1 A nd Moses answered, But behold, they will not believe me or listen to and obey my voice; for they will say, The Lord has not appeared to you.

Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’”

2 A nd the Lord said to him, What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod.

So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”

3 A nd He said, Cast it on the ground. And he did so and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

And He said, “Cast it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.

4 A nd the Lord said to Moses, Put forth your hand and take it by the tail. And he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand,

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand),

5 t hat the elders may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has indeed appeared to you.

“that they may believe 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 T he Lord said also to him, Put your hand into your bosom. He put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.

Furthermore the Lord said to him, “Now put your hand in your bosom.” And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow.

7 s aid, Put your hand into your bosom again. So he put his hand back into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored as the rest of his flesh.

And He said, “Put your hand in your bosom again.” So he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other flesh.

8 I f they will not believe you or heed the voice or the testimony of the first sign, they may believe the voice or the witness of the second sign.

“Then it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign.

9 B ut if they will also not believe these two signs or heed your voice, you shall take some water of the river and pour it upon the dry land; and the water which you take out of the river shall become blood on the dry land.

And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, that you shall take water from the river and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land. ”

10 A nd Moses said to the Lord, O Lord, I am not eloquent or a man of words, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and have a heavy and awkward tongue.

Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

11 A nd the Lord said to him, Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Is it not I, the Lord?

So the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord ?

12 N ow therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you shall say.

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

13 A nd he said, Oh, my Lord, I pray You, send by the hand of whom You will.

But he said, “O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”

14 T hen the anger of the Lord blazed against Moses; He said, Is there not Aaron your brother, the Levite? I know he can speak well. Also, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be overjoyed.

So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

15 Y ou must speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you what you shall do.

Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do.

16 H e shall speak for you to the people, acting as a mouthpiece for you, and you shall be as God to him.

So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God.

17 A nd you shall take this rod in your hand with which you shall work the signs.

And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.” Moses Goes to Egypt

18 A nd Moses went away and, returning to Jethro his father-in-law, said to him, Let me go back, I pray you, to my relatives in Egypt to see whether they are still alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

So Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

19 T he Lord said to Moses in Midian, Go back to Egypt; for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.

Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.”

20 A nd Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on donkeys, and he returned to the land of Egypt; and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

21 A nd the Lord said to Moses, When you return into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all those miracles and wonders which I have put in your hand; but I will make him stubborn and harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.

And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.

22 A nd you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, Israel is My son, even My firstborn.

Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My son, My firstborn.

23 A nd I say to you, Let My son go, that he may serve Me; and if you refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay your son, your firstborn.

So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.”’”

24 A long the way at a place, the Lord met and sought to kill him.

And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him.

25 ' > failed to circumcise one of his sons, his wife being opposed to it; but seeing his life in such danger] Zipporah took a flint knife and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it to touch feet, and said, Surely a husband of blood you are to me!

Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!”

26 W hen He let alone, Zipporah said, A husband of blood are you because of the circumcision.

So He let him go. Then she said, “ You are a husband of blood!”—because of the circumcision.

27 T he Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mountain of God and kissed him.

And the Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him on the mountain of God, and kissed him.

28 M oses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which He had sent him, and all the signs with which He had charged him.

So Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him, and all the signs which He had commanded him.

29 M oses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the Israelites.

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

30 A aron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.

And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people.

31 A nd the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the Israelites, and that He had looked upon their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.