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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
Egzòd 4
Haitian Creole Version
Egzòd 4
Haitian Creole Version
4 ¶ Moyiz reponn li: -Men, moun yo ka refize kwè m', yo ka pa koute sa m' gen pou m' di yo a. Yo ka di m' se pa vre, Seyè a pa t' kras parèt devan mwen.
2 Seyè a mande l': -Kisa ou gen nan men ou la a? Moyiz reponn li: -Yon baton.
3 Seyè a di l': -Jete l' atè. Moyiz jete baton an atè. Baton an tounen yon koulèv. Lè Moyiz wè sa, li pran kouri.
4 Seyè a di Moyiz: -Lonje men ou, bese pran koulèv la nan ke. Moyiz lonje men l', li pran koulèv la nan ke. Lamenm, koulèv la tounen baton ankò nan men Moyiz.
5 Seyè a di: -Men sa w'a fè pou yo ka kwè Seyè a, Bondye zansèt yo, Bondye Abraram lan, Bondye Izarak la, Bondye Jakòb la, te parèt devan ou.
6 Seyè a di l' ankò: -Foure men ou anndan chemiz ou, sou lestonmak ou. Moyiz foure men li anndan chemiz li, sou lestonmak li. Lè li wete men l', men l' te vin tou blan ak bouton. Li te kouvri ak lalèp.
7 Seyè a di l': -Foure men ou anndan chemiz ou ankò, sou lestonmak ou. Moyiz foure men li anndan chemiz li ankò. Lè li wete l', men li te menm koulè ak rès kò li.
8 Seyè a di Moyiz: -Si apre ou fin fè premye mirak la, ou wè yo pa vle kwè ou, yo pa vle koute ou, y'a kwè ou lè w'a fè dezyèm mirak sa a.
9 Si apre ou fè de mirak sa yo, y'ap fè tèt di toujou, yo pa vle kwè ou toujou, yo pa vle koute sa w'ap di yo, w'a pran ti gout dlo nan gwo larivyè a, w'a vide l' atè. Lamenm, dlo a va tounen san.
10 ¶ Moyiz di Seyè a: -Eskize m' wi, Seyè. Men, mwen pa ka pale fasil. Se pa bagay jòdi a non. Menm koulye a, depi w'ap pale ak sèvitè ou la, anyen pa chanje. Bouch mwen lou, lang mwen mare.
11 Seyè a di l': -Kilès ki bay moun bouch pou yo pale? Kilès ki fè moun sa a bèbè, moun sa a soudè? Kilès ki fè moun sa a wè, moun sa a avèg? Eske se pa mwen menm, Seyè a?
12 Bon, ou mèt ale. m'a ede ou lè ou gen pou ou pale, m'a moutre ou sa ou gen pou di.
13 Moyiz di: -Eskize m' wi, Seyè! Men, poukisa ou pa voye yon lòt moun pito?
14 Lè sa a, Seyè a move sou Moyiz, li di l' konsa: -Gen Arawon, frè ou la, ki soti nan branch fanmi Levi a. Mwen konnen lang msye pa mare nan bouch li. Men koulye a, li gen tan nan wout ap vin jwenn ou. L'a kontan anpil lè l'a wè ou.
15 W'a pale avè l', w'a di l' sa pou l' di. m'a ede nou tou de lè n'a gen pou nou pale. m'a di nou sa pou nou fè.
16 L'a pale ak pèp la pou ou. Se tankou si se te ou menm ki t'ap pale. Ou menm, w'a tankou Bondye k'ap di li sa pou li di.
17 Kanta baton sa a, toujou kenbe l' nan men ou. Se avèk li w'a fè tout mirak ou gen pou fè yo.
18 ¶ Moyiz kite kote l' te ye a, li tounen lakay Jetwo, bòpè li. Li di li: -Tanpri, kite m' ale. Mwen pral jwenn frè mwen yo nan pèyi Lejip. Mwen pral wè si yo la toujou. Jetwo di Moyiz: -Ale ak kè poze.
19 Antan Moyiz nan peyi Madyan, Seyè a di l': -Koulye a, tounen nan peyi Lejip, paske tout moun ki t'ap chache touye ou yo fin mouri.
