18 Then Moses departed and returned to 1Jethro ahis father-in-law and said to him, “Please, let me go, that I may return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”

19 Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go 1back to Egypt, for aall the men who were seeking your life are dead.”

20 So Moses took his wife and his asons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the bstaff of God in his hand.

21 The Lord said to Moses, “When you go 1back to Egypt see that you perform before Pharaoh all athe wonders which I have put in your 2power; but bI will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.

22 “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, “aIsrael is My son, My firstborn.

23 “So I said to you, ‘aLet My son go that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, bI will kill your son, your firstborn.” ’ ”

24 Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the Lord met him and asought to put him to death.

25 Then Zipporah took aa flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and 1threw it at Moses’ feet, and she said, “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me.”

26 So He let him alone. At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood”—1because of the circumcision.

27 aNow the Lord said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and met him at the bmountain of God and kissed him.

28 aMoses told Aaron all the words of the Lord with which He had sent him, and ball the signs that He had commanded him to do.

29 Then Moses and Aaron went and aassembled all the elders of the sons of Israel;

30 and aAaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. He then performed the bsigns in the sight of the people.

31 So athe people believed; and when they heard that the Lord 1bwas concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, then cthey bowed low and worshiped.