The Word Am I

The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

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- Chapter 4 -

1
Then Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to my voice? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’”
2
And the LORD asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied.
3
“Throw it on the ground,” said the LORD. So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake,(a) and he ran from it.
4
“Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail,” the LORD said to Moses, who reached out his hand and caught the snake, and it turned back into a staff in his hand.
5
“This is so 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.”

Moses’ Hand

6
Furthermore, the LORD said to Moses, “Put your hand inside your cloak.(b)” So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was leprous,(c) white as snow.
7
“Put your hand back inside your cloak,” said the LORD. So Moses put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his skin.
8
And the LORD said, “If they refuse to believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe that of the second.
9
But if they do not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. Then the water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground.”

The Appointment of Aaron

10
“Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.”
11
And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?
12
Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say.”
13
But Moses replied, “Please, Lord, send someone else.”
14
Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well, and he is now on his way to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
15
You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth. I will help both of you to speak, and I will teach you what to do.
16
He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and it will be as if you were God to him.
17
But take this staff in your hand so you can perform signs with it.”

Moses Leaves for Egypt

18
Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro (d) and said to him, “Please let me return to my brothers in Egypt to see if they are still alive.” “Go in peace,” Jethro replied.
19
Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who sought to kill you are dead.”
20
So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.
21
The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden (e) his heart so that he will not let the people go.
22
Then tell Pharaoh that this is what the LORD says: ‘Israel is My firstborn son,
23
and I told you to let My son go so that he may worship Me. But since you have refused to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son!’”
24
Now at a lodging place along the way, the LORD met Moses (f) and was about to kill him.
25
But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched it to Moses’ feet.(g) “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said.
26
So the LORD let him alone. (When she said, “bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.)

The People Believe Moses and Aaron

27
Meanwhile, the LORD had said to Aaron, “Go and meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him.
28
And Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and all the signs He had commanded him to perform.
29
Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites,
30
and Aaron relayed everything the LORD had said to Moses. And Moses performed the signs before the people,
31
and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped.

Footnotes

(a)4:3 Hebrew nachash, in contrast to Aaron’s staff, which became a tannin in Exodus 7:10
(b)4:6 Hebrew into your bosom; twice in this verse and twice in verse 7
(c)4:6 The Hebrew word traditionally translated as leprous was used for various skin diseases; see Leviticus 13.
(d)4:18 Moses’ father-in-law Jethro was also called Reuel; see Exodus 2:18.
(e)4:21 Or stiffen or strengthen
(f)4:24 Hebrew him
(g)4:25 Hebrew his feet
1
Moses answered, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’”
2
The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”
3
He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it.
4
The LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.” He stretched out his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.
5
“This is so 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.”

Moses’ Hand

6
The LORD said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.
7
He said, “Put your hand inside your cloak again.” He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh.
8
“It will happen, if they will not believe you or listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
9
It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land.”

The Appointment of Aaron

10
Moses said to the LORD, “O Lord,(a) I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”
11
The LORD said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, the LORD?
12
Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”
13
Moses said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.”
14
The LORD’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he is coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
15
You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.
16
He will be your spokesman to the people. It will happen that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God.
17
You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”

Moses Leaves for Egypt

18
Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
19
The LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return into Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.”
20
Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses took God’s rod in his hand.
21
The LORD said to Moses, “When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.
22
You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘The LORD says, Israel is my son, my firstborn,
23
and I have said to you, “Let my son go, that he may serve me;” and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’”
24
On the way at a lodging place, the LORD met Moses and wanted to kill him.
25
Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.”
26
So he let him alone. Then she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

The People Believe Moses and Aaron

27
The LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” He went, and met him on God’s mountain, and kissed him.
28
Moses told Aaron all the LORD’s words with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had instructed him.
29
Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel.
30
Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
31
The people believed, and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Footnotes

(a)4:10 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai”.
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