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 فَقَالَ مُوسَى: «مَاذَا إذَا لَمْ يُصَدِّقُونِي وَلَمْ يُصْغُوا إلَيَّ وَقَالُوا: إِنَّ الرَّبَّ لَمْ يَظْهَرْ لَكَ؟»

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

2 فَسَأَلَهُ الرَّبُّ: «مَا تِلْكَ الَّتِي بِيَدِكَ؟» فَأَجَابَ: «عَصاً».

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 فَقَالَ: «أَلْقِهَا عَلَى الأَرْضِ». فَأَلْقَاهَا فَإِذَا هِيَ حَيَّةٌ، فَهَرَبَ مِنْهَا مُوسَى.

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 فَقَالَ الرَّبُّ لِمُوسَى: «مُدَّ يَدَكَ وَاقْبِضْ عَلَيْهَا مِنْ ذَيْلِهَا». فَمَدَّ مُوسَى يَدَهُ وَقَبَضَ عَلَيْهَا، فَارْتَدَّتْ عَصاً فِي يَدِهِ.

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 وَقَالَ الرَّبُّ: «هَذَا لِكَي يُؤْمِنُوا أَنَّ الرَّبَّ إِلَهَ آبَائِكُمْ، إِلَهَ إبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِلَهَ إسْحاقَ وَإِلَهَ يَعْقُوبَ قَدْ ظَهَرَ لَكَ».

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 ثُمَّ قَالَ الرَّبُّ أَيْضاً: «أَدْخِلْ يَدَكَ فِي عُبِّكَ». فَأَدْخَلَ يَدَهُ فِي عُبِّهِ. وَعِنْدَمَا أَخْرَجَهَا إِذَا بِها بَرْصَاءُ كَالثَّلْجِ.

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 وَأَمَرَهُ الرَّبُّ: «رُدَّ يَدَكَ إِلَى عُبِّكَ ثَانِيَةً». فَرَدَّ يَدَهُ إِلَى عُبِّهِ ثَانِيَةً ثُمَّ أَخْرَجَهَا مِنْ عُبِّهِ، وَإذَا بِها قَدْ عَادَتْ مِثْلَ بَاقِي جَسَدِهِ.

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 وَقَالَ الرَّبُّ: «إِذَا لَمْ يُصَدِّقُوكَ، أَوْ يُعِيرُوا الْمُعْجِزَةَ الأُولَى انْتِبَاهَهُمْ، فَإِنَّهُمْ يُصَدِّقُونَ الثَّانِيَةَ.

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 وَإذَا لَمْ يُصَدِّقُوا هَاتَيْنِ الآيَتَيْنِ وَلَمْ يُصْغُوا لِكَلامِكَ، فَاغْرِفْ مِنْ مَاءِ النَّهْرِ وَاسْكُبْهُ عَلَى الْأَرْضِ الْجَافَّةِ، فَيَتَحَوَّلَ الْمَاءُ الَّذِي غَرَفْتَهُ مِنَ النَّهْرِ إِلَى دَمٍ فَوْقَ الأَرْضِ».

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 فَقَالَ مُوسَى لِلرَّبِّ: «أَصْغِ يَا رَبُّ، أَنَا لَمْ أَكُنْ فِي يَوْمٍ مِنَ الأَيَّامِ فَصِيحاً، لَا فِي الأَمْسِ، وَلا مُنْذُ أَنْ خَاطَبْتَ عَبْدَكَ. إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَطِيءُ النُّطْقِ عَيِيُّ اللِّسَانِ».

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 فَقَالَ الرَّبُّ لَهُ: «مَنْ هُوَ بَارِئُ فَمِ الإِنْسَانِ؟ أَوْ مَنْ يَجْعَلُهُ أَخْرَسَ أَوْ أَصَمَّ أَوْ بَصِيراً أَوْ كَفِيفاً؟ أَلَسْتُ أَنَا، الرَّبَّ؟

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

12 فَالآنَ انْطَلِقْ فَأُلَقِّنَ فَمَكَ النُّطْقَ، وَأُعَلِّمَكَ مَاذَا تَقُولُ».

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

13 لَكِنَّ مُوسَى أَجَابَ: «يَا سَيِّدُ، أَتَوَسَّلُ إِلَيْكَ أَنْ تُرْسِلَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ غَيْرِي».

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 فَاحْتَدَمَ غَضَبُ الرَّبِّ عَلَى مُوسَى وَقَالَ: «أَلَيْسَ هَرُونُ اللّاوِيُّ أَخَاكَ؟ أَنَا أَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ يُحْسِنُ الْكَلامَ، وَهَا هُوَ أَيْضاً قَادِمٌ لِلِقَائِكَ. وَحَالَمَا يَرَاكَ يَبْتَهِجُ قَلْبُهُ.

