Miraculous Signs for Moses

Moses answered, “What if they won’t believe me and will not obey me but say, ‘The Lord did not appear(A) to you’?”

The Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?”

“A staff,” he replied.

“Throw it on the ground,” he said. So Moses threw it on the ground, it became a snake, and he ran from it. The 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. “This will take place,” he continued, “so that they will 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.”(B)

In 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.[a](C) “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.(D) “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. And if they don’t believe even these two signs or listen to what you say, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground.”(E)

10 But Moses replied to the Lord, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent—either in the past or recently or since you have been speaking to your servant—because my mouth and my tongue are sluggish.”[b](F)

11 The 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?(G) 12 Now go! I will help you speak[c] and I will teach you what to say.”(H)

13 Moses said, “Please, Lord, send someone else.”[d]

14 Then 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. 15 You will speak with him and tell him what to say.(I) I will help both you and him to speak[e] and will teach you both what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you. He will serve as a mouth for you, and you will serve as God to him. 17 And take this staff in your hand that you will perform the signs with.”(J)

Moses’s Return to Egypt

18 Then 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.”

19 Now in Midian the Lord told Moses, “Return to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.”(K) 20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took God’s staff(L) in his hand.

21 The 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 heart[f](M) so that he won’t let the people go. 22 And you will say to Pharaoh: This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son.(N) 23 I told you: Let my son go so that he may worship me, but you refused to let him go. Look, I am about to kill your firstborn son!” (O)

24 On the trip, at an overnight campsite, it happened that the Lord confronted him and intended to put him to death. 25 So 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!” (P) 26 So he let him alone. At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood,” referring to the circumcision.

Reunion of Moses and Aaron

27 Now 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.(Q) 28 Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and about all the signs he had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites. 30 Aaron repeated everything the Lord had said to Moses and performed the signs before the people. 31 The people believed, and when they heard that the Lord had paid attention(R) to them and that he had seen their misery,(S) they knelt low and worshiped.

Footnotes

  1. 4:6 A reference to whiteness or flakiness of the skin
  2. 4:10 Lit heavy of mouth and heavy of tongue
  3. 4:12 Lit will be with your mouth
  4. 4:13 Lit send by the hand of whom you will send
  5. 4:15 Lit will be with your mouth and with his mouth
  6. 4:21 Or will make him stubborn

Ang mga Himalang Nagpapakita ng Kapangyarihan ng Dios

Nagtanong si Moises, “Paano po kung hindi maniwala sa akin ang mga Israelita o makinig sa sasabihin ko? Baka sabihin nila na hindi kayo nagpakita sa akin.”

Sinabi sa kanya ng Panginoon, “Ano iyang hawak mo?”

Sumagot si Moises, “Baston[a] po.”

Sinabi ng Panginoon, “Ihagis mo sa lupa.”

Kaya inihagis ni Moises ang baston at naging ahas ito. Natakot si Moises, kaya napatakbo siya. Sinabi sa kanya ng Panginoon, “Hulihin mo ito sa buntot.” Kaya hinuli ito ni Moises at muling naging baston. Sinabi ng Panginoon, “Gawin mo ang himalang ito para maniwala sila na ako ang Panginoon, ang Dios ng mga ninuno nilang sina Abraham, Isaac, at Jacob ay nagpakita sa iyo.”

Sinabi pa ng Panginoon, “Ilagay mo ang kamay mo sa loob ng damit mo.” Sinunod ito ni Moises, at nang ilabas niya ang kanyang kamay, namuti ito dahil tinubuan ng isang malubhang sakit sa balat.[b]

Sinabi ng Panginoon, “Muli mong ilagay ang kamay mo sa loob ng iyong damit.” Sinunod ito ni Moises, at nang ilabas niya ito, maayos na muli ito katulad ng ibang bahagi ng kanyang katawan.

Pagkatapos, sinabi ng Panginoon, “Kung hindi sila maniwala sa unang himala, sa ikalawaʼy maniniwala na sila. Pero kung hindi pa rin sila maniwala sa iyo pagkatapos ng dalawang himala, kumuha ka ng tubig sa Ilog ng Nilo at ibuhos mo ito sa tuyong lupa, at magiging dugo ito.”

10 Sinabi ni Moises, “Panginoon, hindi po ako magaling magsalita. Mula pa man noon, hirap na ako sa pagsasalita, kahit na ngayong nakikipag-usap kayo sa akin. Pautal-utal ako kapag nagsasalita.”

