出埃及记 4:1-6:12
Chinese New Version (Traditional)
神賜摩西的印證
4 摩西回答：“看哪，他們必不信我，也不聽我的話；因為他們必說：‘耶和華並沒有向你顯現。’” 2 耶和華問摩西：“那在你手裡的是甚麼？”他說：“是手杖。” 3 耶和華說：“把它丟在地上。”摩西把它一丟在地上，它就變了蛇；摩西就逃跑，離開了牠。 4 耶和華對摩西說：“伸出你的手來，捉住蛇的尾巴。”摩西就伸出手來，緊握著牠，牠在摩西的掌中又變回了手杖。 5 “這樣就使他們相信耶和華他們祖宗的 神，就是亞伯拉罕的 神、以撒的 神、雅各的 神曾向你顯現了。” 6 耶和華又再對摩西說：“現在把你的手放進懷裡。”摩西就把手放進懷裡；等他把手抽出來的時候，手就長滿了痲風，像雪那樣白。 7 耶和華說：“把你的手再放進懷裡。”摩西就把手再放進懷裡；等他把手從懷裡抽出來的時候，手就恢復過來，像身上別處的肉一樣。 8 耶和華又說：“如果他們不信你，也不聽從頭一個神蹟的話，他們必信隨後來的神蹟。 9 如果連這兩個神蹟他們也不信，也不聽你的話，你就從河裡取些水，倒在旱地上；你從河裡取來的水就必在旱地上變成血。”
亞倫作摩西的代言人
10 摩西對耶和華說：“主啊，我不是個會說話的人；以前不是，自從你對僕人說話以後也不是；因為我本是拙口笨舌的。” 11 耶和華對他說：“誰造人的口呢？誰使人口啞、耳聾、眼明、眼瞎呢？不是我耶和華嗎？ 12 現在去吧，我必賜你口才，指教你當說的。” 13 摩西說：“主啊，請你差派你願意差派的人。” 14 耶和華向摩西發怒，說：“不是有你的哥哥利未人亞倫嗎？我知道他是有口才的；他現在出來要迎接你。他看見了你，心裡就快樂。 15 你要對他說話，把你要說的話放在他的口裡；我必與你的口同在，也與他的口同在；我必指教你們當行的事。 16 他要替你向人民說話，他要作你的口，你要作他的 神。 17 這手杖你要拿在手裡，用來行神蹟。”
摩西返回埃及
18 於是，摩西起程回到他岳父葉忒羅那裡，對他說：“請你容我離開這裡，回到我在埃及的同胞那裡，看看他們是否還在。”葉忒羅對摩西說：“你可以平平安安地去吧。” 19 耶和華在米甸對摩西說：“你要起程，回到埃及去，因為那些尋索你命的人都死了。” 20 摩西就帶著他的妻子和孩子，讓他們騎在驢上，向著埃及地回去了；摩西手裡拿著 神的杖。 21 耶和華對摩西說：“你起程回到埃及去的時候，要留意我交在你手裡的一切奇事，把它們行在法老面前；我卻要使他的心剛硬，他就不讓人民離開。 22 你要對法老說：‘耶和華這樣說：以色列是我的長子。 23 我曾對你說，要讓我的兒子離開這裡，好叫他事奉我。你還是拒絕讓他離開，看哪！我必殺你的長子。’”
24 在路上住宿的地方，耶和華遇見了摩西，就想要殺他。 25 西坡拉就拿了一把石刀，把她兒子的包皮割下來，把它丟到摩西的腳上，說：“你真是我的血郎了！” 26 這樣，耶和華才放了他。那時西坡拉說：“你是血郎，是因為割禮的緣故。”
27 耶和華對亞倫說：“你到曠野去迎接摩西。”他就去了；他在 神的山遇見了摩西，就和他親吻。 28 摩西把耶和華派他所說的一切話，和吩咐他所行的一切神蹟都告訴了亞倫。 29 摩西和亞倫就去召集以色列人的眾長老。 30 亞倫把耶和華對摩西所說的一切話都說了一遍，並且在人民的眼前行了這些神蹟。 31 人民就相信了；他們聽見耶和華眷顧以色列人，也鑒察了他們的痛苦，就俯伏敬拜。
摩西和亞倫首次見法老
5 後來，摩西和亞倫去對法老說：“耶和華以色列的 神這樣說：讓我的人民離開這裡，叫他們可以在曠野向我守節。” 2 法老回答：“耶和華是誰，我要聽他的話，讓以色列人離開呢？我不認識耶和華，也不讓以色列人離開。” 3 他們說：“希伯來人的 神遇見了我們；求你讓我們走三天的路程到曠野去，獻祭給耶和華我們的 神，免得他用瘟疫或刀劍擊殺我們。” 4 埃及王對他們說：“摩西、亞倫哪，你們為甚麼使人民懶惰不作工呢？去挑你們的擔子吧。” 5 法老又說：“你看，現在這地的民很多，你們竟叫他們歇下擔子？” 6 就在那天，法老吩咐眾民的督工和首領說： 7 “你們不要像往日一樣再把草給人民做磚，叫他們自己去撿草。 8 他們往日做磚的數量，你們還是向他們要，一點也不可減少，因為他們是懶惰的，所以他們才呼喊說：‘讓我們去獻祭給我們的 神。’ 9 你們要把更重的工作加在這些人的身上，好使他們專心作工，不聽謊言。”
加重迫害以色列人
