Exodus 4:1-16

1Then Moses said, “But look, they will not believe me or listen to my voice. They will say, ‘Adonai has not appeared to you.’”

2So Adonai said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he said.

3Then He said, “Cast it on the ground.” When he cast it to the ground, it became a serpent, so Moses fled from before it.

4Then Adonai said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.” So he put out his hand, laid hold of it, and it became a staff in his hand.

5“This is so that they may believe Adonai, the God of their fathers—the God of Abra­ham, Isaac and Jacob—has appeared to you.”

6Adonai also said to him, “Now put your hand within your cloak.” So he put his hand inside, and when he took it out, his hand had tza'arat—white as snow.

7Then He said, “Put your hand back into your cloak.” So he put his hand back in, and when he took it out it was restored again as the rest of his skin.

8Then He said, “If they do not believe you, or listen to the voice of the first sign, they will believe the message of the latter sign.

9But if they do not believe even these two signs nor listen to your voice, you are to take the water of the river and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the ground.”

10But Moses said to Adonai, “Adonai, I am not a man of words—not yesterday, nor the day before, nor since You have spoken to Your servant—because I have a slow mouth and a heavy tongue.”

11So Adonai said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes a man mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, Adonai?

12Now go! I will be with your mouth and teach you what to say.”

13But he said, “Please, please, send it by another hand.”

14Then the anger of Adonai was kindled against Moses, so He said, “In fact, Aaron the Levite is your brother. I know that he can speak well. Moreover, he is on his way to meet you! When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

15You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth and with his, and teach you what to do.

16He will be your spokesman to the people, so that he may act as a mouthpiece for you, and it will be as if you were as God for him.