Ἔξοδος 4
1 ἀπεκρίθη δὲ Μωυσῆς καὶ εἶπεν ἐὰν οὖν μὴ πιστεύσωσίν μοι μηδὲ εἰσακούσωσιν τῆς φωνῆς μου ἐροῦσιν γὰρ ὅτι οὐκ ὦπταί σοι ὁ θεός τί ἐρῶ πρὸς αὐτούς
Moses/I replied, “But what if [the Israeli people] (do not believe me/are not convinced) or not do what I tell them? What if they say, ‘Yahweh did not appear to you!’”
2 εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ κύριος τί τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ ἐν τῇ χειρί σου ὁ δὲ εἶπεν ῥάβδος
Yahweh said to him/me, “[Look at] that thing you are holding in your hand. What is it?” He/I replied, “A (walking stick/shepherd’s stick).”
3 καὶ εἶπεν ῥῖψον αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ ἔρριψεν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ ἐγένετο ὄφις καὶ ἔφυγεν Μωυσῆς ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ
He said, “Throw it down on the ground!” So, he/I threw it on the ground, and it became a snake! And he/I ran/jumped away from it.
4 καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν ἔκτεινον τὴν χεῖρα καὶ ἐπιλαβοῦ τῆς κέρκου ἐκτείνας οὖν τὴν χεῖρα ἐπελάβετο τῆς κέρκου καὶ ἐγένετο ῥάβδος ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ
But Yahweh said to Moses/me, “Reach down and pick it up by its tail!” So he/I reached down and caught it, and [when he/I picked it up], it became a stick in his/my hand [again.]
5 ἵνα πιστεύσωσίν σοι ὅτι ὦπταί σοι κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν θεὸς Αβρααμ καὶ θεὸς Ισαακ καὶ θεὸς Ιακωβ
Yahweh said, “[Do the same thing in front of the Israeli people], in order that they may believe that [I], Yahweh God, the one Abraham and Isaac and Jacob worshiped, truly appeared to you.”
6 εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ κύριος πάλιν εἰσένεγκε τὴν χεῖρά σου εἰς τὸν κόλπον σου καὶ εἰσήνεγκεν τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν κόλπον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξήνεγκεν τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ κόλπου αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐγενήθη ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ χιών
Yahweh spoke to Moses/me again, saying “Put your hand inside your robe [MTY]!” He/I did that. And when he/I took it out again, [surprisingly], his/my hand was white. It had a skin disease [that made it] as white as snow.
7 καὶ εἶπεν πάλιν εἰσένεγκε τὴν χεῖρά σου εἰς τὸν κόλπον σου καὶ εἰσήνεγκεν τὴν χεῖρα εἰς τὸν κόλπον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξήνεγκεν αὐτὴν ἐκ τοῦ κόλπου αὐτοῦ καὶ πάλιν ἀπεκατέστη εἰς τὴν χρόαν τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ
Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your robe [MTY]!” So he/I did that, and when he/I took it out again, surprisingly, it was normal again, just like the rest of his/my body!
8 ἐὰν δὲ μὴ πιστεύσωσίν σοι μηδὲ εἰσακούσωσιν τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ σημείου τοῦ πρώτου πιστεύσουσίν σοι τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ σημείου τοῦ ἐσχάτου
God said, “[You can do that in front of the Israeli people, too]. If they do not pay attention to what you say because of [seeing] the first miracle, they will (believe [you/be convinced) when you perform] the second miracle.
9 καὶ ἔσται ἐὰν μὴ πιστεύσωσίν σοι τοῖς δυσὶ σημείοις τούτοις μηδὲ εἰσακούσωσιν τῆς φωνῆς σου λήμψῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος τοῦ ποταμοῦ καὶ ἐκχεεῖς ἐπὶ τὸ ξηρόν καὶ ἔσται τὸ ὕδωρ ὃ ἐὰν λάβῃς ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ αἷμα ἐπὶ τοῦ ξηροῦ
If they do not believe you or do what you say, even [after you perform] those two miracles, get some water from the Nile [River] and pour it on the ground. [When you do that], the water from the river that you pour on the ground will become blood [MTY] (OR, [red like] blood).”
10 εἶπεν δὲ Μωυσῆς πρὸς κύριον δέομαι κύριε οὐχ ἱκανός εἰμι πρὸ τῆς ἐχθὲς οὐδὲ πρὸ τῆς τρίτης ἡμέρας οὐδὲ ἀφ’ οὗ ἤρξω λαλεῖν τῷ θεράποντί σου ἰσχνόφωνος καὶ βραδύγλωσσος ἐγώ εἰμι
Moses/I replied, “O Yahweh! I am not an eloquent [speaker]! I was not an eloquent speaker before, and I have not become one since you started talking to me! I am not a good speaker [MTY], and I speak very slowly.”
