Exodus 3:16   (Read all of Exodus 3)

"Go, assemble the elders of Israel and say to them, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers-the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob-appeared to me and said: I have watched over you and have seen what has been done to you in Egypt.

Exodus 3:17   (Read all of Exodus 3)

And I have promised to bring you up out of your misery in Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites-a land flowing with milk and honey.'

Exodus 3:18   (Read all of Exodus 3)

"The elders of Israel will listen to you. Then you and the elders are to go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God.'

Exodus 3:19   (Read all of Exodus 3)

But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless a mighty hand compels him.

Exodus 3:20   (Read all of Exodus 3)

So I will stretch out my hand and strike the Egyptians with all the wonders that I will perform among them. After that, he will let you go.

Exodus 3:21   (Read all of Exodus 3)

"And I will make the Egyptians favorably disposed toward this people, so that when you leave you will not go empty-handed.

Exodus 3:22   (Read all of Exodus 3)

Every woman is to ask her neighbor and any woman living in her house for articles of silver and gold and for clothing, which you will put on your sons and daughters. And so you will plunder the Egyptians."

Exodus 4:1   (Read all of Exodus 4)

Moses answered, "What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, 'The Lord did not appear to you'?"

Exodus 4:2   (Read all of Exodus 4)

Then the Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" "A staff," he replied.

Exodus 4:4   (Read all of Exodus 4)

Then the Lord said to him, "Reach out your hand and take it by the tail." So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.

Exodus 4:5   (Read all of Exodus 4)

"This," said the Lord, "is so 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."

Exodus 4:6   (Read all of Exodus 4)

Then the Lord said, "Put your hand inside your cloak." So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous -it had become as white as snow.

Exodus 4:7   (Read all of Exodus 4)

"Now put it back into your cloak," he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh.

Exodus 4:8   (Read all of Exodus 4)

Then the Lord said, "If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second.

Exodus 4:9   (Read all of Exodus 4)

But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground."

Exodus 4:10   (Read all of Exodus 4)

Moses said to the Lord, "Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."

Exodus 4:12   (Read all of Exodus 4)

Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

Exodus 4:13   (Read all of Exodus 4)

But Moses said, "Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else."

Exodus 4:14   (Read all of Exodus 4)

Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses and he said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you.

Exodus 4:15   (Read all of Exodus 4)

You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do.

Exodus 4:16   (Read all of Exodus 4)

He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him.

Exodus 4:17   (Read all of Exodus 4)

But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it."

Exodus 4:18   (Read all of Exodus 4)

Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive." Jethro said, "Go, and I wish you well."

Exodus 4:19   (Read all of Exodus 4)

Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead."