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。

Signs of power

Then Moses replied, “But what if they don’t believe me or pay attention to me? They might say to me, ‘The Lord didn’t appear to you!’”

The Lord said to him, “What’s that in your hand?”

Moses replied, “A shepherd’s rod.”

The Lord said, “Throw it down on the ground.” So Moses threw it on the ground, and it turned into a snake. Moses jumped back from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out and grab the snake by the tail.” So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a rod in his hand. “Do this so that they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, Abraham’s God, Isaac’s God, and Jacob’s God has in fact appeared to you.”

Again, the Lord said to Moses, “Put your hand inside your coat.” So Moses put his hand inside his coat. When he took his hand out, his hand had a skin disease flaky like snow. Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your coat.” So Moses put his hand back inside his coat. When he took it back out again, the skin of his hand had returned to normal. “If they won’t believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second sign. If they won’t believe even these two signs or pay attention to you, then take some water from the Nile River and pour it out on dry ground. The water that you take from the Nile will turn into blood on the dry ground.”

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “My Lord, I’ve never been able to speak well, not yesterday, not the day before, and certainly not now since you’ve been talking to your servant. I have a slow mouth and a thick tongue.”

11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who gives people the ability to speak? Who’s responsible for making them unable to speak or hard of hearing, sighted or blind? Isn’t it I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I’ll help you speak, and I’ll teach you what you should say.”

13 But Moses said, “Please, my Lord, just send someone else.”

14 Then the Lord got angry at Moses and said, “What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak very well. He’s on his way out to meet you now, and he’s looking forward to seeing you. 15 Speak to him and tell him what he’s supposed to say. I’ll help both of you speak, and I’ll teach both of you what to do. 16 Aaron will speak for you to the people. He’ll be a spokesperson for you, and you will be like God for him. 17 Take this shepherd’s rod with you too so that you can do the signs.”

Moses goes back to Egypt

18 Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me go back to my family in Egypt and see whether or not they are still living.”

Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

19 The Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt because everyone there who wanted to kill you has died.” 20 So Moses took his wife and his children, put them on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. Moses also carried the shepherd’s rod from God in his hand.

21 The Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, make sure that you appear before Pharaoh and do all the amazing acts that I’ve given you the power to do. But I’ll make him stubborn so that he won’t let the people go. 22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my oldest son. 23 I said to you, “Let my son go so he could worship me.” But you refused to let him go. As a result, now I’m going to kill your oldest son.’”

24 During their journey, as they camped overnight, the Lord met Moses[a] and tried to kill him. 25 But Zipporah took a sharp-edged flint stone and cut off her son’s foreskin. Then she touched Moses’ genitals[b] with it, and she said, “You are my bridegroom because of bloodshed.” 26 So the Lord let him alone. At that time, she announced, “A bridegroom because of bloodshed by circumcision.”

27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the desert to meet Moses.” So he went, and Aaron met him at God’s mountain and greeted him with a kiss. 28 Moses told Aaron what the Lord had said about his mission and all the signs that the Lord had told him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron called together all the Israelite elders. 30 Aaron told them everything that the Lord had told to Moses, and he performed the signs in front of the people. 31 The people believed. When they heard that the Lord had paid attention to the Israelites and had seen their oppression, they bowed down and worshipped.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 4:24 Or him
  2. Exodus 4:25 Or his feet

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。

Signs of power

Then Moses replied, “But what if they don’t believe me or pay attention to me? They might say to me, ‘The Lord didn’t appear to you!’”

The Lord said to him, “What’s that in your hand?”

Moses replied, “A shepherd’s rod.”

The Lord said, “Throw it down on the ground.” So Moses threw it on the ground, and it turned into a snake. Moses jumped back from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out and grab the snake by the tail.” So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a rod in his hand. “Do this so that they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, Abraham’s God, Isaac’s God, and Jacob’s God has in fact appeared to you.”

Again, the Lord said to Moses, “Put your hand inside your coat.” So Moses put his hand inside his coat. When he took his hand out, his hand had a skin disease flaky like snow. Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your coat.” So Moses put his hand back inside his coat. When he took it back out again, the skin of his hand had returned to normal. “If they won’t believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second sign. If they won’t believe even these two signs or pay attention to you, then take some water from the Nile River and pour it out on dry ground. The water that you take from the Nile will turn into blood on the dry ground.”

10 But Moses said to the Lord, “My Lord, I’ve never been able to speak well, not yesterday, not the day before, and certainly not now since you’ve been talking to your servant. I have a slow mouth and a thick tongue.”

11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who gives people the ability to speak? Who’s responsible for making them unable to speak or hard of hearing, sighted or blind? Isn’t it I, the Lord? 12 Now go! I’ll help you speak, and I’ll teach you what you should say.”

13 But Moses said, “Please, my Lord, just send someone else.”

14 Then the Lord got angry at Moses and said, “What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak very well. He’s on his way out to meet you now, and he’s looking forward to seeing you. 15 Speak to him and tell him what he’s supposed to say. I’ll help both of you speak, and I’ll teach both of you what to do. 16 Aaron will speak for you to the people. He’ll be a spokesperson for you, and you will be like God for him. 17 Take this shepherd’s rod with you too so that you can do the signs.”

Moses goes back to Egypt

18 Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me go back to my family in Egypt and see whether or not they are still living.”

Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

19 The Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt because everyone there who wanted to kill you has died.” 20 So Moses took his wife and his children, put them on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. Moses also carried the shepherd’s rod from God in his hand.

21 The Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, make sure that you appear before Pharaoh and do all the amazing acts that I’ve given you the power to do. But I’ll make him stubborn so that he won’t let the people go. 22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my oldest son. 23 I said to you, “Let my son go so he could worship me.” But you refused to let him go. As a result, now I’m going to kill your oldest son.’”

24 During their journey, as they camped overnight, the Lord met Moses[a] and tried to kill him. 25 But Zipporah took a sharp-edged flint stone and cut off her son’s foreskin. Then she touched Moses’ genitals[b] with it, and she said, “You are my bridegroom because of bloodshed.” 26 So the Lord let him alone. At that time, she announced, “A bridegroom because of bloodshed by circumcision.”

27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the desert to meet Moses.” So he went, and Aaron met him at God’s mountain and greeted him with a kiss. 28 Moses told Aaron what the Lord had said about his mission and all the signs that the Lord had told him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron called together all the Israelite elders. 30 Aaron told them everything that the Lord had told to Moses, and he performed the signs in front of the people. 31 The people believed. When they heard that the Lord had paid attention to the Israelites and had seen their oppression, they bowed down and worshipped.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 4:24 Or him
  2. Exodus 4:25 Or his feet