Exodus 4
New King James Version
Miraculous Signs for Pharaoh
4 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.’ ”
2 So the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
He said, “A rod.”
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 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), 5 “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.”
6 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. 7 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. 8 “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. 9 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
- Exodus 4:9 The Nile
- Exodus 4:10 heavy or dull of tongue; cannot talk very well
- Exodus 4:25 Lit. made it touch
- Exodus 4:25 Lit. his
- Exodus 4:26 bridegroom
Exode 4
La Bible du Semeur
4 Moïse objecta :
Et s’ils ne me croient pas et ne m’écoutent pas, s’ils me disent : « L’Eternel ne t’est pas apparu » ?
2 – Qu’as-tu dans la main ? lui demanda l’Eternel.
– Un bâton.
3 – Jette-le par terre.
Moïse jeta le bâton par terre et celui-ci se transforma en serpent. Moïse s’enfuit devant lui, 4 mais l’Eternel lui dit : Tends la main et attrape-le par la queue !
Moïse avança la main et saisit le serpent, qui redevint un bâton dans sa main.
5 – C’est pour qu’ils croient que l’Eternel, le Dieu de leurs ancêtres, le Dieu d’Abraham, d’Isaac et de Jacob t’est réellement apparu.
6 Puis l’Eternel continua : Mets ta main sur ta poitrine.
Moïse mit sa main sur sa poitrine puis la ressortit : elle était couverte d’une lèpre blanche comme la neige.
7 – Remets ta main sur ta poitrine, lui dit Dieu.
Il la remit. Quand il la ressortit, elle était redevenue saine.
8 – Si donc ils ne te croient pas, lui dit l’Eternel, et s’ils ne sont pas convaincus par le premier signe miraculeux, ils croiront après le deuxième. 9 Si, toutefois, ils n’ont pas confiance, même après avoir vu ces deux signes et s’ils ne t’écoutent pas, alors tu puiseras de l’eau dans le Nil, tu la répandras par terre, et, dès qu’elle touchera le sol, elle se transformera en sang.
10 – De grâce, Seigneur, dit Moïse, je n’ai pas la parole facile. Cela ne date ni d’hier, ni d’avant-hier, ni du moment où tu as commencé à parler à ton serviteur : j’ai la bouche et la langue embarrassées.
11 L’Eternel lui répondit : Qui a doté l’homme d’une bouche ? Qui le rend muet ou sourd, voyant ou aveugle ? N’est-ce pas moi, l’Eternel ? 12 Maintenant donc, vas-y ; je serai moi-même avec ta bouche et je t’indiquerai ce que tu devras dire.
13 Mais Moïse rétorqua : De grâce, Seigneur ! Je t’en prie ! Envoie qui tu voudras !
14 Alors l’Eternel se mit en colère contre Moïse et lui dit : Eh bien ! il y a ton frère Aaron, le lévite[a]. Je sais qu’il parlera facilement. D’ailleurs, il est déjà en chemin pour venir te trouver ; il sera tout heureux de te voir. 15 Tu lui parleras, tu lui mettras des paroles dans la bouche, et moi, je vous assisterai tous deux dans ce que vous direz et je vous indiquerai ce que vous aurez à faire. 16 Il sera ton porte-parole devant le peuple, il te servira de bouche, et tu seras pour lui comme le dieu qui parle à son prophète. 17 Tu prendras ce bâton en main, et c’est avec cela que tu accompliras les signes miraculeux.
Moïse retourne en Egypte
18 Moïse s’en alla et rentra chez Jéthro son beau-père. Il lui dit : Je voudrais partir pour retourner auprès de mes frères de race en Egypte et voir s’ils sont encore en vie.
Jéthro lui répondit : Va en paix !
19 L’Eternel dit à Moïse lorsqu’il était encore à Madian : Mets-toi en route, retourne en Egypte, car tous ceux qui voulaient te faire périr sont morts.
20 Alors Moïse emmena sa femme et ses fils, il les installa sur un âne et prit le chemin de l’Egypte, tenant en main le bâton de Dieu.
21 L’Eternel dit à Moïse : Maintenant que tu es en route pour retourner en Egypte, considère tous les miracles que je t’ai donné le pouvoir d’accomplir. Tu les feras devant le pharaon. Moi, je lui donnerai un cœur obstiné, de sorte qu’il ne permettra pas au peuple de s’en aller. 22 Tu diras au pharaon : « Voici ce que dit l’Eternel : Israël est mon fils aîné. 23 Je te l’ordonne : Laisse aller mon fils pour qu’il me rende un culte. Puisque tu refuses, je ferai périr ton fils aîné. »
24 Pendant le voyage, au campement où ils passaient la nuit, l’Eternel attaqua Moïse, cherchant à le faire mourir. 25 Alors Séphora saisit une pierre tranchante, coupa le prépuce de son fils et en toucha les pieds de Moïse en disant : Tu es pour moi un époux de sang.
