Exodus 4

Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel

Exodus 4

1And Moses answered and said, If they believe me not, and do not listen to my voice (for they will say, God has not appeared to you), what shall I say to them?Ἀπεκρίθη δὲ Μωυσῆς, καὶ εἶπεν, ἐὰν μὴ πιστεύσωσί μοι, μηδὲ εἰσακούσωσι τῆς φωνῆς μου, ἐροῦσι γὰρ, ὅτι οὐκ ὦπταί σοι ὁ Θεὸς, τί ἐρῶ πρὸς αὐτούς;

2And the Lord said to him, What is this thing that is in your hand? and he said, A rod.Εἶπε δὲ αὐτῳ Κύριος, τί τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ἐν τῇ χειρί σου; ὁ δὲ εἶπε, ῥάβδος.

3And he said, Cast it on the ground: and he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses fled from it.Καὶ εἶπε, ῥίψον αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν· καὶ ἔῤῥιψεν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἐγένετο ὄφις· καὶ ἔφυγε Μωυσῆς ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ.

4And the Lord said to Moses, Stretch forth your hand, and take hold of its tail: so he stretched forth his hand and took hold of the tail,Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν, ἔκτεινον τῆν χεῖρα, καὶ ἐπιλαβοῦ τῆς κέρκου· ἐκτείνας οὖν τὴν χεῖρα ἐπελάβετο τῆς κέρκου· καὶ ἐγένετο ῥάβδος ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ.

5and it became a rod in his hand, —that they may believe you, that the God of your fathers has appeared to you, the God of Abraam, and God of Isaac, and God of Jacob.Ἵνα πιστεύσωσί σοι, ὅτι ὦπταί σοι ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν, Θεὸς Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ Θεὸς Ἰσαὰκ, καὶ Θεὸς Ἰακώβ.

6And the Lord said again to him, Put your hand into your bosom; and he put his hand into his bosom, and brought his hand out of his bosom, and his hand became as snow.Εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ Κύριος πάλιν, εἰσένεγκον τὴν χεῖρά σου εἰς τὸν κόλπον σου· καὶ εἰσήνεγκε τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν κόλπον αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐξήνεγκεν τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ κόλπου αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐγενήθη ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ χιών.

7And he said again, Put your hand into your bosom; and he put his hand into his bosom, and brought his hand out of his bosom, and it was again restored to the complexion of his other flesh.Καὶ εἶπεν πάλιν, εἰσένεγκον τὴν χεῖρά σου εἰς τὸν κόλπον σου· καὶ εἰσήνεγκε τὴν χεῖρα εἰς τὸν κόλπον αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐξήνεγκεν αὐτὴν ἐκ τοῦ κόλπου αὐτοῦ, καὶ πάλιν ἀπεκατέστη εἰς τὴν χρόαν τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτῆς.

8And if they will not believe you, nor listen to the voice of the first sign, they will believe you because of the voice of the second sign.Ἐὰν δὲ μὴ πιστεύσωσί σοι, μηδὲ εἰσακούσωσι τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ σημείου τοῦ πρώτου, πιστεύσουσί σοι τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ σημείου τοῦ δετέρου.

9And it shall come to pass if they will not believe you for these two signs, and will not listen to your voice, that you shall take of the water of the river and pour it upon the dry land, and the water which you shall take from the river shall be blood upon the dry land.Καὶ ἔσται ἐὰν μὴ πιστεύσωσί σοι τοῖς δυσὶ σημείοις τούτοις, μηδὲ εἰσακούσωσι τῆς φωνῆς σου, λήψῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος τοῦ ποταμοῦ, καὶ ἐκχεεῖς ἐπὶ τὸ ξηρόν· καὶ ἔσται τὸ ὕδωρ, ὃ ἐὰν λάβῃς ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ, αἷμα ἐπὶ τοῦ ξηροῦ.

10And Moses said to the Lord, I pray, Lord, I have not been sufficient in * former times, neither from the time that you have begun to speak to your servant: I am weak in speech, and slow-tongued.Εἶπε δὲ Μωυσῆς πρὸς Κύριον, δέομαι, Κύριε· οὐχ ἱκανός εἰμι πρὸ τῆς χθὲς οὐδὲ πρὸ τῆς τρίτης ἡμέρας, οὐδὲ ἀφʼ οὗ ἤρξω λαλεῖν τῷ θεράποντί σου· ἰσχνόφωνος καὶ βραδύγλωσσος ἐγώ εἰμι.

