Exodus:4-5

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* 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 . * And the LORD said unto him , What is that in thine hand ? And he said , A rod . * 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 . * 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 : * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 ? * Now therefore go , and I will be with thy mouth , and teach thee what thou shalt say . * And he said , O my Lord , send , I pray thee , by the hand of him whom thou wilt send . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand , wherewith thou shalt do signs . * 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 . * And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian , Go , return into Egypt : for all the men are dead which sought thy life . * 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 . * 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 . * And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh , Thus saith the LORD , Israel is my son , even my firstborn : * 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 . * And it came to pass by the way in the inn , that the LORD met him , and sought to kill him . * 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 . * So he let him go : then she said , A bloody husband thou art , because of the circumcision . * 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 . * And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him , and all the signs which he had commanded him . * And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel : * And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses , and did the signs in the sight of the people . * 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 . * And afterward Moses and Aaron went in , and told Pharaoh , Thus saith the LORD God of Israel , Let my people go , that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness . * And Pharaoh said , Who is the LORD , that I should obey his voice to let Israel go ? I know not the LORD , neither will I let Israel go . * And they said , The God of the Hebrews hath met with us : let us go , we pray thee , three days ' journey into the desert , and sacrifice unto the LORD our God ; lest he fall upon us with pestilence , or with the sword . * And the king of Egypt said unto them , Wherefore do ye , Moses and Aaron , let the people from their works ? get you unto your burdens . * And Pharaoh said , Behold , the people of the land now are many , and ye make them rest from their burdens . * And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people , and their officers , saying , * Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick , as heretofore : let them go and gather straw for themselves . * And the tale of the bricks , which they did make heretofore , ye shall lay upon them ; ye shall not diminish ought thereof : for they be idle ; therefore they cry , saying , Let us go and sacrifice to our God . * Let there more work be laid upon the men , that they may labour therein ; and let them not regard vain words . * And the taskmasters of the people went out , and their officers , and they spake to the people , saying , Thus saith Pharaoh , I will not give you straw . * Go ye , get you straw where ye can find it : yet not ought of your work shall be diminished . * So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw . * And the taskmasters hasted them , saying , Fulfil your works , your daily tasks , as when there was straw . * And the officers of the children of Israel , which Pharaoh 's taskmasters had set over them , were beaten , and demanded , Wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and to day , as heretofore ? * Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh , saying , Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants ? * There is no straw given unto thy servants , and they say to us , Make brick : and , behold , thy servants are beaten ; but the fault is in thine own people . * But he said , Ye are idle , ye are idle : therefore ye say , Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD . * Go therefore now , and work ; for there shall no straw be given you , yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks . * And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case , after it was said , Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task . * And they met Moses and Aaron , who stood in the way , as they came forth from Pharaoh : * And they said unto them , The LORD look upon you , and judge ; because ye have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh , and in the eyes of his servants , to put a sword in their hand to slay us . * And Moses returned unto the LORD , and said , Lord , wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people ? why is it that thou hast sent me ? * For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name , he hath done evil to this people ; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all . * Then the LORD said unto Moses , Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh : for with a strong hand shall he let them go , and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land .

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