When Moses was forty years old he went out to look on the burdens of his
brethren, and he saw an Egyptian smiting an Israelite. Moses looked this
way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he smote the
Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When Pharaoh heard this thing he
sought to slay Moses, but he fled to Midian, and came to a priest by the
name of Jethro, who had seven daughters, of whom he gave Moses one,
Zipporah, for wife. And Moses dwelt in Midian forty years.
Once, when he kept Jethro’s flocks at Mount Horeb, he saw a bush which
burned and was not consumed. When he drew near to see, the Lord spoke to
him from the bush: I am the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob; I
have seen the affliction of my people and have heard their cry; now I
will send thee to Pharaoh, and thou shalt bring my people out of Egypt.
Moses answered: My brethren will not believe that Thou hast sent me. The
Lord said: Cast thy rod on the ground. Moses did so, and it became a
serpent, and Moses fled from it. At the Lord’s command Moses took it by
the tail, and it became a rod again. The Lord gave him power to work
other wonders; but Moses continued to excuse himself and said: I am slow
of speech. The Lord answered: I will send thy brother Aaron to thee, and
thou shalt put the words in his mouth, and he shall speak for thee. Then
Moses returned to Egypt. He met Aaron on the road, and he went with him
to the Israelites and told them the words of the Lord, and they rejoiced
and bowed their heads and worshipped the Lord. (Ex. 2:15-4:31.)