Exodus 4

Ἔξοδος

1 ΑΠΕΚΡΙΘΗ δὲ Μωυσῆς καὶ εἶπεν· ἐὰν μὴ πιστεύσωσί μοι, μηδὲ εἰσακούσωσι τῆς φωνῆς μου, ἐροῦσι γάρ, ὅτι οὐκ ὦπταί σοι ὁ Θεός, τί ἐρῶ πρὸς αὐτούς;

And 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?

2 εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ Κύριος· τί τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ἐν τῇ χειρί σου; ὁ δὲ εἶπε· ράβδος.

And the Lord said to him, What is this thing that is in your hand? and he said, A rod.

3 καὶ εἶπε· ρίψον αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν. καὶ ἔρριψεν αὐτὴν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἐγένετο ὄφις· καὶ ἔφυγε Μωυσῆς ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ.

And he said, Cast it on the ground: and he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses fled from it.

4 καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν· ἔκτεινον τὴν χεῖρα καὶ ἐπιλαβοῦ τῆς κέρκου· ἐκτείνας οὖν τὴν χεῖρα ἐπελάβετο τῆς κέρκου, καὶ ἐγένετο ράβδος ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ·

And 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,

5 ἵνα πιστεύσωσί σοι ὅτι ὦπταί σοι ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πατέρων αὐτῶν, Θεὸς Ἁβραὰμ καὶ Θεὸς Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Θεὸς Ἰακώβ.

and 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.

6 εἶπε δὲ αὐτῷ Κύριος πάλιν· εἰσένεγκον τὴν χεῖρά σου εἰς τὸν κόλπον σου. καὶ εἰσήνεγκε τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν κόλπον αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐξήνεγκε τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐκ τοῦ κόλπου αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐγενήθη ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ ὡσεὶ χιών.

And 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.

7 καὶ εἶπε 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 ἀποκατέστη εἰς τὴν χρόαν τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτῆς.

And 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.

8 ἐὰν δὲ μὴ πιστεύσωσί σοι, μηδὲ εἰσακούσωσι τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ σημείου τοῦ πρώτου, πιστεύσουσί σοι τῆς φωνῆς τοῦ σημείου τοῦ δευτέρου.

And 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.

9 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.

And 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.

10 εἶπε δὲ Μωυσῆς πρὸς Κύριον· δέομαι, Κύριε, οὐχ ἱκανός εἰμι πρὸ τῆς χθές, οὐδὲ πρὸ τῆς τρίτης ἡμέρας, οὐδὲ ἀφ᾿ οὗ ἤρξω λαλεῖν τῷ θεράποντί σου· ἰσχνόφωνος καὶ βραδύγλωσσος ἐγώ εἰμι.

And 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.

11 εἶπε δὲ Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν· τίς ἔδωκε στόμα ἀνθρώπῳ, καὶ τίς ἐποίησε δύσκωφον καὶ κωφόν, βλέποντα καὶ τυφλόν; οὐκ ἐγὼ ὁ Θεός;

And 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?

12 καὶ νῦν πορεύου, καὶ ἐγὼ ἀνοίξω τὸ στόμα σου, καὶ συμβιβάσω σε, ὃ μέλλεις λαλῆσαι.

And now go and I will open your mouth, and will instruct you in what you shall say.

13 καὶ εἶπε Μωυσῆς· δέομαι, Κύριε, προχείρισαι δυνάμενον ἄλλον, ὃν ἀποστελεῖς.

And Moses said, I pray you, Lord, appoint another able [person] whom you shall send.

14 καὶ θυμωθεὶς ὀργῇ Κύριος ἐπὶ Μωυσῆν εἶπεν· οὐκ ἰδοὺ Ἀαρὼν ὁ ἀδελφός σου ὁ Λευΐτης; ἐπίσταμαι ὅτι λαλῶν λαλήσει αὐτός σοι· καὶ ἰδοὺ αὐτὸς ἐξελεύσεται εἰς συνάντησίν σοι καὶ ἰδών σε χαρήσεται ἐν ἑαυτῷ.

And 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.

15 καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ δώσεις τὰ ρήματά μου εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐγὼ ἀνοίξω τὸ στόμα σου καὶ τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ καὶ συμβιβάσω ὑμᾶς ἃ ποιήσετε.

And 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.

