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Exodus 4 :: Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Exo 4:1Then 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.'"
Exo 4:2The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A rod."
Exo 4:3And he said, "Cast it on the ground." So he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it.
Exo 4:4But the LORD said to Moses, "Put out your hand, and take it by the tail"--so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand--
Exo 4:5"that they may believe 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."
Exo 4:6Again, the LORD said to him, "Put your hand into your bosom." And he put his hand into his bosom; and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.
Exo 4:7Then God said, "Put your hand back into your bosom." So he put his hand back into his bosom; and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh.
Exo 4:8"If they will not believe you," God said, "or heed the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.
Exo 4:9If they will not believe even these two signs or heed your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it upon the dry ground; and the water which you shall take from the Nile will become blood upon the dry ground."
Exo 4:10But Moses said to the LORD, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either heretofore or since thou hast spoken to thy servant; but I am slow of speech and of tongue."
Exo 4:11Then the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?
Exo 4:12Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak."
Exo 4:13But he said, "Oh, my Lord, send, I pray, some other person."

Aaron to Be Moses' Mouthpiece

Exo 4:14Then 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; and behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you he will be glad in his heart.
Exo 4:15And you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do.
Exo 4:16He shall speak for you to the people; and he shall be a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God.
Exo 4:17And you shall take in your hand this rod, with which you shall do the signs."
Exo 4:18Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Let me go back, I pray, to my kinsmen in Egypt and see whether they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."
Exo 4:19And the LORD said to Moses in Mid'ian, "Go back to Egypt; for all the men who were seeking your life are dead."
Exo 4:20So Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on an ass, and went back to the land of Egypt; and in his hand Moses took the rod of God.
Exo 4:21And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles which I have put in your power; but I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
Exo 4:22And you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, Israel is my first-born son,
Exo 4:23and I say to you, "Let my son go that he may serve me"; if you refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay your first-born son.'"
Exo 4:24At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to kill him.
Exo 4:25Then Zippo'rah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin, and touched Moses' feet with it, and said, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!"
Exo 4:26So he let him alone. Then it was that she said, "You are a bridegroom of blood," because of the circumcision.
Exo 4:27The LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." So he went, and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.
Exo 4:28And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which he had sent him, and all the signs which he had charged him to do.
Exo 4:29Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel.
Exo 4:30And Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.
Exo 4:31And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.
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Source: Transcribed from: The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version containing the Old and New Testaments, translated from the original tongues: being the version set forth A.D. 1611, revised A.D. 1881-1885 and A.D. 1901: compared with the most ancient authorities and revised A.D. 1946-52. — 2nd ed. of New Testament A.D. 1971. There should be enough in the rest of the description to identify the text.

Language: English

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Pericope

Pericope taken from the NASB95 and has been graciously provided by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible
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Exodus Chapter 4 — Additional Translations: