Exodus 4

1 Moses [Drawn out] answered, “But, behold, they will not trust me, nor sh'ma ·hear obey· to my voice; for they will say, ‘Adonai has not appeared to you.’”

Moses answered, "But, look, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, 'God has not appeared to you.'"

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

The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff."

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

He said, "Throw it on the ground." He threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses ran away from it.

4 Adonai said to Moses [Drawn out], “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.

The LORD said to Moses, "Put forth your hand, and take it by the tail." He put forth his hand, and laid hold of it, and it became a staff in his hand.

5 “That they may trust that Adonai, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham [Father of a multitude], the God of Isaac [Laughter], and the God of Jacob [Supplanter], has appeared to you.”

"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 Adonai 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.

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, look, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.

7 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.

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, look, it had turned again as his other flesh.

8 “It will happen, if they will not trust you or sh'ma ·hear obey· the voice of the first sign, that they will trust the voice of the latter sign.

"It will happen, if they will neither believe you nor listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

9 It will happen, if they will not trust even these two signs or sh'ma ·hear obey· 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.”

It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs, neither 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 Moses [Drawn out] said to Adonai, “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.”

Moses said to the LORD, "Please, 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 Adonai said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is not it I, Adonai?

The LORD said to him, "Who made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Is it not I, God?

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

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

13 He said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.”

He said, "Oh, Lord, please send someone else."

14 Adonai’s anger burned against Moses [Drawn out], and he said, “What about Aaron [Light-bringer], your brother, the Levite [Descendant of United with]? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he comes out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

The anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, "What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, look, he comes forth to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

15 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.

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

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

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

You shall take this staff in your hand, with which you shall do the signs."

18 Moses [Drawn out] went and returned to Jethro [Abundance] his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt [Abode of slavery], and see whether they are still alive.” Jethro [Abundance] said to Moses [Drawn out], “Go in peace.”

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 Adonai said to Moses [Drawn out] in Midian [Strife], “Go, return into Egypt [Abode of slavery]; for all the men who 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 Moses [Drawn out] took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt [Abode of slavery]. Moses [Drawn out] took God’s rod 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 staff in his hand.

21 Adonai said to Moses [Drawn out], “When you go back into Egypt [Abode of slavery], 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.

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 You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘Adonai says, Israel [God prevails] is my son, my firstborn,

You shall tell Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, Israel is my son, my firstborn,

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

and I have said to you, "Let my son go, that he may serve me;" and you have refused to let him go. Look, I will kill your son, your firstborn.'"

24 On the way at a lodging place, Adonai met Moses [Drawn out] and wanted to kill him.

It happened on the way at a lodging place, that the LORD met him and wanted to kill him.

25 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.”

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

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

27 Adonai said to Aaron [Light-bringer], “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses [Drawn out].” He went, and met him on God’s mountain, and kissed him.

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 Moses [Drawn out] told Aaron [Light-bringer] all Adonai’s words with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had enjoined him.

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

29 Moses [Drawn out] and Aaron [Light-bringer] went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel [God prevails].

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

30 Aaron [Light-bringer] spoke all the words which Adonai had spoken to Moses [Drawn out], and did the signs in the sight of the people.

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

31 The people trusted, and when they sh'ma ·heard obeyed· that Adonai had visited the children of Israel [God prevails], and that he had seen their affliction, then they hawa ·bowed low, prostrated· their heads and worshiped.

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