Podcast
The KJV Audio Bible
Hosted by Elizabeth Whitworth · EN
I’m recording the King James Version of the Bible, one chapter at a time. The KJV is renowned for its linguistic beauty, and the New Testament of the KJV is based on the Received Text, which I believe is the most trustworthy and original text of the New Testament books. There’s a certain power in reading Bible books as a whole. Bible-in-a-year plans are great, but they have a few pitfalls: (1) They typically chop the Bible up into unnatural parts (readings from several books each day). This makes it harder to understand each book and remember it distinctly. (2) If it’s not January 1, we aren’t likely to start a Bible-in-a-year reading plan. Every day is an excellent day to start reading the Bible. (3) At the end of the year — once we’ve completed reading the whole Bible — we might think we’re “done.” Our goal shouldn’t simply be to read the whole Bible; our goal should be to read the whole Bible and to read the Bible every day of our life. We’re never done.
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Exodus 14
Apr 800:06:12Tap to summarizeRead Exodus 14. The LORD instructed Moses to lead the Israelites to camp near the Red sea, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal-zephon. This was part of a divine plan to harden Pharaoh's heart and draw the Egyptian army into pursuit, so that God could demonstrate His glory and power over Egypt, causing them to know that He was the LORD. When Pharaoh was told that the Israelites had fled, he and his officials wondered why they had let their labor force go free. Pharaoh assembled a massive military force — six hundred of the best chariots along with all the other chariots of Egypt — and set out in pursuit of the Israelites, catching up with them as they camped by the sea. As the Egyptian army approached, the Israelites became terrified and cried out to the LORD. They turned on Moses in anger, accusing him of bringing them into the wilderness to die, saying it would have been better to remain as slaves in Egypt than to perish in the desert. Moses responded by urging the people to stand firm and not be afraid, assuring them that God Himself would fight for them and that they need only to be still and watch the salvation that the LORD would bring that day. Then the LORD told Moses to lift his staff and stretch out his hand over the sea to divide the waters, so that the Israelites could walk through on dry ground. The angel of God and the pillar of cloud that had been traveling ahead of the Israelite camp moved to the rear, positioning itself between the Egyptians and the Israelites. The cloud brought darkness to one side and light to the other, preventing the two camps from coming together throughout the night. Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind throughout the night, turning the seabed into dry land. The waters divided, and the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water standing on either side of them. The Egyptians pursued them, with all of Pharaoh's horses, chariots, and horsemen following them into the middle of the sea. During the night watch, the LORD looked down on the Egyptian army from the pillar of fire and cloud and threw them into confusion. He caused the wheels of their chariots to come off so it was difficult for them to drive. The Egyptians began to cry out that the LORD was fighting against them and urged each other to escape. The LORD then told Moses to stretch his hand back over the sea so that the waters would return upon the Egyptians. Moses obeyed, and, at daybreak the sea returned to its full depth. The Egyptians tried to flee, but the waters swept over them — the chariots, the horsemen, and the entire army of Pharaoh. Not one of them survived. The Israelites, however, had crossed on dry ground with the water forming a wall on either side of them. When the people saw the great power that God had displayed against the Egyptians, and when they saw the bodies of the Egyptians washed up on the shore, they stood in awe of the LORD. The people feared the LORD and put their trust in Him and in his servant Moses.