20 Moyiz pran madanm li ak pitit gason l' yo, li mete yo sou bourik, epi li tounen nan peyi Lejip. Moyiz te gen baton Bondye a nan men l'.
21 Seyè a di Moyiz konsa: -Koulye a, ou wè w'ap tounen nan peyi Lejip. Gade byen. Se pou ou fè devan farawon an tout mirak mwen ba ou pouvwa fè yo. Mwen menm, m'ap fè l' kenbe tèt avèk ou, li p'ap vle kite pèp la ale.
22 W'a di farawon an: Men sa Seyè a di: Izrayèl se pitit mwen, se premye pitit mwen.
23 Mwen di ou kite pitit mwen an ale fè wout li pou l' ka fè yon sèvis pou mwen. Si ou refize kite l' ale, mwen menm m'ap touye premye pitit gason ou lan.
24 ¶ Pandan vwayaj la, Moyiz rete pase lannwit yon kote. Seyè a vin atake Moyiz. Li t'ap chache touye l'.
25 Sefora pran yon moso ròch byen file, li koupe pwent po ti kòk pitit gason l' lan, li voye l' jete nan pye Moyiz. Epi li di: -Se yon mari san ou ye pou mwen.
26 Apre sa, Seyè a kite Moyiz. Lè sa a, se poutèt sikonsizyon an Sefora te di ou se yon mari san pou mwen.
27 Seyè a di Arawon: -Ale kontre Moyiz nan dezè a. Arawon pati, li kontre Moyiz sou mòn Bondye a. Li pase bra l' nan kou l'.
28 Moyiz di Arawon tou sa Seyè a te di l' anvan li te voye l' la. Li fè l' konnen tout mirak Seyè a te ba li lòd fè.
29 Moyiz ak Arawon pati ansanm, yo sanble tout chèf fanmi pèp Izrayèl la.
30 Arawon di yo tou sa Seyè a te di Moyiz. Moyiz menm fè tout mirak yo devan tout pèp la.
31 Pèp la vin kwè yo. Lè yo tande Seyè a te vin vizite yo, li te wè mizè y'ap pase a, yo tonbe ajenou, yo bese tèt yo jouk atè pou adore Bondye.
Exodus 4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Exodus 4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Chapter 4
1 “But,” objected Moses, “suppose they do not believe me or listen to me? For they may say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’” 2 The Lord said to him: What is in your hand? “A staff,” he answered. 3 God said: Throw it on the ground. So he threw it on the ground and it became a snake,(A) and Moses backed away from it. 4 Then the Lord said to Moses: Now stretch out your hand and take hold of its tail. So he stretched out his hand and took hold of it, and it became a staff in his hand. 5 That is so they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, did appear to you.
6 Again the Lord said to him: Put your hand into the fold of your garment. So he put his hand into the fold of his garment, and when he drew it out, there was his hand covered with scales, like snowflakes. 7 Then God said: Put your hand back into the fold of your garment. So he put his hand back into the fold of his garment, and when he drew it out, there it was again like his own flesh. 8 If they do not believe you or pay attention to the message of the first sign, they should believe the message of the second sign. 9 And if they do not believe even these two signs and do not listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry land. The water you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry land.(B)
Aaron’s Office as Assistant. 10 Moses, however, said to the Lord, “If you please, my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and tongue.”(C) 11 The Lord said to him: Who gives one person speech? Who makes another mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now go, I will assist you in speaking[a] and teach you what you are to say. 13 But he said, “If you please, my Lord, send someone else!”[b] 14 Then the Lord became angry with Moses and said: I know there is your brother, Aaron the Levite, who is a good speaker; even now he is on his way to meet you. When he sees you, he will truly be glad. 15 You will speak to him and put the words in his mouth. I will assist both you and him in speaking and teach you both what you are to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you: he will be your spokesman,[c] and you will be as God to him.(D) 17 Take this staff[d] in your hand; with it you are to perform the signs.
