respecting him, and she acquainted him with what hath been above related, his lifting up the stone of the well, and his saying unto her, Walk behind me;—and moreover, that when she had come unto him, and he knew of her presence, he hung down his head and raised it not._ He _therefore_ said, Verily I desire to marry thee unto one of these my two daughters, on the condition that thou shalt be a hired servant to me, _to tend my sheep_, eight years; and if thou fulfil ten _years_, it shall be of thine own will; and I desire not to lay a difficulty upon thee _by imposing as a condition the ten years_: thou shalt find me, if God please, [one] of the just, _who are faithful to their covenants_. He replied, This [be the covenant] between me and thee: whichever of the two terms I fulfil, there shall be no injustice against me _by demanding an addition thereto_; and God is witness of what we say. _And the marriage-contract was concluded according to this; and Sho´eyb ordered his daughter to give unto Moses a rod wherewith to drive away the wild beasts from his sheep: and the rods of the prophets were in his possession; and the rod of Adam, of the myrtle of paradise, fell into her hand; and Moses took it, with the knowledge of Sho´eyb._ (xxviii. 21-28.) Hath the history of Moses been related to thee? when he saw fire,[264] _during his journey from Medyen, on his way to Egypt_, and said unto his family, _or his wife_, Tarry ye _here_; for I have seen fire: perhaps I may bring you a brand from it, or find at the fire a guide _to direct me in the way. For he had missed the way in consequence of the darkness of the night._ And when he came unto it (_and it was a bramble-bush_), he was called to [by a voice saying], O Moses, verily I am thy Lord; therefore pull off thy shoes;[265] for thou art in the holy valley of Ṭuwa. And I have chosen thee _from among thy people_; wherefore hearken attentively unto that which is revealed _unto thee by Me_. Verily I am God: there is no Deity except Me; therefore worship Me, and perform prayer in remembrance of Me. Verily the hour is coming: I will manifest it _unto mankind, and its nearness shall appear unto them by its signs_, that every soul may be recompensed _therein_ for its good and evil work: therefore let not him who believeth not in it, and followeth his lust, hinder thee from _believing in_ it, lest thou perish. And what is that in thy right hand, O Moses?—He answered, It is my rod, whereon I lean and wherewith I beat down leaves for my sheep _that they may eat them_; and I have other uses for it, _as the carrying of provision and the water-skin, and the driving away of reptiles_. He said, Cast it down, O Moses. So he cast it down; and lo, it was a serpent,[266] running along. _God_ said, Take it, and fear _it_ not:[267] we will restore it to its former state. _And he put his hand into its mouth; whereupon it became again a rod._ [And God said,] And put thy _right_ hand to thy _left_