Exodus

The second book of Moses, called Exodus, chapter 4, New English Translation and King James Version

Chapter 4 New English Translation

The Source of Sufficiency

   1 Moses answered again, "And if they do not believe me or pay attention to me, but say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you'?" 2 The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff." 3 The LORD said, "Throw it to the ground." So he threw it to the ground, and it became a snake, and Moses ran from it. 4 But the LORD said to Moses, "Put out your hand and grab it by the tail" - so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff 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."
   6 The LORD also said to him, "Put your hand into your robe." So he put his hand into his robe, and when he brought it out - there was his hand, leprous like snow! 7 He said, "Put your hand back into your robe." So he put his hand back into his robe, and when he brought it out from his robe - there it was, restored like the rest of his skin! 8 "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the former sign, then they may believe the latter sign. 9 And if they do not believe even these two signs or listen to you, then take some water from the Nile and pour it out on the dry ground. The water you take out of the Nile will become blood on the dry ground."
   10 Then Moses said to the LORD, "O my LORD, I am not an eloquent man, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant, for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."
   11 The LORD said to him, "Who gave a mouth to man, or who makes a person mute or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 So now go, and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you must say."
   13 But Moses said, "O my LORD, please send anyone else whom you wish to send!"
   14 Then the LORD became angry with Moses, and he said, "What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can speak very well. Moreover, he is coming to meet you, and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart.
   15 "So you are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And as for me, I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you both what you must do. 16 He will speak for you to the people, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were his God. 17 You will also take in your hand this staff, with which you will do the signs."

The Return of Moses

   18 So Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, "Let me go, so that I may return to my relatives in Egypt and see if they are still alive." Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace." 19 The LORD said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, because all the men who were seeking your life are dead." 20 Then Moses took his wife and sons and put them on a donkey and headed back to the land of Egypt, and Moses took the staff of God in his hand. 21 The LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders I have put under your control. But I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. 22 You must say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, "Israel is my son, my firstborn, 23 and I said to you, 'Let my son go that he may serve me,' but since you have refused to let him go, I will surely kill your son, your firstborn!"'"
   24 Now on the way, at a place where they stopped for the night, the LORD met Moses and sought to kill him. 25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off the foreskin of her son and touched it to Moses' feet, and said, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me." 26 So the LORD let him alone. (At that time she said, "A bridegroom of blood," referring to the circumcision.)
   27 The LORD said to Aaron, "Go to the wilderness to meet Moses. So he went and met him at the mountain of God and greeted him with a kiss. 28 Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him and all the signs that he had commanded him. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and brought together all the Israelite elders. 30 Aaron spoke all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people, 31 and the people believed. When they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed down close to the ground.

King James Version

   1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.
   2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
   3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.
   4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became 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, hath appeared unto thee.
   6 ¶ And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.
   7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.
   8 And 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.
   9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also 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.
   10 ¶ And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
   11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?
   12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
   13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
   14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? 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.
   15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
   16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.
   17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.
   18 ¶ And 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 which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
   19 And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.
   20 And 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.
   21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
   22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
   23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.
   24 ¶ And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him.
   25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.
   26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.
   27 ¶ And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.
   28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.
   29 ¶ And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:
   30 And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
   31 And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.