Berean Study Bible

English Standard Version

1Then 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.’ ”

1Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you.’”

2And the LORD asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied.

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

3“Throw it on the ground,” said the LORD. So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake, and he ran from it.

3And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses 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.

4But the LORD said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became 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.”

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.”

6Furthermore, the LORD said to Moses, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was leprous, white as snow.

6Again, the LORD said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like 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.

7Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh.

8And the LORD said, “If they refuse to believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe that of the second.

8“If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.

9But 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.”

9If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”

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.”

10But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.”

11And 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?

11Then the LORD said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

12Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say.”

12Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”

13But Moses replied, “Please, Lord, send someone else.”

13But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”

14Then 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.

14Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

15You 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.

15You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do.

16He will speak to the people for you. He will be your spokesman, and it will be as if you were God to him.

16He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him.

17But take this staff in your hand so you can perform signs with it.”

17And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

18Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro 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.

18Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

19Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who sought to kill you are dead.”

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

20So 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.

20So Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

21The 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 his heart so that he will not let the people go.

21And the LORD said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.

22Then tell Pharaoh that this is what the LORD says: ‘Israel is My firstborn son,

22Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son,

23and 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!’ ”

23and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’”

24Now at a lodging place along the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.

24At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death.

25But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched it to Moses’ feet. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said.

25Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!”

26So the LORD let him alone. (When she said, “bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.)

26So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

27Meanwhile, 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.

27The LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.

28And Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and all the signs He had commanded him to perform.

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

29Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites,

29Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel.

30and Aaron relayed everything the LORD had said to Moses. And Moses performed the signs before the people,

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

31and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped.

31And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.

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ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.