Exodus 4

1 And Moses answered and said, If they believe me not, and do not listen to my voice (for they will say, God has not appeared to you), what shall I say to them?

Moses answered, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’”

2 And the Lord said to him, What is this thing that is in your hand? and he said, A rod.

The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”

3 And he said, Cast it on the ground: and he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses fled from it.

He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it.

4 And the Lord said to Moses, Stretch forth your hand, and take hold of its tail: so he stretched forth his hand and took hold of the tail,

The LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.” He stretched out his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.

5 and it became a rod in his hand, —that they may believe you, that the God of your fathers has appeared to you, the God of Abraam, and God of Isaac, and God of Jacob.

“This is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

6 And the Lord said again to him, Put your hand into your bosom; and he put his hand into his bosom, and brought his hand out of his bosom, and his hand became as snow.

The LORD said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.

7 And he said again, Put your hand into your bosom; and he put his hand into his bosom, and brought his hand out of his bosom, and it was again restored to the complexion of his [other] flesh.

He said, “Put your hand inside your cloak again.” He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh.

8 And if they will not believe you, nor listen to the voice of the first sign, they will believe you [because] of the voice of the second sign.

“It will happen, if they will not believe you or listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

9 And it shall come to pass if they will not believe you for these two signs, and will not listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river and pour it upon the dry land, and the water which you shall take from the river shall be blood upon the dry land.

It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land.”

10 And Moses said to the Lord, I pray, Lord, I have not been sufficient in former times, neither from the time that you have begun to speak to your servant: I am weak in speech, and slow-tongued.

Moses said to the LORD, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”

11 And the Lord said to Moses, Who has given a mouth to man, and who has made the very hard of hearing, and the deaf, the seeing and the blind? have not I, God?

The LORD said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, the LORD?

12 And now go and I will open your mouth, and will instruct you in what you shall say.

Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”

13 And Moses said, I pray you, Lord, appoint another able [person] whom you shall send.

Moses said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.”

14 And the Lord was greatly angered against Moses, and said, Behold! is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he will surely speak to you; and, behold, he will come forth to meet you, and beholding you he will rejoice within himself.

The LORD’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he is coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

15 And you shall speak to him; and you shall put my words into his mouth, and I will open your mouth and his mouth, and I will instruct you in what you shall do.

You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.

16 And he shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be for him in things pertaining to God.

He will be your spokesman to the people. It will happen that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God.

17 And this rod that was turned into a serpent you shall take in your hand, wherewith you shall work miracles.

You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”

18 And Moses went and returned to Jothor his father-in-law, and says, I will go and return to my brethren in Egypt, and will see if they are yet living. And Jothor said to Moses, Go in health. And in those days after some time, the king of Egypt died.

Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

19 And the Lord said to Moses in Madiam, Go, depart into Egypt, for all that sought your life are dead.

The LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return into Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.”

20 And Moses took his wife and his children, and mounted them on the beasts, and returned to Egypt; and Moses took the rod [which he had] from God in his hand.

Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses took God’s rod in his hand.

21 And the Lord said to Moses, When you go and return to Egypt, see—all the miracles I have charged you with, you shall work before Pharao: and I will harden his heart, and he shall certainly not send away the people.

The LORD said to Moses, “When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.

22 And you shall say to Pharao, These things says the Lord, Israel [is] my firstborn.

You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘The LORD says, Israel is my son, my firstborn,

23 And I said to you, Send away my people, that they may serve me: now if you will not send them away, see, I will kill your firstborn son.

and I have said to you, “Let my son go, that he may serve me;” and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’”

24 And it came to pass [that] the angel of the Lord met him by the way in the inn, and sought to kill him.

On the way at a lodging place, the LORD met Moses and wanted to kill him.

25 and Sepphora having taken a stone cut off the foreskin of her son, and fell at his feet and said, The blood of the circumcision of my son is staunched:

Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.”

26 and he departed from him, because she said, The blood of the circumcision of my son is staunched.

So he let him alone. Then she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

27 And the Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses; and he went and met him in the mount of God, and they kissed each other.

The LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” He went, and met him on God’s mountain, and kissed him.

28 And Moses reported to Aaron all the words of the Lord, which he sent, and all the things which he charged him.

Moses told Aaron all the LORD’s words with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had instructed him.

29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered the elders of the children of Israel.

Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel.

30 And Aaron spoke all these words, which God spoke to Moses, and wrought the miracles before the people.

Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.

31 and the people believed and rejoiced, because God visited the children of Israel, and because he saw their affliction: and the people bowed and worshipped.

The people believed, and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.