10 眾民的督工和首領出來，告訴人民說：“法老這樣說：‘我不再給你們草。 11 你們自己能在哪裡找到草，就到哪裡去撿吧，但你們的工作一點也不可減少。’” 12 於是，人民就分散到埃及全地，去拾禾稭作草。 13 督工們催著說：“你們的工作，每天的本分，要在當天完成，像以前有草的時候一樣。” 14 法老的督工責打他們派定的以色列人的首領，說：“你們昨天今天為甚麼沒有做完指定要你們做的磚，像往日一樣呢？”
15 以色列人的首領就來，向法老呼求說：“你為甚麼這樣待你的僕人呢？ 16 沒有草給你的僕人，但他們對我們說：‘你們做磚吧！’看哪，你的僕人受了責打，其實這是你自己人民的錯。” 17 法老說：“你們確實是懶惰的，所以你們才說：‘讓我們去獻祭給耶和華。’ 18 現在你們去作工吧；草是不給你們的，磚卻要如數交上。” 19 以色列人的首領因有命令說：“你們每天本分要做的磚數不可減少”，就知道自己有禍了。
摩西和亞倫受責
20 他們從法老那裡出來的時候，遇見摩西和亞倫，正在站著等候他們， 21 就對他們說：“願耶和華鑒察你們，審判你們，因為你們使我們的香氣在法老眼前和他的臣僕眼前都發臭了，把刀放在他們的手裡來殺我們。”
22 摩西回到耶和華那裡，說：“主啊！你為甚麼苦待這人民呢？為甚麼差派我呢？ 23 自從我到法老那裡，奉你的名說話以來，他就苦待這人民，你一點也沒有拯救你自己的人民。”
耶和華對摩西的應許
6 耶和華對摩西說：“你現在必看見我要向法老行的事；因為我施展大能的手，他必讓他們離去；我施展大能的手，他必把他們從自己的地趕出去。”
2 神告訴摩西說：“我是耶和華。 3 我曾向亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各顯現為全能的 神，至於我的名字‘耶和華’，他們是不認識的。 4 我不但與他們確立了我的約，要把迦南地，就是他們作客寄居之地賜給他們； 5 而且我也聽見了以色列人因埃及人所加的奴役而發的哀聲，就記念我的約。 6 所以，你要對以色列人說：‘我是耶和華，我要把你們從埃及人的重擔底下救出來；我要拯救你們脫離他們的奴役；我要用伸出來的膀臂，並藉著嚴厲的刑罰來救贖你們。 7 我要以你們作我的人民，我也要作你們的 神；你們要知道我是耶和華你們的 神，是把你們從埃及人的重擔底下救出來的。 8 我舉手起誓要給亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各的地，我必領你們進去；我也必把那地賜給你們作產業；我是耶和華。’” 9 摩西這樣告訴以色列人，只是他們因為心裡愁煩和苦工的緣故，就不肯聽摩西的話。
10 耶和華告訴摩西說： 11 “你要告訴埃及王法老，叫他讓以色列人離開他的地。” 12 摩西在耶和華面前說：“看哪，以色列人尚且不肯聽我的話，法老又怎會聽我的話呢？因為我是個拙口笨舌的人。”
Exodus 4:1-6:12
English Standard Version
Moses Given Powerful Signs
4 Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” 2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, (A)“A staff.” 3 And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. 4 But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5 “that they may (B)believe that the Lord, (C)the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6 Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.”[a] And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was (D)leprous[b] like snow. 7 Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, (E)it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. 9 If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile (F)will become blood on the dry ground.”
