17 And take this staff in your hand that you will perform the signs with.”
18 Then Moses went back to his father-in-law Jethro and said to him, “Please let me return to my relatives in Egypt and see if they are still living.”Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
19 Now in Midian the Lord told Moses, “Return to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead.”
20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took God’s staff in his hand.
21 The Lord instructed Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, make sure you do all the wonders before Pharaoh that I have put within your power. But I will harden his heart so that he won’t let the people go.
22 Then you will say to Pharaoh: This is what Yahweh says: Israel is My firstborn son.
23 I told you: Let My son go so that he may worship Me, but you refused to let him go. Now I will kill your firstborn son! ”