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1 And Moses answered and said, If they believe me not, and do not listen to my voice (for they will say, God has not appeared to you), what shall I say to them? 2 And the Lord said to him, What is this thing that is in your 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 it. 4 And the Lord said to Moses, Stretch forth your hand, and take hold of its tail: so he stretched forth his hand and took hold of the tail, 5 and it became a rod in his hand, —that they may believe you, that the God of your fathers has appeared to you, the God of Abraam, and God of Isaac, and God of Jacob. 6 And the Lord said again to him, Put your hand into your bosom; and he put his hand into his bosom, and brought his hand out of his bosom, and his hand became as snow. 7 And he said again, Put your hand into your bosom; and he put his hand into his bosom, and brought his hand out of his bosom, and it was again restored to the complexion of his other flesh. 8 And if they will not believe you, nor listen to the voice of the first sign, they will believe you because of the voice of the second sign. 9 And it shall come to pass if they will not believe you for these two signs, and will not listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river and pour it upon the dry land, and the water which you shall take from the river shall be blood upon the dry land. 10 And Moses said to the Lord, I pray, Lord, I have not been sufficient in * former times, neither from the time that you have begun to speak to your servant: I am weak in speech, and slow-tongued. 11 And the Lord said to Moses, Who has given a mouth to man, and who has made the very hard of hearing, and the deaf, the seeing and the blind? have not I, God? 12 And now go and I will open your mouth, and will † instruct you in what you shall say. 13 And Moses said, I pray you, Lord, appoint another able person whom you shall send. 14 And the Lord was greatly angered against Moses, and said, Behold! is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he will surely speak to you; and, behold, he will come forth to meet you, and beholding you he will rejoice within himself. 15 And you shall speak to him; and you shall put my words into his mouth, and I will open your mouth and his mouth, and I will instruct you in what you⌃ shall do. 16 And he shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be for him in things pertaining to God. 17 And this rod that was turned into a serpent you shall take in your hand, wherewith you shall work miracles. 18 And Moses went and returned to Jothor his father-in-law, and says, I will go and return to my brethren in Egypt, and will see if they are yet living. And Jothor said to Moses, Go in health. And in those days after some time, the king of Egypt died. 19 And the Lord said to Moses in Madiam, Go, depart into Egypt, for all that sought your life are dead. 20 And Moses took his wife and his children, and mounted them on the beasts, and returned to Egypt; and Moses took the rod which he had from God in his hand. 21 And the Lord said to Moses, When you go and return to Egypt, see—all the miracles I have ‡ charged you with, you shall work before Pharao: and I will harden his heart, and he shall certainly not send away the people. 22 And you shall say to Pharao, These things says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn. 23 And I said to you, Send away my people, that they may serve me: now if you will not send them away, see, I will kill your firstborn son. 24 And it came to pass that the angel of the Lord met him by the way in the inn, and sought to kill him. 25 and Sepphora having taken a stone cut off the foreskin of her son, and fell at his feet and said, The blood of the circumcision of my son is staunched: 26 and he departed from him, because she said, The blood of the circumcision of my son is staunched. 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 they kissed each other. 28 And Moses reported to Aaron all the words of the Lord, which he sent, and all the things which he charged him. 29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered the elders of the children of Israel. 30 And Aaron spoke all these words, which God spoke to Moses, and wrought the miracles before the people. 31 and the people believed and rejoiced, because God visited the children of Israel, and because he saw their affliction: and the people bowed and worshipped.
* 4:10 Gr. before yesterday, neither before the third day. † 4:12 See 1 Cor 2:16. Gr. ‡ 4:21 Lit. put into your hands.