English Standard Version

International Standard Version

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.’”

1Then Moses answered, "Look, they won't believe me and they won't listen to me. Instead, they'll say, 'The LORD didn't appear to you.'"

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

2"What's that in your hand?" the LORD asked him. Moses answered, "A staff."

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.

3Then God said, "Throw it to the ground." He threw it to the ground and it became a snake. Moses ran away from it.

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—

4Then God told Moses, "Reach out and grab its tail." So he reached out, grabbed 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.”

5God said, "I've done this so that they may believe that the LORD God of their ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you."

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.

6Again the LORD told him, "Put your hand into your bosom." He put his hand into his bosom and as soon as he brought it out it was leprous, like snow.

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.

7Then God said, "Put your hand back into your bosom." He returned it to his bosom and as soon as he brought it out, it was restored like the rest of his skin.

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

8"Then if they don't believe you and respond to the first sign, they may respond to the second sign.

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.”

9But if they don't believe even these two signs, and won't listen to you, then take some water out of the Nile River and pour it on the dry ground. The water you took from the Nile River will turn into blood on the dry ground."

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.”

10Then Moses told the LORD, "Please, LORD, I'm not eloquent. I never was in the past nor am I now since you spoke to your servant. In fact, I talk too slowly and I have a speech impediment."

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?

11Then God asked him, "Who gives a person a mouth? Who makes him unable to speak, or deaf, or able to see, or blind, or lame? Is it not I, the LORD?

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

12Now, go! I myself will help you with your speech, and I'll teach you what you are to say."

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

13Moses said, "Please, LORD, send somebody else."

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.

14Then the LORD was angry with Moses and said, "There is your brother Aaron, a descendant of Levi, isn't there? I know that he certainly is eloquent. Right now he's coming to meet you and he will be pleased to see you.

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.

15You're to speak to him and tell him what to say. I'll help both you and him with your speech, and I'll teach both of you what you are to do.

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

16He is to speak to the people for you as your spokesman and you are to act in the role of God for him.

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

17Now pick up that staff with your hand. You'll use it to perform the signs."

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.”

18Moses left and returned to his father-in-law Jethro. Moses told him, "Please let me go and return to my own people in Egypt so I can see whether they're still alive." Jethro told Moses, "Go in peace."

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

19The LORD told Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, because all the men who wanted to kill you are dead."

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.

20So Moses took his wife and son, put them on donkeys, and headed back to the land of Egypt. Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

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.

21Then the LORD told Moses, "When you set out to return to Egypt, keep in mind all the wonders that I've put in your power, so that you may do them before Pharaoh. But I'll harden his heart so that he won't let the people go.

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

22You are to say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: "Israel is my 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.’”

23And I say to you, 'Let my son go so he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, then I will kill your firstborn son.'"'"

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

24But later on, at the lodging place along the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.

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!”

25Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin, and touched Moses' feet with it, saying while doing so, "…because you are a bridegroom of blood to me."

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

26Then the LORD withdrew from him, and she said, "…a bridegroom of blood because of circumcision."

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.

27The LORD told Aaron, "Go meet Moses in the desert." So Aaron went, found him at the mountain of God, and embraced him.

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.

28Moses told Aaron all of the LORD's messages that he had sent with Moses, and all of the signs that he commanded him to do.

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

29Later, Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelis.

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

30Aaron spoke everything that the LORD had spoken to Moses, and Moses performed the miracles before the very eyes of the people.

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.

31The people believed and understood that the LORD had paid attention to the Israelis and had seen their affliction. They bowed their heads and prostrated themselves in worship.

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.

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