Moses’ Return to Egypt. 18 After this Moses returned to Jethro[e] his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my kindred in Egypt, to see whether they are still living.” Jethro replied to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 Then the Lord said to Moses in Midian: Return to Egypt, for all those who sought your life are dead. 20 So Moses took his wife and his sons, mounted them on the donkey, and started back to the land of Egypt. Moses took the staff of God with him. 21 The Lord said to Moses: On your return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart[f] and he will not let the people go. 22 (E)So you will say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord: Israel is my son, my firstborn. 23 I said to you: Let my son go, that he may serve me. Since you refused to let him go, I will kill your son, your firstborn.(F)
24 [g]On the journey, at a place where they spent the night, the Lord came upon Moses and sought to put him to death. 25 (G)But Zipporah took a piece of flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and, touching his feet,[h] she said, “Surely you are a spouse of blood to me.” 26 So God let Moses alone. At that time she said, “A spouse of blood,” in regard to the circumcision.
27 The Lord said to Aaron: Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. So he went; when meeting him at the mountain of God, he kissed him. 28 Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and all the signs he had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered all the elders of the Israelites. 30 Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses, and he performed the signs before the people. 31 The people believed, and when they heard that the Lord had observed the Israelites and had seen their affliction,[i] they knelt and bowed down.
Footnotes
- 4:12 Assist you in speaking: lit., “be with your mouth”; cf. v. 15, lit., “be with your mouth and with his mouth.”
- 4:13 Send someone else: lit., “send by means of him whom you will send,” that is, “send whom you will.”
- 4:16 Spokesman: lit., “mouth”; Aaron was to serve as a mouthpiece for Moses, as a prophet does for God; hence the relation between Moses and Aaron is compared to that between God and his prophet: Moses “will be as God to,” i.e., lit., “will become God for him.” Cf. 7:1.
- 4:17 This staff: probably the same as that of vv. 2–4; but some understand that a new staff is now given by God to Moses.
- 4:18 Jethro: the Hebrew text has “Jether,” apparently a variant form of “Jethro” found in the same verse. To see whether they are still living: Moses did not tell his father-in-law his main reason for returning to Egypt.
- 4:21 Harden his heart: in the biblical view, the heart, whose actual function in the circulation of blood was unknown, typically performs functions associated today more with the brain than with the emotions. Therefore, while it may be used in connection with various emotional states ranging from joy to sadness, it very commonly designates the seat of intellectual and volitional activities. For God to harden Pharaoh’s heart is to harden his resolve against the Israelites’ desire to leave. In the ancient world, actions which are out of character are routinely attributed not to the person but to some “outside” superhuman power acting upon the person (Jgs 14:16; 1 Sm 16:10). Uncharacteristically negative actions or states are explained in the same way (1 Sm 16:14). In this instance, the opposition of Pharaoh, in the face of God’s displays of power, would be unintelligible to the ancient Israelites unless he is seen as under some divine constraint. But this does not diminish Pharaoh’s own responsibility. In the anthropology of the ancient Israelites there is no opposition between individual responsibility and God’s sovereignty over all of creation. Cf. Rom 9:17–18.
- 4:24–26 This story continues to perplex commentators and may have circulated in various forms before finding its place here in Exodus. Particularly troublesome is the unique phrase “spouse of blood.” Nevertheless, v. 26, which apparently comes from the hand of a later commentator on the original story, is intended to offer some clarification. It asserts that when Zipporah used the problematic expression (addressing it either to Moses or her son), she did so with reference to the circumcision performed on her son—the only place in the Bible where this rite is performed by a woman. Whatever the precise meaning of the phrase “spouse of blood,” circumcision is the key to understanding it as well as the entire incident. One may conclude, therefore, that God was angry with Moses for having failed to keep the divine command given to Abraham in Gn 17:10–12 and circumcise his son. Moses’ life is spared when his wife circumcises their son.
- 4:25 Touching his feet: a euphemism most probably for the male sexual organ (see 2 Kgs 18:27; Is 7:20); whether the genitals of the child (after Zipporah circumcised him) or of Moses (after the circumcision of his son) is not clear.
- 4:31 Observed…their affliction: the same phrases used in God’s dialogue with Moses in 3:16–17.
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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