Transcribe →Exodus 13
Apr 400:04:15Tap to summarizeRead Exodus 13. Exodus 13 opens with the LORD commanding Moses to consecrate all the firstborn of Israel to Him. Every firstborn male (whether human or animal) was to be set apart as holy to the LORD. This reflected the significance of the final plague in Egypt, during which God had struck down the firstborn of the Egyptians while sparing those of the Israelites. Moses then addressed the people of Israel, instructing them to commemorate their escape from Egypt. The LORD had delivered them from slavery with a mighty hand. He told them to observe a feast of unleavened bread each year during the month of Abib, the month of their exodus. For seven days they were to eat unleavened bread. On the seventh day, a special feast was to be held in honor of the LORD. Moses emphasized that no leavened bread was to be found among them during this time, and they were to explain to their children that the feast was observed because of what the LORD had done for them when He brought them out of Egypt. The practice was to serve as a sign on their hands and a reminder between their eyes, so that the law of the Lord would always be on their lips. Moses also gave instructions concerning the consecration of firstborn animals. Every firstborn donkey was to be redeemed with a lamb, or else its neck was to be broken. Every firstborn son was to be redeemed in the same way. Parents were told that, when their children asked about this practice in the future, they should explain that it commemorated the LORD’s powerful act of bringing Israel out of Egypt — and how, when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let them go, the LORD struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt. This was the reason every firstborn male, both of man and of animal, was sacrificed or redeemed to the LORD. Exodus 13 then describes the beginning of Israel’s journey out of Egypt. Rather than leading the people along the shorter coastal road through Philistine territory, God chose a longer route through the wilderness toward the Red sea. He did this deliberately, knowing that, if the people faced war too soon, they might regret leaving Egypt and go back there. The LORD Himself went before them in a pillar of cloud by day to guide their way and a pillar of fire by night to give them light so they could travel at any hour of the day or night. These pillars never left their place in front of the people. Finally, Moses carried the bones of Joseph with him on the journey, fulfilling the oath that the Israelites had sworn to Joseph long before. Joseph had made them promise that, when God came to their aid, they would bring his bones up with them out of Egypt — a testament to his faith that God would one day lead his people back to the land He had promised them.
Transcribe →Exodus 12
Apr 200:09:07Tap to summarizeRead Exodus 12. Exodus 12 opens with God giving Moses and Aaron detailed instructions for what would become the first passover. God declared that this month would mark the beginning of the Hebrew calendar year. Each household was instructed to select an unblemished male lamb on the tenth day of the month and keep it until the fourteenth day, at which point the entire assembly of Israel was to slaughter their lambs at twilight. The Israelites were then told to apply the lamb's blood to the doorposts and lintel of their homes. That night, they were to roast the lamb and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs, fully dressed and ready to travel — sandals on their feet, staff in hand — eating in haste. God warned that anything left over by morning was to be burned. This meal was to be eaten with urgency, because the Lord would pass through Egypt that night and strike down every firstborn, both human and animal, executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt. The blood on the doorposts would serve as a sign, and God would "pass over" those houses, sparing them from the plague of death. God then commanded that this day be commemorated as a lasting ordinance throughout all generations. The feast of unleavened bread was instituted alongside the passover, lasting seven days, during which no leaven was to be found in any Israelite home. The first and seventh days were to be held as sacred assemblies, and all work was to cease on those days. Moses relayed all of these instructions to the elders of Israel, and the people bowed in worship and carried out everything God had commanded. At midnight, the plague struck Egypt. Every firstborn in the land died — from the firstborn of Pharaoh on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon, along with all the firstborn of the livestock. A great cry went up throughout Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead. Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron in the night and urgently commanded them to leave, telling them to take their flocks and herds and go, blessing him as they left. The Egyptians, gripped with fear, urged the Israelites to leave quickly, pressing them to go before any more death came upon them. The Israelites left in haste, carrying their unleavened dough before it could rise. They also plundered the Egyptians by requesting silver, gold, and clothing, and the Egyptians gave them what they asked for. The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth — a group numbering about six hundred thousand men on foot, not counting women and children, along with a great mixed multitude and their livestock. Exodus 12 closes with a reaffirmation of the passover regulations. It was stressed that no foreigner or uncircumcised person was permitted to eat the passover meal. However, any slave who had been circumcised could participate, as could a foreigner who had been circumcised and joined the community. The meal was to be eaten inside the house, and none of the lamb's bones were to be broken. The chapter concludes by noting that, on that very day, God brought the Israelites out of Egypt division by division, fulfilling His promise to His people.
