Old Testament · 40 chapters
Read Exodus.
Exodus tells how God delivers Israel from slavery in Egypt and forms them into a covenant people. The journey through the wilderness leads to instructions for worship and a sanctuary where God’s presence dwells among them.
Choose a chapter Exodus · 40 chapters
Read a chapter. Find its meaning.
Choose a chapter for the complete Bible text and a short summary to guide your reading.
Chapter 1.
Israel’s population grows in Egypt, and a new Pharaoh subjects the people to forced labor. His attempts to suppress them escalate into commands to kill newborn boys.
Read chapter 25 versesChapter 2.
Moses is rescued as an infant and raised in Pharaoh’s household. After killing an Egyptian, he flees to Midian while God hears Israel’s cries under slavery.
Read chapter 22 versesChapter 3.
God meets Moses in the burning bush and commissions him to lead Israel out of Egypt. God reveals his name and promises to be with Moses.
Read chapter 31 versesChapter 4.
Moses raises objections, and God supplies signs and Aaron’s help. Moses returns toward Egypt, and the people respond to the news of God’s concern with worship.
Read chapter 23 versesChapter 5.
Moses and Aaron ask Pharaoh to release Israel, but he increases the people’s workload. The resulting distress leads Moses to question why the mission has brought suffering.
Read chapter 30 versesChapter 6.
God reassures Moses with covenant promises of deliverance and belonging. A genealogy identifies Moses and Aaron within Israel’s families before their renewed confrontation with Pharaoh.
Read chapterChapter 7.
Aaron’s staff becomes a serpent before Pharaoh, but Pharaoh remains resistant. The first plague turns the Nile’s water to blood.
Read chapter 32 versesChapter 8.
Plagues of frogs, lice, and flies strike Egypt. Pharaoh repeatedly seeks relief but withdraws his promises when each immediate crisis passes.
Read chapter 35 versesChapter 9.
Livestock disease, boils, and destructive hail continue the confrontation. Some Egyptians heed the warning about the hail, but Pharaoh again hardens his response afterward.
Read chapter 29 versesChapter 10.
Locusts consume what the hail left, followed by deep darkness. Pharaoh offers partial compromises while refusing the full release Moses demands.
Read chapter 10 versesChapter 11.
Moses announces the final plague: the death of Egypt’s firstborn. The warning prepares for a decisive act of judgment and Israel’s departure.
Read chapter 51 versesChapter 12.
God gives instructions for the Passover meal and the protection of Israel’s households. Egypt’s firstborn die, and Israel leaves slavery in haste.
Read chapter 22 versesChapter 13.
Israel receives instructions for remembering deliverance through firstborn dedication and unleavened bread. God leads the people with a pillar of cloud and fire.
Read chapter 31 versesChapter 14.
Pharaoh pursues Israel to the sea, where the people fear entrapment. God opens a path through the water and defeats the pursuing Egyptian army.
Read chapter 27 versesChapter 15.
Moses and Miriam lead songs celebrating deliverance at the sea. Soon afterward, bitter water tests the people, and God provides water in the wilderness.
Read chapter 36 versesChapter 16.
The people complain about hunger, and God provides quail and manna. Daily gathering and Sabbath instructions teach dependence and the discipline of rest.
Read chapter 16 versesChapter 17.
God provides water from the rock when Israel complains at Rephidim. The people then face Amalek, with victory connected to Moses’ upheld hands and shared support.
Read chapter 27 versesChapter 18.
Jethro rejoices over Israel’s deliverance and observes Moses judging disputes alone. He advises appointing trustworthy leaders to share the responsibility.
Read chapter 25 versesChapter 19.
Israel arrives at Sinai, where God calls the people into covenant relationship. The mountain is prepared for God’s awe-inspiring descent and the giving of instruction.
Read chapter 26 versesChapter 20.
God gives the Ten Commandments, setting out duties toward God and neighbor. The people fear the divine presence, and Moses receives further instructions about worship.
Read chapter 36 versesChapter 21.
Laws address servitude, injury, violence, and responsibility for harm. These instructions regulate disputes and liabilities within Israel’s ancient covenant community.
Read chapter 31 versesChapter 22.
Further laws address theft, damaged property, lending, and care for vulnerable people. Israel is warned against exploitation, idolatry, and practices incompatible with covenant holiness.
Read chapter 33 versesChapter 23.
God commands honest justice, neighborly responsibility, Sabbath rest, and annual festivals. Promises about the journey into the land are joined to warnings against adopting its gods.
Read chapter 18 versesChapter 24.
The covenant is confirmed with sacrifice and the people’s agreement to obey. Moses ascends Sinai, where God’s glory covers the mountain.
Read chapter 40 versesChapter 25.
God requests offerings for a sanctuary and gives designs for the ark, table, and lampstand. The tabernacle is introduced as the place of God’s dwelling among Israel.
Read chapter 37 versesChapter 26.
Instructions describe the tabernacle’s curtains, frames, coverings, and interior divisions. The veil separates the holy place from the most holy place.
Read chapter 21 versesChapter 27.
God gives instructions for the bronze altar, the courtyard, and the oil for the lamp. These provisions support the sanctuary’s worship and continual light.
Read chapter 43 versesChapter 28.
Aaron and his sons receive instructions for priestly garments. The clothing represents holiness, service, and the carrying of Israel’s names before God.
Read chapter 46 versesChapter 29.
God gives the ceremony for consecrating the priests and instructions for regular offerings. The chapter connects worship with God’s promise to dwell among Israel.
Read chapter 38 versesChapter 30.
Instructions cover the incense altar, census payment, washing basin, anointing oil, and incense. Sacred service is marked by preparation and careful distinction from ordinary use.
Read chapter 18 versesChapter 31.
God equips skilled workers for the tabernacle and emphasizes the Sabbath as a covenant sign. Moses receives the stone tablets written by God.
Read chapter 35 versesChapter 32.
Israel makes and worships a golden calf while Moses is on the mountain. Moses intercedes, confronts the people, and deals with the consequences of their rebellion.
Read chapter 23 versesChapter 33.
Moses pleads for God’s presence to accompany Israel and asks to see God’s glory. God promises his presence while setting limits on what Moses can see.
Read chapter 35 versesChapter 34.
God renews the covenant and reveals his merciful character alongside his justice. Moses returns with new tablets, and his face shines after speaking with God.
Read chapter 35 versesChapter 35.
Moses calls for Sabbath observance and voluntary gifts for the tabernacle. The people contribute materials, and skilled workers are summoned for the work.
Read chapter 38 versesChapter 36.
The people’s generosity supplies more than the workers need. Construction begins on the tabernacle’s curtains, coverings, frames, and veil.
Read chapter 29 versesChapter 37.
Bezalel makes the ark, mercy seat, table, lampstand, and incense altar. The work follows the instructions previously given for the sanctuary’s furnishings.
Read chapter 31 versesChapter 38.
The altar, basin, and courtyard are completed, and materials are accounted for. The record identifies the leaders responsible for constructing the sanctuary.
Read chapter 43 versesChapter 39.
The priestly garments are made according to God’s instructions. Moses inspects the completed work and blesses the people for carrying it out faithfully.
Read chapter 38 versesChapter 40.
The tabernacle is erected, furnished, and consecrated. God’s glory fills it, and the cloud guides Israel’s movements through the wilderness.
Read chapterKing James Version (KJV). Bible text supplied by eBible.org and the CrossWire Bible Society. Summaries are written with AI assistance and are separate from Scripture. Read the chapter itself when considering its meaning.