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.
9. "But suppose they do not believe either miracle. Suppose they will not listen to you. Then get some water from the Nile River. Pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will turn to blood on the ground."
10. Moses spoke to the Lord. He said, "Lord, I've never been a good speaker. And I haven't gotten any better since you spoke to me. I don't speak very well at all."
11. The Lord said to him, "Who makes a man able to talk? Who makes him unable to hear or speak? Who makes him able to see? Who makes him blind? It is I, the Lord.
12. Now go. I will help you speak. I will teach you what to say."
13. But Moses said, "Lord, please send someone else to do it."
14. Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses. He said, "What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you. He will be glad to see you.
15. Speak to him. Put your words in his mouth. Tell him what to say. I will help both of you speak. I will teach you what to do.
16. He will speak to the people for you. He will be like your mouth. And you will be like God to him.
17. "But take this wooden staff in your hand. You will be able to do miraculous signs with it."
18. Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro. He said to him, "Let me go back to my own people in Egypt. I want to see if any of them are still alive." Jethro said, "Go. I hope everything goes well with you."
19. The Lord had said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt. All of the men who wanted to kill you are dead."
20. So Moses got his wife and sons. He put them on a donkey. Together they started back to Egypt. And he took the wooden staff in his hand. It was the staff God would use in a powerful way.
21. The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "When you return to Egypt, do all of the miracles I have given you the power to do. Do them in the sight of Pharaoh. But I will make his heart stubborn. He will not let the people go.