Exodus 4

1. And Moses answered and said, “But, behold, they will not believe me nor hearken to my voice, for they will say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’ ”

2. And the LORD said to him, “What is this in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.”

3. And He said, “Throw it on the ground.” And he threw it on the ground. And it became a serpent. And Moses ran from it.

4. And the LORD said to Moses, “Put forth your hand and take it by the tail.” And he put forth his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand.

5. “So 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.”

6. And the LORD said to him again, “Now put your hand in your bosom.” And he put his hand into his bosom. And when he took it out, behold, his hand was as leprous as snow.

7. And He said, “Put your hand into your bosom again.” And he put his hand into his bosom again. And he brought it out of his bosom, and behold, it was returned again like his other flesh.

8. “And it will be, if they will not believe you, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, then they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

9. And also it will be, if they will not believe these two signs, neither hearken to your voice, then you shall take from the water of the river and pour it upon the dry land. And the water which you take out of the river shall become blood on the dry land.”

10. And Moses said to the LORD, “O my LORD, I am not a man of words now, nor since You have spoken to Your servant, but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue.”

11. And the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?

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

13. And he said, “O my LORD, I pray You, send by the hand of him whomever else You will send.”

14. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses. And He said, “Do I not know Aaron the Levite, your brother, that he can speak well? And also, behold, he comes forth to meet you. And when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

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

16. And he shall be your spokesman to the people, and he shall be for a mouth to you. And you shall be to him instead of God.

17. And you shall take this rod in your hand with which you shall do signs.”

18. And 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 if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

19. And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go! Return to Egypt, for all the men who sought your life are dead.”

20. And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

21. And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go to return into Egypt, see that you do all those wonders which I have put in your hand before Pharaoh; but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

22. And you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Israel is My son, My firstborn.

23. And I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. And if you refuse to let him go, behold, I am going to kill your son, your firstborn.” ’ ”

24. And it came to pass by the way, in the inn, that the LORD met him and sought to kill him.

25. And Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and threw it at his feet, and said, “Surely a bloody husband you are to me.”

26. So He let him go. Then she said, “You are a bloody husband,” 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 spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to 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 and worshiped.