Christian Standard Bible

English Standard Version

1Moses answered, "What if they won't believe me and will not obey me but say, 'The LORD did not appear 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.’”

2The 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," he said. So Moses threw it on the ground, 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.

4The LORD told Moses, "Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail." So he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became 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 will take place," he continued, "so that they will 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.”

6In addition the LORD said to him, "Put your hand inside your cloak." So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was diseased, resembling 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," he said. So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, it had again become 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.

8"If they will not believe you and will not respond to the evidence of the first sign, they may believe the evidence of the second sign.

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

9And if they don't believe even these two signs or listen to what you say, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. 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.”

10But Moses replied to the LORD, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent--either in the past or recently or since you have been speaking to your servant--because my mouth and my tongue are sluggish."

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.”

11The LORD said to him, "Who placed a mouth on humans? Who makes a person mute or deaf, seeing or 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 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.”

13Moses said, "Please, Lord, send someone else."

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

14Then the LORD's anger burned against Moses, and he said, "Isn't Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, he is on his way now to meet you. He will rejoice when he sees you.

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 will speak with him and tell him what to say. I will help both you and him to speak and will teach you both 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 serve as a mouth for you, and you will serve as 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.

17And take this staff in your hand that you will perform the signs with."

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 relatives in Egypt and see if they are still living." Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

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 in Midian the LORD told Moses, "Return to Egypt, for all the men who wanted 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 returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took God's staff 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, make sure you do before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that he won't 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.

22And you will say to Pharaoh: 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,

23I told you: Let my son go so that he may worship me, but you refused to let him go. Look, I am about to 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.’”

24On the trip, at an overnight campsite, it happened that the LORD confronted him and intended to put him to death.

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

25So Zipporah took a flint, cut off her son's foreskin, threw it at Moses's feet, and said, "You are a bridegroom of blood to me!"

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 he let him alone. At that time she said, "You are a bridegroom of blood," referring to the circumcision.

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

27Now the LORD had said to Aaron, "Go and meet Moses in the wilderness." So he went and met him 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.

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

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.

30Aaron repeated everything the LORD had said to Moses and 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.

31The people believed, and when they heard that the LORD had paid attention to them and that he had seen their misery, they knelt low 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.

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

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.