International Standard Version

New American Standard Bible 1995

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.'"

1Then Moses said, "What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you.'"

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

2The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "A staff."

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

3Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.

4Then God told Moses, "Reach out and grab its tail." So he reached out, grabbed it, and it became a staff in his hand.

4But the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail "-- so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand--

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."

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."

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.

6The LORD furthermore said to him, "Now put your hand into your bosom." So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow.

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.

7Then He said, "Put your hand into your bosom again." So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh.

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

8"If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign.

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."

9"But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground."

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."

10Then Moses said to the LORD, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."

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?

11The LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

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

12"Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say."

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

13But he said, "Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will."

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.

14Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, "Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

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.

15"You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do.

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

16"Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him.

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

17"You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs."

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."

18Then Moses departed and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Please, let me go, that I may return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

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

19Now 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 son, put them on donkeys, and headed back to the land of Egypt. Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

20So Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the staff of God in his hand.

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.

21The LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.

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

22"Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, "Israel is My son, My firstborn.

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.'"'"

23"So I said to you, 'Let My son go that he may serve Me'; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn."'"

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

24Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the LORD met him and sought to put him to death.

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."

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

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

26So He let him alone. At that time she said, "You are a bridegroom of blood "-- because of the circumcision.

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

27Now the LORD said to Aaron, "Go to meet Moses in the wilderness." So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.

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.

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

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

29Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the sons of Israel;

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

30and Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. He then performed the signs in the sight of the people.

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.

31So the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed low and worshiped.

The Holy Bible: International Standard Version® Release 2.1 Copyright © 1996-2012 The ISV Foundation ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY.

New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org