The Word Am I

The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

Geneva Bible 1599

- Chapter 4 -

1
Then Moses answered, and said, But lo, they will not beleeue me, nor hearken vnto my voyce: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared vnto thee.
2
And the Lord said vnto him, What is that in thine hande? And he answered, A rod.
3
Then said he, Cast it on the ground. So he cast it on the grounde, and it was turned into a serpent: and Moses fled from it.
4
Againe the Lord saide vnto Moses, Put foorth thine hand, and take it by the tayle. Then he put foorth his hande and caught it, and it was turned into a rod in his hand.
5
Do this that they may beleeue, that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Izhak, and the God of Iaakob hath appeared vnto thee.

Moses’ Hand

6
And the Lord saide furthermore vnto him, Thrust nowe thine hand into thy bosome. And he thrust his hand into his bosome, and when he tooke it out againe, behold, his hand was leprous as snowe.
7
Moreouer he said, Put thine hand into thy bosome againe. So he put his hande into his bosome againe, and pluckt it out of his bosome, and behold, it was turned againe as his other flesh.
8
So shall it be, if they wil not beleeue thee, neither obey the voyce of ye first signe, yet shall they beleeue for the voyce of the seconde signe.
9
But if they will not yet beleeue these two signes, neither obey vnto thy voyce, then shalt thou take of the water of the riuer, and powre it vpon the drie lande: so the water which thou shalt take out of the riuer, shalbe turned to blood vpon the drie land.

The Appointment of Aaron

10
But Moses said vnto the Lord, Oh my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither at any time haue bene, nor yet since thou hast spoken vnto thy seruant: but I am slowe of speach and slowe of tongue.
11
Then the Lord said vnto him, Who hath giuen the mouth to man? or who hath made the domme, or the deafe, or him that seeth, or the blinde? haue not I the Lord?
12
Therefore goe nowe, and I will be with thy mouth, and will teach thee what thou shalt say.
13
But he saide, Oh my Lord, sende, I pray thee, by the hande of him, whome thou shouldest sende.
14
Then the Lord was verie angrie with Moses, and said, Doe not I know Aaron thy brother the Leuite, that he himselfe shall speake? for loe, he commeth also foorth to meete thee, and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
15
Therefore thou shalt speake vnto him, and put the wordes in his mouth, and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye ought to doe.
16
And he shall be thy spokesman vnto the people: and he shall be, euen he shall be as thy mouth, and thou shalt be to him as God.
17
Moreouer thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do miracles.

Moses Leaves for Egypt

18
Therefore Moses went and returned to Iethro his father in lawe, and said vnto him, I pray thee, let me goe, and returne to my brethren, which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet aliue. Then Iethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
19
(For the Lord had said vnto Moses in Midian, Goe, returne to Egypt: for they are all dead which went about to kill thee)
20
Then Moses tooke his wife, and his sonnes, and put them on an asse, and returned towarde the lande of Egypt, and Moses tooke the rod of God in his hand.
21
And the Lord saide vnto Moses, When thou art entred and come into Egypt againe, see that thou doe all the wonders before Pharaoh, which I haue put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, and he shall not let the people goe.
22
Then thou shalt say to Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my sonne, euen my first borne.
23
Wherefore I say to thee, Let my sonne go, that he may serue me: if thou refuse to let him goe, beholde, I will slay thy sonne, euen thy first borne.
24
And as he was by the waye in the ynne, the Lord met him, and would haue killed him.
25
Then Zipporah tooke a sharpe knife, and cut away the foreskinne of her sonne, and cast it at his feete, and said, Thou art indeede a bloody husband vnto me.
26
So he departed from him. Then she saide, O bloodie husband (because of the circumcision)

The People Believe Moses and Aaron

27
Then the Lord saide vnto Aaron, Goe meete Moses in the wildernesse. And he went and mette him in the Mount of God, and kissed him.
28
Then Moses tolde Aaron all the wordes of the Lord, who had sent him, and all the signes wherewith he had charged him.
29
So went Moses and Aaron, and gathered all the Elders of the children of Israel.
30
And Aaron told all the wordes, which the Lord had spoken vnto Moses, and he did the miracles in the sight of the people,
31
And the people beleeued, and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel, and had looked vpon their tribulation, they bowed downe, and worshipped.