Exodus 4

1 “But what if they don't believe me or listen to what I say?” Moses asked. “They could say, ‘The Lord didn't appear to you.’”

Then responded Moses, and said, And lo! they will not believe me, neither hearken to my voice, —for they will say, Yahweh, hath not appeared unto thee.

2 The Lord asked him, “What are you holding in your hand?” “A walking stick,” Moses replied.

And Yahweh said unto him—What is this in thy hand? And he said—A staff.

3 “Throw it on the ground,” he told Moses. So Moses did. It turned into a snake and Moses ran away from it.

Then said he—Cast it to the earth. And he cast it to the earth, and it became a serpent, —and Moses fled from the face thereof.

4 “Reach out and grab hold of it by its tail,” the Lord told Moses. Moses did so and it turned back into a walking stick in his hand.

And Yahweh said unto Moses, Put forth thy hand, and take it by its tail: So he put forth his hand, and laid hold of it, and it became a staff in his hand: —

5 “You are to do this so that they will believe that I the Lord did appear to you, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”

that they may believe that Yahweh, God of their fathers, —God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob hath appeared unto thee.

6 Then the Lord told him, “Put your hand inside your clothes close to your chest.” So Moses did as he was told. When he took his hand out, it was white like snow with a skin disease.

Then said Yahweh unto him, yet again—Bring, I pray thee, thy hand, into thy bosom. So he brought his hand, into his bosom, —and then took it out, and lo! his hand, was leprous, —like snow,

7 “Now put your hand back inside your clothes,” the Lord said. Moses did so. When he took it out again, his hand had returned to normal.

And he said—Put back thy hand into thy bosom: So he put back his hand into his bosom, —and then took it out of his bosom, and lo it had come again like his own flesh:

8 “If they don't believe you and they're not convinced by the first sign, they'll believe because of the second sign,” the Lord explained.

thus shall it come to pass, if they will not believe thee, nor hearken to the voice of the first sign, then will they believe the voice of the next sign;

9 “But if they still don't believe you or listen to you because of these two signs, then you are to take some water from the Nile and pout it out on the ground. The Nile water will turn into blood on the ground.”

and it shall come to pass if they will not believe even these two signs nor hearken to thy voice, then shalt thou take of the water of the river, and pour it out on the dry land, —so shall the water which thou hast taken from the river, become, yea it shall become, blood, on the dry land.

10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “Pleased excuse me, but I'm not someone who is good with words—not in the past, and not from the time you have been speaking with me, your servant. My speech is slow and I don't say things well.”

And Moses said unto Yahweh—Pardon, O My Lord! not a man of words, am I, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant, —for heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue, I am.

11 “Who gave people mouths?” the Lord asked him. “Who makes people deaf or dumb, able to see or blind? It's I, the Lord, who does that.

Then Yahweh said unto him—Who appointed a mouth for man, or who appointeth him to be dumb, or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh?

12 Now go, and I myself will be your mouth, and I will tell you what you are to say.”

Now, therefore go, —and, I, will be with thy mouth, so will I direct thee, what thou shalt speak.

13 “Please, Lord, send someone else!” Moses responded.

And he said—Pardon, O My Lord! send, I pray thee by the hand of him whom thou wilt send—

14 The Lord got angry with Moses, and told him, “There's your brother Aaron, the Levite. I know he speaks well. He's on his way to meet you, and he'll be very happy to see you.

Then was kindled the anger of Yahweh against Moses, and he said—Is there not Aaron, thy brother, the Levite? I know that he, can speak. Moreover also lo! he himself is coming forth to meet thee, as surely as he seeth thee, so surely will he rejoice in his heart.

15 Speak to him and tell him what to say. I will be your mouth and his mouth, and I will tell you what you are to do.

Then shalt thou speak unto him, and shalt put the words in his mouth, —and, I, will be with thy mouth and with his mouth, so will I direct you what ye shall do.

16 Aaron will speak on your behalf to the people, as if he was your mouth, and you will be in the place of God to him.

And, he, shall speak for thee unto the people, —so shall it come to pass that he shall become thy mouth, and thou shalt become to him as God.

17 Make sure to take your walking stick with you so you can use it to do the signs.”

And this staff, take thou in thy hand, —wherewith thou shalt do the signs.

18 Then Moses returned to Jethro his father-in-law and told him, “Please allow me to go back to my own people in Egypt so I can see if any of them are still alive.” “Go with my blessing,” Jethro replied.

So Moses went and returned unto Jethro his father-in-law and said to him—Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren who are in Egypt, that I may see whether they are yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses: Go and prosper.

19 While Moses was in Midian, the Lord told him, “Go back to Egypt because all those who wanted to kill you have died.”

Then said Yahweh unto Moses in Midian, Go, return to Egypt, —for all the men are dead who were seeking thy life.

20 Moses put his wife and sons on a donkey and went back to Egypt, carrying the walking stick that God had used to perform miracles.

So Moses took his wife and his sons, and caused them to ride upon the ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt, —and Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

21 The Lord told Moses, “When you get back to Egypt, make sure to go to Pharaoh and carry out the miracles I've given you to do. I will make him stubborn and he will not let the people go.

And Yahweh said unto Moses, When thou goest to return to Egypt, see as touching all the wonders which I have put in thy hand, that thou do them before Pharaoh—but, I, will let his heart wax bold, and he will not suffer the people to go.

22 This is what you are to tell Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says. Israel is my firstborn son.

Then shalt thou say unto Pharaoh, Thus, saith Yahweh—My son—my firstborn, is Israel;

23 I ordered you to let my son go so he can worship me. But you refused to release him, so I will now kill your firstborn son.”

Therefore I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me, But if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I, am going to slay, thy son, thy firstborn.

24 But while they were on their way the Lord came to the place where they were staying, wanting to kill Moses.

And it came to pass, on the way, in the resting-place for the night, that Yahweh fell upon him, and sought to kill him.

25 However, Zipporah used a flint knife to cut off her son's foreskin. She touched his feet with it, and said to him, “You are a blood-husband to me.”

So Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it down at his feet, —and said—Surely, a bridegroom by rites of blood, art thou to me!

26 (Calling him a blood-husband referred to circumcision.) After this the Lord left Moses alone.

So he let him go, Then, it was that she said, A bridegroom by rites of blood—with regard to the rites of circumcision.

27 The Lord had told Aaron, “Go and meet Moses in the desert.” So Aaron went and met Moses at the mountain of God and greeted him with a kiss.

And Yahweh said unto Aaron, Go thy way to meet Moses, towards the desert. So he went his way, and fell in with him in the mountain of God and kissed him.

28 Then Moses explained to Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say and all the miracles he had ordered him to do.

And Moses told Aaron, all the words of Yahweh wherewith he had sent him, —and all the signs wherewith he had charged him.

29 Moses and Aaron traveled to Egypt. There they had all the Israelite elders gather together.

So Moses and Aaron went their way, —and gathered together all the elders of the sons of Israel.

30 Aaron shared with them everything the Lord had told Moses, and Moses carried out the miracles so they could see them.

And Aaron spake all the words which Yahweh had spoken unto Moses, —and did the signs before the eyes of the people,

31 The Israelites were convinced. When they heard that the Lord had come to them, and that he had been touched by their suffering, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

And the people believed, —and when they heard that Yahweh had concerned himself for the sons of Israel, and that he had looked upon their humiliation, then bent they their heads and bowed themselves down.