19 Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill(A) you are dead.(B) 20 So Moses took his wife and sons,(C) put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff(D) of God in his hand.

21 The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders(E) I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart(F) so that he will not let the people go.(G) 22 Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son,(H) 23 and I told you, “Let my son go,(I) so he may worship(J) me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’”(K)

24 At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses[a] and was about to kill(L) him. 25 But Zipporah(M) took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin(N) and touched Moses’ feet with it.[b] “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. 26 So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 4:24 Hebrew him
  2. Exodus 4:25 The meaning of the Hebrew for this clause is uncertain.

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