The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

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- Chapter 4 -

Moses answered, “But what if they do not believe me or listen to me but say instead, ‘Yahweh has not appeared to you’?”

Yahweh said to him, “What is that in your hand?” Moses said, “A staff.”

Yahweh said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake. Moses ran back from it.

Yahweh said to Moses, “Reach out and take it by the tail.” So he reached out and took hold of the snake. It became a staff in his hand again.

“This is so they may believe that Yahweh, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

Moses’ Hand

Yahweh also said to him, “Now put your hand inside your robe.” So Moses put his hand inside his robe. When he brought it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.

Yahweh said, “Put your hand inside your robe again.” So Moses put his hand inside his robe, and when he brought it out, he saw that it was made healthy again, like the rest of his flesh.

Yahweh said, “If they do not believe you-if they do not pay attention to the first sign of my power or believe in it, then they will believe the second sign.

If they do not believe even these two signs of my power, or listen to you, then take some water from the river and pour it on the dry land. The water that you take will become blood on the dry land.”

The Appointment of Aaron

Then Moses said to Yahweh, “Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you spoke to your servant. I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

Yahweh said to him, “Who is it who made man’s mouth? Who makes a man mute or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh?

So now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what to say.”

But Moses said, “Lord, please send anyone else, anyone whom you wish to send.”

Then Yahweh became angry with Moses. He said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Moreover, he is coming to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

You will speak to him and put the words to say into his mouth. I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will show you both what to do.

He will speak to the people for you. He will be your mouth, and you will be to him like me, God.

You will take in your hand this staff. With it you will do the signs.”

Moses Leaves for Egypt

So Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me go so I may return to my relatives who are in Egypt and see if they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

Yahweh said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt, for all the men who were trying to take your life are dead.”

Moses took his wife and his sons and put them on a donkey. He returned to the land of Egypt, and he took the staff of God in his hand.

Yahweh said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, and he will not let the people go.

You must say to Pharaoh, ’This is what Yahweh says: Israel is my son, my firstborn,

and I say to you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But since you have refused to let him go, I will certainly kill your son, your firstborn.’”

Now on the way, when they stopped for the night, Yahweh met Moses and tried to kill him.

Then Zipporah took a flint knife and cut off the foreskin of her son, and touched it to his feet. Then she said, “Surely you are a bridegroom to me by blood.”

So Yahweh let him alone. She said, “You are a bridegroom of blood” because of the circumcision.

The People Believe Moses and Aaron

Yahweh said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” Aaron went, met him at the mountain of God, and kissed him.

Moses told Aaron all the words of Yahweh that he had sent him to say and about all the signs of Yahweh’s power that he had commanded him to do.

Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the Israelites.

Aaron spoke all the words that Yahweh had spoken to Moses. He also displayed the signs of Yahweh’s power in the sight of the people.

The people believed. When they heard that Yahweh had observed the Israelites and that he had seen their oppression, then they bowed their heads and worshiped him.

Moses answered, “But, behold, they will not believe me, nor listen to my voice; for they will say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’”

The LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A rod.”

He said, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses ran away from it.

The LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand, and take it by the tail.” He stretched out his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand.

“This 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.”

Moses’ Hand

The LORD said furthermore to him, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” He put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.

He said, “Put your hand inside your cloak again.” He put his hand inside his cloak again, and when he took it out of his cloak, behold, it had turned again as his other flesh.

“It will happen, if they will not believe you or listen to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

It will happen, if they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take out of the river will become blood on the dry land.”

The Appointment of Aaron

Moses said to the LORD, “O Lord,(a) I am not eloquent, neither before now, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”

The LORD said to him, “Who made man’s mouth? Or who makes one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Isn’t it I, the LORD?

Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.”

Moses said, “Oh, Lord, please send someone else.”

The LORD’s anger burned against Moses, and he said, “What about Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Also, behold, he is coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

You shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.

He will be your spokesman to the people. It will happen that he will be to you a mouth, and you will be to him as God.

You shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”

Moses Leaves for Egypt

Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

The LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return into Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.”

Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses took God’s rod in his hand.

The LORD said to Moses, “When you go back into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.

You shall tell Pharaoh, ‘The LORD says, Israel is my son, my firstborn,

and I have said to you, “Let my son go, that he may serve me;” and you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’”

On the way at a lodging place, the LORD met Moses and wanted to kill him.

Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.”

So he let him alone. Then she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.

The People Believe Moses and Aaron

The LORD said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” He went, and met him on God’s mountain, and kissed him.

Moses told Aaron all the LORD’s words with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had instructed him.

Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel.

Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.

The people believed, and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Footnotes

(a)4:10 The word translated “Lord” is “Adonai”.