1Então Moisés disse: “Eles não vão acreditar em mim nem fazer o que lhes disser. Vão dizer-me que o SENHOR nunca me apareceu!”2“Que é isso que tens na mão?”, perguntou-lhe o SENHOR. “Uma vara de pastor.”3“Lança-a ao chão.” Moisés assim fez e a vara tornou-se serpente e ele até fugia dela.4Então o SENHOR tornou a dizer-lhe: “Pega-lhe pela cauda.” E a serpente tornou-se vara de novo.5“Faz isto”, disse-lhe o SENHOR, “e hão de dar-se conta de que o SENHOR, o Deus dos vossos antepassados, Abraão, Isaque e Jacob, te apareceu verdadeiramente.6Agora mete a mão dentro da roupa, junto ao peito.” Ele assim fez e quando tornou a tirá-la estava toda branca de lepra.7Mas ele disse-lhe: “Volta a metê-la no peito.” E desta vez a mão veio de novo sã como antes!8“Se não acreditarem depois do primeiro milagre, hão de crer ao segundo.9E se não te aceitarem depois destes dois sinais, vai ao Nilo buscar água e derrama-a na terra seca. Esta água tornar-se-á em sangue.”10Moisés disse ainda ao SENHOR: “Mas Senhor, eu não sou bom orador, nunca fui, nem mesmo agora depois de me teres falado. Sou de fala presa, tenho a língua pesada.”11“Quem foi que fez o homem falar?”, perguntou-lhe o SENHOR. “Não fui eu, o SENHOR? Não sou eu quem faz as pessoas falarem ou não, ouvirem ou não, verem ou não?12Então vai e faz o que eu te disse, porque te ajudarei a falar como deve ser. Eu próprio te direi o que deves falar.”13“Ó Senhor, peço-te que mandes outra pessoa em vez de mim!”14Desta vez o SENHOR zangou-se: “Pois bem, o teu irmão Aarão, o levita, sabe falar, não é isso? Acontece que ele vem cá ver-te e ficará feliz em estar contigo.15Sendo assim, comunico-te o que lhe hás de dizer e vos ajudarei a dizer o que devem e ensinar-vos-ei o que fazer.16Ele será o teu porta-voz junto do povo. Serás para ele como a voz de Deus, ensinando-lhe o que deve falar.17Não deixes de levar essa tua vara com que hás de realizar os sinais que te indiquei.”
Moisés volta ao Egito
18Moisés voltou para casa e disse ao sogro: “Preciso regressar ao Egito, de ir ter com os meus irmãos e parentes, pois nem sei sequer os que ainda vivem.” Jetro respondeu-lhe: “Vai descansado e em paz!”19Antes de deixar Midiã o SENHOR ainda disse a Moisés: “Não tenhas receio de voltar ao Egito, porque todos os que te queriam matar já morreram.”20Então, com a mulher e os filhos montados em jumentos, partiu para o Egito, segurando na mão a vara de Deus.21“Quando chegares ao Egito vai ter com o Faraó e faz os milagres que te falei.” Disse-lhe mais o SENHOR: “Eu endurecerei o seu coração e não permitirá que o povo saia.22Então lhe dirás: Israel é o meu filho mais velho, diz o SENHOR.23Mandei-te que o deixasses ir para que me adorasse, mas recusaste; por isso, fica sabendo que tirarei a vida ao teu filho mais velho.”24Durante a viagem de Moisés e da sua família, e numa altura em que tiveram de parar de noite para descansar, o SENHOR apareceu a Moisés e ameaçou matá-lo.25-26Então Zípora, sua mulher, pegou numa faca, circuncidou o seu filho e atirou a pele aos pés de Moisés dizendo: “Que marido sangrento te tornaste!” Então o SENHOR deixou de o ameaçar.27Ora o SENHOR tinha dito a Aarão: “Vai ao encontro de Moisés no deserto.” Aarão assim fez e encontrou-se com Moisés em Horebe, no monte de Deus, tendo-se saudado muito afetuosamente.28Moisés disse a Aarão o que o SENHOR os mandara fazer, o que deviam dizer e os milagres que tinham de realizar diante do Faraó.29Regressaram ambos ao Egito e logo convocaram os anciãos do povo de Israel para uma assembleia.30Aarão relatou-lhes tudo o que o SENHOR tinha dito a Moisés, e este realizou os milagres na presença deles.31Os anciãos creram que Deus os tinha enviado. Ao ouvirem que o SENHOR ia intervir a seu favor, porque observara o seu sofrimento e decidira salvá-los, alegraram-se e inclinaram as suas cabeças para adorar Deus.
1Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’”2The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” (Ex 4:17; Ex 4:20)3And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it.4But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand—5“that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” (Ex 3:6; Ex 19:9)6Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.”[1] And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous[2] like snow. (Nm 12:10; 2 Rs 5:27)7Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. (2 Rs 5:14)8“If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.9If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.” (Ex 7:19)10But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” (Ex 6:12; Jr 1:6)11Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?12Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.” (Ex 3:12; Is 50:4; Jr 1:9; Ez 33:22; Mt 10:19; Mc 13:11; Lc 12:11; Lc 21:15)13But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”14Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. (Ex 4:27)15You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. (Ex 4:12; Ex 7:1; Nm 22:38; Nm 23:5; Nm 23:12; Nm 23:16; Dt 18:18; 2 Sm 14:3; 2 Sm 14:19; Is 51:16)16He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. (Ex 4:30; Ex 7:1; Ex 18:19)17And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.” (Ex 4:2; Ex 7:15)
Moses Returns to Egypt
18Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” (Ex 2:18)19And the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” (Ex 2:15; Ex 2:23; Mt 2:20)20So Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand. (Ex 17:9; Ex 18:2; Nm 20:8)21And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. (Ex 3:20; Ex 7:13; Ex 7:22; Ex 8:15; Ex 8:32; Ex 9:12; Ex 9:35; Ex 10:1; Ex 14:8; Dt 2:30; Js 11:20; Is 63:17; Rm 9:17)22Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, (Jr 31:9; Os 11:1)23and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’” (Ex 11:5; Ex 12:29)24At a lodging place on the way the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. (Gn 17:14; Nm 22:22; 1 Cr 21:16)25Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’[3] feet with it and said, “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!” (Ex 2:21; Js 5:2)26So he let him alone. It was then that she said, “A bridegroom of blood,” because of the circumcision.27The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him. (Ex 3:1; Ex 4:14)28And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which he had sent him to speak, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do. (Ex 4:3; Ex 4:15)29Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. (Ex 3:16)30Aaron spoke all the words that the Lord had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. (Ex 4:16)31And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped. (Gn 24:26; Ex 2:25; Ex 3:7; Ex 3:16; Ex 3:18; Ex 4:8; Ex 12:27; 1 Cr 29:20)