God’s instructions to Moses after Moses returned to Egypt

18 Moses/I returned to his/my father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me go back to Egypt, to see my fellow Israelis there. I want to know if they are still alive.” Jethro said to Moses/me, “Go, and may God give you inner peace.”

19 Yahweh said to Moses/me before he/I left Midian, “You can safely return to Egypt, because the men who were wanting to kill you [MTY] are now dead.” 20 So Moses/I took his/my wife and sons and put them on donkeys, and they/we returned to Egypt. And Moses/I took in his/my hand the stick that God told him/me to take along.

21 Yahweh said to Moses/me, “When you return to Egypt, be sure to perform all the miracles that I have given you power to do, while the king is watching. But I will make him stubborn [IDM], with the result that he will not let the Israeli people leave Egypt. 22 Then say to him, ‘This is what Yahweh says: “The Israeli people [MTY] are as dear to me as firstborn sons [MET]. 23 I told you to let my people [MTY] leave Egypt, in order that they may worship me in the desert. If you refuse to let them go, I warn you, I will kill your firstborn son!” ’ ”