Exodus 4

1 Then Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to my voice? For they may say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’”

1 摩西回答說：「他們必不信我，也不聽我的話，必說：『耶和華並沒有向你顯現。』」

2 And the LORD asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied.

2 耶和華對摩西說：「你手裏是甚麼？」他說：「是杖。」

3 “Throw it on the ground,” said the LORD. So Moses threw it on the ground, and it became a snake, and he ran from it.

3 耶和華說：「丟在地上。」他一丟下去，就變作蛇；摩西便跑開。

4 “Stretch out your hand and grab it by the tail,” the LORD said to Moses, who reached out his hand and caught the snake, and it turned back into a staff in his hand.

4 耶和華對摩西說：「伸出手來，拿住牠的尾巴，牠必在你手中仍變為杖；

5 “This 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.”

5 如此好叫他們信耶和華－他們祖宗的上帝，就是亞伯拉罕的上帝，以撒的上帝，雅各的上帝，是向你顯現了。」

6 Furthermore, the LORD said to Moses, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, his hand was leprous, white as snow.

6 耶和華又對他說：「把手放在懷裏。」他就把手放在懷裏，及至抽出來，不料，手長了大痲瘋，有雪那樣白。

7 “Put your hand back inside your cloak,” said the LORD. So Moses put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his skin.

7 耶和華說：「再把手放在懷裏。」他就再把手放在懷裏，及至從懷裏抽出來，不料，手已經復原，與周身的肉一樣；

8 And the LORD said, “If they refuse to believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe that of the second.

8 又說：「倘或他們不聽你的話，也不信頭一個神蹟，他們必信第二個神蹟。

9 But if they do not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. Then the water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground.”

9 這兩個神蹟若都不信，也不聽你的話，你就從河裏取些水，倒在旱地上，你從河裏取的水必在旱地上變作血。」

10 “Please, Lord,” Moses replied, “I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since You have spoken to Your servant, for I am slow of speech and tongue.”

10 摩西對耶和華說：「主啊，我素日不是能言的人，就是從你對僕人說話以後，也是這樣。我本是拙口笨舌的。」

11 And the LORD said to him, “Who gave man his mouth? Or who makes the mute or the deaf, the sighted or the blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

11 耶和華對他說：「誰造人的口呢？誰使人口啞、耳聾、目明、眼瞎呢？豈不是我－耶和華嗎？

12 Now go! I will help you as you speak, and I will teach you what to say.”

12 現在去吧，我必賜你口才，指教你所當說的話。」

13 But Moses replied, “Please, Lord, send someone else.”

13 摩西說：「主啊，你願意打發誰，就打發誰去吧！」

14 Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well, and he is now on his way to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

14 耶和華向摩西發怒說：「不是有你的哥哥利未人亞倫嗎？我知道他是能言的；現在他出來迎接你，他一見你，心裏就歡喜。

15 You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth. I will help both of you to speak, and I will teach you what to do.

15 你要將當說的話傳給他；我也要賜你和他口才，又要指教你們所當行的事。

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

16 他要替你對百姓說話；你要以他當作口，他要以你當作上帝。

17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform signs with it.”

17 你手裏要拿這杖，好行神蹟。」

18 Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me return to my brothers in Egypt to see if they are still alive.” “Go in peace,” Jethro replied.

18 於是，摩西回到他岳父葉忒羅那裏，對他說：「求你容我回去見我在埃及的弟兄，看他們還在不在。」葉忒羅對摩西說：「你可以平平安安地去吧！」

19 Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who sought to kill you are dead.”

19 耶和華在米甸對摩西說：「你要回埃及去，因為尋索你命的人都死了。」

20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.

20 摩西就帶着妻子和兩個兒子，叫他們騎上驢，回埃及地去。摩西手裏拿着上帝的杖。

21 The LORD instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.

21 耶和華對摩西說：「你回到埃及的時候，要留意將我指示你的一切奇事行在法老面前。但我要使 他的心剛硬，他必不容百姓去。

22 Then tell Pharaoh that this is what the LORD says: ‘Israel is My firstborn son,

22 你要對法老說：『耶和華這樣說：以色列是我的兒子，我的長子。

23 and I told you to let My son go so that he may worship Me. But since you have refused to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son!’”

23 我對你說過：容我的兒子去，好事奉我。你還是不肯容他去。看哪，我要殺你的長子。』」

24 Now at a lodging place along the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him.

24 摩西在路上住宿的地方，耶和華遇見他，想要殺他。

25 But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin, and touched it to Moses’ feet. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said.

25 西坡拉就拿一塊火石，割下他兒子的陽皮，丟在摩西腳前，說：「你真是我的血郎了。」

26 So the LORD let him alone. (When she said, “bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.)

26 這樣，耶和華才放了他。西坡拉說：「你因割禮就是血郎了。」

27 Meanwhile, the LORD had said to Aaron, “Go and meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him.

27 耶和華對亞倫說：「你往曠野去迎接摩西。」他就去，在上帝的山遇見摩西，和他親嘴。

28 And Moses told Aaron everything the LORD had sent him to say, and all the signs He had commanded him to perform.

28 摩西將耶和華打發他所說的言語和囑咐他所行的神蹟都告訴了亞倫。

29 Then Moses and Aaron went and assembled all the elders of the Israelites,

29 摩西、亞倫就去招聚以色列的眾長老。

30 and Aaron relayed everything the LORD had said to Moses. And Moses performed the signs before the people,

30 亞倫將耶和華對摩西所說的一切話述說了一遍，又在百姓眼前行了那些神蹟，

31 and they believed. And when they heard that the LORD had attended to the Israelites and had seen their affliction, they bowed down and worshiped.

31 百姓就信了。以色列人聽見耶和華眷顧他們，鑒察他們的困苦，就低頭下拜。