1. Moses answered, "What if the elders of Israel won't believe me? What if they won't listen to me? Suppose they say, 'The Lord didn't appear to you.' Then what should I do?"
2. The Lord said to him, "What do you have in your hand?" "A wooden staff," he said.
3. The Lord said, "Throw it on the ground." So Moses threw it on the ground. It turned into a snake. He ran away from it.
4. Then the Lord said to Moses, "Reach your hand out. Take the snake by the tail." So he reached out and grabbed hold of the snake. It turned back into a staff in his hand.
5. The Lord said, "When they see this miraculous sign, they will believe that I appeared to you. I am the God of their fathers. I am the God of Abraham. I am the God of Isaac. And I am the God of Jacob."
6. Then the Lord said, "Put your hand inside your coat." So Moses put his hand inside his coat. When he took it out, it was as white as snow. It was covered with a skin disease.
7. "Now put it back into your coat," the Lord said. So Moses put his hand back into his coat. When he took it out, the skin was healthy again. His hand was like the rest of his skin.
8. Then the Lord said, "Suppose they do not believe you or pay attention to the first miracle. Then maybe they will believe the second one.