1 T hen 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.’”

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 S o the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” 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 it on the ground.” So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from 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 T hen 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),

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 “ 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.”

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 F urthermore 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.

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 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.

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 “ 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.

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 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. ”

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 T hen 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.”

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 S o 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 ?

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 your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”

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

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

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

14 S o 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.

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 N ow 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.

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 S o 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.

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

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 S o 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.”

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

The Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Return to Egypt. For all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.”

20 T hen 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.

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 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.

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

Then say to Pharaoh, ‘The Lord says this: “Israel is My son, My first-born.

23 S o 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.”’”

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 encampment, that the Lord 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 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!”

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 go. Then she said, “ You are a husband of blood!”—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 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.

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 S o Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him, and all the signs which He had commanded 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 T hen 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 spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. Then he 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 S o 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.

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.