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 فَأَجَابَ مُوسَى وَقَالَ: «وَلَكِنْ هَا هُمْ لَا يُصَدِّقُونَنِي وَلَا يَسْمَعُونَ لِقَوْلِي، بَلْ يَقُولُونَ: لَمْ يَظْهَرْ لَكَ ٱلرَّبُّ».

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

2 فَقَالَ لَهُ ٱلرَّبُّ: «مَا هَذِهِ فِي يَدِكَ؟» فَقَالَ: «عَصًا».

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: «ٱطْرَحْهَا إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ». فَطَرَحَهَا إِلَى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَصَارَتْ حَيَّةً، فَهَرَبَ مُوسَى مِنْهَا.

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 ثُمَّ قَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ لِمُوسَى: «مُدَّ يَدَكَ وَأَمْسِكْ بِذَنَبِهَا». فَمَدَّ يَدَهُ وَأَمْسَكَ بِهِ، فَصَارَتْ عَصًا 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 «لِكَيْ يُصَدِّقُوا أَنَّهُ قَدْ ظَهَرَ لَكَ ٱلرَّبُّ إِلَهُ آبَائِهِمْ، إِلَهُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِلَهُ إِسْحَاقَ وَإِلَهُ يَعْقُوبَ».

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 لَهُ ٱلرَّبُّ أَيْضًا: «أَدْخِلْ يَدَكَ فِي عُبِّكَ». فَأَدْخَلَ يَدَهُ فِي عُبِّهِ ثُمَّ أَخْرَجَهَا، وَإِذَا يَدُهُ بَرْصَاءُ مِثْلَ ٱلثَّلْجِ.

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 ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ: «رُدَّ يَدَكَ إِلَى عُبِّكَ». فَرَدَّ يَدَهُ إِلَى عُبِّهِ ثُمَّ أَخْرَجَهَا مِنْ عُبِّهِ، وَإِذَا هِيَ قَدْ عَادَتْ مِثْلَ 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 «فَيَكُونُ إِذَا لَمْ يُصَدِّقُوكَ وَلَمْ يَسْمَعُوا لِصَوْتِ ٱلْآيَةِ ٱلْأُولَى، أَنَّهُمْ يُصَدِّقُونَ صَوْتَ ٱلْآيَةِ ٱلْأَخِيرَةِ.

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 وَيَكُونُ إِذَا لَمْ يُصَدِّقُوا هَاتَيْنِ ٱلْآيَتَيْنِ، وَلَمْ يَسْمَعُوا لِقَوْلِكَ، أَنَّكَ تَأْخُذُ مِنْ مَاءِ ٱلنَّهْرِ وَتَسْكُبُ عَلَى ٱلْيَابِسَةِ، فَيَصِيرُ ٱلْمَاءُ ٱلَّذِي تَأْخُذُهُ مِنَ ٱلنَّهْرِ دَمًا عَلَى ٱلْيَابِسَةِ».

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: «ٱسْتَمِعْ أَيُّهَا ٱلسَّيِّدُ، لَسْتُ أَنَا صَاحِبَ كَلَامٍ مُنْذُ أَمْسِ وَلَا أَوَّلِ مِنْ أَمْسِ، وَلَا مِنْ حِينِ كَلَّمْتَ عَبْدَكَ، بَلْ أَنَا ثَقِيلُ ٱلْفَمِ وَٱللِّسَانِ».

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 لَهُ ٱلرَّبُّ: «مَنْ صَنَعَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ فَمًا؟ أَوْ مَنْ يَصْنَعُ أَخْرَسَ أَوْ أَصَمَّ أَوْ بَصِيرًا أَوْ أَعْمَى؟ أَمَا هُوَ أَنَا ٱلرَّبُّ؟

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

12 فَٱلْآنَ ٱذْهَبْ وَأَنَا أَكُونُ مَعَ فَمِكَ وَأُعَلِّمُكَ مَا تَتَكَلَّمُ بِهِ».

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

13 فَقَالَ: «ٱسْتَمِعْ أَيُّهَا ٱلسَّيِّدُ، أَرْسِلْ بِيَدِ مَنْ تُرْسِلُ».

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 فَحَمِيَ غَضَبُ ٱلرَّبِّ عَلَى مُوسَى وَقَالَ: «أَلَيْسَ هَارُونُ ٱللَّاوِيُّ أَخَاكَ؟ أَنَا أَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُ هُوَ يَتَكَلَّمُ، وَأَيْضًا هَا هُوَ خَارِجٌ لِٱسْتِقْبَالِكَ. فَحِينَمَا يَرَاكَ يَفْرَحُ بِقَلْبِهِ،

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 فَتُكَلِّمُهُ وَتَضَعُ ٱلْكَلِمَاتِ فِي فَمِهِ، وَأَنَا أَكُونُ مَعَ فَمِكَ وَمَعَ فَمِهِ، وَأُعْلِمُكُمَا مَاذَا تَصْنَعَانِ.

