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Exodus 4
English Standard Version
Exodus 4
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.
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
Esodo 4
Conferenza Episcopale Italiana
Esodo 4
Conferenza Episcopale Italiana
Potere taumaturgico concesso a Mosè
4 Mosè rispose: «Ecco, non mi crederanno, non ascolteranno la mia voce, ma diranno: Non ti è apparso il Signore!». 2 Il Signore gli disse: «Che hai in mano?». Rispose: «Un bastone». 3 Riprese: «Gettalo a terra!». Lo gettò a terra e il bastone diventò un serpente, davanti al quale Mosè si mise a fuggire. 4 Il Signore disse a Mosè: «Stendi la mano e prendilo per la coda!». Stese la mano, lo prese e diventò di nuovo un bastone nella sua mano. 5 «Questo perché credano che ti è apparso il Signore, il Dio dei loro padri, il Dio di Abramo, il Dio di Isacco, il Dio di Giacobbe». 6 Il Signore gli disse ancora: «Introduci la mano nel seno!». Egli si mise in seno la mano e poi la ritirò: ecco la sua mano era diventata lebbrosa, bianca come la neve. 7 Egli disse: «Rimetti la mano nel seno!». Rimise in seno la mano e la tirò fuori: ecco era tornata come il resto della sua carne. 8 «Dunque se non ti credono e non ascoltano la voce del primo segno, crederanno alla voce del secondo! 9 Se non credono neppure a questi due segni e non ascolteranno la tua voce, allora prenderai acqua del Nilo e la verserai sulla terra asciutta: l'acqua che avrai presa dal Nilo diventerà sangue sulla terra asciutta».
Aronne interprete di Mosè
10 Mosè disse al Signore: «Mio Signore, io non sono un buon parlatore; non lo sono mai stato prima e neppure da quando tu hai cominciato a parlare al tuo servo, ma sono impacciato di bocca e di lingua». 11 Il Signore gli disse: «Chi ha dato una bocca all'uomo o chi lo rende muto o sordo, veggente o cieco? Non sono forse io, il Signore? 12 Ora và! Io sarò con la tua bocca e ti insegnerò quello che dovrai dire». 13 Mosè disse: «Perdonami, Signore mio, manda chi vuoi mandare!». 14 Allora la collera del Signore si accese contro Mosè e gli disse: «Non vi è forse il tuo fratello Aronne, il levita? Io so che lui sa parlar bene. Anzi sta venendoti incontro. Ti vedrà e gioirà in cuor suo. 15 Tu gli parlerai e metterai sulla sua bocca le parole da dire e io sarò con te e con lui mentre parlate e vi suggerirò quello che dovrete fare. 16 Parlerà lui al popolo per te: allora egli sarà per te come bocca e tu farai per lui le veci di Dio. 17 Terrai in mano questo bastone, con il quale tu compirai i prodigi».
Ritorno di Mosè in Egitto. Partenza da Madian
18 Mosè partì, tornò da Ietro suo suocero e gli disse: «Lascia che io parta e torni dai miei fratelli che sono in Egitto, per vedere se sono ancora vivi!». Ietro disse a Mosè: «Và pure in pace!». 19 Il Signore disse a Mosè in Madian: «Và, torna in Egitto, perché sono morti quanti insidiavano la tua vita!». 20 Mosè prese la moglie e i figli, li fece salire sull'asino e tornò nel paese di Egitto. Mosè prese in mano anche il bastone di Dio.
21 Il Signore disse a Mosè: «Mentre tu parti per tornare in Egitto, sappi che tu compirai alla presenza del faraone tutti i prodigi che ti ho messi in mano; ma io indurirò il suo cuore ed egli non lascerà partire il mio popolo. 22 Allora tu dirai al faraone: Dice il Signore: Israele è il mio figlio primogenito. 23 Io ti avevo detto: lascia partire il mio figlio perché mi serva! Ma tu hai rifiutato di lasciarlo partire. Ecco io faccio morire il tuo figlio primogenito!».
Circoncisione del figlio di Mosè
24 Mentre si trovava in viaggio, nel luogo dove pernottava, il Signore gli venne contro e cercò di farlo morire. 25 Allora Zippora prese una selce tagliente, recise il prepuzio del figlio e con quello gli toccò i piedi e disse: «Tu sei per me uno sposo di sangue». 26 Allora si ritirò da lui. Essa aveva detto sposo di sangue a causa della circoncisione.
Incontro con Aronne
27 Il Signore disse ad Aronne: «Và incontro a Mosè nel deserto!». Andò e lo incontrò al monte di Dio e lo baciò. 28 Mosè riferì ad Aronne tutte le parole con le quali il Signore lo aveva inviato e tutti i segni con i quali l'aveva accreditato.
29 Mosè e Aronne andarono e adunarono tutti gli anziani degli Israeliti. 30 Aronne parlò al popolo, riferendo tutte le parole che il Signore aveva dette a Mosè, e compì i segni davanti agli occhi del popolo. 31 Allora il popolo credette. Essi intesero che il Signore aveva visitato gli Israeliti e che aveva visto la loro afflizione; si inginocchiarono e si prostrarono.
Exodus 4
New International Version
Exodus 4
New International Version
Signs for Moses
4 Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen(A) to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”
2 Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”
“A staff,”(B) he replied.
3 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. 4 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. 5 “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.”
6 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)
7 “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.
8 Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe(G) you or pay attention to the first sign,(H) they may believe the second. 9 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
- Exodus 4:6 The Hebrew word for leprous was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
- Exodus 4:24 Hebrew him
- Exodus 4:25 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
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New International Version (NIV) 
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