Miraculous Signs for Moses
2The Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?”
“A staff,” he replied.
3“Throw it on the ground,” he said. So Moses threw it on the ground, it became a snake, and he 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.
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.4:6 A reference to whiteness or flakiness of the skin4:6 Lv 13:3–4; Nm 12:10; 2Kg 5:27
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.4:7 Nm 12:13–14; Dt 32:39; 2Kg 5:14
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.
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?4:11 Ps 94:9
12Now go! I will help you speak4:12 Lit will be with your mouth and I will teach you what to say.”4:12 Is 50:4; Jr 1:9; Mt 10:19–20; Mk 13:11; Lk 12:11–12; 21:14–15
13Moses said, “Please, Lord, send someone else.”4:13 Lit send by the hand of whom you will send
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.
15You will speak with him and tell him what to say.4:15 Ex 7:1–2; Nm 23:5,12,16 I will help both you and him to speak4:15 Lit 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.
Moses’s Return to Egypt
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.”
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 heart4:21 Or will make him stubborn4:21 Ex 7:13; 9:12,35; 14:8; Dt 2:30; Jos 11:20; Is 63:17; Jn 12:40; Rm 9:18 so that he won’t let the people go.
24On the trip, at an overnight campsite, it happened that the Lord confronted him and intended 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!” 4:25 Gn 17:14; Jos 5:2–3
26So he let him alone. At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” referring to the circumcision.
Reunion of Moses and Aaron
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.4:27 Ex 3:1; 4:14
28Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and about all the signs he had commanded him to do.
29Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites.
30Aaron repeated everything the Lord had said to Moses and performed the signs before the people.
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