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 وَهُوَ يُكَلِّمُ ٱلشَّعْبَ عَنْكَ. وَهُوَ يَكُونُ لَكَ فَمًا، وَأَنْتَ تَكُونُ لَهُ إِلَهًا.

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

17 وَتَأْخُذُ فِي يَدِكَ هَذِهِ ٱلْعَصَا ٱلَّتِي تَصْنَعُ بِهَا ٱلْآيَاتِ».

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 فَمَضَى مُوسَى وَرَجَعَ إِلَى يَثْرُونَ حَمِيهِ وَقَالَ لَهُ: «أَنَا أَذْهَبُ وَأَرْجِعُ إِلَى إِخْوَتِي ٱلَّذِينَ فِي مِصْرَ لِأَرَى هَلْ هُمْ بَعْدُ أَحْيَاءٌ». فَقَالَ يَثْرُونُ لِمُوسَى: «ٱذْهَبْ بِسَلَامٍ».

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 وَقَالَ ٱلرَّبُّ لِمُوسَى فِي مِدْيَانَ: «ٱذْهَبْ ٱرْجِعْ إِلَى مِصْرَ، لِأَنَّهُ قَدْ مَاتَ جَمِيعُ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلَّذِينَ كَانُوا يَطْلُبُونَ نَفْسَكَ».

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 ٱمْرَأَتَهُ وَبَنِيهِ وَأَرْكَبَهُمْ عَلَى ٱلْحَمِيرِ وَرَجَعَ إِلَى أَرْضِ مِصْرَ. وَأَخَذَ مُوسَى عَصَا ٱللهِ فِي يَدِهِ.

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 ٱلرَّبُّ لِمُوسَى: «عِنْدَمَا تَذْهَبُ لِتَرْجِعَ إِلَى مِصْرَ، ٱنْظُرْ جَمِيعَ ٱلْعَجَائِبِ ٱلَّتِي جَعَلْتُهَا فِي يَدِكَ وَٱصْنَعْهَا قُدَّامَ فِرْعَوْنَ. وَلَكِنِّي أُشَدِّدُ قَلْبَهُ حَتَّى لَا يُطْلِقَ ٱلشَّعْبَ.

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

22 فَتَقُولُ لِفِرْعَوْنَ: هَكَذَا يَقُولُ ٱلرَّبُّ: إِسْرَائِيلُ ٱبْنِي ٱلْبِكْرُ.

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 فَقُلْتُ لَكَ: أَطْلِقِ ٱبْنِي لِيَعْبُدَنِي، فَأَبَيْتَ أَنْ تُطْلِقَهُ. هَا أَنَا أَقْتُلُ ٱبْنَكَ ٱلْبِكْرَ».

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

24 وَحَدَثَ فِي ٱلطَّرِيقِ فِي ٱلْمَنْزِلِ أَنَّ ٱلرَّبَّ ٱلْتَقَاهُ وَطَلَبَ 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 غُرْلَةَ ٱبْنِهَا وَمَسَّتْ رِجْلَيْهِ. فَقَالَتْ: «إِنَّكَ عَرِيسُ دَمٍ لِي».

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

26 فَٱنْفَكَّ عَنْهُ. حِينَئِذٍ قَالَتْ: «عَرِيسُ دَمٍ مِنْ أَجْلِ ٱلْخِتَانِ».

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 ٱلرَّبُّ لِهَارُونَ: «ٱذْهَبْ إِلَى ٱلْبَرِّيَّةِ لِٱسْتِقْبَالِ مُوسَى». فَذَهَبَ وَٱلْتَقَاهُ فِي جَبَلِ ٱللهِ 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 فَأَخْبَرَ مُوسَى هَارُونَ بِجَمِيعِ كَلَامِ ٱلرَّبِّ ٱلَّذِي أَرْسَلَهُ، وَبِكُلِّ ٱلْآيَاتِ ٱلَّتِي أَوْصَاهُ بِهَا.

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

29 ثُمَّ مَضَى مُوسَى وَهَارُونُ وَجَمَعَا جَمِيعَ شُيُوخِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ.

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

30 فَتَكَلَّمَ هَارُونُ بِجَمِيعِ ٱلْكَلَامِ ٱلَّذِي كَلَّمَ ٱلرَّبُّ مُوسَى بِهِ، وَصَنَعَ ٱلْآيَاتِ أَمَامَ عُيُونِ ٱلشَّعْبِ.

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 ٱلشَّعْبُ. وَلَمَّا سَمِعُوا أَنَّ ٱلرَّبَّ ٱفْتَقَدَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَأَنَّهُ نَظَرَ مَذَلَّتَهُمْ، خَرُّوا وَسَجَدُوا.