שמות 4

1 וַיַּעַן מֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר וְהֵן לֹֽא־יַאֲמִינוּ לִי וְלֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ בְּקֹלִי כִּי יֹֽאמְרוּ לֹֽא־נִרְאָה אֵלֶיךָ יְהֹוָֽה׃

Responding, Moses said, “They will not believe me, and they will not listen to my voice, but they will say: ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’”

2 וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו יְהֹוָה (מזה) [מַה־זֶּה] בְיָדֶךָ וַיֹּאמֶר מַטֶּֽה׃

Therefore, he said to him, “What is that you hold in your hand?” He answered, “A staff.”

3 וַיֹּאמֶר הַשְׁלִיכֵהוּ אַרְצָה וַיַּשְׁלִכֵהוּ אַרְצָה וַיְהִי לְנָחָשׁ וַיָּנׇס מֹשֶׁה מִפָּנָֽיו׃

And the Lord said, “Cast it down upon the ground.” He cast it down, and it was turned into a snake, so that Moses fled away.

4 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה שְׁלַח יָֽדְךָ וֶאֱחֹז בִּזְנָבוֹ וַיִּשְׁלַח יָדוֹ וַיַּחֲזֶק בּוֹ וַיְהִי לְמַטֶּה בְּכַפּֽוֹ׃

And the Lord said, “Reach out your hand, and take hold of its tail.” He reached out his hand and took hold, and it was turned into a staff.

5 לְמַעַן יַאֲמִינוּ כִּֽי־נִרְאָה אֵלֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתָם אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק וֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹֽב׃

“So may they believe,” he said, “that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

6 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה לוֹ עוֹד הָֽבֵא־נָא יָֽדְךָ בְּחֵיקֶךָ וַיָּבֵא יָדוֹ בְּחֵיקוֹ וַיּוֹצִאָהּ וְהִנֵּה יָדוֹ מְצֹרַעַת כַּשָּֽׁלֶג׃

And the Lord said again, “Put your hand into your bosom.” And when he had put it into his bosom, he brought it out leprous, resembling snow.

7 וַיֹּאמֶר הָשֵׁב יָֽדְךָ אֶל־חֵיקֶךָ וַיָּשֶׁב יָדוֹ אֶל־חֵיקוֹ וַיּֽוֹצִאָהּ מֵֽחֵיקוֹ וְהִנֵּה־שָׁבָה כִּבְשָׂרֽוֹ׃

“Put your hand back,” he said, “into your bosom.” He put it back and brought it out again, and it was like the rest of his flesh.

8 וְהָיָה אִם־לֹא יַאֲמִינוּ לָךְ וְלֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ לְקֹל הָאֹת הָרִאשׁוֹן וְהֶֽאֱמִינוּ לְקֹל הָאֹת הָאַחֲרֽוֹן׃

“If they will not believe you,” he said, “and will not listen to the sermon of the first sign, then they will believe the word of the subsequent sign.

9 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׃

But if they will not believe even these two signs, and they will not listen to your voice: take from the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land, and whatever you will have drawn from the river will be turned into blood.”

10 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׃

Moses said: “I beg you, O Lord, I was not eloquent yesterday or the day before. And from the time that you have spoken to your servant, I have a greater impediment and slowness of tongue.”

11 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֵלָיו מִי שָׂם פֶּה לָֽאָדָם אוֹ מִֽי־יָשׂוּם אִלֵּם אוֹ חֵרֵשׁ אוֹ פִקֵּחַ אוֹ עִוֵּר הֲלֹא אָנֹכִי יְהֹוָֽה׃

The Lord said to him: “Who made the mouth of man? And who has formed the mute and the deaf, the seeing and the blind? Was it not I?

12 וְעַתָּה לֵךְ וְאָנֹכִי אֶֽהְיֶה עִם־פִּיךָ וְהוֹרֵיתִיךָ אֲשֶׁר תְּדַבֵּֽר׃

Go on, therefore, and I will be in your mouth. And I will teach you what you shall say.”

13 וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנָי שְֽׁלַֽח־נָא בְּיַד־תִּשְׁלָֽח׃

But he said, “I beg you, O Lord, send whomever else you would send.”

14 וַיִּֽחַר־אַף יְהֹוָה בְּמֹשֶׁה וַיֹּאמֶר הֲלֹא אַהֲרֹן אָחִיךָ הַלֵּוִי יָדַעְתִּי כִּֽי־דַבֵּר יְדַבֵּר הוּא וְגַם הִנֵּה־הוּא יֹצֵא לִקְרָאתֶךָ וְרָאֲךָ וְשָׂמַח בְּלִבּֽוֹ׃

The Lord, being angry at Moses, said: “Aaron the Levite is your brother. I know that he is eloquent. Behold, he is going out to meet you, and seeing you, he will rejoice in heart.

15 וְדִבַּרְתָּ אֵלָיו וְשַׂמְתָּ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִים בְּפִיו וְאָנֹכִי אֶֽהְיֶה עִם־פִּיךָ וְעִם־פִּיהוּ וְהוֹרֵיתִי אֶתְכֶם אֵת אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֽׂוּן׃

Speak to him, and put my words in his mouth. And I will be in your mouth and in his mouth, and I will reveal to you what you must do.

16 וְדִבֶּר־הוּא לְךָ אֶל־הָעָם וְהָיָה הוּא יִֽהְיֶה־לְּךָ לְפֶה וְאַתָּה תִּֽהְיֶה־לּוֹ לֵֽאלֹהִֽים׃

He will speak for you to the people, and he will be your mouth. But you will be with him in those things that pertain to God.

