8. "If they won’t believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second sign.
9. If they won’t believe even these two signs or pay attention to you, then take some water from the Nile River and pour it out on dry ground. The water that you take from the Nile will turn into blood on the dry ground."
10. But Moses said to the Lord, "My Lord, I’ve never been able to speak well, not yesterday, not the day before, and certainly not now since you’ve been talking to your servant. I have a slow mouth and a thick tongue."
11. Then the Lord said to him, "Who gives people the ability to speak? Who’s responsible for making them unable to speak or hard of hearing, sighted or blind? Isn’t it I, the Lord?
12. Now go! I’ll help you speak, and I’ll teach you what you should say."
13. But Moses said, "Please, my Lord, just send someone else."
14. Then the Lord got angry at Moses and said, "What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak very well. He’s on his way out to meet you now, and he’s looking forward to seeing you.
15. Speak to him and tell him what he’s supposed to say. I’ll help both of you speak, and I’ll teach both of you what to do.
16. Aaron will speak for you to the people. He’ll be a spokesperson for you, and you will be like God for him.
17. Take this shepherd’s rod with you too so that you can do the signs."
18. Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, "Please let me go back to my family in Egypt and see whether or not they are still living."Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."
19. The Lord said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt because everyone there who wanted to kill you has died."
20. So Moses took his wife and his children, put them on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. Moses also carried the shepherd’s rod from God in his hand.
21. The Lord said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, make sure that you appear before Pharaoh and do all the amazing acts that I’ve given you the power to do. But I’ll make him stubborn so that he won’t let the people go.
22. Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my oldest son.