1 ¶ The LORD said unto Moses, See, I have constituted thee as god unto Pharaoh; and Aaron, thy brother, shall be thy prophet.

The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh. Your brother Aaron will be the one who speaks for you.

2 T hou shalt speak all that I shall command thee; and Aaron, thy brother, shall speak unto Pharaoh that he send the sons of Israel out of his land.

You will speak all that I tell you. Your brother Aaron will tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his land.

3 A nd I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

But I will make Pharaoh’s heart hard. So I will do many powerful works for the people to see in the land of Egypt.

4 A nd Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, but I shall lay my hand upon Egypt and bring forth my hosts, and my people, the sons of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay My hand on Egypt. By great acts that will punish the Egyptians, I will bring out My family groups, My people, the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt.

5 A nd the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from among them.

The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I put My hand upon Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.”

6 A nd Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.

So Moses and Aaron did what the Lord told them to do.

7 A nd Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three years old when they spoke unto Pharaoh.

Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh. Aaron’s Special Walking Stick

8 ¶ And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

9 I f Pharaoh shall answer you, saying, Show a miracle, then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod and cast it before Pharaoh, that it shall become a dragon.

“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by doing a powerful work,’ then you say to Aaron, ‘Take your special stick and throw it down in front of Pharaoh so that it will become a snake.’”

10 S o Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did as the LORD had commanded; and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his slaves, and it became a dragon.

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They did just as the Lord had told them. Aaron threw his stick down in front of Pharaoh and his servants and it became a snake.

11 T hen Pharaoh also called wise men and sorcerers; now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their fire worship.

Then Pharaoh called for his wise men and wonder-workers. They did the same thing using their secret ways.

12 F or each one cast down his rod, and they became dragons; but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

For each one threw down his stick and it became a snake. But Aaron’s special stick ate their sticks.

13 A nd Pharaoh’s heart became hard, that he hearkened not unto them as the LORD had said.

Yet Pharaoh’s heart was hard. He did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. Water Becomes Blood

14 ¶ Then the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is become grievous, for he refuses to let the people go.

The Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is not changed. He will not let the people go.

15 G o unto Pharaoh in the morning; behold, he goes out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river’s brink before him and take in thy hand the rod which was turned to a serpent

Go to Pharaoh in the morning when he is going out to the water. Wait for him beside the Nile River. Take in your hand the special stick that became a snake.

16 a nd say unto him, The LORD, the God of the Hebrews has sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness; and, behold, until now thou hast not desired to hear.

And say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let My people go, so they may worship Me in the desert. But see, you have not yet listened.”

17 T hus hath the LORD said, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD; behold, I will smite with the rod that is in my hand the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

So the Lord says, “By this you will know that I am the Lord. I will hit the water of the Nile with the special stick that is in my hand. And the water will be changed to blood.

18 A nd the fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink the water of the river.

The fish that are in the Nile will die. And the Nile will have a bad smell. The Egyptians will not be able to drink water from the Nile.”’”

19 A nd the LORD spoke unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their rivers, upon their streams, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your special stick and put your hand out over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their pools, and all their man-made lakes of water, so they will become blood. There will be blood through all the land of Egypt, even in pots of wood and pots of stone.’”

20 A nd Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and lifting up the rod, he smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his slaves; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.

Moses and Aaron did what the Lord had told them. Aaron raised the special stick and hit the water of the Nile in front of Pharaoh and his servants. And all the water in the Nile was turned into blood.

21 A nd the fish that were in the river died; and the river became corrupted, so that the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

The fish that were in the Nile died. And the Nile had a bad smell. So the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. The blood was through all the land of Egypt.

22 A nd the magicians of Egypt did the same with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart hardened itself, and he did not hearken unto them, as the LORD had said.

But the wonder-workers of Egypt did the same thing using their secret ways. And Pharaoh’s heart was hard. He did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

23 A nd Pharaoh turned and returned to his house, and even with all this he did not take this to heart.

Then Pharaoh turned and went into his house, without even thinking what had happened.

24 A nd in all Egypt they dug wells round about the river for water to drink, for they could not drink of the water of the river.

And all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink. For they could not drink the water of the Nile.

25 A nd seven days were fulfilled after the LORD had smitten the river.

Seven days passed after the Lord had hit the Nile.