NET Bible

New American Standard Bible 1995

1Moses answered again, "And if they do not believe me or pay attention to me, but say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you'?"

1Then Moses said, "What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you.'"

2The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff."

2The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "A staff."

3The LORD said, "Throw it to the ground." So he threw it to the ground, and it became a snake, and Moses ran from it.

3Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.

4But the LORD said to Moses, "Put out your hand and grab it by the tail"--so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand--

4But the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail "-- so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand--

5"that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you."

5"that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you."

6The LORD also said to him, "Put your hand into your robe." So he put his hand into his robe, and when he brought it out--there was his hand, leprous like snow!

6The LORD furthermore said to him, "Now put your hand into your bosom." So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow.

7He said, "Put your hand back into your robe." So he put his hand back into his robe, and when he brought it out from his robe--there it was, restored like the rest of his skin!

7Then He said, "Put your hand into your bosom again." So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh.

8"If they do not believe you or pay attention to the former sign, then they may believe the latter sign.

8"If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign.

9And if they do not believe even these two signs or listen to you, then take some water from the Nile and pour it out on the dry ground. The water you take out of the Nile will become blood on the dry ground."

9"But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground."

10Then Moses said to the LORD, "O my Lord, I am not an eloquent man, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant, for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."

10Then Moses said to the LORD, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."

11The LORD said to him, "Who gave a mouth to man, or who makes a person mute or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

11The LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

12So now go, and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you must say."

12"Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say."

13But Moses said, "O my Lord, please send anyone else whom you wish to send!"

13But he said, "Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will."

14Then the LORD became angry with Moses, and he said, "What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can speak very well. Moreover, he is coming to meet you, and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart.

14Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, "Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

15"So you are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And as for me, I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you both what you must do.

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

16He will speak for you to the people, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were his God.

16"Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him.

17You will also take in your hand this staff, with which you will do the signs."

17"You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs."

18So Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, "Let me go, so that I may return to my relatives in Egypt and see if they are still alive." Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

18Then Moses departed and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Please, let me go, that I may return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

19The LORD said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, because all the men who were seeking your life are dead."

19Now the LORD said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead."

20Then Moses took his wife and sons and put them on a donkey and headed back to the land of Egypt, and Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

20So Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the staff of God in his hand.

21The LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders I have put under your control. But I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.

21The LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.

22You must say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, "Israel is my son, my firstborn,

22"Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, "Israel is My son, My firstborn.

23and I said to you, 'Let my son go that he may serve me,' but since you have refused to let him go, I will surely kill your son, your firstborn!"'"

23"So I said to you, 'Let My son go that he may serve Me'; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn."'"

24Now on the way, at a place where they stopped for the night, the LORD met Moses and sought to kill him.

24Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the LORD met him and sought to put him to death.

25But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off the foreskin of her son and touched it to Moses' feet, and said, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me."

25Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and threw it at Moses' feet, and she said, "You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me."

26So the LORD let him alone. (At that time she said, "A bridegroom of blood," referring to the circumcision.)

26So He let him alone. At that time she said, "You are a bridegroom of blood "-- because of the circumcision.

27The LORD said to Aaron, "Go to the wilderness to meet Moses. So he went and met him at the mountain of God and greeted him with a kiss.

27Now the LORD said to Aaron, "Go to meet Moses in the wilderness." So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.

28Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him and all the signs that he had commanded him.

28Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which He had sent him, and all the signs that He had commanded him to do.

29Then Moses and Aaron went and brought together all the Israelite elders.

29Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the sons of Israel;

30Aaron spoke all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people,

30and Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. He then performed the signs in the sight of the people.

31and the people believed. When they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed down close to the ground.

31So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshiped.

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