1 Moses responded, “But look, what if they do not believe me or pay attention to my voice{qol: spoken message}? They will say, ‘The LORD{YHWH, Theophany Initiator} did not appear to you.’”
2 The LORD {YHWH, Discloser of Purposes} said to him, “What are you holding in your hand {yad: instrument of action}?” He answered, “A staff.”
3 And He{YHWH, Miracle Worker} said, “Throw it{hashlikehu: cast forcefully} to the ground.” So he threw it to the ground, and it became a snake; and Moses fled from before it.
4 And the LORD {YHWH, Miracle Worker} said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp {echoz: take hold firmly} it by its tail.” Then he stretched out his hand and seized it, and it became a staff in his palm.
5 So that they may believe {yaaminu: Faith Conviction} that the LORD {YHWH, Divine Self-Revealer}—the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.
6 And the LORD {YHWH, Wonder Worker} said to him again, “Bring now your hand into your bosom.” And when he brought it out, behold, his hand was leprous {metsora’at: skin disease} like snow.
7 And He {YHWH, Miracle Worker} said, “Return your hand to your bosom.” So he returned his hand to his bosom and brought it out from his bosom; and behold, it was restored {shavah: Made Whole Again} like his own flesh.
8 And it shall come to pass, if they do not believe you or heed the sound {kol: commanding signal} of the first sign {ot: miraculous token}, then they shall believe the sound of the final sign.
9 And it will be that if they do not believe {yaaminu: trusting faith} even to these two signs {otot: miraculous proofs}, or do not heed your voice, then you shall take water from the river and pour it out on the dry ground; and the water you take from the river will become blood on the dry ground.
10 And Moses said to the LORD {YHWH, Patient Listener}, “Please, my Lord {Adonai, Sovereign Master}, I am not a man of words {devarim: skilled speech}, neither from yesterday, nor from the day before yesterday, nor even since You spoke to Your servant; for I am slow of mouth {kevad-peh: labored speaking} and slow of tongue.”
11 And the LORD {YHWH, Sovereign Sustainer} said to him, “Who has given a mouth to a human, or who makes one mute {illem: speechless}, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?”
12 And now, go {lekh: begin your commission}, and I {YHWH, Empowering Companion} will be with your mouth, and I will teach {horeiticha: cause you to understand} you what you are to speak.
13 And he said, “Please, Lord {Adonai, Sovereign Master}, send by the hand {yad: divine agency} of whomever You will send.”
14 Then the anger {af: intense fury} of the LORD {YHWH, Righteous Judge} burned against Moses, and He said, “Is not Aaron your brother the Levite? I know that he can speak; moreover, behold, he is coming forth to meet you, and when he sees you, he will rejoice in his heart.”
15 And you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I {Anokhi, Divine Companion} will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach {horeiti: divine instruction} you both what you are to do.
16 And he will speak to the people on your behalf, and he will serve as a mouth {peh: spokesperson} for you, and you will serve as God {elohim, God-given authority} to him.
17 And take this staff {matteh: symbol of authority} in your hand, with which you shall perform the signs {otot: confirming miracles}.
18 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and he said to him, “Let me go, please, and let me return to my brothers who are in Egypt and see whether they are still alive {khayim: physical life}.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace {shalom: wholeness and well-being}.”
19 And the LORD {YHWH, Deliverer} said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt, for all the men seeking your life {nefesh: inner self} have died.”
20 Moses took his wife and his sons and set them upon the donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God {ha’elohim, Divine Authority} in his hand {yad: symbol of agency}.
21 And the LORD {YHWH, Divine Commander} said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders {moftim: miraculous signs} I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.”
22 And you shall say to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Sovereign}, ‘Israel is My son, My firstborn {bekhori: vanguard heir}.’”
23 And you shall say to him, “Send My son so that he may serve Me {yaavdeni: devoted service}, but you refused to send him.” Behold, I {anokhi: emphatic assertion} will kill your son, your firstborn.
24 And it came to pass, on the way at the lodging place, that the LORD {YHWH, Sovereign Intervener} met him and sought {vayevakesh: deliberately pursued} to put him to death.
25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, cut off the foreskin {orlah: covenant sign} of her son, touched it to Moses’ feet, and said, “Indeed, you are a bridegroom of blood {damim: blood relationship} to me.”
26 So He {YHWH, Covenant Enforcer} let him go. Then she said, “A bridegroom of blood {damim: covenantal sign} because of circumcisions.”
27 The LORD {YHWH, Divine Sender} said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met him at the mountain {har: sacred meeting place} of God, and he kissed him.
28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD {YHWH, Covenant Communicator} that He had sent {shelacho: authoritative assignment} him, and all the signs that He had commanded him.
29 Moses and Aaron went and gathered {vayasfu: convened assembly} all the elders {ziknei: senior leaders} of the sons of Israel.
30 And Aaron spoke all the words {devarim: spoken commands} which the LORD {YHWH, Divine Speaker} had spoken to Moses, and he performed the signs before the eyes of the people.
31 And the people believed, and when they heard that the LORD {YHWH, Divine Deliverer} had visited the children of Israel and had seen their affliction {onyam: oppressive hardship}, they bowed down and worshiped.