20 So Moses took his wife and his sons, mounted them on the donkey, and started back to the land of Egypt. Moses took the staff of God with him.
21 The Lord said to Moses: On your return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go.
22 So you will say to Pharaoh, Thus says the Lord: Israel is my son, my firstborn.
23 I said to you: Let my son go, that he may serve me. Since you refused to let him go, I will kill your son, your firstborn.
24 On the journey, at a place where they spent the night, the Lord came upon Moses and sought to put him to death.
25 But Zipporah took a piece of flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and, touching his feet, she said, “Surely you are a spouse of blood to me.”
26 So God let Moses alone. At that time she said, “A spouse of blood,” in regard to the circumcision.