Exodus 4

Moses Given Powers

1Then MosesH4872 saidH559, “What ifH2005 they will not believeH539 me or 1listenH8085 2to whatH6963 I sayH6963? For they may sayH559, ‘3The LordH3068 has not appearedH7200 to you.’” 2The LordH3068 saidH559 to him, “WhatH4100 is that in your handH3027?” And he saidH559, “4A staffH4294.” 3Then He saidH559, “ThrowH7993 it on the groundH776.” So he threwH7993 it on the groundH776, and 5it becameH1961 a serpentH5175; and MosesH4872 fledH5127 from it. 4But the LordH3068 saidH559 to MosesH4872, “StretchH7971 out your handH3027 and graspH270 it by its tailH2180”--so he stretchedH7971 out his handH3027 and caughtH2388 it, and it becameH1961 a staffH4294 in his 6handH3709-- 5“that 7they may believeH539 that 8the LordH3068, the GodH430 of their fathersH1, the GodH430 of AbrahamH85, the GodH430 of IsaacH3327, and the GodH430 of JacobH3290, has appearedH7200 to you.”

6The LordH3068 furthermoreH5750 saidH559 to him, “NowH4994 putH935 your handH3027 into your bosomH2436.” So he putH935 his handH3027 into his bosomH2436, and when he tookH3318 it out, beholdH2009, his handH3027 was 9leprousH6879 like snowH7950. 7Then He saidH559, “PutH7725 your handH3027 into your bosomH2436 againH7725.” So he putH7725 his handH3027 into his bosomH2436 againH7725, and when he tookH3318 it out of his bosomH2436, beholdH2009, 10it was restoredH7725 like the rest of his fleshH1320. 8“IfH518 they will not believeH539 you or 11heedH8085 the 12witnessH6963 of the firstH7223 signH226, they may believeH539 the 13witnessH6963 of the lastH314 signH226. 9But ifH518 they will not believeH539 evenH1571 theseH428 twoH8147 signsH226 or heedH8085 whatH6963 you sayH6963, then you shall takeH3947 someH4480 waterH4325 from the NileH2975 and pourH8210 it on the dryH3004 groundH3004; and the waterH4325 whichH834 you takeH3947 from the NileH2975 14will becomeH1961 bloodH1818 on the dryH3006 groundH3006.”

10Then MosesH4872 saidH559 to the LordH3068, “PleaseH994, LordH136, 15I have neverH3808 been 16eloquentH376H1697, neitherH1571 17recentlyH4480H8543 norH1571 in timeH8032 pastH8032, norH1571 sinceH3975 You have spokenH1696 to Your servantH5650; for I am 18slowH3515 of speechH6310 and 19slowH3515 of tongueH3956.” 11The LordH3068 saidH559 to him, “WhoH4310 has madeH7760 man’sH120 mouthH6310? OrH176 20whoH4310 makesH7760 him muteH483 orH176 deafH2795, orH176 seeingH6493 orH176 blindH5787? Is it not I, the LordH3068? 12NowH6258 then goH1980, and 21I, even I, will be with your mouthH6310, and 22teachH3384 you whatH834 you are to sayH1696.” 13But he saidH559, “PleaseH994, LordH136, nowH4994 23sendH7971 the message by whomever You willH7971.”

Aaron to Be Moses’ Mouthpiece

14Then the angerH639 of the LordH3068 burnedH2734 against MosesH4872, and He saidH559, “Is there not your brotherH251 AaronH175 the LeviteH3881? I knowH3045 that 24he speaksH1696 fluentlyH1696. And moreoverH1571, beholdH2009, 25he is comingH3318 out to meetH7122 you; when he seesH7200 you, he will be gladH8055 in his heartH3820. 15You are to speakH1696 to him and 26putH7760 the wordsH1697 in his mouthH6310; and I, even I, will be with your mouthH6310 and his mouthH6310, and I will teachH3384 you whatH834 you are to doH6213. 16Moreover, 27he shall speakH1696 for you to the peopleH5971; and he will be as a mouthH6310 for you and you will be as GodH430 to him. 17You shall takeH3947 in your handH3027 28thisH2088 staffH4294, 29with whichH834 you shall performH6213 the signsH226.”

18Then MosesH4872 departedH1980 and returnedH7725 to 30JethroH3500 31his father-in-lawH2860 and saidH559 to him, “PleaseH4994, let me goH1980, that I may returnH7725 to my brethrenH251 whoH834 are in EgyptH4714, and seeH7200 if they are stillH5750 aliveH2416.” And JethroH3503 saidH559 to MosesH4872, “GoH1980 in peaceH7965.” 19Now the LordH3068 saidH559 to MosesH4872 in MidianH4080, “GoH1980 32backH7725 to EgyptH4714, for 33allH3605 the menH376 who were seekingH1245 your lifeH5315 are deadH4191.” 20So MosesH4872 tookH3947 his wifeH802 and his 34sonsH1121 and mountedH7392 them on a donkeyH2543, and returnedH7725 to the landH776 of EgyptH4714. MosesH4872 also tookH3947 the 35staffH4294 of GodH430 in his handH3027.

21The LordH3068 saidH559 to MosesH4872, “When you goH1980 36backH7725 to EgyptH4714 seeH7200 that you performH6213 beforeH6440 PharaohH6547 allH3605 37the wondersH4159 whichH834 I have putH7760 in your 38powerH3027; but 39I will hardenH2388 his heartH3820 so that he will not letH7971 the peopleH5971 goH7971. 22Then you shall sayH559 to PharaohH6547, ‘ThusH3541 saysH559 the LordH3068, “40IsraelH3478 is My sonH1121, My firstbornH1060. 23So I saidH559 to you, ‘41LetH7971 My sonH1121 goH7971 that he may serveH5647 Me’; but you have refusedH3985 to letH7971 him goH7971. BeholdH2009, 42I will killH2026 your sonH1121, your firstbornH1060.”’”

24Now it cameH1961 about at the lodgingH4411 placeH4411 on the wayH1870 that the LordH3068 metH6298 him and 43soughtH1245 to putH4191 him to deathH4191. 25Then ZipporahH6855 tookH3947 44a flintH6864 and cutH3772 offH3772 her son’sH1121 foreskinH6190 and 45threwH5060 it at Moses’ feetH7272, and she saidH559, “You are indeedH3588 a bridegroomH2860 of bloodH1818 to me.” 26So He letH7503 him aloneH7503. At that timeH227 she saidH559, “You are a bridegroomH2860 of bloodH1818”--46because of the circumcisionH4139.

2747Now the LordH3068 saidH559 to AaronH175, “GoH1980 to meetH7122 MosesH4872 in the wildernessH4057.” So he wentH1980 and metH6298 him at the 48mountainH2022 of GodH430 and kissedH5401 him. 2849MosesH4872 toldH5046 AaronH175 allH3605 the wordsH1697 of the LordH3068 with whichH834 He had sentH7971 him, and 50allH3605 the signsH226 that He had commandedH6680 him to do. 29Then MosesH4872 and AaronH175 wentH1980 and 51assembledH622 allH3605 the eldersH2205 of the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478; 30and 52AaronH175 spokeH1696 allH3605 the wordsH1697 whichH834 the LordH3068 had spokenH1696 to MosesH4872. He then performedH6213 the 53signsH226 in the sightH5869 of the peopleH5971. 31So 54the peopleH5971 believedH539; and when they heardH8085 that the LordH3068 5556was concernedH6485 about the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 and that He had seenH7200 their afflictionH6040, then 57they bowedH6915 lowH6915 and worshipedH7812.