26 Alors l’Eternel laissa Moïse. C’est à cette occasion que Séphora dit à Moïse à cause de la circoncision : Tu es un époux de sang !
27 Entre-temps, l’Eternel avait ordonné à Aaron d’aller à la rencontre de Moïse dans le désert et Aaron partit. Il rencontra son frère à la montagne de Dieu et l’embrassa. 28 Moïse l’informa de toutes les paroles que l’Eternel l’avait chargé de dire et des signes miraculeux qu’il lui avait ordonné d’accomplir. 29 Ils partirent donc. Une fois arrivés, ils convoquèrent tous les responsables du peuple d’Israël. 30 Aaron leur répéta tout ce que l’Eternel avait dit à Moïse et il accomplit les signes miraculeux aux yeux du peuple. 31 Le peuple fut convaincu. En apprenant que l’Eternel intervenait en faveur des Israélites et qu’il avait pris leur détresse en considération, ils se prosternèrent et l’adorèrent.
Footnotes
- 4.14 Signifie sans doute : le chef de la tribu de Lévi. Par droit de naissance, il était de la seconde branche des lévites.
Exodus 4
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
4 And Moses answered, [a]But behold, they will not believe me or listen to and obey my voice; for they will say, The Lord has not appeared to you.
2 And the Lord said to him, What is that in your hand? And he said, A rod.
3 And He said, Cast it on the ground. And he did so and it became a serpent [the symbol of royal and divine power worn on the crown of the Pharaohs]; and Moses fled from before it.
4 And the Lord said to Moses, Put forth your hand and take it by the tail. And he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand,
5 [This you shall do, said the Lord] that the elders may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has indeed appeared to you.
6 The Lord said also to him, Put your hand into your bosom. He put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.
7 [God] said, Put your hand into your bosom again. So he put his hand back into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored as the rest of his flesh.
8 [Then God said] If they will not believe you or heed the voice or the testimony of the first sign, they may believe the voice or the witness of the second sign.
9 But if they will also not believe these two signs or heed your voice, you shall take some water of the river [Nile] and pour it upon the dry land; and the water which you take out of the river [Nile] shall become blood on the dry land.
10 And Moses said to the Lord, O Lord, I am not eloquent or a man of words, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and have a heavy and awkward tongue.
11 And the Lord said to him, Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the dumb, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Is it not I, the Lord?
12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you shall say.
13 And he said, Oh, my Lord, I pray You, send by the hand of [some other] whom You will [send].
14 Then the anger of the Lord blazed against Moses; He said, Is there not Aaron your brother, the Levite? I know he can speak well. Also, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be overjoyed.
15 You must 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.
16 He shall speak for you to the people, acting as a mouthpiece for you, and you shall be as God to him.
17 And you shall take this rod in your hand with which you shall work the signs [that prove I sent you].
18 And Moses went away and, returning to Jethro his father-in-law, said to him, Let me go back, I pray you, to my relatives in Egypt to see whether they are still alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
19 The Lord said to Moses in Midian, Go back to Egypt; for all the men who were seeking your life [for killing the Egyptian] are dead.(A)
20 And Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on donkeys, and he returned to the land of Egypt; and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
21 And the Lord said to Moses, When you return into Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all those miracles and wonders which I have put in your hand; but I will make him stubborn and harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
22 And you shall say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord, Israel is My son, even My firstborn.
23 And I say to you, Let My son go, that he may serve Me; and if you refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay your son, your firstborn.
24 Along the way at a [resting-] place, the Lord met [Moses] and sought to kill him [made him acutely and almost fatally ill].
25 [Now apparently he had [b]failed to circumcise one of his sons, his wife being opposed to it; but seeing his life in such danger] Zipporah took a flint knife and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it to touch [Moses’] feet, and said, Surely a husband of blood you are to me!
26 When He let [Moses] alone [to recover], Zipporah said, A husband of blood are you because of the circumcision.
27 The Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mountain of God [Horeb, or Sinai] and kissed him.
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.
29 Moses and Aaron went and gathered together [in Egypt] all the elders of the Israelites.
30 Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
31 And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the Israelites, and that He had looked [in compassion] upon their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.
Footnotes
- Exodus 4:1 There need be no “buts” in our relationship to God’s will. Nothing will take the Lord by surprise. The entire field has been surveyed and the preparations are complete. When the Lord says, “I will send thee,” every provision has been made for the appointed task. “I will not fail thee.” He who gives the command will also give the equipment (John Henry Jowett, My Daily Meditation).
- Exodus 4:25 He who is on his way to liberate the people of the circumcision has in Midian even neglected to circumcise his second son Eliezer (J.P. Lange, A Commentary). It was necessary that at this stage of Moses’ experience he should learn that God is in earnest when He speaks, and will assuredly perform all that He has threatened (J.G. Murphy, A Commentary on the Book of Exodus).
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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