Exodus 4

1 Then Moses answered, “Look, they won’t believe me and they won’t listen to me. ^{a4:1 Lit. to my voice. And so through the passage} Instead, they’ll say, ‘The LORD didn’t appear to you.’”ISV — Exodus 4:1

2 “What’s that in your hand?” the LORD asked him. Moses ^{b4:2 Lit. he} answered, “A staff.” ^{c4:2 Or rod}ISV — Exodus 4:2

3 Then God ^{d4:3 Lit. he} said, “Throw it to the ground.” He threw it to the ground and it became a snake. Moses ran away from it.ISV — Exodus 4:3

4 Then God told Moses, “Reach out ^{e4:4 Lit. Stretch out your hand} and grab its tail.” So he reached out, grabbed it, and it became a staff ^{f4:4 Or rod} in his hand.ISV — Exodus 4:4

5 God said, “I’ve done this ^{g4:5 The Heb. lacks God said, “I have done this} so that they may believe that the LORD God of their ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”ISV — Exodus 4:5

6 Again the LORD told him, “Put your hand into your bosom.” ^{h4:6 i.e. under the folds of the garment at the chest} He put his hand into his bosom and as soon as he brought it out it was leprous, like snow. ^{i4:6 i.e. his hand was white}ISV — Exodus 4:6

7 Then God ^{j4:7 Lit. He} said, “Put your hand back into your bosom.” He returned it ^{k4:7 Lit. his hand} to his bosom and as soon as he brought it out, ^{l4:7 Lit. out from his bosom} it was restored like the rest of ^{m4:7 The Heb. lacks the rest of} his skin. ^{n4:7 Lit. flesh}ISV — Exodus 4:7

8 “Then if they don’t believe you and respond to the first sign, they may respond to the second ^{o4:8 Lit. latter} sign.ISV — Exodus 4:8

9 But if they don’t believe even these two signs, and won’t listen to you, then take some water out of the Nile River ^{p4:9 The Heb. lacks River} and pour it on the dry ground. The water you took from the Nile River ^{q4:9 The Heb. lacks River} will turn into blood on the dry ground.”ISV — Exodus 4:9

10 Then Moses told the LORD, “Please, LORD, I’m not eloquent. ^{r4:10 Lit. a man of words} I never was in the past ^{s4:10 Lit. either yesterday or the day before} nor am I now since you spoke to your servant. In fact, I talk too slowly ^{t4:10 Lit. heavy of mouth} and I have a speech impediment.” ^{u4:10 Lit. heavy}ISV — Exodus 4:10

11 Then God asked him, “Who gives a person a mouth? Who makes him unable to speak, or deaf, or able to see, or blind, or lame? Is it not I, the LORD?ISV — Exodus 4:11

12 Now, go! I myself will help you with your speech, ^{v4:12 Lit. will be with your mouth} and I’ll teach you what you are to say.”ISV — Exodus 4:12

13 Moses said, “Please, LORD, send somebody else.” ^{w4:13 Lit. by a hand send; i.e. by someone else’s hand send}ISV — Exodus 4:13

14 Then the LORD was angry with Moses and said, “There is your brother Aaron, a descendant of Levi, isn’t there? I know that he certainly is eloquent. ^{x4:14 Lit. he certainly speaks} Right now he’s coming to meet you and he will be pleased to see you.ISV — Exodus 4:14

15 You’re to speak to him and tell him what to say. ^{y4:15 Lit. put the words in his mouth} I’ll help both you and him with your speech, ^{z4:15 Lit. I’ll be with your mouth and with his mouth} and I’ll teach both of you what you are to do.ISV — Exodus 4:15

16 He is to speak to the people for you as your spokesman ^{aa4:16 Lit. be your mouth} and you are to act in the role of ^{bb4:16 Lit. be} God for him.ISV — Exodus 4:16

17 Now pick up that staff with your hand. You’ll use it to perform the signs.”ISV — Exodus 4:17

18 Moses left and returned to his father-in-law Jethro. Moses ^{cc4:18 Lit. he} told him, “Please let me go and return to my own people ^{dd4:18 Lit. my brothers} in Egypt so I can see whether they’re still alive.” Jethro told Moses, “Go in peace.”ISV — Exodus 4:18

19 The LORD told Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, because all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.”ISV — Exodus 4:19

20 So Moses took his wife and son, put them on donkeys, and headed back to the land of Egypt. Moses took the staff of God in his hand.ISV — Exodus 4:20

21 Then the LORD told Moses, “When you set out to return to Egypt, keep in mind ^{ee4:21 Lit. see, watch} all the wonders that I’ve put in your power, ^{ff4:21 Lit. hand} so that you may do them before Pharaoh. But I’ll harden his heart so that he won’t let the people go.ISV — Exodus 4:21

22 You are to say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the LORD says: “Israel is my firstborn son.ISV — Exodus 4:22

23 And I say to you, ‘Let my son go so he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, then I will kill your firstborn son.’”’”ISV — Exodus 4:23

24 But later on, at the lodging place along the way, the LORD met Moses ^{gg4:24 Lit. him} and was about to kill him.ISV — Exodus 4:24

25 Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched Moses’ ^{hh4:25 Lit. his} feet with it, saying while doing so, ^{ii4:25 Lit. touched to his feet} “…because you are a bridegroom of blood to me.”ISV — Exodus 4:25

26 Then the LORD ^{jj4:26 Lit. Then he} withdrew from him, and she said, “…a bridegroom of blood because of circumcision.”ISV — Exodus 4:26

27 The LORD told Aaron, “Go meet Moses in the desert.” So Aaron ^{kk4:27 Lit. he} went, found ^{ll4:27 Lit. encountered} him at the mountain of God, and embraced ^{mm4:27 Lit. kissed} him.ISV — Exodus 4:27

28 Moses told Aaron all of the LORD’s messages that he had sent with Moses, and all of the signs that he commanded him to do. ^{nn4:28 The Heb. lacks to do}ISV — Exodus 4:28

29 Later, Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelis.ISV — Exodus 4:29

30 Aaron spoke everything that the LORD had spoken to Moses, and Moses ^{oo4:30 Lit. he} performed the miracles ^{pp4:30 Lit. signs} before the very eyes of the people.ISV — Exodus 4:30

31 The people believed and understood ^{qq4:31 Or they heard} that the LORD had paid attention to the Israelis and had seen their affliction. They bowed their heads and prostrated themselves in worship.ISV — Exodus 4:31