Exodus 4 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

If They Will Not Believe These Signs

1 Then Moses ^H4872 answered ^H6030 and said ^H559, “What if ^H2005 they will not believe ^H539 me and will not listen ^H8085 to my voice ^H6963? For they may say ^H559, ‘Yahweh ^H3068 has not appeared ^H7200 to you.’”

2 And Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to him, “What ^H4100 is this in your hand ^H3027?” And he said ^H559, “A staff ^H4294.” 3 Then He said ^H559, “Throw ^H7993 it on the ground ^H776.” So he threw ^H7993 it on the ground ^H776, and it became ^H1961 a serpent ^H5175; and Moses ^H4872 fled ^H5127 from it. 4 And Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to Moses ^H4872, “Stretch ^H7971 out ^H7971 your hand ^H3027 and grasp ^H270 it by its tail ^H2180”—so he stretched ^H7971 out ^H7971 his hand ^H3027 and took ^H2388 hold ^H2388 of it, and it became ^H1961 a staff ^H4294 in his [fn]hand ^H3709— 5 “that they may believe ^H539 that Yahweh ^H3068, the God ^H430 of their fathers ^H1, the God ^H430 of Abraham ^H85, the God ^H430 of Isaac ^H3327, and the God ^H430 of Jacob ^H3290, has appeared ^H7200 to you.”

6 And Yahweh ^H3068 furthermore ^H5750 said ^H559 to him, “Now ^H4994 put ^H935 your hand ^H3027 into your bosom ^H2436.” So he put ^H935 his hand ^H3027 into his bosom ^H2436; then he took ^H3318 it out ^H3318, and behold ^H2009, his hand ^H3027 was leprous ^H6879 like snow ^H7950. 7 Then He said ^H559, “Return ^H7725 your hand ^H3027 into your bosom ^H2436.” So he returned ^H7725 his hand ^H3027 into his bosom ^H2436, and when he took ^H3318 it out ^H3318 of his bosom ^H2436, behold ^H2009, it returned ^H7725 to being like the rest of his flesh ^H1320. 8 “And so it will be ^H1961, if ^H518 they will not believe ^H539 you or listen ^H8085 to the [fn]witness ^H6963 of the first ^H7223 sign ^H226, they may believe ^H539 the [fn]witness ^H6963 of [fn]this last ^H314 sign ^H226. 9 But if ^H518 it will be ^H1961 that they will not believe ^H539 even ^H1571 these ^H428 two ^H8147 signs ^H226 and that they will not listen ^H8085 to your voice ^H6963, then you shall take ^H3947 some ^H4480 water ^H4325 from the Nile ^H2975 and pour ^H8210 it on the dry ^H3004 land ^H3004; and the water ^H4325 which ^H834 you take ^H3947 from the Nile ^H2975 will become ^H1961 blood ^H1818 on the dry ^H3006 land ^H3006.”

Aaron to Speak for Moses

10 Then Moses ^H4872 said ^H559 to Yahweh ^H3068, “Please ^H994, Lord ^H136, I have never ^H3808 been a man ^H376 of words ^H1697, neither ^H1571 [fn]recently ^H4480 H8543 nor ^H1571 in time ^H8032 past ^H8032, nor ^H1571 since ^H227 You have spoken ^H1696 to Your slave ^H5650; for I am one with a [fn]hard ^H3515 mouth ^H6310 and a [fn]hard ^H3515 tongue ^H3956.”

11 And Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to him, “Who ^H4310 has made ^H7760 man’s ^H120 mouth ^H6310? Or ^H176 who ^H4310 makes ^H7760 him mute ^H483 or ^H176 deaf ^H2795, or ^H176 seeing ^H6493 or ^H176 blind ^H5787? Is it not I, Yahweh ^H3068? 12 So now ^H6258, go ^H1980, and I, even I, will be with your mouth ^H6310 and will instruct ^H3384 you what ^H834 you shall speak ^H1696.” 13 But he said ^H559, “Please ^H994, Lord ^H136, [fn]send ^H7971 now ^H4994 the message by whomever You will ^H7971.” 14 Then the anger ^H639 of Yahweh ^H3068 burned ^H2734 against Moses ^H4872, and He said ^H559, “Is there not your brother ^H251 Aaron ^H175 the Levite ^H3881? I know ^H3045 that [fn]he can certainly ^H1696 speak ^H1696. And moreover ^H1571, behold ^H2009, he is coming ^H3318 out ^H3318 to meet ^H7122 you. And he will see ^H7200 you and be glad ^H8055 in his heart ^H3820. 15 And you are to speak ^H1696 to him and put ^H7760 the words ^H1697 in his mouth ^H6310; and I, even I, will be with your mouth ^H6310 and with his mouth ^H6310, and I will instruct ^H3384 [fn]you in what ^H834 you shall do ^H6213. 16 Moreover, he shall speak ^H1696 for you to the people ^H5971; and he will become as a mouth ^H6310 for you, and you will become as God ^H430 to him. 17 And you shall take ^H3947 in your hand ^H3027 this ^H2088 staff ^H4294, with which ^H834 you shall do ^H6213 the signs ^H226.”

