Exodus 4:18-28

International Standard Version

Moses Decides to Return to Egypt

¹⁸ Moses left and returned to his father-in-law Jethro. Moses^[a] told him, “Please let me go and return to my own people^[b] in Egypt so I can see whether they’re still alive.”

Jethro told Moses, “Go in peace.”

¹⁹ The Lord told Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, because all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.” ²⁰ So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on donkeys, and headed back to the land of Egypt. Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

²¹ Then the Lord told Moses, “When you set out to return to Egypt, keep in mind^[c] all the wonders that I’ve put in your power,^[d] so that you may do them before Pharaoh. But I’ll harden his heart so that he won’t let the people go. ²² You are to say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Israel is my firstborn son. ²³ And I say to you, ‘Let my son go so he may serve me. If you refuse to let him go, then I will kill your firstborn son.’”’”

Zipporah Circumcises Moses’ Son

²⁴ But later on, at the lodging place along the way, the Lord met Moses^[e] and was about to kill him. ²⁵ Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched Moses’^[f] feet with it, saying while doing so,^[g] “…because you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” ²⁶ Then the Lord^[h] withdrew from him, and she said, “…a bridegroom of blood because of circumcision.”

Moses and Aaron Meet and Return to Egypt

²⁷ The Lord told Aaron, “Go meet Moses in the desert.” So Aaron^[i] went, found^[j] him at the mountain of God, and embraced^[k] him. ²⁸ Moses told Aaron all of the Lord’s messages that he had sent with Moses, and all of the signs that he commanded him to do.^[l]