11 Sinabi sa kanya ng Panginoon, “Sino ba ang gumawa ng bibig ng tao? Sino ba ang may kakayahang gawing bingi o pipi? Sino ba ang nagdedesisyon na makakita o mabulag siya? Hindi ba ako, ang Panginoon? 12 Kaya lumakad ka, dahil tutulungan kita sa pagsasalita at ituturo ko sa iyo ang mga sasabihin mo.”

13 Pero sinabi ni Moises, “O Panginoon, kung maaari po magpadala na lang kayo ng iba.”

14 Nagalit nang matindi ang Panginoon kay Moises. Kaya sinabi niya, “O sige, si Aaron na lang na kapatid mo, na isang Levita ang siyang magsasalita para sa iyo. Alam kong mahusay siyang magsalita. Papunta na siya rito para makipagkita sa iyo. Matutuwa siyang makita ka. 15 Kausapin mo siya at turuan kung ano ang kanyang sasabihin. Tutulungan ko kayong dalawa sa pagsasalita, at tuturuan ko rin kayo kung ano ang gagawin ninyo. 16 Si Aaron ang magsasalita sa mga tao para sa iyo. Turuan mo siya ng mga sasabihin niya na parang ikaw ang Dios. 17 Dalhin mo ang baston mo para sa pamamagitan nito ay makagawa ka ng mga himala.”

Bumalik si Moises sa Egipto

18 Bumalik si Moises sa biyenan niyang si Jetro at sinabi sa kanya, “Payagan po ninyo akong bumalik sa mga kababayan ko sa Egipto para tingnan kung buhay pa sila.”

Sinabi ni Jetro, “Sige, maging maayos sana ang paglalakbay mo.”

19 Bago umalis si Moises sa Midian, sinabi sa kanya ng Panginoon, “Bumalik ka na sa Egipto. Patay na ang mga gustong pumatay sa iyo.” 20 Kaya kinuha ni Moises ang asawa niya at mga anak na lalaki, at pinasakay sa asno at bumalik sa Egipto. Dinala rin niya ang baston na ipinapadala sa kanya ng Panginoon.

21 Sinabi ng Panginoon kay Moises, “Pagdating mo sa Egipto, gawin mo sa harapan ng Faraon ang lahat ng himalang ipinapagawa ko sa iyo. Binigyan kita ng kapangyarihang gawin iyan. Pero patitigasin ko ang puso ng hari para hindi niya payagang umalis ang mga Israelita. 22 Pagkatapos, sabihin mo sa kanya, ‘Sinabi ng Panginoon na: Itinuturing ko ang Israel na panganay kong anak na lalaki, 23 kaya iniuutos ko sa iyo na payagan mo silang umalis para makasamba sa akin, pero hindi ka pumayag. Kaya papatayin ko ang panganay mong na anak na lalaki!’ ”

24 Nang naglalakbay na sina Moises at ang kanyang pamilya, nagpahinga sila sa isang bahay-pahingahan. Pinuntahan ng Panginoon si Moises at pinagtangkaang patayin. 25-26 Pero kumuha si Zipora ng matalim na bato at tinuli ang kanyang anak, at ang nakuha niyang balat ay idinikit niya sa paa ni Moises. At sinabi ni Zipora, “Ikaw ang duguang asawa ko.” (Ang ibig sabihin ni Zipora ay may kaugnayan sa pagtutuli.) Kaya hindi pinatay ng Panginoon si Moises.

27 Samantala, sinabi ng Panginoon kay Aaron, “Lumakad ka at salubungin si Moises sa disyerto.” Kaya sinalubong niya si Moises sa Bundok ng Dios at hinagkan bilang pagbati. 28 Sinabi ni Moises kay Aaron ang lahat ng iniutos ng Panginoon na sabihin niya, at ang lahat ng himalang iniutos ng Panginoon na gawin niya.

29 Kaya lumakad ang dalawa, at tinipon ang lahat ng tagapamahala ng Israel. 30 Sinabi sa kanila ni Aaron ang lahat ng sinabi ng Panginoon kay Moises. At ginawa ni Moises ang mga himala sa harap ng mga tao, 31 at naniwala sila. Nang malaman nilang nagmamalasakit ang Panginoon sa kanila at nakikita niya ang mga paghihirap nila, lumuhod sila at sumamba sa Panginoon.