11 εἶπεν δὲ κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν τίς ἔδωκεν στόμα ἀνθρώπῳ καὶ τίς ἐποίησεν δύσκωφον καὶ κωφόν βλέποντα καὶ τυφλόν οὐκ ἐγὼ ὁ θεός
Then Yahweh said to him/me, “[You seem to forget] who it is that makes people able to speak [RHQ]! Who is it that enables people to be unable to speak or unable to hear, or able to see or not to see? It is I, Yahweh [RHQ]!
12 καὶ νῦν πορεύου καὶ ἐγὼ ἀνοίξω τὸ στόμα σου καὶ συμβιβάσω σε ὃ μέλλεις λαλῆσαι
So start going [to Egypt], and I will help you to speak [MTY], and I will tell you what you should say.”
13 καὶ εἶπεν Μωυσῆς δέομαι κύριε προχείρισαι δυνάμενον ἄλλον ὃν ἀποστελεῖς
But he/I replied, “O, Yahweh, I ask you, please send someone else [instead]!”
14 καὶ θυμωθεὶς ὀργῇ κύριος ἐπὶ Μωυσῆν εἶπεν οὐκ ἰδοὺ Ααρων ὁ ἀδελφός σου ὁ Λευίτης ἐπίσταμαι ὅτι λαλῶν λαλήσει αὐτός σοι καὶ ἰδοὺ αὐτὸς ἐξελεύσεται εἰς συνάντησίν σοι καὶ ἰδών σε χαρήσεται ἐν ἑαυτῷ
Then Yahweh became very angry with Moses/me. He said, “[What about] your [older] brother Aaron, who is [also] a descendant of Levi? I know that he is a very good/eloquent speaker. He is actually on his way here [right now], and he will be very happy to see you.
15 καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ δώσεις τὰ ῥήματά μου εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐγὼ ἀνοίξω τὸ στόμα σου καὶ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ συμβιβάσω ὑμᾶς ἃ ποιήσετε
You can talk to him and tell him what to say [MTY], and I will help both of you [SYN] to know what to say [MTY]. And I will tell you both what you should do.
16 καὶ αὐτός σοι προσλαλήσει πρὸς τὸν λαόν καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται σου στόμα σὺ δὲ αὐτῷ ἔσῃ τὰ πρὸς τὸν θεόν
He will speak for you to the [Israeli] people. He will be (your spokesman/as though he was your mouth) [MET], and you will be to him as though you are [his] god.
17 καὶ τὴν ῥάβδον ταύτην τὴν στραφεῖσαν εἰς ὄφιν λήμψῃ ἐν τῇ χειρί σου ἐν ᾗ ποιήσεις ἐν αὐτῇ τὰ σημεῖα
[Be sure] to take with you the walking/shepherd’s stick [that is in your hand], because you will perform miracles with it.”
18 ἐπορεύθη δὲ Μωυσῆς καὶ ἀπέστρεψεν πρὸς Ιοθορ τὸν γαμβρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ λέγει πορεύσομαι καὶ ἀποστρέψω πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφούς μου τοὺς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ ὄψομαι εἰ ἔτι ζῶσιν καὶ εἶπεν Ιοθορ Μωυσῇ βάδιζε ὑγιαίνων
Moses/I returned to his/my father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me go back to Egypt, to see my fellow Israelis there. I want to know if they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses/me, “Go, and may [God give you inner] peace.”
19 μετὰ δὲ τὰς ἡμέρας τὰς πολλὰς ἐκείνας ἐτελεύτησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου εἶπεν δὲ κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν ἐν Μαδιαμ βάδιζε ἄπελθε εἰς Αἴγυπτον τεθνήκασιν γὰρ πάντες οἱ ζητοῦντές σου τὴν ψυχήν
Yahweh said to Moses/me [before he/I left] Midian, “You can [safely] return to Egypt, because the men who were wanting to kill you [MTY] are [now] dead.”
20 ἀναλαβὼν δὲ Μωυσῆς τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ παιδία ἀνεβίβασεν αὐτὰ ἐπὶ τὰ ὑποζύγια καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἔλαβεν δὲ Μωυσῆς τὴν ῥάβδον τὴν παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ
So Moses/I took his/my wife and sons and put them on donkeys, and they/we returned to Egypt. And Moses/I took in his/my hand the stick that God [told him/me to take along].
