The Tanakh · JPS 1917 Translation

Exodus 4

Jewish Publication Society 1917 · Torah

Exodus chapter 4 — part of the Torah in the Jewish Bible. In the classic JPS 1917 translation it opens: “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…” — the complete text of all 31 verses is below, free to read online.

1And 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.'

2And HaShem said unto him: 'What is that in thy hand?' And he said: 'A rod.'

3And 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.

4And HaShem said unto Moses: 'Put forth thy hand, and take it by the tail--and he put forth his hand, and laid hold of it, and it became a rod in his hand--

5that they may believe that HaShem, the G-d of their fathers, the G-d of Abraham, the G-d of Isaac, and the G-d of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.'

6And HaShem said furthermore unto him: 'Put now thy hand into thy bosom.' And he put his hand into his bosom; and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.

7And He said: 'Put thy hand back into thy bosom. --And he put his hand back into his bosom; and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.--

8And 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.

9And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe even 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.'

10And Moses said unto HaShem: 'Oh L-rd, I am not a man of words, neither heretofore, nor since Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant; for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.'

11And HaShem said unto him: 'Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh a man dumb, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? is it not I HaShem?

12Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt speak.'

13And he said: 'Oh L-rd, send, I pray Thee, by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send.'

14And the anger of HaShem was kindled against Moses, and He said: 'Is there not Aaron thy brother the Levite? 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.

15And thou shalt speak unto him, and put the words in his mouth; and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.

16And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people; and it shall come to pass, that he shall be to thee a mouth, and thou shalt be to him in G-d's stead.

17And thou shalt take in thy hand this rod, wherewith thou shalt do the signs.'

18And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said unto him: 'Let me go, I pray thee, and unto my brethren that are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive.' And Jethro said to Moses: 'Go in peace.'

19And HaShem said unto Moses in Midian: 'Go, return into Egypt; for all the men are dead that sought thy life.'

20And 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 G-d in his hand.

21And HaShem said unto Moses: 'When thou goest back into Egypt, see that thou do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in thy hand; but I will harden his heart, and he will not let the people go.

22And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh: Thus saith HaShem: Israel is My son, My first-born.

23And I have said unto thee: Let My son go, that he may serve Me; and thou hast refused to let him go. Behold, I will slay thy son, thy first-born.'--

24And it came to pass on the way at the lodging-place, that HaShem met him, and sought to kill him.

25Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet; and she said: 'Surely a bridegroom of blood art thou to me.'

26So He let him alone. Then she said: 'A bridegroom of blood in regard of the circumcision.'

27And HaShem said to Aaron: 'Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.' And he went, and met him in the mountain of G-d, and kissed him.

28And Moses told Aaron all the words of HaShem wherewith He had sent him, and all the signs wherewith He had charged him.

29And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel.

30And Aaron spoke all the words which HaShem had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.

31And the people believed; and when they heard that HaShem had remembered the children of Israel, and that He had seen their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

31 verses · JPS 1917 (public domain)

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