11And the Lord said to Moses, Who has given a mouth to man, and who has made the very hard of hearing, and the deaf, the seeing and the blind? have not I, God?Εἶπε δὲ Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν, τίς ἔδωκε στόμα ἀνθρώπῳ; καὶ τίς ἐποιήσε δύσκωφον καὶ κωφὸν, βλέποντα καὶ τυφλόν; οὐκ ἐγὼ ὁ Θεός;

12And now go and I will open your mouth, and will † instruct you in what you shall say.Καὶ νῦν πορεύου, καὶ ἐγὼ ἀνοίξω τὸ στόμα σου, καὶ συμβιβάσω σε ὃ μέλλεις λαλῆσαι.

13And Moses said, I pray you, Lord, appoint another able person whom you shall send.Καὶ εἶπε Μωυσῆς, δέομαι, Κύριε· προχείρισαι δυνάμενον ἄλλον, ὃν ἀποστελεῖς.

14And the Lord was greatly angered against Moses, and said, Behold! is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he will surely speak to you; and, behold, he will come forth to meet you, and beholding you he will rejoice within himself.Καὶ θυμωθεὶς ὀργῇ Κύριος ἐπὶ Μωυσῆν, εἶπεν, οὐκ ἰδοὺ Ἀαρὼν ὁ ἄδελφός σου ὁ Λευίτης; ἐπίσταμαι ὅτι λαλῶν λαλήσει αὐτός σοι· καὶ ἰδοὺ αὐτὸς ἐξελεύσεται εἰς συνάντησίν σοι, καὶ ἰδών σε χαρήσεται ἐν ἑαυτῷ.

15And you shall speak to him; and you shall put my words into his mouth, and I will open your mouth and his mouth, and I will instruct you in what you shall do.Καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτὸν, καὶ δώσεις τὰ ῥήματά μου εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐγὼ ἀνοίξω τὸ στόμα σου καὶ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ, καί συμβιβάσω ὑμᾶς ἃ ποιήσετε.

16And he shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be for him in things pertaining to God.Καὶ αὐτός σοι λαλήσει πρὸς τὸν λαὸν, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται σου στόμα· σὺ δὲ αὐτῷ ἔσῃ τὰ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν.

17And this rod that was turned into a serpent you shall take in your hand, wherewith you shall work miracles.Καὶ τὴν ῥάβδον ταύτην, τὴν στραφεῖσαν εἰς ὄφιν, λήψῃ ἐν τῇ χειρί σου, ἐν ᾗ ποιήσεις ἐν αὐτῇ τὰ σημεῖα.

18And Moses went and returned to Jothor his father-in-law, and says, I will go and return to my brethren in Egypt, and will see if they are yet living. And Jothor said to Moses, Go in health. And in those days after some time, the king of Egypt died.Ἐπορεύθη δὲ Μωυσῆς, καὶ ἀπέστρεψε πρὸς Ἰοθὸρ τὸν γαμβρὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ λέγει, πορεύσομαι καὶ ἀποστρέψω πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφούς μου τοὺς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ, καὶ ὄψομαι εἰ ἔτι ζῶσι· καὶ εἶπεν Ἰοθὸρ Μωυσῇ, βάδιζε ὑγιαίνων· μετὰ δὲ τὰς ἡμέρας τὰς πολλὰς ἐκείνας ἐτελεύτησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου.

19And the Lord said to Moses in Madiam, Go, depart into Egypt, for all that sought your life are dead.Εἶπε δὲ Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν ἐν Μαδιὰμ, βάδιζε, ἄπελθε εἰς Αἴγυπτον, τεθνήκασι γὰρ πάντες οἱ ζητοῦντες σου τὴν ψυχήν.

20And Moses took his wife and his children, and mounted them on the beasts, and returned to Egypt; and Moses took the rod which he had from God in his hand.Ἀναλαβὼν δὲ Μωυσῆς τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ παιδία, ἀνεβίβασεν αὐτὰ ἐπὶ τὰ ὑποζύγια, καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον· ἔλαβε δὲ Μωυσῆς τὴν ῥάβδον τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ.