Transcribe →Exodus 11
Mar 2800:02:11Tap to summarizeRead Exodus 11. Exodus 11 records a turning point in the confrontation between the LORD and Pharaoh. The LORD announced to Moses that one final plague would come upon Egypt — a plague so severe that Pharaoh would not merely let the Israelites go but would drive them out entirely. The LORD instructed Moses that, before leaving, the Israelites should ask their Egyptian neighbors for articles of silver and gold. The LORD had caused the Egyptians to look favorably upon the Israelites, and Moses himself was held in high regard throughout Egypt, both by Pharaoh's officials and by the people. Moses then delivered God's message to Pharaoh, warning him of what was to come. At midnight, God would pass through Egypt, and every firstborn son in the land would die — from the firstborn of Pharaoh himself all the way down to the firstborn of the lowliest slave girl, as well as the firstborn of all the livestock. Moses declared that there would be a great cry of mourning throughout all of Egypt, the likes of which had never been heard before and would never be heard again. Moses drew a sharp contrast between the fate of the Egyptians and that of the Israelites. Among the Israelites, not even a dog would bark. This distinction, Moses said, would make clear to everyone that God had set Israel apart from Egypt. Exodus 11 closes by noting that Moses left Pharaoh's presence in great anger and that God had hardened Pharaoh's heart so that he refused to listen, just as God had said would happen.
Transcribe →Exodus 10
Mar 2500:05:47Tap to summarizeRead Exodus 10. Exodus 10 continues the account of God's judgment on Egypt through two additional plagues, the eighth and ninth, as Pharaoh persistently refused to release the Israelites from slavery. The LORD told Moses that He had hardened Pharaoh's heart deliberately so that these miraculous signs would be remembered and passed down through generations as testimony to His power. Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh and warned him that, if he refused to let the people go, an overwhelming swarm of locusts would descend on the land. The locusts would cover every visible patch of ground and devour whatever crops had survived the previous plague of hail. Pharaoh's own officials pleaded with him to relent, asking how long he would allow this man Moses to bring ruin upon Egypt. Pharaoh briefly seemed willing to negotiate, asking which Israelites specifically needed to go. When Moses replied that all the people (along with their flocks and herds) would need to leave, Pharaoh refused, agreeing to let only the men go. He then ordered Moses and Aaron to leave. The LORD instructed Moses to stretch out his hand over Egypt, and an east wind blew through the night, bringing with it an enormous swarm of locusts the next morning. The infestation was worse than any Egypt had ever seen, and the locusts consumed every plant and fruit that remained in the land, leaving nothing green anywhere in Egypt. Pharaoh hastily summoned Moses and Aaron, confessing that he had sinned and begging for the plague to be removed. Moses prayed on his behalf, and the LORD sent a powerful west wind that swept every locust into the Red sea. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart again, and Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go. The ninth plague then came without warning. The LORD told Moses to stretch his hand toward the sky, and a thick, tangible darkness fell over all of Egypt for three days. The darkness was so dense that people couldn't see one another or go anywhere. But the Israelites had light in their dwellings. Pharaoh summoned Moses once more and offered a compromise, this time saying all of the Israelites could go — men, women, and children — but they would have to leave their livestock behind. Moses rejected this, insisting that all of their animals must accompany them, since they didn't know yet exactly what offerings the LORD their God would require. Once again the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and Pharaoh refused to let them go. He dismissed Moses and warned him never to appear before him again, threatening death if he did. Moses agreed, telling Pharaoh that he would indeed not see his face again.
Transcribe →Exodus 9
Mar 2400:06:11Tap to summarizeRead Exodus 9. Exodus 9 recounts three of the ten plagues that the LORD God sent upon Egypt as part of His effort to compel Pharaoh to release the Israelites from slavery. The chapter opens with God instructing Moses to deliver a warning to Pharaoh: If he refused to let the people go, God would strike the Egyptian livestock with a devastating disease. God made clear that the livestock of the Israelites would be spared, drawing a sharp distinction between His people and the Egyptians. The next day, the plague came to pass exactly as God had said. All of the Egyptian livestock died, while not a single animal belonging to the Israelites perished. Pharaoh investigated and confirmed this miraculous distinction, yet his heart remained hardened, and he refused to release the people. The LORD then directed Moses and Aaron to take handfuls of soot from a furnace and toss it into the air before Pharaoh. The ashes spread across the land and caused festering boils to break out on both people and animals throughout Egypt. Even the Egyptian magicians, who had previously attempted to counter Moses and Aaron's signs, were so afflicted that they couldn't even stand before Moses. Still, God hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not listen. The final plague recorded in Exodus 9 was a catastrophic hailstorm. God warned Pharaoh through Moses that the storm would be unlike anything Egypt had ever seen, and he urged the Egyptians to bring their remaining livestock and servants indoors to protect them. Those among Pharaoh's officials who feared the LORD God heeded the warning and took shelter, while those who disregarded the warning left their people and animals exposed in the fields. The hail came down with tremendous force, accompanied by thunder and lightning. It destroyed crops, stripped trees, and killed every person and animal left in the open fields. The only place untouched by the storm was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived. Pharaoh, shaken by the devastation, summoned Moses and Aaron and appeared to repent, acknowledging that he and his people had sinned and that God was in the right. He asked Moses to pray for the storm to stop, promising to let the Israelites go. Moses agreed to pray, saying he would spread out his hands to God and the storm would cease — but he warned Pharaoh that he didn't yet truly fear the LORD God. True to Moses' prediction, as soon as the hail and thunder stopped, Pharaoh's heart hardened once more. He and his officials refused to let the Israelites go, just as God had said would happen.
