1 T hen 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.’”

Moses answered, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, ‘Yahweh has not appeared to you.’”

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

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

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

He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it.

4 B ut 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—

Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.” He stretched out his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.

5 “ 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.”

“That they may believe that Yahweh, the 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 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.

Yahweh said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.

7 T hen 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.

He said, “Put your hand inside your cloak again.” He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh.

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

“It will happen, if they will not believe you or listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

9 B ut 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.”

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

10 T hen 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.”

Moses said to Yahweh, “O Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”

11 T he 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 ?

Yahweh said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, Yahweh?

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

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

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

He said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.”

14 T hen 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.

Yahweh’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he comes out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

15 Y ou 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.

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

16 M oreover, 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.

He will be your spokesman to the people; and it will happen, that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God.

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

You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”

18 T hen 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.”

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

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

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

20 S o 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.

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

21 T he 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.

Yahweh said to Moses, “When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.

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

You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘Yahweh says, Israel is my son, my firstborn,

23 S o 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.”’”

and I have said to you, “Let my son go, that he may serve me”; and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.’”

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

On the way at a lodging place, Yahweh met Moses and wanted to kill him.

25 T hen 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.”

Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.”

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

So he let him alone. Then she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

27 N ow 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.

Yahweh said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” He went, and met him on God’s mountain, and kissed him.

28 M oses 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.

Moses told Aaron all Yahweh’s words with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had instructed him.

29 T hen Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the sons of Israel;

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

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

Aaron spoke all the words which Yahweh had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.

31 S o 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.

The people believed, and when they heard that Yahweh had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.