Exodus 4:10-17

New King James Version

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

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

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

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

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Footnotes

Exodus 4:10 heavy or dull of tongue; cannot talk very well

שמות 4:10-17

The Westminster Leningrad Codex

¹⁰וַיֹּ֨אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֣ה אֶל־יְהוָה֮ בִּ֣י אֲדֹנָי֒ לֹא֩ אִ֨ישׁ דְּבָרִ֜ים אָנֹ֗כִי גַּ֤ם מִתְּמוֹל֙ גַּ֣ם מִשִּׁלְשֹׁ֔ם גַּ֛ם מֵאָ֥ז דַּבֶּרְךָ אֶל־עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֧י כְבַד־פֶּ֛ה וּכְבַ֥ד לָשׁ֖וֹן אָנֹֽכִי׃

¹¹וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֵלָ֗יו מִ֣י שָׂ֣ם פֶּה֮ לָֽאָדָם֒ א֚וֹ מִֽי־יָשׂ֣וּם אִלֵּ֔ם א֣וֹ חֵרֵ֔שׁ א֥וֹ פִקֵּ֖חַ א֣וֹ עִוֵּ֑ר הֲלֹ֥א אָנֹכִ֖י יְהוָֽה׃

¹²וְעַתָּ֖ה לֵ֑ךְ וְאָנֹכִי֙ אֶֽהְיֶ֣ה עִם־פִּ֔יךָ וְהוֹרֵיתִ֖יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּדַבֵּֽר׃

¹³וַיֹּ֖אמֶר בִּ֣י אֲדֹנָ֑י שְֽׁלַֽח־נָ֖א בְּיַד־תִּשְׁלָֽח׃

¹⁴וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֨ף יְהוָ֜ה בְּמֹשֶׁ֗ה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הֲלֹ֨א אַהֲרֹ֤ן אָחִ֙יךָ֙ הַלֵּוִ֔י יָדַ֕עְתִּי כִּֽי־דַבֵּ֥ר יְדַבֵּ֖ר ה֑וּא וְגַ֤ם הִנֵּה־הוּא֙ יֹצֵ֣א לִקְרָאתֶ֔ךָ וְרָאֲךָ֖ וְשָׂמַ֥ח בְּלִבּֽוֹ׃

¹⁵וְדִבַּרְתָּ֣ אֵלָ֔יו וְשַׂמְתָּ֥ אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים בְּפִ֑יו וְאָנֹכִ֗י אֶֽהְיֶ֤ה עִם־פִּ֙יךָ֙ וְעִם־פִּ֔יהוּ וְהוֹרֵיתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֔ם אֵ֖ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעֲשֽׂוּן׃

¹⁶וְדִבֶּר־ה֥וּא לְךָ֖ אֶל־הָעָ֑ם וְהָ֤יָה הוּא֙ יִֽהְיֶה־לְּךָ֣ לְפֶ֔ה וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּֽהְיֶה־לּ֥וֹ לֵֽאלֹהִֽים׃

¹⁷וְאֶת־הַמַּטֶּ֥ה הַזֶּ֖ה תִּקַּ֣ח בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תַּעֲשֶׂה־בּ֖וֹ אֶת־הָאֹתֹֽת׃ פ

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Exodus 4:10-17

Young's Literal Translation

¹⁰And Moses saith unto Jehovah, `O, my Lord, I [am] not a man of words, either yesterday, or before, or since Thy speaking unto Thy servant, for I [am] slow of mouth, and slow of tongue.'

¹¹And Jehovah saith unto him, `Who appointed a mouth for man? or who appointeth the dumb, or deaf, or open, or blind? is it not I, Jehovah?

¹²and now, go, and I -- I am with thy mouth, and have directed thee that which thou speakest;'

¹³and he saith, `O, my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand Thou dost send.'

¹⁴And the anger of Jehovah burneth against Moses, and He saith, `Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I have known that he speaketh well, and also, lo, he is coming out to meet thee; when he hath seen thee, then he hath rejoiced in his heart,

¹⁵and thou hast spoken unto him, and hast set the words in his mouth, and I -- I am with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and have directed you that which ye do;

¹⁶and he, he hath spoken for thee unto the people, and it hath come to pass, he -- he is to thee for a mouth, and thou -- thou art to him for God;

¹⁷and this rod thou dost take in thy hand, with which thou doest the signs.'

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Exodus 4:10-17

New American Standard Bible

¹⁰Then Moses said to the Lord, “Please, Lord, ^(A)I have never been ^[a]eloquent, neither ^[b]recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am ^[c]slow of speech and ^[d]slow of tongue.” ¹¹But the Lord said to him, “Who has made the human mouth? Or ^(B)who makes anyone unable to speak or deaf, or able to see or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? ¹²Now then go, and ^(C)I Myself will be with your mouth, and ^(D)instruct you in what you are to say.” ¹³But he said, “Please, Lord, now send the message by ^[e]whomever You will.”

Aaron to Be Moses’ Mouthpiece

¹⁴Then the anger of the Lord burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that ^[f]he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, ^(E)he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be ^[g]overjoyed. ¹⁵So you are to speak to him and ^(F)put the words in his mouth; and I Myself will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will instruct you in what you are to do. ¹⁶^(G)He shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him. ¹⁷And you shall take in your hand ^(H)this staff, ^(I)with which you shall perform the signs.”