1 T hen the Lord said to Moses, “ See, I make you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your 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 Y ou shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go 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 B ut I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may 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 W hen Pharaoh does not listen to you, then I will lay My hand on Egypt and bring out My hosts, My people the sons of Israel, from 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 T he Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst.”

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 S o Moses and Aaron did it; as the Lord commanded them, thus they did.

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

7 M oses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh. Aaron’s Rod Becomes a Serpent

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

8 N ow the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

9 “ When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘ Work a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘ Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’”

“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 came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as the Lord had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.

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 for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts.

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

12 F or each one threw down his staff and they turned into serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.

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

13 Y et Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said. Water Is Turned to Blood

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

14 T hen the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn; 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 to Pharaoh in the morning as he is going out to the water, and station yourself to meet him on the bank of the Nile; and you shall take in your hand the staff that was turned into 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 Y ou shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “ Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened until now.”

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 says the Lord, “ By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, I will strike the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and it will 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 T he fish that are in the Nile will die, and the Nile will become foul, and the Egyptians will find difficulty in drinking water from the Nile.”’”

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 T hen the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their reservoirs of water, that they may become blood; and there will 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 S o Moses and Aaron did even as the Lord had commanded. And he lifted up the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile was 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 T he fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile became foul, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. And the blood was through 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 B ut the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts; and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to 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 T hen Pharaoh turned and went into his house with no concern even for this.

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

24 S o all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink of the water of the Nile.

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

25 S even days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.

Seven days passed after the Lord had hit the Nile.