Exodus 4 Parallel Bible Translations

Exodus 4 ▼
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1 Then 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.’” “But,” objected Moses, “suppose they do not believe me or listen to me? For they may say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you.’” Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you’?”
2 The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” The LORD said to him: What is in your hand? “A staff,” he answered. Then the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied.
3 And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. God said: Throw it on the ground. So he threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and Moses backed away from it. The LORD said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it.
4 But 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— Then the LORD said to Moses: Now stretch out your hand and take hold of its tail. So he stretched out his hand and took hold of it, and it became a staff in his hand. Then 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.
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.” That is so they will believe that the LORD, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, did appear to you. “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.”
6 Again, 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. Again the LORD said to him: Put your hand into the fold of your garment. So he put his hand into the fold of his garment, and when he drew it out, there was his hand covered with scales, like snowflakes. Then 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.
7 Then 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. Then God said: Put your hand back into the fold of your garment. So he put his hand back into the fold of his garment, and when he drew it out, there it was again like his own flesh. “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.
8 “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. If they do not believe you or pay attention to the message of the first sign, they should believe the message of the second sign. Then the LORD said, “If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second.
9 If 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.” And if they do not believe even these two signs and do not listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry land. The water you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry land. But 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.”
10 But 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.” Moses, however, said to the LORD, “If you please, my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and tongue.” Moses 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.”
11 Then 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? The LORD said to him: Who gives one person speech? Who makes another mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? The 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?
12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” Now go, I will assist you in speaking and teach you what you are to say. Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” But he said, “If you please, my Lord, send someone else!” But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”
14 Then 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. Then the LORD became angry with Moses and said: I know there is your brother, Aaron the Levite, who is a good speaker; even now he is on his way to meet you. When he sees you, he will truly be glad. Then 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.
15 You 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. You will speak to him and put the words in his mouth. I will assist both you and him in speaking and teach you both what you are to do. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do.
16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. He will speak to the people for you: he will be your spokesman, and you will be as God to him. He 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.
17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.” Take this staff in your hand; with it you are to perform the signs. But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.”
18 Moses 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.” After this Moses returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my kindred in Egypt, to see whether they are still living.” Jethro replied to Moses, “Go in peace.” Then 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.”
19 And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” Then the LORD said to Moses in Midian: Return to Egypt, for all those who sought your life are dead. Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead.”
20 So 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. So Moses took his wife and his sons, mounted them on the donkey, and started back to the land of Egypt. Moses took the staff of God with him. So 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.
21 And 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. The LORD said to Moses: On your return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. The 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.
22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, So you will say to Pharaoh, Thus says the LORD: Israel is my son, my firstborn. Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son,
23 and 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.’” I said to you: Let my son go, that he may serve me. Since you refused to let him go, I will kill your son, your firstborn. and 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.’”
24 At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death. On the journey, at a place where they spent the night, the LORD came upon Moses and sought to put him to death. At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.
25 Then 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!” But Zipporah took a piece of flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and, touching his feet, she said, “Surely you are a spouse of blood to me.” But 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.
26 So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision. So God let Moses alone. At that time she said, “A spouse of blood,” in regard to the circumcision. So the LORD let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)
27 The 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. The LORD said to Aaron: Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. So he went; when meeting him at the mountain of God, he kissed him. The LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him.
28 And 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. Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and all the signs he had commanded him to do. Then Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform.
29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered all the elders of the Israelites. Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites,
30 Aaron spoke all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. Aaron told them everything the LORD had said to Moses, and he performed the signs before the people. and Aaron told them everything the LORD had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people,
31 And 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. The people believed, and when they heard that the LORD had observed the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they knelt and bowed down. and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.
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