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.’”
| וַיַּעַן מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר וְהֵן לֹֽא־יַאֲמִינוּ לִי וְלֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ בְּקֹלִי כִּי יֹֽאמְרוּ לֹֽא־נִרְאָה אֵלֶיךָ יְהֹוָֽה׃ |
2 The Lord asked him, “What are you holding in your hand?” “A walking stick,” Moses replied.
| וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו יְהֹוָה (מזה) [מַה־זֶּה] בְיָדֶךָ וַיֹּאמֶר מַטֶּֽה׃ |
3 “Throw it on the ground,” he told Moses. So Moses did. It turned into a snake and Moses ran away from it.
| וַיֹּאמֶר הַשְׁלִיכֵהוּ אַרְצָה וַיַּשְׁלִכֵהוּ אַרְצָה וַיְהִי לְנָחָשׁ וַיָּנׇס מֹשֶׁה מִפָּנָֽיו׃ |
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.
| וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה שְׁלַח יָֽדְךָ וֶאֱחֹז בִּזְנָבוֹ וַיִּשְׁלַח יָדוֹ וַיַּחֲזֶק בּוֹ וַיְהִי לְמַטֶּה בְּכַפּֽוֹ׃ |
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.”
| לְמַעַן יַאֲמִינוּ כִּֽי־נִרְאָה אֵלֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתָם אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק וֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹֽב׃ |
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.
| וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה לוֹ עוֹד הָֽבֵא־נָא יָֽדְךָ בְּחֵיקֶךָ וַיָּבֵא יָדוֹ בְּחֵיקוֹ וַיּוֹצִאָהּ וְהִנֵּה יָדוֹ מְצֹרַעַת כַּשָּֽׁלֶג׃ |
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.
| וַיֹּאמֶר הָשֵׁב יָֽדְךָ אֶל־חֵיקֶךָ וַיָּשֶׁב יָדוֹ אֶל־חֵיקוֹ וַיּֽוֹצִאָהּ מֵֽחֵיקוֹ וְהִנֵּה־שָׁבָה כִּבְשָׂרֽוֹ׃ |
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.
| וְהָיָה אִם־לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ לָךְ וְלֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ לְקֹל הָאֹת הָרִאשׁוֹן וְהֶֽאֱמִינוּ לְקֹל הָאֹת הָאַחֲרֽוֹן׃ |
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.”
| וְהָיָה אִם־לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ גַּם לִשְׁנֵי הָאֹתוֹת הָאֵלֶּה וְלֹא יִשְׁמְעוּן לְקֹלֶךָ וְלָקַחְתָּ מִמֵּימֵי הַיְאֹר וְשָׁפַכְתָּ הַיַּבָּשָׁה וְהָיוּ הַמַּיִם אֲשֶׁר תִּקַּח מִן־הַיְאֹר וְהָיוּ לְדָם בַּיַּבָּֽשֶׁת׃ |
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.”
| וַיֹּאמֶר מֹשֶׁה אֶל־יְהֹוָה בִּי אֲדֹנָי לֹא אִישׁ דְּבָרִים אָנֹכִי גַּם מִתְּמוֹל גַּם מִשִּׁלְשֹׁם גַּם מֵאָז דַּבֶּרְךָ אֶל־עַבְדֶּךָ כִּי כְבַד־פֶּה וּכְבַד לָשׁוֹן אָנֹֽכִי׃ |
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.
| וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֵלָיו מִי שָׂם פֶּה לָֽאָדָם אוֹ מִֽי־יָשׂוּם אִלֵּם אוֹ חֵרֵשׁ אוֹ פִקֵּחַ אוֹ עִוֵּר הֲלֹא אָנֹכִי יְהֹוָֽה׃ |
12 Now go, and I myself will be your mouth, and I will tell you what you are to say.”
| וְעַתָּה לֵךְ וְאָנֹכִי אֶֽהְיֶה עִם־פִּיךָ וְהוֹרֵיתִיךָ אֲשֶׁר תְּדַבֵּֽר׃ |
13 “Please, Lord, send someone else!” Moses responded.
| וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנָי שְֽׁלַֽח־נָא בְּיַד־תִּשְׁלָֽח׃ |
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.
| וַיִּֽחַר־אַף יְהֹוָה בְּמֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר הֲלֹא אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ הַלֵּוִי יָדַעְתִּי כִּֽי־דַבֵּר יְדַבֵּר הוּא וְגַם הִנֵּה־הוּא יֹצֵא לִקְרָאתֶךָ וְרָאֲךָ וְשָׂמַח בְּלִבּֽוֹ׃ |
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.
| וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֵלָיו וְשַׂמְתָּ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים בְּפִיו וְאָנֹכִי אֶֽהְיֶה עִם־פִּיךָ וְעִם־פִּיהוּ וְהוֹרֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם אֵת אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֽׂוּן׃ |
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.
