured their rods.

13 

And Pharao’s heart was hardened, and he did not hearken to them, as the Lord had commanded.

14 

And the Lord said to Moses: Pharao’s heart is hardened, he will not let the people go.

15 

Go to him in the morning, behold he will go out to the waters: and thou shalt stand to meet him on the bank of the river: and thou shalt take in thy hand the rod that was turned into a serpent.

16 

And thou shalt say to him: The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to thee, saying: Let my people go to sacrifice to me in the desert: and hitherto thou wouldst not hear.

17 

Thus therefore saith the Lord: In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold I will strike with the rod, that is in my hand, the water of the river, and it shall be turned into blood.

18 

And the fishes that are in the river, shall die, and the waters shall be corrupted, and the Egyptians shall be afflicted when they drink the water of the river.

19 

The Lord also said to Moses: Say to Aaron, Take thy rod; and stretch forth thy hand upon the waters of Egypt, and upon their rivers, and streams and pools, and all the ponds of waters, that they may be turned into blood: and let blood be in all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and of stone.

20 

And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord had commanded: and lifting up the rod, he struck the water of the river before Pharao and his servants: and it was turned into blood.

21 

And the fishes that were in the river died; and the river corrupted, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river, and there was blood in all the land of Egypt.

22 

And the magicians of the Egyptians with their enchantments did in like manner; and Pharao’s heart was hardened, neither did he hear them, as the Lord had commanded.

23 

And he turned himself away, and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to it this time also.

24 

And all the Egyptians dug round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.

25 

And seven days were fully ended, after that the Lord struck the river.

Catechism

An Explanation of the Baltimore Catechism of Christian Doctrine, Lesson 4, Question 35

35 Q. What are angels?

A. Angels are pure spirits without a body, created to adore and enjoy God in Heaven.

"Angels" are not the same as saints. Saints are those who at one time lived upon the earth as we do, and who on account of their very good lives are now in Heaven. They had bodies as we have. The angels, on the contrary, never lived visibly upon the earth. In the beginning God was alone. We take great pleasure in looking at beautiful things. God, seeing His own beauty, and knowing that others would have very great pleasure and happiness in seeing Him, determined to create some beings who could enjoy this happiness; and thus He wished to share with them the happiness which He Himself derived from seeing His own beauty. Therefore He created angels who were to be in Heaven with Him, singing His praises and worshipping before His throne.

The angels are not all equal in dignity, but are divided into nine classes, or choirs, according to their rank or office, and, as theologians tell us, arranged from the lowest to the highest and named as follows; angels, archangels, virtues, powers, principalities, dominations, thrones, cherubim, and seraphim. Archangels are higher than angels and are so called because sent to do the most important works. It was the Archangel Michael who drove Lucifer from Heaven and the Archangel Gabriel who announced to the Blessed Virgin that she was to be the Mother of God. The angels receive their names from the duties they perform. The word angel signifies messenger.