17 וְאֶת־הַמַּטֶּה הַזֶּה תִּקַּח בְּיָדֶךָ אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשֶׂה־בּוֹ אֶת־הָאֹתֹֽת׃

Also, take this staff into your hand; with it you will accomplish the signs.”

18 וַיֵּלֶךְ מֹשֶׁה וַיָּשׇׁב ׀ אֶל־יֶתֶר חֹֽתְנוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אֵלְכָה נָּא וְאָשׁוּבָה אֶל־אַחַי אֲשֶׁר־בְּמִצְרַיִם וְאֶרְאֶה הַעוֹדָם חַיִּים וַיֹּאמֶר יִתְרוֹ לְמֹשֶׁה לֵךְ לְשָׁלֽוֹם׃

Moses went forth, and he returned to Jethro, his father in law, and he said to him, “I shall go and return to my brothers in Egypt, so that I may see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to him, “Go in peace.”

19 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה בְּמִדְיָן לֵךְ שֻׁב מִצְרָיִם כִּי־מֵתוּ כׇּל־הָאֲנָשִׁים הַֽמְבַקְשִׁים אֶת־נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃

And so the Lord said to Moses in Midian: “Go, and return to Egypt. For all those who sought your life have died.”

20 וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת־אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאֶת־בָּנָיו וַיַּרְכִּבֵם עַֽל־הַחֲמֹר וַיָּשׇׁב אַרְצָה מִצְרָיִם וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת־מַטֵּה הָאֱלֹהִים בְּיָדֽוֹ׃

Therefore, Moses took his wife and his sons, and he placed them upon a donkey, and he returned into Egypt, carrying the staff of God in his hand.

21 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה בְּלֶכְתְּךָ לָשׁוּב מִצְרַיְמָה רְאֵה כׇּל־הַמֹּֽפְתִים אֲשֶׁר־שַׂמְתִּי בְיָדֶךָ וַעֲשִׂיתָם לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה וַאֲנִי אֲחַזֵּק אֶת־לִבּוֹ וְלֹא יְשַׁלַּח אֶת־הָעָֽם׃

And the Lord said to him, as he was returning to Egypt: “See that you accomplish, in the sight of Pharaoh, all the wonders that I have placed in your hand. I will harden his heart, and he will not release the people.

22 וְאָמַרְתָּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹה כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה בְּנִי בְכֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

And you shall say to him: ‘Thus says the Lord: Israel is my firstborn son.

23 וָאֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ שַׁלַּח אֶת־בְּנִי וְיַֽעַבְדֵנִי וַתְּמָאֵן לְשַׁלְּחוֹ הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי הֹרֵג אֶת־בִּנְךָ בְּכֹרֶֽךָ׃

I have said to you: Release my son, so that he may serve me. And you were not willing to release him. Behold, I will put to death your firstborn son.’”

24 וַיְהִי בַדֶּרֶךְ בַּמָּלוֹן וַיִּפְגְּשֵׁהוּ יְהֹוָה וַיְבַקֵּשׁ הֲמִיתֽוֹ׃

And while he was on the journey, at an inn, the Lord met him, and he was willing to kill him.

25 וַתִּקַּח צִפֹּרָה צֹר וַתִּכְרֹת אֶת־עׇרְלַת בְּנָהּ וַתַּגַּע לְרַגְלָיו וַתֹּאמֶר כִּי חֲתַן־דָּמִים אַתָּה לִֽי׃

For this reason, Zipporah took a very sharp stone, and she circumcised the foreskin of her son, and she touched his feet, and she said, “You are a bloody spouse to me.”

26 וַיִּרֶף מִמֶּנּוּ אָז אָֽמְרָה חֲתַן דָּמִים לַמּוּלֹֽת׃

And he released him, after she had said, “You are a bloody spouse,” because of the circumcision.

27 וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן לֵךְ לִקְרַאת מֹשֶׁה הַמִּדְבָּרָה וַיֵּלֶךְ וַֽיִּפְגְּשֵׁהוּ בְּהַר הָאֱלֹהִים וַיִּשַּׁק־לֽוֹ׃

Then the Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the desert to meet Moses.” And he went directly to meet him on the mountain of God, and he kissed him.

28 וַיַּגֵּד מֹשֶׁה לְאַֽהֲרֹן אֵת כׇּל־דִּבְרֵי יְהֹוָה אֲשֶׁר שְׁלָחוֹ וְאֵת כׇּל־הָאֹתֹת אֲשֶׁר צִוָּֽהוּ׃

And Moses explained to Aaron all the words of the Lord, by which he had sent him, and the signs which he had commanded.

29 וַיֵּלֶךְ מֹשֶׁה וְאַהֲרֹן וַיַּאַסְפוּ אֶת־כׇּל־זִקְנֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

And they arrived at the same time, and they gathered together all the elders of the sons of Israel.

30 וַיְדַבֵּר אַהֲרֹן אֵת כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה וַיַּעַשׂ הָאֹתֹת לְעֵינֵי הָעָֽם׃

And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had said to Moses. And he accomplished the signs in the sight of the people,

31 וַֽיַּאֲמֵן הָעָם וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ כִּֽי־פָקַד יְהֹוָה אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכִי רָאָה אֶת־עׇנְיָם וַֽיִּקְּדוּ וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוֽוּ׃

and the people believed. And they heard that the Lord had visited the sons of Israel, and that he had looked with favor upon their affliction. And falling prostrate, they worshiped.