1 And Moses answered and said: “But, look, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘Shema has not appeared to you.’”

2 And Shema said to him: “What is that in your hand?” And he said: “A staff.” 3 And he said: “Throw it on the ground.” And he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent. And Moses ran away from it. 4 And Shema said to Moses: “Reach out your hand, and seize it by the tail.” And he reached out his hand, and took hold of it, and it became a staff in his hand. 5 “So that they may believe that Shema, the God of their ancestors, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”

6 And Shema said also to him: “Now put your hand inside your clothing against your chest.” And he put his hand inside his clothing against his chest. And when he took it out from his chest, look, his hand was leprous, as [white as] snow. 7 And he said: “Put your hand inside your clothing against your chest again.” And he put his hand inside his clothing against his chest again, and when he took it out from his chest, look, it was restored to be like [the rest of] his skin. 8 “And if they will not believe you, or listen to the voice of the first sign, they will believe the voice of the second sign. 9 And if they will not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, you shall take some water of the river, and pour it on the dry land, and the water which you take out of the river shall become blood on the dry land.” 10 And Moses said to Shema: “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either before now or since you have spoken to your servant, for I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.”

11 And Shema said to him: “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes [a man] unable to speak, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Look, it is I, Shema! 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall speak.” 13 And he said: “Oh, my Lord, please send [the person whom] you will send.” 14 And Shema became angry with Moses, and he said: “Look, Aaron your brother the Levite, I know that he can speak well! And also, look, he comes out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 And you shall speak to him, and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. 16 And he shall speak for you to the people; and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be like God to him. 17 And you shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.” 18 And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him: “Please let me go and return to my relatives that are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses: “Go in peace.”

19 And Shema said to Moses in Midian: “Go, return to Egypt, for all the men who tried to kill you are dead.” 20 And Moses took his wife and his sons, and put them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

21 And Shema said to Moses: “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the wonders which I have put in your hand, but I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. 22 And you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Shema says this, ‘Israel is my son, my firstborn, 23 and I have said to you, ‘Let my son go, so that he may serve me. And you have refused to let him go. Look, I will kill your son, your firstborn.’” 24 And on the way at the lodging place Shema met him, and tried to kill him.⁠a 25 Then Zipporah took a flint, and cut off the foreskin of her heart, and threw it at his feet. And she said: “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” 26 So he left her alone. Then she said: “A bridegroom of blood [you are], because of the circumcision.”

27 And Shema said to Aaron: “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” And he went, and met him at the mountain of God, and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of Shema which he had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him to perform. 29 And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. 30 And Aaron spoke all the words which Shema had spoken to Moses, and did the signs in front of the people. 31 And the people believed, and they announced that Shema had remembered the children of Israel, and that he had seen their suffering, and they bowed down and worshiped.