21And the Lord said to Moses, When you go and return to Egypt, see—all the miracles I have ‡ charged you with, you shall work before Pharao: and I will harden his heart, and he shall certainly not send away the people.Εἶπε δὲ Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν, πορευομένου σου καὶ ἀποστρέφοντος εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ὅρα πάντα τὰ τέρατα ἃ δέδωκα ἐν ταῖς χερσί σου, ποιήσεις αὐτὰ ἐναντίον Φαραώ· ἐγὼ δὲ σκληρυνῶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐξαποστείλῃ τὸν λαόν.

22And you shall say to Pharao, These things says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn.Σὺ δὲ ἐρεῖς τῷ Φαραῴ, τάδε λέγει Κύριος, υἱὸς πρωτότοκός μου Ἰσραήλ.

23And I said to you, Send away my people, that they may serve me: now if you will not send them away, see, I will kill your firstborn son.Εἶπα δέ σοι, ἐξαπόστειλον τὸν λαόν μου, ἵνα μοι λατρεύσῃ· εἰ μὲν οὖν μὴ βούλει ἐξαποστεῖλαι αὐτούς, ὅρα οὖν, ἐγὼ ἀποκτένῶ τὸν υἱόν σου τὸν πρωτότοκον.

24And it came to pass that the angel of the Lord met him by the way in the inn, and sought to kill him.Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ἐν τῷ καταλύματι συνήντησεν αὐτῷ Ἄγγελος Κυρίου, καὶ ἐζήτει αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι.

25and Sepphora having taken a stone cut off the foreskin of her son, and fell at his feet and said, The blood of the circumcision of my son is staunched:Καὶ λαβοῦσα Σεπφώρα ψῆφον, περιέτεμε τὴν ἀκροβυστίαν τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτῆς· καὶ προσέπεσε πρὸς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἶπεν, ἔστη τὸ αἷμα τῆς περιτομῆς τοῦ παιδίου μου.

26and he departed from him, because she said, The blood of the circumcision of my son is staunched.Καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἀπʼ αὐτοῦ, διότι εἶπεν, ἔστη τὸ αἷμα τῆς περιτομῆς τοῦ παιδίου μου.

27And the Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses; and he went and met him in the mount of God, and they kissed each other.Εἶπε δὲ Κύριος πρὸς Ἀαρὼν, πορεύθητι εἰς συνάντησιν Μωυσῇ εἰς τὴν ἔρημον· καὶ ἐπορεύθη, καὶ συνήντησεν αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ κατεφίλησαν ἀλλήλους.

28And Moses reported to Aaron all the words of the Lord, which he sent, and all the things which he charged him.Καὶ ἀνήγγειλε Μωυσῆς τῷ Ἀαρὼν πάντας τοὺς λόγους Κυρίου, οὓς ἀπέστειλε, καὶ πάντα τὰ ῥήματα, ἃ ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ.

29And Moses and Aaron went and gathered the elders of the children of Israel.Ἐπορεύθη δὲ Μωυσῆς καὶ Ἀαρὼν, καὶ συνήγαγον τὴν γερουσίαν τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ.

30And Aaron spoke all these words, which God spoke to Moses, and wrought the miracles before the people.Καὶ ἐλάλησεν Ἀαρὼν πάντα τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα, ἃ ἐλάλησεν ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς Μωυσῆν, καὶ ἐποίησε τὰ σημεῖα ἐναντίον τοῦ λαοῦ.

31and the people believed and rejoiced, because God visited the children of Israel, and because he saw their affliction: and the people bowed and worshipped.Καὶ ἐπίστευσεν ὁ λαὸς καὶ ἐχάρη, ὅτι ἐπεσκέψατο ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ὅτι εἶδεν αὐτῶν τὴν θλίψιν· κύψας δὲ ὁ λαὸς προσεκύνησε.

Translator's Notes

These notes come from the printed edition of Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), and record where the Greek differs from the English rendering or admits more than one reading.

• v. 10*Gr. before yesterday, neither before the third day.
• v. 12†See 1 Cor 2:16. Gr.
• v. 21‡Lit. put into your hands.