Transcribe →Exodus 8
Mar 2300:06:08Tap to summarizeRead Exodus 8. Exodus 8 continues the account of the plagues God brought upon Egypt through Moses and Aaron, as Pharaoh repeatedly refused to release the Israelites from bondage. The chapter details four distinct events — the plagues of frogs, lice, and flies, along with a brief moment of apparent progress when Pharaoh seemed willing to negotiate. The chapter opens with God instructing Moses to warn Pharaoh that, if he refused to let the Israelites go, Egypt would be overrun with frogs. When Pharaoh refused, Aaron stretched his staff over the waters, and frogs swarmed across the entire land, filling homes, bedrooms, ovens, and kneading bowls. Egypt's magicians were able to replicate this feat, producing even more frogs, but they couldn't undo the plague. Overwhelmed, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and asked them to pray that the frogs be removed, promising in return to let the people go and offer sacrifices to the LORD. Moses agreed and asked Pharaoh to name the time when he should pray, giving Pharaoh the opportunity to set the terms. Pharaoh chose the next day, and Moses prayed accordingly. The frogs died off throughout the houses, courtyards, and fields. The Egyptians piled them into heaps, and the land reeked. However, once Pharaoh saw relief had come, he hardened his heart and refused to let the people go, just as God had said he would. The third plague followed swiftly. Without any prior warning to Pharaoh, Aaron struck the dust of the ground with his staff, and lice appeared on both people and animals throughout all of Egypt. This time, the Egyptian magicians attempted to replicate the miracle but couldn't. They told Pharaoh plainly that this was "the finger of God," acknowledging a divine power beyond their own. Even so, Pharaoh's heart remained hard and he wouldn't listen. The fourth plague brought swarms of flies, but with a notable distinction: God declared that the region of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, would be completely spared. Thick swarms of flies descended on Pharaoh's palace and the houses of his officials, and the land was ruined by them. Faced with this new affliction, Pharaoh again called for Moses and Aaron and offered a compromise — the Israelites could sacrifice to their God, but only within the land of Egypt. Moses rejected this, explaining that their sacrifices would be offensive to the Egyptians and could provoke hostility. He insisted they needed to travel three days into the wilderness. Pharaoh relented slightly, agreeing to let them go into the wilderness, but urging them not to go very far and asking Moses to pray for him. Moses agreed to pray for the removal of the flies, but he warned Pharaoh not to deceive them again by refusing to let the people go. Moses left and prayed, and the swarms of flies were completely removed — not one remained. But, once again, Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to release the Israelites.
Transcribe →Exodus 7
Mar 2100:04:25Tap to summarizeRead Exodus 7. God spoke to Moses, reaffirming his role as a prophet to Pharaoh, with Aaron serving as his spokesman. God warned Moses that he would harden Pharaoh's heart so that, despite the signs and wonders performed, Pharaoh would not listen — and, through this, God's power would be demonstrated and his people ultimately delivered from Egypt. Moses and Aaron obeyed and approached Pharaoh. Aaron threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. Pharaoh, unimpressed, summoned his own wise men and sorcerers, who replicated the feat through their dark arts — each of their staffs also becoming serpents. However, Aaron's staff swallowed up all of theirs. Even so, Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, just as God had said, and he refused to listen. God then instructed Moses to meet Pharaoh at the bank of the Nile the following morning. Moses was to take his staff and declare that the God of Israel had sent him, warning that Pharaoh's continued refusal to release the Israelites would bring consequences. Aaron was to strike the water of the Nile with his staff as a sign of God's authority and power. Aaron struck the Nile, and all of its water turned to blood. The fish in the river died, the water became foul, and the Egyptians could not drink from it. The plague extended throughout all of Egypt, affecting water held in vessels of wood and stone. Yet again, Pharaoh's magicians were able to replicate this sign, themselves turning water to blood, which gave Pharaoh cause to dismiss the miracle. He turned and went back to his palace, unmoved. The Egyptians, meanwhile, were forced to dig along the banks of the Nile in search of drinkable water, as the river itself had become undrinkable.
Transcribe →Exodus 6
Mar 1800:05:21Tap to summarizeRead Exodus 6. As recorded in Exodus 6, God reassured Moses after his initial failed attempt to secure the Israelites' release from Pharaoh. God reminded Moses that He had appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, though His name "the LORD" (Yahweh or JEHOVAH) had not been fully revealed to them. God affirmed that He had established a covenant with the patriarchs to give them the land of Canaan and that He had heard the groaning of the Israelites under Egyptian bondage and remembered that covenant. God then gave Moses a series of promises to deliver to the Israelites: He would bring them out from under the burdens of Egypt, free them from slavery, redeem them with an outstretched arm and great acts of judgment, take them as His own people, and be their God. He promised to bring them into the land He had sworn to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses relayed these words to the Israelites, but they didn't listen to him because of their broken spirit and cruel bondage. God then instructed Moses to go again to Pharaoh and demand that he let the Israelites go. Moses resisted, asking how Pharaoh could possibly listen to him when even the Israelites hadn't. Exodus 6 then pauses to provide a genealogical record of the Israelite tribes, beginning with Reuben and Simeon and then focusing in detail on the tribe of Levi. The Levite lineage was traced down through several generations. This genealogy culminated in the introduction of Aaron and Moses as the sons of Amram and Jochebed, descendants of Levi. Aaron's own line was also recorded, noting his marriage and the birth of his sons and grandson. Exodus 6 concludes by returning to the events of the time, reaffirming that it was this same Moses and Aaron whom God commanded to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. God again directed Moses to speak to Pharaoh, and Moses again expressed his doubt, saying he was of "uncircumcised lips" — meaning he felt himself to be slow of speech or stammering. So, Moses figured, Pharaoh would never listen to him.
Transcribe →Exodus 5
Mar 1300:04:02Tap to summarizeRead Exodus 5. Moses and Aaron approached Pharaoh with a message from the God of Israel, requesting that he release the Israelite people so they may travel into the wilderness to hold a feast to God. Pharaoh responded with contempt, declaring that he had no knowledge of or obligation to the God of Israel, and he flatly refused to let the people go. Moses and Aaron pressed the request further, warning that God might strike the Israelites with a plague or the sword if they were not permitted to make the journey and offer sacrifices. Pharaoh dismissed this and accused Moses and Aaron of distracting the people from their work. He ordered them to return to their work and stop interfering. That very same day, Pharaoh issued a harsh new decree targeting the Israelite workers. Previously, the Egyptian taskmasters had supplied the Israelites with straw to make bricks. Now Pharaoh ordered that no straw be provided — the people had to gather their own straw — while the daily quota of bricks remained unchanged. He characterized the Israelites as lazy and suggested that their desire to worship was simply an excuse for idleness. The Egyptian taskmasters carried out Pharaoh's orders, and the Israelite foremen were beaten when their workers inevitably failed to meet the unchanged brick quota. The foremen went directly to Pharaoh to plead their case, explaining that it was impossible to meet the quota without straw being provided. Pharaoh was unmoved, repeating his accusation of laziness and holding firm to his demand. Leaving Pharaoh's presence, the Israelite foremen encountered Moses and Aaron and turned on them in frustration and anger. They accused Moses and Aaron of making their situation far worse and of handing Pharaoh a reason to oppress and even kill them. The mission that was meant to bring relief had instead brought greater suffering. The chapter closes with Moses turning to God in anguish and confusion. He cried out, asking why God sent him in the first place, since his appearance before Pharaoh had resulted only in greater hardship for the people — and it seemed that God had done nothing yet to rescue them.
Transcribe →