10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but (G)I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and (H)I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, (I)he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 (J)You shall speak to him and (K)put the words in his mouth, and (L)I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 (M)He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and (N)you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand (O)this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”
Moses Returns to Egypt
18 Moses went back to (P)Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 And the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for (Q)all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” 20 So Moses took (R)his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took (S)the staff of God in his hand.
21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the (T)miracles that I have put in your power. But (U)I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, (V)Israel is my (W)firstborn son, 23 and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I (X)will kill your firstborn son.’”
24 At a lodging place on the way (Y)the Lord met him and (Z)sought to put him to death. 25 Then (AA)Zipporah took a (AB)flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses'[c] feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26 So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.
27 The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness (AC)to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the (AD)mountain of God and kissed him. 28 And Moses (AE)told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him to speak, and all (AF)the signs that he had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron (AG)went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. 30 (AH)Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people (AI)believed; and when they heard that the Lord had (AJ)visited the people of Israel and that he had (AK)seen their affliction, (AL)they bowed their heads and worshiped.
Making Bricks Without Straw
5 Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold (AM)a feast to me in the wilderness.’” 2 But Pharaoh said, (AN)“Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, (AO)I will not let Israel go.” 3 Then they said, “The (AP)God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.” 4 But the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people away from their work? Get back to your (AQ)burdens.” 5 And Pharaoh said, “Behold, (AR)the people of the land are now many,[d] and you make them rest from their burdens!” 6 The same day Pharaoh commanded the (AS)taskmasters of the people and their (AT)foremen, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make bricks, as in the past; let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 But the number of bricks that they made in the past you shall impose on them, you shall by no means reduce it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, ‘Let us go and offer sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let heavier work be laid on the men that they may labor at it and pay no regard to lying words.”
10 So the (AU)taskmasters and the foremen of the people went out and said to the people, “Thus says Pharaoh, ‘I will not give you straw. 11 Go and get your straw yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work will not be reduced in the least.’” 12 So the people were scattered throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw. 13 The (AV)taskmasters were urgent, saying, “Complete your work, your daily task each day, as when there was straw.” 14 And the foremen of the people of Israel, whom Pharaoh's (AW)taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, “Why have you not done all your task of making bricks today and yesterday, as in the past?”
15 Then the foremen of the people of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, “Why do you treat your servants like this? 16 No straw is given to your servants, yet they say to us, ‘Make bricks!’ And behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.” 17 But he said, “You are idle, you are idle; that is why you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Go now and work. No straw will be given you, but you must still deliver the same number of bricks.” 19 The foremen of the people of Israel saw that they were in trouble when they said, “You shall by no means reduce your number of bricks, your daily task each day.” 20 They met Moses and Aaron, who were waiting for them, as they came out from Pharaoh; 21 and (AX)they said to them, “The Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us stink in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
22 Then Moses turned to the Lord and said, “O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all.”
God Promises Deliverance
6 But the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, and with (AY)a strong hand he will (AZ)drive them out of his land.”
2 God spoke to Moses and said to him, (BA)“I am the Lord. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as (BB)God Almighty,[e] but by my name the (BC)Lord I did not make myself known to them. 4 (BD)I also established my covenant with them (BE)to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they lived as sojourners. 5 Moreover, (BF)I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold as slaves, and I have remembered my covenant. 6 Say therefore to the people of Israel, (BG)‘I am the Lord, and (BH)I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and (BI)I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. 7 I (BJ)will take you to be my people, and (BK)I will be your God, and you shall know that (BL)I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out (BM)from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 I will bring you into (BN)the land that I (BO)swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. (BP)I am the Lord.’” 9 Moses spoke thus to the people of Israel, but they (BQ)did not listen to Moses, because of their broken spirit and harsh slavery.
10 So the Lord said to Moses, 11 “Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the people of Israel go out of his land.” 12 But Moses said to the Lord, “Behold, the people of Israel have (BR)not listened to me. How then shall Pharaoh listen to me, for (BS)I am of uncircumcised lips?”
Footnotes
- Exodus 4:6 Hebrew into your bosom; also verse 7
- Exodus 4:6 Leprosy was a term for several skin diseases; see Leviticus 13
- Exodus 4:25 Hebrew his
- Exodus 5:5 Samaritan they are now more numerous than the people of the land
- Exodus 6:3 Hebrew El Shaddai
Exodus 4:1-6:12
King James Version
4 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto thee.