Footnotes

  1. 4:2 Baston: Ang tinutukoy ay ang ginagamit sa pagpapastol ng tupa.
  2. 4:6 malubhang sakit sa balat: sa ibang salin, ketong. Ang salitang Hebreo nito ay ginamit sa ibaʼt ibang uri ng sakit sa balat na itinuturing na marumi ayon sa Lev. 13.

Miraculous Signs for Pharaoh

Then Moses answered and said, “But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you.’ ”

So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

He said, “A rod.”

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. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail” (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), “that they may (A)believe that the (B)Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

Furthermore the Lord said to him, “Now put your hand in your bosom.” And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, (C)like snow. And He said, “Put your hand in your bosom again.” So he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, (D)it was restored like his other flesh. “Then it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the (E)first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign. And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, that you shall take water from [a]the river and pour it on the dry land. (F)The water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land.

10 Then Moses said to the Lord, “O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but (G)I am slow of speech and [b]slow of tongue.”

11 So the Lord said to him, (H)“Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore, go, and I will be (I)with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.”

13 But he said, “O my Lord, (J)please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.”

14 So (K)the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: “Is not Aaron the Levite your (L)brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, (M)he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 Now (N)you shall speak to him and (O)put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and (P)I will teach you what you shall do. 16 So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and (Q)you shall be to him as God. 17 And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.”

Moses Goes to Egypt

18 So Moses went and returned to (R)Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.”

And Jethro said to Moses, (S)“Go in peace.”

19 Now the Lord said to Moses in (T)Midian, “Go, return to (U)Egypt; for all the men who (V)sought your life are dead.” 20 Then Moses (W)took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took (X)the rod of God in his hand.

21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those (Y)wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But (Z)I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall (AA)say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: (AB)“Israel is My son, (AC)My firstborn. 23 So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed (AD)I will kill your son, your firstborn.” ’ ”

24 And it came to pass on the way, at the (AE)encampment, that the Lord (AF)met him and sought to (AG)kill him. 25 Then (AH)Zipporah took (AI)a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and [c]cast it at [d]Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” 26 So He let him go. Then she said, “You are a [e]husband of blood!”—because of the circumcision.

27 And the Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness (AJ)to meet Moses.” So he went and met him on (AK)the mountain of God, and kissed him. 28 So Moses (AL)told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him, and all the (AM)signs which He had commanded him. 29 Then Moses and Aaron (AN)went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. 30 (AO)And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. Then he did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 So the people (AP)believed; and when they heard that the Lord had (AQ)visited the children of Israel and that He (AR)had looked on their affliction, then (AS)they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 4:9 The Nile
  2. Exodus 4:10 heavy or dull of tongue; cannot talk very well
  3. Exodus 4:25 Lit. made it touch
  4. Exodus 4:25 Lit. his
  5. Exodus 4:26 bridegroom

Signs for Moses

Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen(A) to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”

Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

“A staff,”(B) he replied.

The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.”

Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake,(C) and he ran from it. Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe(D) 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.”

Then the Lord said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous[a]—it had become as white as snow.(E)

“Now put it back into your cloak,” he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored,(F) like the rest of his flesh.

Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe(G) you or pay attention to the first sign,(H) they may believe the second. But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood(I) on the ground.”

10 Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”(J)

11 The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute?(K) Who gives them sight or makes them blind?(L) Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go;(M) I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”(N)

13 But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”(O)

14 Then the Lord’s anger burned(P) against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet(Q) you, and he will be glad to see you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth;(R) 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(S) and as if you were God to him.(T) 17 But take this staff(U) in your hand(V) so you can perform the signs(W) 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(X) you are dead.(Y) 20 So Moses took his wife and sons,(Z) put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff(AA) 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(AB) I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart(AC) so that he will not let the people go.(AD) 22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son,(AE) 23 and I told you, “Let my son go,(AF) so he may worship(AG) me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’”(AH)

24 At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses[b] and was about to kill(AI) him. 25 But Zipporah(AJ) took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin(AK) and touched Moses’ feet with it.[c] “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(AL) of God and kissed(AM) 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(AN) of the Israelites, 30 and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs(AO) before the people, 31 and they believed.(AP) And when they heard that the Lord was concerned(AQ) about them and had seen their misery,(AR) they bowed down and worshiped.(AS)

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 4:6 The Hebrew word for leprous was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
  2. Exodus 4:24 Hebrew him
  3. Exodus 4:25 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.