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Exodus 4:15-31
New American Standard Bible
Exodus 4:15-31
New American Standard Bible
15 So you are to speak to him and (A)put the words in his mouth; and I Myself will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will instruct you in what you are to do. 16 (B)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. 17 And you shall take in your hand (C)this staff, (D)with which you shall perform the signs.”
18 Then Moses departed and returned to (E)his father-in-law [a]Jethro, and said to him, “Please, let me go, that I may return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go [b]back to Egypt, for (F)all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” 20 So Moses took his wife and his (G)sons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the (H)staff of God in his hand.
21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go [c]back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all (I)the wonders which I have put in your [d]power; but (J)I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: “(K)Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23 So I said to you, ‘(L)Let My son go so that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, (M)I am going to kill your son, your firstborn.”’”
24 But it came about at the overnight encampment on the way, that the Lord met [e]Moses, and (N)sought to put him to death. 25 So Zipporah took (O)a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and [f]threw it at Moses’ feet; and she said, “You are indeed a groom of blood to me!” 26 So He left him alone. At that time she said, “You are a groom of blood”—[g]because of the circumcision.
27 (P)Now the Lord said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met him at the (Q)mountain of God and kissed him. 28 (R)Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which He had sent him, and (S)all the signs that He had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and (T)assembled all the elders of the sons of Israel; 30 and (U)Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. He then performed the (V)signs in the sight of the people. 31 So (W)the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord [h](X)was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, (Y)they bowed low and worshiped.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Exodus 4:18 Heb Jether
- Exodus 4:19 Lit return
- Exodus 4:21 Lit to return
- Exodus 4:21 Lit hand
- Exodus 4:24 Lit him
- Exodus 4:25 Lit made it touch at his feet
- Exodus 4:26 Lit with reference to
- Exodus 4:31 Lit had visited
Exodus 4:15-31
New International Version
Exodus 4:15-31
New International Version
15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth;(A) I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth(B) and as if you were God to him.(C) 17 But take this staff(D) in your hand(E) so you can perform the signs(F) with it.”
Moses Returns to Egypt
18 Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.”
Jethro said, “Go, and I wish you well.”
19 Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill(G) you are dead.(H)” 20 So Moses took his wife and sons,(I) put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff(J) of God in his hand.
21 The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders(K) I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart(L) so that he will not let the people go.(M) 22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son,(N) 23 and I told you, “Let my son go,(O) so he may worship(P) me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’”(Q)
24 At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses[a] and was about to kill(R) him. 25 But Zipporah(S) took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin(T) and touched Moses’ feet with it.[b] “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. 26 So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)
27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he met Moses at the mountain(U) of God and kissed(V) him. 28 Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform.
29 Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders(W) of the Israelites, 30 and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs(X) before the people, 31 and they believed.(Y) And when they heard that the Lord was concerned(Z) about them and had seen their misery,(AA) they bowed down and worshiped.(AB)
Footnotes
- Exodus 4:24 Hebrew him
- Exodus 4:25 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
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