1 A nd Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, Jehovah hath not appeared unto thee.

Then Moses said, “What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, ‘ The Lord has not appeared to you.’”

2 A nd Jehovah said unto him, What is that in thy hand? And he said, A rod.

The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he said, “ A staff.”

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

Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.

4 A nd Jehovah said unto Moses, Put forth thy hand, and take it by the tail: (and he put forth his hand, and laid hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand:)

But the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand—

5 T hat they may believe that Jehovah, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.

“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 A nd Jehovah said furthermore unto him, Put now thy hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.

The Lord furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand into your bosom.” So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow.

7 A nd he said, Put thy hand into thy bosom again. (And he put his hand into his bosom again; and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.)

Then He said, “Put your hand into your bosom again.” So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh.

8 A nd it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

“If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign.

9 A nd it shall come to pass, if they will not believe even these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.

But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”

10 A nd Moses said unto Jehovah, Oh, Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.

Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

11 A nd Jehovah said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? Or who maketh a man dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, Jehovah?

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

12 N ow therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt speak.

Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say.”

13 A nd he said, Oh, Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.

But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will.” Aaron to Be Moses’ Mouthpiece

14 A nd the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is there not Aaron thy brother the Levite? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.

Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

15 A nd thou shalt speak unto him, and put the words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.

You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do.

16 A nd he shall be thy spokesman unto the people; and it shall come to pass, that he shall be to thee a mouth, and thou shalt be to him as God.

Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him.

17 A nd thou shalt take in thy hand this rod, wherewith thou shalt do the signs.

You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.”

18 A nd Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren that are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

Then Moses departed and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please, let me go, that I may return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

19 A nd Jehovah said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt; for all the men are dead that sought thy life.

Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.”

20 A nd Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

So Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the staff of God in his hand.

21 A nd Jehovah said unto Moses, When thou goest back into Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in thy hand: but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.

The Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.

22 A nd thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith Jehovah, Israel is my son, my first-born:

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

23 a nd I have said unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me; and thou hast refused to let him go: behold, I will slay thy son, thy first-born.

So I said to you, ‘ Let My son go that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.”’”

24 A nd it came to pass on the way at the lodging-place, that Jehovah met him, and sought to kill him.

Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the Lord met him and sought to put him to death.

25 T hen Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, Surely a bridegroom of blood art thou to me.

Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and threw it at Moses’ feet, and she said, “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me.”

26 S o he let him alone. Then she said, A bridegroom of blood art thou, because of the circumcision.

So He let him alone. At that time she said, “ You are a bridegroom of blood”— because of the circumcision.

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

Now the Lord said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.

28 A nd Moses told Aaron all the words of Jehovah wherewith he had sent him, and all the signs wherewith he had charged him.

Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which He had sent him, and all the signs that He had commanded him to do.

29 A nd Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:

Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the sons of Israel;

30 a nd Aaron spake all the words which Jehovah had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.

and Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. He then performed the signs in the sight of the people.

31 A nd the people believed: and when they heard that Jehovah had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshiped.