上帝賜摩西能力

摩西回答說:「他們不會相信我或聽我的話,他們會說,『耶和華根本沒有向你顯現。』」 耶和華對摩西說:「你手裡拿的是什麼?」摩西說:「是一根手杖。」 耶和華說:「把它丟在地上!」於是,摩西把杖丟在地上,杖變成了一條蛇。摩西連忙跑開。 耶和華說:「你伸手抓住牠的尾巴!」摩西就伸手抓蛇的尾巴,蛇在他手中變回了杖。 耶和華說:「這樣,他們就會相信他們祖先的上帝耶和華,就是亞伯拉罕、以撒和雅各的上帝,曾經向你顯現。」

耶和華又說:「把手放進懷裡。」摩西把手放進懷裡,手抽出來的時候,竟患了痲瘋病,像雪一樣白。 耶和華說:「再把手放進懷裡。」摩西又把手放進懷裡,這次再抽出來的時候,手已經復原,跟其他地方的皮肉一樣。 耶和華說:「縱然他們不聽你的話,不信第一個神蹟,也必定相信第二個神蹟。 如果他們兩個神蹟都不相信,還是不聽你的話,你就從尼羅河裡取些水來倒在旱地上,那水就會在旱地上變成血。」

10 摩西對耶和華說:「主啊!我向來不善言辭,即使你對僕人說話以後,我還是不善言辭,因為我是個拙口笨舌的人。」 11 耶和華對他說:「是誰造人的口舌?是誰使人變成啞巴或聾子?是誰使人目明或眼瞎?不都是我耶和華嗎? 12 去吧!我必賜給你口才,指示你說什麼話。」 13 但是摩西說:「主啊,請派其他人去吧。」 14 耶和華向摩西發怒說:「利未人亞倫不是你哥哥嗎?他是個能言善辯的人,正要來迎接你。他見到你一定很歡喜。 15 你要把該說的話傳給他,我會賜你們口才,教你們如何行事。 16 他要替你向百姓說話,做你的發言人,你對他來說就像上帝一樣。 17 你要把手杖帶在身邊,以便行神蹟。」

18 摩西回到家裡,對他的岳父葉忒羅說:「求你讓我回埃及去探望我的親人,看看他們是否在世。」葉忒羅說:「你平安地去吧。」 19 耶和華在米甸對摩西說:「你只管放心回埃及去,想害你性命的人都已經死了。」 20 於是,摩西拿著上帝的杖,帶著妻子和兒子騎驢返回埃及。 21 耶和華對摩西說:「你到了埃及,見到法老的時候,務要照我賜給你的能力在法老面前行神蹟。但我要使他的心剛硬,他必不讓百姓離開。 22 那時,你就告訴法老,『耶和華說,以色列是我的長子, 23 我對你說過讓我的長子出去事奉我,但你執意不肯。看啊,我要殺你的長子。』」

24 摩西在途中夜宿的時候,耶和華遇見摩西,想要殺他。 25 他的妻子西坡拉拿起鋒利的火石,割下兒子的包皮,放在摩西腳前,說:「你真是我的血郎。」 26 這樣,耶和華才沒殺他。當時,西坡拉說「血郎」是指割禮一事。

27 耶和華對亞倫說:「你到曠野去迎接摩西。」他就在上帝的山上遇見摩西,並親吻他。 28 摩西把耶和華吩咐他的以及要他行的神蹟都告訴了亞倫。 29 摩西和亞倫一起回去招聚以色列的眾長老, 30 亞倫把耶和華對摩西的吩咐詳細地告訴他們。摩西又在百姓面前行了那些神蹟, 31 百姓相信了。以色列人聽見耶和華眷顧他們、看到了他們的苦難,都俯伏敬拜祂。

Then Moses answered, and said, “But lo, they will neither believe me nor listen to my voice. For they will say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’”

And the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” And he answered, “A rod.”

Then he said, “Cast it on the ground.” So, he cast it on the ground; and it was turned into a serpent. And Moses fled from it.

Again the LORD said to Moses, “Put forth your hand and take it by the tail.” Then he put forth his hand and caught it; and it was turned into a rod in his hand.

“Do this, so that they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has appeared to you.”

And furthermore, the LORD said to him, “Now, thrust your hand into your bosom.” And he thrust his hand into his bosom. And when he took it out again, behold his hand was leprous as snow.

Moreover, He said, “Put your hand into your bosom again.” So, he put his hand into his bosom again and pulled it out of his bosom. And behold, it was turned back as his other flesh.

“So shall it be, if they will not believe you or obey the voice of the first sign, they shall still believe the voice of the second sign.

“But, if they will still not believe these two signs or obey your voice, then you shall take of the water of the river and pour it upon the dry land. So, the water which you shall take out of the river shall be turned to blood upon the dry land.”

10 But Moses said to the LORD, “Oh my LORD, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant. But I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.”

11 Then the LORD said to him, “Who has given the mouth to man? Or, Who has made the dumb or the deaf or him who sees or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?

12 “Therefore, go now; and I will be with your mouth and will teach you what you shall say.”

13 But he said, “Oh, my LORD. Please send by the hand of someone else.”

14 Then the LORD was very angry with Moses, and said, “Do not I know Aaron, your brother, the Levite; that he himself shall speak? For lo, he also comes forth to meet you. And when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

15 “Therefore, 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 ought to do.

16 “And he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he shall be, indeed he shall be as your mouth. And you shall be to him as God.

17 “Moreover, you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do miracles.”

18 Therefore, Moses went and returned to Jethro, his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please, let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt and see whether they are still alive.” Then Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

19 (For the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt. For they are all dead who plotted to kill you.)

20 Then Moses took his wife and his sons and put them on a donkey and returned toward the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

21 And the LORD said to Moses, “When you have entered and come into Egypt again, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart; and he shall not let the people go.

22 “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Israel is My son, My firstborn.

23 “Therefore I say to you, ‘Let My son go, so that he may serve Me. If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.’”’”

24 And as he was on the way, in the Inn, the LORD met him, and would have killed him.

25 Then Zipporah took a sharp knife and cut away the foreskin of her son and cast it at his feet, and said, “You are indeed a bloody husband to me.”

26 So He departed from him. Then she said, “O bloody husband!” (because of the circumcision)

27 Then the LORD said to Aaron, “Go meet Moses in the wilderness.” And he went and met him on the Mount of God and kissed him.

28 Then Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD Who had sent him, and all the signs with which He had charged him.

29 So Moses and Aaron went and gathered all the elders of the children of Israel.

30 And Aaron told all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. And he did the miracles in the sight of the people.

31 And the people believed. And when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and had looked upon their tribulation, they bowed down and worshipped.

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.