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 answered, “What if they will not believe me or listen to me? They might say, ‘The Lord has not shown Himself 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?” Moses said, “A stick.”

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 the Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.” So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake. And Moses ran 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, “Put out your hand and take it by its tail.” So Moses put out his hand and caught it. And it became a stick 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.

The Lord said, “By seeing this 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 shown Himself 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 said to him, “Put your hand inside your coat.” So Moses put his hand inside his coat. When he took it out, his hand had a bad skin disease and was white as 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 God said, “Put your hand inside your coat again.” So Moses put his hand inside his coat again. When he took it out of his coat, he saw that it had become like his other 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.

God said, “If they will not listen to you or believe you when they are shown the first thing, they may believe when this is shown to them.

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 they might not believe even these two things or listen to what you say. So then take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. And the water 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.

Moses said to the Lord, “Lord, I am not a man of words. I have never been. Even now since You spoke to Your servant, I still am not. For I am slow in talking and it is difficult for me to speak.”

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?

Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes a man not able to speak or hear? Who makes one blind or able to see? 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.

So go now. And I will be with your mouth. I will teach you what to say.”

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

But Moses said, “O Lord, I ask of You, send some other person.”

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. He said, “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know he can speak well. Also, he is coming to meet you. And 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 must speak to him and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth and his mouth. 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.

He will speak to the people for you. He will be 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 will take this special stick in your hand. And you will use it to make the special things happen for the people to see.” Moses Returns to Egypt

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 left and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “I ask of you, let me return to my brothers in Egypt to 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.

The Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Return to Egypt. For all the men who wanted to kill you 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 sons and put them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the special stick 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 return to Egypt, make sure you show Pharaoh all the works that I have placed in your power. But I will make his heart hard 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 say to Pharaoh, ‘The Lord says this: “Israel is My son, My first-born.

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.

And I say to you, ‘Let My son go. Let him work for Me.’ But if you will not let him go, I will kill your son, your first-born.”’”

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

The Lord met Moses at a resting place on the way and would have 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.

But Zipporah took a knife and cut off her son’s piece of skin and threw it at Moses’ feet. And she said, “For sure you are a husband of blood to me.”

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

Then the Lord let him alone. Zipporah said, “You are a husband of blood,” because of the religious act of becoming a Jew.

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.

The Lord said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the desert.” 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 he told him about all the special works that the Lord had told 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 gathered together all the leaders of the people 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.

Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. Then he did all the special works for the people to see.

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. When they heard that the Lord cared about the people of Israel and had seen their suffering, they bowed to the ground and worshiped.