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 فَتُحَدِّثُهُ وَتُلَقِّنُ فَمَهُ الْكَلامَ، فَأُعِينُكُمَا عَلَى الْقَوْلِ، وَأُعَلِّمُكُمَا مَاذَا تَفْعَلانِ،

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 فَيُخَاطِبُ هُوَ الشَّعْبَ عَنْكَ ويَكُونُ لَكَ بِمَثَابَةِ فَمٍ وَأَنْتَ تَكُونُ لَهُ بِمَثَابَةِ إِلَهٍ.

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

17 وَخُذْ بِيَدِكَ هَذِهِ الْعَصَا لِتَصْنَعَ بِها الْمُعْجِزَاتِ».

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 فَرَجَعَ مُوسَى إِلَى يَثْرُونَ حَمِيهِ وَقَالَ لَهُ: «دَعْنِي أَعُودُ إِلَى قَوْمِي فِي مِصْرَ لأَرَى أَمَازَالُوا بَعْدُ أَحْيَاءَ». فَأَجَابَ يَثْرُونُ مُوسَى: «اذْهَبْ بِسَلامٍ».

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 وَأَمَرَ الرَّبُّ مُوسَى فِي مِدْيَانَ: «هَيَّا ارْجِعْ إِلَى مِصْرَ، فَإِنَّهُ قَدْ مَاتَ جَمِيعُ السَّاعِينَ إِلَى الْقَضَاءِ عَلَيْكَ».

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 فَأَخَذَ مُوسَى امْرَأَتَهُ وَبَنِيهِ وَأَرْكَبَهُمْ عَلَى الْحَمِيرِ وَمَضَى عَائِداً إِلَى أَرْضِ مِصْرَ. وَأَخَذَ مَعَهُ عَصَا اللهِ أَيْضاً.

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 وَقَالَ الرَّبُّ لِمُوسَى: «حَالَمَا تَرْجِعُ إِلَى مِصْرَ، تَذَكَّرْ أَنْ تُجْرِيَ أَمَامَ فِرْعَوْنَ جَمِيعَ الْعَجَائِبِ الَّتِي مَنَحْتُكَ الْقُوَّةَ عَلَى إِجْرَائِهَا، وَلَكِنَّنِي سَأُقَسِّي قَلْبَهُ لِكَيْ لَا يُطْلِقَ الشَّعْبَ.

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

22 ثُمَّ قُلْ لِفِرْعَوْنَ: هَذَا مَا يَقُولُهُ الرَّبُّ: إِسْرَائِيلُ هُوَ ابْنِي الْبِكْرُ.

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 قُلْتُ لَكَ: أَطْلِقِ ابْنِي لِيَعْبُدَنِي، وَلَكِنَّكَ رَفَضْتَ إِطْلاقَهُ، لِذَلِكَ سَأُهْلِكُ ابْنَكَ الْبِكْرَ».

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

24 وَفِي أَثْنَاءِ الطَّرِيقِ، بِالقُرْبِ مِنْ خَانٍ، الْتَقَاهُ الرَّبُّ وَهَمَّ أَنْ يَقْتُلَهُ.

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 فَأَخَذَتْ صَفُّورَةُ صَوَّانَةً وَقَطَعَتْ قُلْفَةَ ابْنِهَا وَمَسَّتْ بِها قَدَمَيْ مُوسَى قَائِلَةً: «حَقّاً إِنَّكَ عَرِيسُ دَمٍ لِي».

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

26 فَعَفَا الرَّبُّ عَنْهُ. حِينَئِذٍ قَالَتْ: «عَرِيسُ دَمٍ مِنْ أَجْلِ الْخِتَانِ».

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 وَقَالَ الرَّبُّ لِهَرُونَ: «اذْهَبْ إِلَى الصَّحْرَاءِ لاِسْتِقْبَالِ مُوسَى». فَمَضَى وَالْتَقَاهُ عِنْدَ جَبَلِ الرَّبِّ وَقَبَّلَهُ.

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

28 فَأَطْلَعَ مُوسَى هَرُونَ عَلَى جَمِيعِ كَلامِ الرَّبِّ الَّذِي حَمَّلَهُ إِيَّاهُ، وَمَا كَلَّفَهُ بِهِ مِنْ آيَاتٍ،

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

29 ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَ مُوسَى وَهَرُونُ وَجَمَعَا كُلَّ شُيُوخِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ،

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

30 فَحَدَّثَهُمْ هَرُونُ بِجَمِيعِ مَا قَالَهُ الرَّبُّ لِمُوسَى. وَأَجْرَى مُوسَى الْمُعْجِزَاتِ أَمَامَهُمْ.

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 فَآمَنَ الشَّعْبُ. وَعِنْدَمَا سَمِعُوا أَنَّ اللهَ قَدِ افْتَقَدَهُمْ وَنَظَرَ إِلَى مَذَلَّتِهِمْ انْحَنَوْا سَاجِدِينَ.