Daily Bread

Moses Returns to Egypt

¹⁸ Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.”

Jethro said, “Go, and I wish you well.”

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.)

²⁷ The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he met Moses at the mountain^(O) of God and kissed^(P) him. ²⁸ Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform.

²⁹ Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders^(Q) of the Israelites, ³⁰ and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs^(R) before the people, ³¹ and they believed.^(S) And when they heard that the Lord was concerned^(T) about them and had seen their misery,^(U) they bowed down and worshiped.^(V)