3. God said: Throw it on the ground. So he threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and Moses backed away from it.
4. Then the Lord said to Moses: Now stretch out your hand and take hold of its tail. So he stretched out his hand and took hold of it, and it became a staff in his hand.
5. That is so they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, did appear to you.
6. Again the Lord said to him: Put your hand into the fold of your garment. So he put his hand into the fold of his garment, and when he drew it out, there was his hand covered with scales, like snowflakes.
7. Then God said: Put your hand back into the fold of your garment. So he put his hand back into the fold of his garment, and when he drew it out, there it was again like his own flesh.
8. If they do not believe you or pay attention to the message of the first sign, they should believe the message of the second sign.
9. And if they do not believe even these two signs and do not listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry land. The water you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry land.
10. Moses, however, said to the Lord, “If you please, my Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor now that you have spoken to your servant; but I am slow of speech and tongue.”
11. The Lord said to him: Who gives one person speech? Who makes another mute or deaf, seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?
12. Now go, I will assist you in speaking and teach you what you are to say.
13. But he said, “If you please, my Lord, send someone else!”
14. Then the Lord became angry with Moses and said: I know there is your brother, Aaron the Levite, who is a good speaker; even now he is on his way to meet you. When he sees you, he will truly be glad.
15. You will speak to him and put the words in his mouth. I will assist both you and him in speaking and teach you both what you are to do.
16. He will speak to the people for you: he will be your spokesman, and you will be as God to him.
17. Take this staff in your hand; with it you are to perform the signs.
18. After this Moses returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my kindred in Egypt, to see whether they are still living.” Jethro replied to Moses, “Go in peace.”
19. Then the Lord said to Moses in Midian: Return to Egypt, for all those who sought your life are dead.