2 And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.
4 And the Lord said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:
5 That they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.
6 And the Lord said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.
7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.
8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.
9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.
10 And Moses said unto the Lord, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?
12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.
13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.
14 And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.
15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.
16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.
17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.
18 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.
19 And the Lord said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life.
20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
21 And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.
22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.
24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him.
25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.
26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.
27 And the Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.
28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.
29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:
30 And Aaron spake all the words which the Lord had spoken unto 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 children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.
5 And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.
2 And Pharaoh said, Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel go.
3 And they said, The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the Lord our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.
4 And the king of Egypt said unto them, Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.
5 And Pharaoh said, Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.
6 And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,
7 Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.
8 And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.
9 Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.
10 And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.
11 Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.
12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.
13 And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.
14 And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day, as heretofore?
15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?
16 There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.
17 But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the Lord.
18 Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.
19 And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.
20 And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:
21 And they said unto them, The Lord look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.
22 And Moses returned unto the Lord, and said, Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?
23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.
6 Then the Lord said unto Moses, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.
2 And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord:
3 And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name Jehovah was I not known to them.
4 And I have also established my covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.
5 And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.
6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:
7 And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
8 And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord.
9 And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.
10 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
11 Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.
12 And Moses spake before the Lord, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?
Exodus 4:1-6:12
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.
First Encounter with Pharaoh
5 Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may [f]hold (AT)a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ ”
2 And Pharaoh said, (AU)“Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, (AV)nor will I let Israel go.”
3 So they said, (AW)“The God of the Hebrews has (AX)met with us. Please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest He fall upon us with (AY)pestilence or with the sword.”
4 Then the king of Egypt said to them, “Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your (AZ)labor.” 5 And Pharaoh said, “Look, the people of the land are (BA)many now, and you make them rest from their labor!”
6 So the same day Pharaoh commanded the (BB)taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, 7 “You shall no longer give the people straw to make (BC)brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. 8 And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ 9 Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.”
10 And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, “Thus says Pharaoh: ‘I will not give you straw. 11 Go, get yourselves straw where you can find it; yet none of your work will be reduced.’ ” 12 So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. 13 And the taskmasters forced them to hurry, saying, “Fulfill your work, your daily quota, as when there was straw.” 14 Also the (BD)officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were (BE)beaten and were asked, “Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as before?”
15 Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, “Why are you dealing thus with your servants? 16 There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, ‘Make brick!’ And indeed your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people.”
17 But he said, “You are idle! Idle! Therefore you say, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’ 18 Therefore go now and work; for no straw shall be given you, yet you shall deliver the quota of bricks.” 19 And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble after it was said, “You shall not reduce any bricks from your daily quota.”
20 Then, as they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who stood there to meet them. 21 (BF)And they said to them, “Let the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made [g]us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.”
Israel’s Deliverance Assured(BG)
22 So Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.”
God Renews His Promise to Israel
6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For (BH)with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand (BI)he will drive them out of his land.”
2 And God spoke to Moses and said to him: “I am [h]the Lord. 3 (BJ)I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as (BK)God Almighty, but by My name (BL)Lord[i] I was not known to them. 4 (BM)I have also [j]established My covenant with them, (BN)to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their [k]pilgrimage, (BO)in which they were [l]strangers. 5 And (BP)I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. 6 Therefore say to the children of Israel: (BQ)‘I am the Lord; (BR)I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will (BS)rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with [m]an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 7 I will (BT)take you as My people, and (BU)I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out (BV)from under the burdens of the Egyptians. 8 And I will bring you into the land which I (BW)swore[n] to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the Lord.’ ” 9 So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; (BX)but they did not heed Moses, because of (BY)anguish[o] of spirit and cruel bondage.
10 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 11 “Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go out of his land.”
12 And Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, “The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for (BZ)I am [p]of uncircumcised lips?”
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
- Exodus 5:1 keep a pilgrim-feast
- Exodus 5:21 Lit. our scent to stink before
- Exodus 6:2 Heb. YHWH
- Exodus 6:3 Heb. YHWH, traditionally Jehovah
- Exodus 6:4 made or ratified
- Exodus 6:4 sojournings
- Exodus 6:4 sojourners, temporary residents
- Exodus 6:6 Mighty power
- Exodus 6:8 promised, lit. lifted up My hand
- Exodus 6:9 Lit. shortness
- Exodus 6:12 One who does not speak well
Chinese New Version (CNV). Copyright © 1976, 1992, 1999, 2001, 2005 by Worldwide Bible Society.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
