1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. 2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod. 3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. 4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: 5 That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.

6 And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. 7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh. 8 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign. 9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.

10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. 11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. 13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. 14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. 15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. 16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. 17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.

18 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace. 19 And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life. 20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt: and Moses took the rod of God in his hand. 21 And the LORD said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. 22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn: 23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.

24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.

27 And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.

29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel: 30 And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

1 Toe antwoord Moses en sê: Maar as hulle my nie glo en na my stem nie luister nie, maar sê: Die HERE het nie aan jou verskyn nie?

2 Daarop vra die HERE vir hom: Wat is daar in jou hand? En hy antwoord: 'n Staf.

3 En Hy sê: Gooi dit op die grond. Toe gooi hy dit op die grond, en dit het 'n slang geword; en Moses het daarvoor gevlug.

4 Toe sê die HERE vir Moses: Steek jou hand uit en gryp dit aan die stert. Hierop het hy sy hand uitgesteek en dit gegryp, en dit het 'n staf in sy hand geword --

5 sodat hulle kan glo dat die HERE, die God van hulle vaders, die God van Abraham, die God van Isak en die God van Jakob, aan jou verskyn het.

6 En die HERE het verder vir hom gesê: Steek tog jou hand in jou boesem. En hy het sy hand in sy boesem gesteek; en toe hy dit uittrek, was sy hand melaats, soos sneeu!

7 En Hy sê: Steek jou hand weer in jou boesem. En hy het sy hand weer in sy boesem gesteek; en toe hy dit uit sy boesem uittrek, was dit weer soos sy ander vlees!

8 En as hulle jou nie glo en aan die eerste teken geen gehoor gee nie, dan sal hulle die laaste teken glo.

9 En as hulle ook hierdie twee tekens nie glo en na jou stem nie luister nie, neem dan van die Nyl se water en giet dit op die droë grond uit; dan sal die water wat jy uit die Nyl neem, op die droë grond bloed word.

10 Toe sê Moses aan die HERE: Ag, Here, ek is nie 'n man van woorde nie -- van gister of van eergister of vandat U met u kneg gespreek het nie; want ek is swaar van mond en swaar van tong.

11 En die HERE antwoord hom: Wie het vir die mens die mond gemaak, of wie maak stom of doof, of siende of blind? Is dit nie Ek, die HERE, nie?

12 Gaan dan nou heen, en Ek sal met jou mond wees en jou leer wat jy moet sê.

13 Maar hy sê: Ag, Here, stuur tog deur wie U wil stuur.

14 Toe ontvlam die toorn van die HERE teen Moses, en Hy sê: Is jou broer A„ron, die Leviet, nie daar nie? Ek weet dat hy goed kan praat. En hy gaan ook al uit om jou te ontmoet, en as hy jou sien, sal hy bly wees in sy hart.

15 Jy moet dan met hom spreek en die woorde in sy mond lê. En k sal met jou mond en sy mond wees en julle leer wat julle moet doen.

16 En hy moet vir jou met die volk spreek, en dan sal hy vir jou 'n mond wees en jy vir hom 'n god wees.

17 Neem dan hierdie staf in jou hand waarmee jy die tekens moet doen.

18 Toe gaan Moses weg en kom by sy skoonvader Jetro terug, en hy sê vir hom: Laat my tog trek en na my broers teruggaan wat in Egipte is, om te sien of hulle nog lewe. En Jetro sê vir Moses: Gaan in vrede.

19 Ook het die HERE vir Moses in M¡dian gesê: Gaan heen, keer terug na Egipte; want al die manne wat jou lewe gesoek het, is dood.

20 Moses neem toe sy vrou en sy seuns en laat hulle op 'n esel ry, terug na Egipteland. Moses het ook die staf van God in sy hand geneem.

21 En die HERE sê vir Moses: Nou dat jy wegtrek om na Egipte terug te gaan, kyk dat jy al die wonders voor Farao doen wat Ek in jou mag gestel het. Maar k sal sy hart verhard, sodat hy die volk nie sal laat trek nie.

22 Dan moet jy vir Farao sê: So spreek die HERE: My eersgebore seun is Israel.

23 Daarom beveel Ek jou: Laat my seun trek, dat hy My kan dien. Maar jy het geweier om hom te laat trek. Kyk, Ek sal jou eersgebore seun laat sterwe.

24 En op die pad in die herberg het die HERE hom teëgekom en wou hom doodmaak.

25 Toe neem Sippora 'n skerp klip en sny die voorhuid van haar seun af en gooi dit voor sy voete en sê: Waarlik, jy is vir my 'n bloedbruidegom!

26 En Hy het hom laat staan. Toe het sy gesê: Bloedbruidegom! -- met die oog op die besnydenis.

27 Die HERE het ook aan A„ron gesê: Loop Moses tegemoet in die woestyn. En hy het geloop en hom by die berg van God aangetref en hom gesoen.

28 Daarop vertel Moses aan A„ron al die woorde van die HERE waarmee Hy hom gestuur het, en al die tekens wat Hy hom beveel het.

29 En Moses en A„ron het vertrek en al die oudstes van die kinders van Israel bymekaar laat kom;

30 en A„ron het al die woorde gespreek wat die HERE aan Moses gesê het, en die tekens gedoen voor die oë van die volk.

31 En die volk het geglo. En toe hulle hoor dat die HERE op die kinders van Israel ag gegee en hulle ellende aangesien het, het hulle in aanbidding neergebuig.