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The Exodus
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Chapter 4

1 Then Moses asked: ‘But, what if they don’t listen to me and do what I tell them to do? Or, what if they say, God hasn’t appeared to you… what should I say then?’
2 And the Lord asked him: ‘What do you have in your hand?’ And he replied: ‘My walking stick.’
3 Then [the Lord] said: ‘Throw it on the ground.’ Well, when he threw it on the ground it became a snake, and Moses ran from it.
4 Then the Lord told Moses: ‘Now, reach out and grab it by the tail.’ So [Moses] reached out and grabbed it by the tail, 5 and it became a walking stick in his hand once again. [And God continued]: ‘That’s why they will believe you when you say that the God of your ancestors has appeared to you… the God of AbraHam, and of IsaAc, and of Jacob.’
6 Then the Lord told him: ‘Now, put your hand inside [your robe and touch] your chest.’ So he reached inside and touched his chest; and when he brought his hand out, it was [as white] as snow. 7 Then [the Lord] said: ‘Now, put your hand back in and touch your chest once more.’ So he reached in and touched his chest, and when he brought it out, its color returned to the regular shade of his flesh.
8 [And the Lord said]: ‘So, if the first sign doesn’t make them listen and believe you, the second sign will. 9 But if they still won’t listen to you or believe after these two signs, then draw some water from the river and pour it out on the dry ground… and the river water will turn into blood.’
10 Then Moses said to the Lord: ‘I beg you Lord; I’ve not been good at this in the past, and I’ve not become any better at it since You’ve started talking to your servant… I’m a poor speaker and I talk slowly!’
11 And the Lord asked Moses: ‘Who gave man his mouth? Who made both those who can hear and the deaf, and those who can see and the blind? Wasn’t it Me… God? 12 Now, go on, and I will open your mouth and tell you what to say!’
13 But Moses continued: ‘I beg you Lord, send someone who is more capable!’
14 Well, this made the Lord very angry with Moses, so He said: ‘Look; isn’t Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he’ll speak for you… look, he’s coming to meet you, and when he sees you, he’ll be jumping for joy. 15 Then you must talk to him and put My words into his mouth, and I’ll open both of your mouths and tell you what to say. 16 Let him speak to the people for you… he’ll serve as your mouth and you will be the things of God to him. 17 So now, take this walking stick that turned into a snake in your hands and work miracles with it!’
18 Well thereafter, Moses returned to His Excellence (his father-in-law), and said: ‘I’m going to visit my brother in Egypt, to see if he’s still living.’
And His Excellence said to Moses: ‘Go in health.’
Well, after some time, the king of Egypt (possibly Seqenenre Tao II) died. 19 And the Lord said to Moses (while he was still in Midian): ‘Now go… leave for Egypt, because those who wanted to kill you are dead.’
20 So Moses took his wife and children, mounted them on his animals, and returned to Egypt. Moses also carried along his walking stick [through which he had received power] from God.
21 And the Lord said to Moses: ‘When you return to Egypt, consider at all the miracles that I’ve given you, then you must perform these things before Pharaoh. However, I will make him hard-hearted and he will still refuse to send the people away. 22 Then you must tell Pharaoh, This is what Jehovah has said: IsraEl is My firstborn, 23 and I’ve told you to send My people away so they can serve Me; therefore, if you won’t send them away, {Look!} I will destroy all your firstborn!’
24 Well, [during their journey], a messenger of Jehovah met them along the way at an inn, who wanted to kill [Moses’ son]. 25 But SepPhoran grabbed a [sharp] stone and cut off her son’s foreskin. Then she fell at his feet and said: ‘See… the blood of my son’s circumcision is flowing!’ 26 So because she said, ‘The blood of my son’s circumcision is flowing,’ he left.
27 Then the Lord told Aaron: ‘Go into the desert to meet Moses.’ So he went and met him at the Mountain of God, and they kissed each other. 28 And thereafter, Moses told Aaron everything that the Lord had said, why he was being sent, and of all the things that he’d been instructed to do.
29 So Moses and Aaron went and gathered the elders of the children of IsraEl, 30 and Aaron told them everything that God had said to Moses; then he performed the miracles before the people… 31 and the people believed and were happy, because God was visiting the children of IsraEl and He had seen how they were being oppressed. Then the people bowed to their faces before him.

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