21 εἶπεν δὲ κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν πορευομένου σου καὶ ἀποστρέφοντος εἰς Αἴγυπτον ὅρα πάντα τὰ τέρατα ἃ ἔδωκα ἐν ταῖς χερσίν σου ποιήσεις αὐτὰ ἐναντίον Φαραω ἐγὼ δὲ σκληρυνῶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐξαποστείλῃ τὸν λαόν
Yahweh said to Moses/me, “When you return to Egypt, be sure to perform all the miracles that I have given you power [to do], while the king is watching. But I will make him stubborn [IDM], with the result that he will not let the Israeli people leave [Egypt].
22 σὺ δὲ ἐρεῖς τῷ Φαραω τάδε λέγει κύριος υἱὸς πρωτότοκός μου Ισραηλ
Then say to him, ‘This is what Yahweh says: “The Israeli [people] [MTY] are [as dear to] me as firstborn sons [MET].
23 εἶπα δέ σοι ἐξαπόστειλον τὸν λαόν μου ἵνα μοι λατρεύσῃ εἰ μὲν οὖν μὴ βούλει ἐξαποστεῖλαι αὐτούς ὅρα οὖν ἐγὼ ἀποκτενῶ τὸν υἱόν σου τὸν πρωτότοκον
I told you to let my people [MTY] leave [Egypt], in order that they may worship me [in the desert]. If you refuse to let them go, I warn you, I will kill your firstborn son!”’”
24 ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ἐν τῷ καταλύματι συνήντησεν αὐτῷ ἄγγελος κυρίου καὶ ἐζήτει αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι
[One night], as they were camping on the way [to Egypt], Yahweh appeared to Moses/me. He wanted/threatened to kill Moses/me [for disobeying his command that boys/sons be circumcised].
25 καὶ λαβοῦσα Σεπφωρα ψῆφον περιέτεμεν τὴν ἀκροβυστίαν τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτῆς καὶ προσέπεσεν πρὸς τοὺς πόδας καὶ εἶπεν ἔστη τὸ αἷμα τῆς περιτομῆς τοῦ παιδίου μου
Then [his/my wife] Zipporah took a flint knife and circumcised her son. Then she touched the boy’s feet (OR, genitals) with the piece of skin [she had cut off], and she said, “The blood [which flowed when I circumcised you] will protect you [from being harmed by Yahweh] [MET].”
26 καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ διότι εἶπεν ἔστη τὸ αἷμα τῆς περιτομῆς τοῦ παιδίου μου
She said to him, “You are safe now [MET] because you have been circumcised.” So Yahweh did not harm her son.
27 εἶπεν δὲ κύριος πρὸς Ααρων πορεύθητι εἰς συνάντησιν Μωυσεῖ εἰς τὴν ἔρημον καὶ ἐπορεύθη καὶ συνήντησεν αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ κατεφίλησαν ἀλλήλους
Yahweh said to Aaron, “Go into the desert to meet/see Moses!” So he went [there from Egypt] and met him/me at [Sinai], the mountain dedicated to God, and [greeted him/me by] kissing him/me [on the cheek].
28 καὶ ἀνήγγειλεν Μωυσῆς τῷ Ααρων πάντας τοὺς λόγους κυρίου οὓς ἀπέστειλεν καὶ πάντα τὰ σημεῖα ἃ ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ
Moses/I told Aaron everything that Yahweh had said to him/me when he told him/me to return to Egypt. He/I also told Aaron about all the miracles that Yahweh told him/me to perform.
29 ἐπορεύθη δὲ Μωυσῆς καὶ Ααρων καὶ συνήγαγον τὴν γερουσίαν τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ
[So Aaron and Moses/I] returned [to Egypt]. There they/we gathered together all the Israeli elders/leaders.
30 καὶ ἐλάλησεν Ααρων πάντα τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα ἃ ἐλάλησεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸς Μωυσῆν καὶ ἐποίησεν τὰ σημεῖα ἐναντίον τοῦ λαοῦ
Aaron told them everything that Yahweh had told Moses/me, and Aaron performed [all] the miracles as the people watched.
31 καὶ ἐπίστευσεν ὁ λαὸς καὶ ἐχάρη ὅτι ἐπεσκέψατο ὁ θεὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Ισραηλ καὶ ὅτι εἶδεν αὐτῶν τὴν θλῖψιν κύψας δὲ ὁ λαὸς προσεκύνησεν
They believed [that what they/we were saying was true]. When they heard that Yahweh had seen how the Israeli people were being cruelly oppressed and that he was going to help them, they bowed down and worshiped [Yahweh].
