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.’”

And Moses answereth and saith, `And, if they do not give credence to me, nor hearken to my voice, and say, Jehovah hath not appeared unto thee?'

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

And Jehovah saith unto him, `What this in thy hand?' and he saith, `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.

and He saith, `Cast it to the earth;' and he casteth it to the earth, and it becometh a serpent -- and Moses fleeth from its presence.

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—

And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Put forth thy hand, and lay hold on the tail of it;' and he putteth forth his hand, and layeth hold on it, and it becometh 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.”

`-- so that they believe that Jehovah, God of their fathers, hath appeared unto thee, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob.'

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.

And Jehovah saith to him again, `Put in, I pray thee, thy hand into thy bosom;' and he putteth in his hand into his bosom, and he bringeth it out, and lo, his hand leprous 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.

and He saith, `Put back thy hand unto thy bosom;' and he putteth back his hand unto his bosom, and he bringeth it out from his bosom, and lo, it hath turned back as his 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.

`-- and it hath come to pass, if they do not give credence to thee, and hearken not to the voice of the first sign, that they have given credence to 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.”

`And it hath come to pass, if they do not give credence even to these two signs, nor hearken to thy voice, that thou hast taken of the waters of the River, and hast poured on the dry land, and the waters which thou takest from the River have been, yea, they have 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.”

And Moses saith unto Jehovah, `O, my Lord, I not a man of words, either yesterday, or before, or since Thy speaking unto Thy servant, for I slow of mouth, and slow of 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 ?

And Jehovah saith unto him, `Who appointed a mouth for man? or who appointeth the dumb, or deaf, or open, or blind? is it not I, Jehovah?

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

and now, go, and I -- I am with thy mouth, and have directed thee that which thou speakest;'

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

and he saith, `O, my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand Thou dost send.'

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.

And the anger of Jehovah burneth against Moses, and He saith, `Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I have known that he speaketh well, and also, lo, he is coming out to meet thee; when he hath seen thee, then he hath rejoiced 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.

and thou hast spoken unto him, and hast set the words in his mouth, and I -- I am with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and have directed you that which ye 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.

and he, he hath spoken for thee unto the people, and it hath come to pass, he -- he is to thee for a mouth, and thou -- thou art to him for God;

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

and this rod thou dost take in thy hand, with which thou doest 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.”

And Moses goeth and turneth back unto Jethro his father-in-law, and saith to him, `Let me go, I pray thee, and I turn back unto my brethren who in Egypt, and I see whether they are yet alive.' And Jethro saith 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.”

And Jehovah saith unto Moses in Midian, `Go, turn back to Egypt, for all the men have died who seek thy life;'

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.

and Moses taketh his wife, and his sons, and causeth them to ride on the ass, and turneth back to the land of Egypt, and Moses taketh the rod of God 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.

And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `In thy going to turn back to Egypt, see -- all the wonders which I have put in thy hand -- that thou hast done them before Pharaoh, and I -- I strengthen his heart, and he doth not send the people away;

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

and thou hast said unto Pharaoh, Thus said Jehovah, My son, My first-born Israel,

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 say unto thee, Send away My son, and he doth serve Me; and -- thou dost refuse to send him away -- lo, I am slaying thy son, thy first-born.'

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.

And it cometh to pass in the way, in a lodging place, that Jehovah meeteth him, and seeketh to put him to death;

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.”

and Zipporah taketh a flint, and cutteth off the foreskin of her son, and causeth to touch his feet, and saith, `Surely a bridegroom of blood thou to me;'

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

and He desisteth from him: then she said, `A bridegroom of blood,' in reference to 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.

And Jehovah saith unto Aaron, `Go to meet Moses into the wilderness;' and he goeth, and meeteth him in the mount of God, and kisseth 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.

and Moses declareth to Aaron all the words of Jehovah with which He hath sent him, and all the signs with which He hath charged him.

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

And Moses goeth -- Aaron also -- and they gather all the elders of the sons 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.

and Aaron speaketh all the words which Jehovah hath spoken unto Moses, and doth the signs before the eyes 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.

and the people believe when they hear that Jehovah hath looked after the sons of Israel, and that He hath seen their affliction; and they bow and do obeisance.