* - denotes footnote
Exodus 4
10 But Moses pleaded with the LORD, "O Lord, I'm not very good with words. I never have been, and I'm not now, even though you have spoken to me. I get tongue-tied, and my words get tangled."
11 Then the LORD asked Moses, "Who makes a person's mouth? Who decides whether people speak or do not speak, hear or do not hear, see or do not see? Is it not I, the LORD?12 Now go! I will be with you as you speak, and I will instruct you in what to say."
13 But Moses again pleaded, "Lord, please! Send anyone else."
14 Then the LORD became angry with Moses. "All right," he said. "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. And look! He is on his way to meet you now. He will be delighted to see you.15 Talk to him, and put the words in his mouth. I will be with both of you as you speak, and I will instruct you both in what to do.16 Aaron will be your spokesman to the people. He will be your mouthpiece, and you will stand in the place of God for him, telling him what to say.17 And take your shepherd's staff with you, and use it to perform the miraculous signs I have shown you."
Moses Returns to Egypt
18 So Moses went back home to Jethro, his father-in-law. "Please let me return to my relatives in Egypt," Moses said. "I don't even know if they are still alive."
"Go in peace," Jethro replied.
19 Before Moses left Midian, the LORD said to him, "Return to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you have died."
20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to the land of Egypt. In his hand he carried the staff of God.
21 And the LORD told Moses, "When you arrive back in Egypt, go to Pharaoh and perform all the miracles I have empowered you to do. But I will harden his heart so he will refuse to let the people go.22 Then you will tell him, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son.23 I commanded you, "Let my son go, so he can worship me." But since you have refused, I will now kill your firstborn son!'"
24 On the way to Egypt, at a place where Moses and his family had stopped for the night, the LORD confronted him and was about to kill him.25 But Moses' wife, Zipporah, took a flint knife and circumcised her son. She touched his feet* with the foreskin and said, "Now you are a bridegroom of blood to me."26 (When she said "a bridegroom of blood," she was referring to the circumcision.) After that, the LORD left him alone.
27 Now the LORD had said to Aaron, "Go out into the wilderness to meet Moses." So Aaron went and met Moses at the mountain of God, and he embraced him.28 Moses then told Aaron everything the LORD had commanded him to say. And he told him about the miraculous signs the LORD had commanded him to perform.
29 Then Moses and Aaron returned to Egypt and called all the elders of Israel together.30 Aaron told them everything the LORD had told Moses, and Moses performed the miraculous signs as they watched.31 Then the people of Israel were convinced that the LORD had sent Moses and Aaron. When they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.
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