1 The Lord said, “I am going to make you like God to the king, and your brother Aaron will speak to him as your prophet. 2 Tell Aaron everything I command you, and he will tell the king to let the Israelites leave his country. 3-4 But I will make the king stubborn, and he will not listen to you, no matter how many terrifying things I do in Egypt. Then I will bring severe punishment on Egypt and lead the tribes of my people out of the land. 5 The Egyptians will then know that I am the Lord, when I raise my hand against them and bring the Israelites out of their country.” 6 Moses and Aaron did what the Lord commanded. 7 At the time when they spoke to the king, Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three.
Aaron's Walking Stick
8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “If the king demands that you prove yourselves by performing a miracle, tell Aaron to take his walking stick and throw it down in front of the king, and it will turn into a snake.” 10 So Moses and Aaron went to the king and did as the Lord had commanded. Aaron threw his walking stick down in front of the king and his officers, and it turned into a snake. 11 Then the king called for his wise men and magicians, and by their magic they did the same thing. 12 They threw down their walking sticks, and the sticks turned into snakes. But Aaron's stick swallowed theirs. 13 The king, however, remained stubborn and, just as the Lord had said, the king would not listen to Moses and Aaron.
Disasters Strike Egypt
Blood
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “The king is very stubborn and refuses to let the people go. 15 So go and meet him in the morning when he goes down to the Nile. Take with you the walking stick that was turned into a snake, and wait for him on the riverbank. 16 Then say to the king, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to tell you to let his people go, so that they can worship him in the desert. But until now you have not listened. 17 Now, Your Majesty, the Lord says that you will find out who he is by what he is going to do. Look, I am going to strike the surface of the river with this stick, and the water will be turned into blood. 18 The fish will die, and the river will stink so much that the Egyptians will not be able to drink from it.’”
19 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron to take his stick and hold it out over all the rivers, canals, and pools in Egypt. The water will become blood, and all over the land there will be blood, even in the wooden tubs and stone jars.”
20 Then Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the presence of the king and his officers, Aaron raised his stick and struck the surface of the river, and all the water in it was turned into blood. 21 The fish in the river died, and it smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink from it. There was blood everywhere in Egypt. 22 Then the king's magicians did the same thing by means of their magic, and the king was as stubborn as ever. Just as the Lord had said, the king refused to listen to Moses and Aaron. 23 Instead, he turned and went back to his palace without paying any attention even to this. 24 All the Egyptians dug along the bank of the river for drinking water, because they were not able to drink water from the river.
25 Seven days passed after the Lord struck the river.
1 Then the Lord saide to Moses, Behold, I haue made thee Pharaohs God, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy Prophet. 2 Thou shalt speake all that I commanded thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speake vnto Pharaoh, that he suffer the children of Israel to go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaohs heart, and multiplie my miracles and my wonders in the lande of Egypt. 4 And Pharaoh shall not hearken vnto you, that I may lay mine hand vpon Egypt, and bring out myne armies, euen my people, the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, by great iudgements. 5 Then the Egyptians shall knowe that I am the Lord, when I stretch foorth mine hand vpon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them. 6 So Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them, euen so did they. 7 (Nowe Moses was foure score yeere olde, and Aaron foure score and three, when they spake vnto Pharaoh) 8 And the Lord had spoken vnto Moses and Aaron, saying, 9 If Pharaoh speake vnto you, saying, Shewe a miracle for you, then thou shalt say vnto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shalbe turned into a serpent. 10 Then went Moses and Aaron vnto Pharaoh, and did euen as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast forth his rod before Pharaoh and before his seruants, and it was turned into a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh called also for the wise men and sorcerers: and those charmers also of Egypt did in like maner with their enchantmens, 12 For they cast downe euery man his rod, and they were turned into serpents: but Aarons rodde deuoured their rods. 13 So Pharaohs heart was hardened, and hee hearkened not to them, as the Lord had saide. 14 The Lord then saide vnto Moses, Pharaohs heart is obstinate, hee refuseth to let the people goe. 15 Goe vnto Pharaoh in the morning, (loe, he will come forth vnto the water) and thou shalt stand and meete him by the riuers brinke, and the rod, which was turned into a serpent, shalt thou take in thine hand. 16 And thou shalt say vnto him, The Lord God of the Ebrewes hath sent me vnto thee, saying, Let my people goe, that they may serue mee in the wildernesse: and beholde, hitherto thou wouldest not heare. 17 Thus saith the Lord, In this shalt thou know that I am the Lord: behold, I wil smite with the rodde that is in mine hand vpon the water that is in the riuer, and it shalbe turned to blood. 18 And the fish that is in the riuer shall dye, and the riuer shall stinke, and it shall grieue the Egyptians to drinke of the water of the riuer. 19 The Lord then spake to Moses, Say vnto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand ouer the waters of Egypt, ouer their streames, ouer their riuers, and ouer their pondes,, and ouer all pooles of their waters, and they shalbe blood, and there shalbe blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and of stone. 20 So Moses and Aaron did euen as the Lord commanded: and hee lift vp the rodde, and smote the water that was in the riuer in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his seruants: and all the water that was in the riuer, was turned into blood. 21 And the fish that was in the ryuer dyed, and the riuer stanke: so that the Egyptians could not drinke of the water of the riuer: and there was blood throughout all the lande of Egypt. 22 And the enchanters of Egypt did likewise with their sorceries: and the heart of Phraoh was hardened: so that he did not hearken vnto them, as the Lord had sayde. 23 Then Pharaoh returned, and went againe into his house, neither did this yet enter into his heart. 24 All the Egyptians then digged rounde about the riuer for waters to drinke: for they could not drinke of the water of the riuer. 25 And this continued fully seuen dayes after the Lord had smitten the riuer.