1Then Moses said, “But what if they will not believe me, nor listen to me; and say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’?” 2And the LORD said, “What is that in your hand?” And Moses said, “A rod.” 3And He said, “Throw it on the ground.” And he threw it down, and it became a snake; and Moses ran from it. 4Then the LORD said to Moses, “Reach down and take it by the tail.” And he reached down and caught it, and it again became a rod in his hand; 5The LORD said, “This is 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 unto you.” 6And the LORD said further, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” And he put his hand into his cloak; and when he took it out, his hand was leprous as snow. 7And God said, “Put your hand into your cloak again.” And he put his hand into his cloak again; and when he pulled it back out of his cloak, it was had turned again like his other flesh. 8Then God said, “If they will not believe you, nor pay attention to the first sign, they will believe the latter sign. 9And if they will not believe either of these two signs, nor heed your voice, then you shall take water out of the Nile River, and pour it upon the dry land; and that water shall become blood on the dry land.” 10And Moses said to the LORD, “O my LORD, I am not eloquent, neither before, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech, and a slow tongue.” 11And the LORD replied, “Who has made man's mouth? Or Who makes the dumb, deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD? 12Now go, and I will help you speak, and teach you what you shall say.” 13But Moses said, “O my LORD, please send someone else.” 14Then the anger of the LORD was aroused against Moses, and He said, “Is not Aaron, the Levite, your brother? I know that he can speak well. And he is also on his way to meet you; and will be glad when he sees you. 15And you shall speak to him, and put words in his mouth; and I will be with both of your mouths; and will instruct you what you shall do and say. 16And he shall be your spokesman to the people; and he shall be, in effect, your mouth; and you shall be like a God to him. 17And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which to do signs.” 18And Moses returned to Jethro, his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me return to my own people in Egypt, to see whether they are yet alive.” And Jethro said, “Go in peace.” 19And the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.” 20And Moses took his wife and his sons, set them upon a donkey, and he returned to Egypt; and he took the rod of God in his hand. 21And the LORD said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he shall not let the people go. 22And you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Israel is My son, My first-born: 23And I say to you, ‘Let My son go, that he may serve Me; and if you refuse to let him go, I will slay your son, even your first-born.’”’” 24And at an inn along the way, the LORD met him, and was about to kill him. 25But then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, “You surely are a bloody bridegroom to me.” 26So He let him go; and when she said, “A bloody husband you are,” it was because of the circumcision. 27And the LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” And he went, and met Moses at the mount of God, and embraced him. 28Then Moses told Aaron all that the LORD had sent him to say, and all the signs He had commanded him to perform. 29And then Moses and Aaron went and gathered all the elders of the Israel together. 30And Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had told Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had looked upon their affliction, and had concern for the Israelites, then they bowed their heads and worshipped. Reader-Friendly Bible: Purple Letter Edition © 2024 by Jim Musser. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Bible Hub |