Exodus 4:18-28
English Standard Version
Moses Returns to Egypt
18 Moses went back to (A)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 (B)all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” 20 So Moses took (C)his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took (D)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 (E)miracles that I have put in your power. But (F)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, (G)Israel is my (H)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 (I)will kill your firstborn son.’”
24 At a lodging place on the way (J)the Lord met him and (K)sought to put him to death. 25 Then (L)Zipporah took a (M)flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses'[a] 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 (N)to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the (O)mountain of God and kissed him. 28 And Moses (P)told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him to speak, and all (Q)the signs that he had commanded him to do.
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- Exodus 4:25 Hebrew his
Exodus 4:18-28
New American Standard Bible
18 Then Moses departed and returned to (A)his father-in-law [a]Jethro, and said to him, “Please, let me go, that I may return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go [b]back to Egypt, for (B)all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” 20 So Moses took his wife and his (C)sons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the (D)staff of God in his hand.
21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go [c]back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all (E)the wonders which I have put in your [d]power; but (F)I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: “(G)Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23 So I said to you, ‘(H)Let My son go so that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, (I)I am going to kill your son, your firstborn.”’”
24 But it came about at the overnight encampment on the way, that the Lord met [e]Moses, and (J)sought to put him to death. 25 So Zipporah took (K)a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and [f]threw it at Moses’ feet; and she said, “You are indeed a groom of blood to me!” 26 So He left him alone. At that time she said, “You are a groom of blood”—[g]because of the circumcision.
27 (L)Now the Lord said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met him at the (M)mountain of God and kissed him. 28 (N)Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which He had sent him, and (O)all the signs that He had commanded him to do.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Exodus 4:18 Heb Jether
- Exodus 4:19 Lit return
- Exodus 4:21 Lit to return
- Exodus 4:21 Lit hand
- Exodus 4:24 Lit him
- Exodus 4:25 Lit made it touch at his feet
- Exodus 4:26 Lit with reference to
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
