Exo 4 | ABEn | STEP | [ 3 answered 1 And 2 Moses] and said, If then they should not believe me, nor listen to my voice, for they shall say that [ 2 did not 3 appear 4 to you 1 God], what shall I say to them?

Exodus 4

CHAPTER 4 The Rod of Moses

1 [³answered ¹And ²Moses] and said, If then they should not believe me, nor listen to my voice, for they shall say that [²did not ³appear ⁴to you ¹God], what shall I say to them? 2 [³said ¹And ⁴to him ²the lord], What is this the thing in your hand? And he said, A rod. 3 And he said to him, Toss it upon the ground! And he tossed it upon the ground, and it became a serpent. And Moses fled from it. 4 And the lord said to Moses, Stretch out the hand, and take hold of the tail! Stretching out then the hand, he took hold of the tail, and it became a rod in his hand -- 5 that they might trust you that there appeared to you the lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 6 [³said ¹And ⁴to him ²the lord] again, Insert your hand into your bosom! And he inserted his hand into his bosom. And he brought it from out of his bosom, and [²was ¹his hand] leprous as snow. 7 And [²said ³again ⁴to him ¹the lord], Insert your hand into your bosom! And he inserted the hand into his bosom. And he brought it out of his bosom, and again it was restored unto the complexion of his flesh. 8 And if they do not believe you, nor hearken to the voice of the [²sign ¹first], they will believe you by the voice of the [²sign ¹second]. 9 And it will be if they do not believe you in [²two ³signs ¹these], nor hearken to your voice, you shall take from the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land. And [⁸will be ³water ¹which ²ever ⁴you should take ⁵from ⁶the ⁷river] blood upon the dry land. 10 [³said ¹And ²Moses] to the lord, I beseech, O lord, [²not ³fit ¹I am] before yesterday nor before the third day, nor from which time you began to speak to your attendant, [³weak voiced ⁴and ⁵slow of tongue ¹for I ²am]. 11 [³said ¹And ²the lord] to Moses, Who gave [²a mouth ¹man], and who made the hard of hearing and mute, the seeing, and blind? Was it not I the lord God?

Aaron Speaks for Moses

12 And now go! And I will open your mouth, and I will instruct you what you will be about to speak. 13 And Moses said, I beseech, O lord, to handpick another one able whom you shall send. 14 And [²being enraged ³in anger ¹the lord] over Moses, said, Behold, is not Aaron your brother, the Levite? I know that speaking, he will speak to you. And behold, he will come forth to meet you; and seeing you, he will rejoice in himself. 15 And you will say to him, and you will put my words into his mouth. And I will open your mouth and his mouth, and I will instruct you what you shall do. 16 And he shall speak the things to the people, and he will be your mouth. But you will be to him the things for God. 17 And this rod, the one turning into a serpent, you shall take in your hand in which you will do by it the signs.

Moses Returns to Egypt

18 [³went ¹And ²Moses], and he returned to Jethro his father-in-law. And he says, I will go, and return to my brethren, the ones in Egypt, and I will see if they still live. And Jethro said to Moses, Proceed, be in health! But after [²days ¹those many] [⁴came to an end ¹the ²king ³of Egypt]. 19 [³said ¹And ²the lord] to Moses in the land of Midian, Proceed, go forth into Egypt! For have died all the ones seeking your life. 20 [³took up ¹And ²Moses] his wife and the male children, and he hauled them upon the beasts of burden, and turned to Egypt. [³took ¹And ²Moses] the rod, the one by God in his hand. 21 [³said ¹And ²the lord] to Moses, In your going and returning unto Egypt, discover all the miracles which I have put in your hand, to do them before Pharaoh. But I will harden his heart, and no way shall he send out the people. 22 But you will say to Pharaoh, Thus says the lord -- son of my first-born, Israel. 23 And I said to you, Send my people! that they should serve me. If indeed then you should not be willing to send them, see then! I will kill your son, the first-born! 24 And it came to pass during the journey in the lodging, [³met ⁴him ¹an angel ²of the lord], and sought to kill him. 25 And Zipporah, taking a small sharp stone, circumcised the foreskin of her son. And she fell at his feet, and said, [⁶is stopped ¹The ²blood ³of the ⁴circumcision ⁵of my male child]. 26 And [³went forth ⁴from ⁵him ¹the ²angel], for she said, [⁶is stopped ¹The ²blood ³of the ⁴circumcision ⁵of my male child]. 27 [³said ¹And ²the lord] to Aaron, Go to meet with Moses in the wilderness! And he went, and he met with him in the mountain of God, and they kissed one another. 28 And Moses announced to Aaron all the words of the lord which he sent to him, and all the signs which he gave charge to him. 29 [⁵went ¹And ²Moses ³and ⁴Aaron], and brought together the council of elders of the sons of Israel. 30 And Aaron spoke all the words which God spoke to Moses. And he did the signs before the people. 31 And [³believed ¹the ²people], and rejoiced that God visited the sons of Israel, and that he saw their affliction. And bowing, the people did obeisance.