Exodus 4 NIV ISV Parallel

◄ Exodus 4 ►

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1Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and 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.'"

2Then the LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied.

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

3The LORD said, "Throw it on the ground." Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he 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.

4Then the LORD said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into 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"This," said the LORD, "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."

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."

6Then the LORD said, "Put your hand inside your cloak." So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous --it had become as white as 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.

7"Now put it back into your cloak," he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, 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.

8Then the LORD said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second.

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

9But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the 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."

10Moses said to the LORD, "Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and 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."

11The LORD said to him, "Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them 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 go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

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

13But Moses said, "Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else."

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

14Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you.

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 words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you 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 will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were 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.

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

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

18Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive." Jethro said, "Go, and I wish you well."

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."

19Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you 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 sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he 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.

21The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. 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 say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son,

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

23and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so 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 Moses and was about to kill him.

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

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

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 the LORD let him alone. (At that time she said "bridegroom of blood," referring to 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 met Moses 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.

28Then Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform.

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.

29Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites,

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

30and Aaron told them everything the LORD had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before 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 they believed. And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down 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.

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