Moses Returns to Egypt

18 Then Moses ^H4872 went ^H1980 and returned ^H7725 to [fn]Jethro ^H3500 his father-in-law ^H2859 and said ^H559 to him, “Please ^H4994, let me go ^H1980, that I may return ^H7725 to my brothers ^H251 who ^H834 are in Egypt ^H4714 and see ^H7200 if they are still ^H5750 alive ^H2416.” And Jethro ^H3503 said ^H559 to Moses ^H4872, “Go ^H1980 in peace ^H7965.”

19 And Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to Moses ^H4872 in Midian ^H4080, “Go ^H1980, return ^H7725 to Egypt ^H4714, for all ^H3605 the men ^H376 who were seeking ^H1245 your life ^H5315 are dead ^H4191.” 20 So Moses ^H4872 took ^H3947 his wife ^H802 and his sons ^H1121 and mounted ^H7392 them on a donkey ^H2543 and returned ^H7725 to the land ^H776 of Egypt ^H4714. Moses ^H4872 also took ^H3947 the staff ^H4294 of God ^H430 in his hand ^H3027.

21 And Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to Moses ^H4872, “When you go ^H1980 to return ^H7725 to Egypt ^H4714, see ^H7200 to it that all ^H3605 the miraculous ^H4159 wonders ^H4159 which ^H834 I have put ^H7760 in your hand ^H3027, that you do ^H6213 them before ^H6440 Pharaoh ^H6547; but as for Me, I will [fn]harden ^H2388 his heart ^H3820 with strength ^H2388 so that he will not let ^H7971 the people ^H5971 go ^H7971. 22 Then you shall say ^H559 to Pharaoh ^H6547, ‘Thus ^H3541 says ^H559 Yahweh ^H3068, “Israel ^H3478 is My son ^H1121, My firstborn ^H1060. 23 So I said ^H559 to you, ‘Let ^H7971 My son ^H1121 go ^H7971 that he may serve ^H5647 Me’; but you have refused ^H3985 to let ^H7971 him go ^H7971. Behold ^H2009, I will kill ^H2026 your son ^H1121, your firstborn ^H1060.”’”

24 Now it happened ^H1961 at the lodging ^H4411 place ^H4411 on the way ^H1870 that Yahweh ^H3068 encountered ^H6298 him and sought ^H1245 to put ^H4191 him to ^H4191 death ^H4191. 25 Then Zipporah ^H6855 took ^H3947 a flint ^H6864 and cut ^H3772 off ^H3772 her son’s ^H1121 foreskin ^H6190 and touched ^H5060 [fn]his feet ^H7272 with it, and she said ^H559, “You are indeed ^H3588 a bridegroom ^H2860 of blood ^H1818 to me!” 26 So He let ^H7503 him alone ^H7503. At that time ^H227 she said ^H559, “You are a bridegroom ^H2860 of blood ^H1818” with reference to the circumcision ^H4139.

27 Then Yahweh ^H3068 said ^H559 to Aaron ^H175, “Go ^H1980 to meet ^H7122 Moses ^H4872 in the wilderness ^H4057.” So he went ^H1980 and encountered ^H6298 him at the mountain ^H2022 of God ^H430 and kissed ^H5401 him. 28 And Moses ^H4872 told ^H5046 Aaron ^H175 all ^H3605 the words ^H1697 of Yahweh ^H3068 with which ^H834 He had sent ^H7971 him, and all ^H3605 the signs ^H226 that He had commanded ^H6680 him to do. 29 Then Moses ^H4872 and Aaron ^H175 went ^H1980 and gathered ^H622 all ^H3605 the elders ^H2205 of the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478; 30 and Aaron ^H175 spoke ^H1696 all ^H3605 the words ^H1697 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 had spoken ^H1696 to Moses ^H4872. He then did ^H6213 the signs ^H226 in the sight ^H5869 of the people ^H5971. 31 So the people ^H5971 believed ^H539; and they heard ^H8085 that Yahweh ^H3068 [fn]cared ^H6485 about the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 and that He had seen ^H7200 their affliction ^H6040. So they bowed ^H6915 low ^H6915 and worshiped ^H2331.