< Exodus 4 >
1 Moses [Drawn out] answered, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor sh'ma ·hear obey· to my voice; for they will say, ‘Adonai has not appeared to you.’”
2 Adonai said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”
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.
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.
5 “That they may believe 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.”
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.
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.
8 “It will happen, if they will not believe you or sh'ma ·hear obey· the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
9 It will happen, if they will not believe 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.”
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.”
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?
12 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.”
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.
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.
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.
17 You shall take this rod 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.”
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.”
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.
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.
22 You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘Adonai says, Israel [God prevails] 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.’”
24 On the way at a lodging place, Adonai met Moses [Drawn out] 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.”
26 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.
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.
29 Moses [Drawn out] and Aaron [Light-bringer] went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel [God prevails].
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.
31 The people believed, 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.
