18 Moses went to his father-in-law Jethro and asked, “Please let me return to Egypt to see if any of my people are still alive.”“All right,” Jethro replied. “I hope all goes well.”
19 But even before this, the Lord had told Moses, “Leave the land of Midian and return to Egypt. Everyone who wanted to kill you is dead.”
20 So Moses put his wife and sons on donkeys and headed for Egypt, holding the walking stick that had the power of God.
21 On the way the Lord said to Moses:When you get to Egypt, go to the king and work the miracles I have shown you. But I will make him so stubborn that he will refuse to let my people go.
22 Then tell him that I have said, “Israel is my firstborn son,
23 and I commanded you to release him, so he could worship me. But you refused, and now I will kill your firstborn son.”
24 One night while Moses was in camp, the Lord was about to kill him.