4:1 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.'"
4:1 Then Moses answered, "But suppose they do not believe me or listen to me, but say, 'The LORD did not appear to you.'"

4:2 The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod."
4:2 The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff."

4:3 And he said, "Cast it on the ground." So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.
4:3 And he said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw the staff on the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses drew back from it.

4:4 But the LORD said to Moses, "Put out your hand, and take it by the tail" -- so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand --
4:4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Reach out your hand, and seize it by the tail"--so he reached out his hand and grasped it, and it became a staff in his hand--

4:5 "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."
4:5 "so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you."

4:6 Again, the LORD said to him, "Put your hand into your bosom." And he put his hand into his bosom; and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.
4:6 Again, the LORD said to him, "Put your hand inside your cloak." He put his hand into his cloak; and when he took it out, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.

4:7 Then God said, "Put your hand back into your bosom." So he put his hand back into his bosom; and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh.
4:7 Then God said, "Put your hand back into your cloak"--so he put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored like the rest of his body--

4:8 "If they will not believe you," God said, "or heed the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.
4:8 "If they will not believe you or heed the first sign, they may believe the second sign.

4:9 If they will not believe even these two signs or heed your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it upon the dry ground; and the water which you shall take from the Nile will become blood upon the dry ground."
4:9 If they will not believe even these two signs or heed you, 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."

4:10 But Moses said to the LORD, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either heretofore or since thou hast spoken to thy servant; but I am slow of speech and of tongue."
4:10 But Moses said to the LORD, "O my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor even now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."

4:11 Then the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?
4:11 Then the LORD said to him, "Who gives speech to mortals? Who makes them mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

4:12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak."
4:12 Now go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you are to speak."

4:13 But he said, "Oh, my Lord, send, I pray, some other person."
4:13 But he said, "O my Lord, please send someone else."

4:14 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; and behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart.
4:14 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, "What of your brother Aaron, the Levite? I know that he can speak fluently; even now he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you his heart will be glad.

4:15 And 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 what you shall do.
4:15 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 what you shall do.

4:16 He shall speak for you to the people; and he shall be a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God.
4:16 He indeed shall speak for you to the people; he shall serve as a mouth for you, and you shall serve as God for him.

4:17 And you shall take in your hand this rod, with which you shall do the signs."
4:17 Take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs."

4:18 Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Let me go back, I pray, to my kinsmen in Egypt and see whether they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."
4:18 Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, "Please let me go back to my kindred in Egypt and see whether they are still living." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

4:19 And the LORD said to Moses in Mid'ian, "Go back to Egypt; for all the men who were seeking your life are dead."
4:19 The LORD said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt; for all those who were seeking your life are dead."

4:20 So Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on an ass, and went back to the land of Egypt; and in his hand Moses took the rod of God.
4:20 So Moses took his wife and his sons, put them on a donkey and went back to the land of Egypt; and Moses carried the staff of God in his hand.

4:21 And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
4:21 And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.

4:22 And you shall say to Pharaoh, `Thus says the LORD, Israel is my first-born son,
4:22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD: Israel is my firstborn son.

4:23 and I say to you, "Let my son go that he may serve me"; if you refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay your first-born son.'"
4:23 I said to you, "Let my son go that he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; now I will kill your firstborn son.'"

4:24 At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to kill him.
4:24 On the way, at a place where they spent the night, the LORD met him and tried to kill him.

4:25 Then Zippo'rah 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!"
4:25 But Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin, and touched Moses' feet with it, and said, "Truly you are a bridegroom of blood to me!"

4:26 So he let him alone. Then it was that she said, "You are a bridegroom of blood," because of the circumcision.
4:26 So he let him alone. It was then she said, "A bridegroom of blood by circumcision."

4:27 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.
4:27 The LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." So he went; and he met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.

4:28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which he had sent him, and all the signs which he had charged him to do.
4:28 Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which he had sent him, and all the signs with which he had charged him.

4:29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel.
4:29 Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites.

4:30 And Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
4:30 Aaron spoke all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses, and performed the signs in the sight of the people.

4:31 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.
4:31 The people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had given heed to the Israelites and that he had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.