| וְדִבֶּר־הוּא לְךָ אֶל־הָעָם וְהָיָה הוּא יִֽהְיֶה־לְּךָ לְפֶה וְאַתָּה תִּֽהְיֶה־לּוֹ לֵֽאלֹהִֽים׃ |
17 Make sure to take your walking stick with you so you can use it to do the signs.”
| וְאֶת־הַמַּטֶּה הַזֶּה תִּקַּח בְּיָדֶךָ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה־בּוֹ אֶת־הָאֹתֹֽת׃ |
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.
| וַיֵּלֶךְ מֹשֶׁה וַיָּשׇׁב ׀ אֶל־יֶתֶר חֹֽתְנוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אֵלְכָה נָּא וְאָשׁוּבָה אֶל־אַחַי אֲשֶׁר־בְּמִצְרַיִם וְאֶרְאֶה הַעוֹדָם חַיִּים וַיֹּאמֶר יִתְרוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה לֵךְ לְשָׁלֽוֹם׃ |
19 While Moses was in Midian, the Lord told him, “Go back to Egypt because all those who wanted to kill you have died.”
| וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְיָן לֵךְ שֻׁב מִצְרָיִם כִּי־מֵתוּ כׇּל־הָאֲנָשִׁים הַֽמְבַקְשִׁים אֶת־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ |
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.
| וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת־אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָיו וַיַּרְכִּבֵם עַֽל־הַחֲמֹר וַיָּשׇׁב אַרְצָה מִצְרָיִם וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת־מַטֵּה הָאֱלֹהִים בְּיָדֽוֹ׃ |
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.
| וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה בְּלֶכְתְּךָ לָשׁוּב מִצְרַיְמָה רְאֵה כׇּל־הַמֹּֽפְתִים אֲשֶׁר־שַׂמְתִּי בְיָדֶךָ וַעֲשִׂיתָם לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה וַאֲנִי אֲחַזֵּק אֶת־לִבּוֹ וְלֹא יְשַׁלַּח אֶת־הָעָֽם׃ |
22 This is what you are to tell Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says. Israel is my firstborn son.
| וְאָמַרְתָּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹה כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה בְּנִי בְכֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ |
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.”
| וָאֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ שַׁלַּח אֶת־בְּנִי וְיַֽעַבְדֵנִי וַתְּמָאֵן לְשַׁלְּחוֹ הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי הֹרֵג אֶת־בִּנְךָ בְּכֹרֶֽךָ׃ |
24 But while they were on their way the Lord came to the place where they were staying, wanting to kill Moses.
| וַיְהִי בַדֶּרֶךְ בַּמָּלוֹן וַיִּפְגְּשֵׁהוּ יְהֹוָה וַיְבַקֵּשׁ הֲמִיתֽוֹ׃ |
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.”
| וַתִּקַּח צִפֹּרָה צֹר וַתִּכְרֹת אֶת־עׇרְלַת בְּנָהּ וַתַּגַּע לְרַגְלָיו וַתֹּאמֶר כִּי חֲתַן־דָּמִים אַתָּה לִֽי׃ |
26 (Calling him a blood-husband referred to circumcision.) After this the Lord left Moses alone.
| וַיִּרֶף מִמֶּנּוּ אָז אָֽמְרָה חֲתַן דָּמִים לַמּוּלֹֽת׃ |
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.
| וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן לֵךְ לִקְרַאת מֹשֶׁה הַמִּדְבָּרָה וַיֵּלֶךְ וַֽיִּפְגְּשֵׁהוּ בְּהַר הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּשַּׁק־לֽוֹ׃ |
28 Then Moses explained to Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say and all the miracles he had ordered him to do.
| וַיַּגֵּד מֹשֶׁה לְאַֽהֲרֹן אֵת כׇּל־דִּבְרֵי יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר שְׁלָחוֹ וְאֵת כׇּל־הָאֹתֹת אֲשֶׁר צִוָּֽהוּ׃ |
29 Moses and Aaron traveled to Egypt. There they had all the Israelite elders gather together.
| וַיֵּלֶךְ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וַיַּאַסְפוּ אֶת־כׇּל־זִקְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ |
30 Aaron shared with them everything the Lord had told Moses, and Moses carried out the miracles so they could see them.
| וַיְדַבֵּר אַהֲרֹן אֵת כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וַיַּעַשׂ הָאֹתֹת לְעֵינֵי הָעָֽם׃ |
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.
| וַֽיַּאֲמֵן הָעָם וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ כִּֽי־פָקַד יְהֹוָה אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכִי רָאָה אֶת־עׇנְיָם וַֽיִּקְּדוּ וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוֽוּ׃ |