16 καὶ αὐτός σοι λαλήσει πρὸς τὸν λαόν, καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται σου στόμα, σὺ δὲ αὐτῷ ἔσῃ τὰ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν.

And 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.

17 καὶ τὴν ράβδον ταύτην τὴν στραφεῖσαν εἰς ὄφιν λήψῃ ἐν τῇ χειρί σου, ἐν ᾗ ποιήσεις ἐν αὐτῇ τὰ σημεῖα.

And this rod that was turned into a serpent you shall take in your hand, wherewith you shall work miracles.

18 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.

And 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.

19 εἶπε δὲ Κύριος πρὸς Μωυσῆν ἐν Μαδιάμ· βάδιζε, ἄπελθε εἰς Αἴγυπτον· τεθνήκασι γὰρ πάντες οἱ ζητοῦντές σου τὴν ψυχήν.

And the Lord said to Moses in Madiam, Go, depart into Egypt, for all that sought your life are dead.

20 ἀναλαβὼν δὲ Μωυσῆς τὴν γυναῖκα καὶ τὰ παιδία ἀνεβίβασεν αὐτὰ ἐπὶ τὰ ὑποζύγια καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον· ἔλαβε δὲ Μωυσῆς τὴν ράβδον τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ.

And 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.

21 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.

And 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.

22 σὺ δὲ ἐρεῖς τῷ Φαραώ· τάδε λέγει Κύριος· υἱὸς πρωτότοκός μου Ἰσραήλ·

And you shall say to Pharao, These things says the Lord, Israel [is] my firstborn.

23 εἶπα δέ σοι· ἐξαπόστειλον τὸν λαόν μου, ἵνα μοι λατρεύσῃ· εἰ μὲν οὖν μὴ βούλει ἐξαποστεῖλαι αὐτούς, ὅρα οὖν, ἐγὼ ἀποκτενῶ τὸν υἱόν σου τὸν πρωτότοκον.

And 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.

24 ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ἐν τῷ καταλύματι συνήντησεν αὐτῷ ἄγγελος Κυρίου καὶ ἐζήτει αὐτὸν ἀποκτεῖναι.

And it came to pass [that] the angel of the Lord met him by the way in the inn, and sought to kill him.

25 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.

and 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:

26 καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, διότι εἶπεν· ἔστη τὸ αἷμα τῆς περιτομῆς τοῦ παιδίου μου.

and he departed from him, because she said, The blood of the circumcision of my son is staunched.

27 Εἶπε δὲ Κύριος πρὸς Ἀαρών· πορεύθητι εἰς συνάντησιν Μωυσῆ εἰς τὴν ἔρημον· καὶ ἐπορεύθη καὶ συνήντησεν αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ κατεφίλησαν ἀλλήλους.

And 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.

28 καὶ ἀνήγγειλε Μωυσῆς τῷ Ἀαρὼν πάντας τοὺς λόγους Κυρίου, οὓς ἀπέστειλε, καὶ πάντα τὰ σημεῖα, ἃ ἐνετείλατο αὐτῷ.

And Moses reported to Aaron all the words of the Lord, which he sent, and all the things which he charged him.

29 ἐπορεύθη δὲ Μωυσῆς καὶ Ἀαρὼν καὶ συνήγαγον τὴν γερουσίαν τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ.

And Moses and Aaron went and gathered the elders of the children of Israel.

30 καὶ ἐλάλησεν Ἀαρὼν πάντα τὰ ρήματα ταῦτα, ἃ ἐλάλησεν ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς Μωυσῆν, καὶ ἐποίησε τὰ σημεῖα ἐναντίον τοῦ λαοῦ.

And Aaron spoke all these words, which God spoke to Moses, and wrought the miracles before the people.

31 καὶ ἐπίστευσεν ὁ λαὸς καὶ ἐχάρη, ὅτι ἐπεσκέψατο ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ὅτι εἶδεν αὐτῶν τὴν θλίψιν· κύψας δὲ ὁ λαὸς προσεκύνησε.

and the people believed and rejoiced, because God visited the children of Israel, and because he saw their affliction: and the people bowed and worshipped.

Greek: the Septuagint as the Orthodox Media Network published it (Mount Athos); 2 Maccabees and the Prayer of Manasseh from Brenton's edition (1851). English: Brenton's translation (1851), its spelling updated by Michael Paul Johnson; public domain. About these texts.