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.’”

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 S o the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”

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

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.

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 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),

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 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 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.

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 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.

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 “ 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.

`-- 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 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. ”

`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, “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.”

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 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 ?

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

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

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

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

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.

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 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.

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 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.

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

and this rod thou dost take in thy hand, with which thou doest the signs.'

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.”

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, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought 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 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.

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 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.

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 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 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 A nd it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him.

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 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!”

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

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

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.

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 S o Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him, and all the signs which He had commanded him.

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 gathered together all the elders of the children 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. Then he did 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 had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads 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.