< Exodus 7 >

1 The LORD said to Moses, "Look, I have made you as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.
And the Lord said to Moses, See I have made you a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet.
2 You shall speak all that I command you; and Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.
Say whatever I give you orders to say: and Aaron your brother will give word to Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go out of his land.
3 I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
And I will make Pharaoh's heart hard, and my signs and wonders will be increased in the land of Egypt.
4 But Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring forth my regiments, my people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.
But Pharaoh will not give ear to you, and I will put my hand on Egypt, and take my armies, my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt, after great punishments.
5 The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth my hand on Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them."
And the Egyptians will see that I am the Lord, when my hand is stretched out over Egypt, and I take the children of Israel out from among them.
6 Moses and Aaron did so. As the LORD commanded them, so they did.
And Moses and Aaron did so: as the Lord gave them orders, so they did.
7 Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.
And Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they gave the Lord's word to Pharaoh.
8 The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
9 "When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Perform a miracle.' then you shall tell Aaron, 'Take your staff, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent.'"
If Pharaoh says to you, Let me see a wonder: then say to Aaron, Take your rod and put it down on the earth before Pharaoh so that it may become a snake.
10 Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
Then Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and they did as the Lord had said: and Aaron put his rod down on the earth before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a snake.
11 Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers. They also, the magicians of Egypt, did in like manner with their secret arts.
Then Pharaoh sent for the wise men and the wonder-workers, and they, the wonder-workers of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts.
12 For they cast down every man his staff, and they became serpents: but Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.
For every one of them put down his rod on the earth, and they became snakes: but Aaron's rod made a meal of their rods.
13 Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them; as the LORD had spoken.
But Pharaoh's heart was made hard, and he did not give ear to them, as the Lord had said.
14 The LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is stubborn. He refuses to let the people go.
And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Pharaoh's heart is unchanged; he will not let the people go.
15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning. Look, he goes out to the water; and you shall stand by the river's bank to meet him; and the staff which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand.
Go to Pharaoh in the morning; when he goes out to the water, you will be waiting for him by the edge of the Nile, with the rod which was turned into a snake in your hand;
16 You shall tell him, 'The LORD, God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, "Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness:" and look, until now you haven't listened.
And say to him, The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, Let my people go so that they may give me worship in the waste land; but up to now you have not given ear to his words.
17 Thus says the LORD, "In this you shall know that I am the LORD. Look, I will strike with the staff that is in my hand on the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.
So the Lord says, By this you may be certain that I am the Lord; see, by the touch of this rod in my hand the waters of the Nile will be turned to blood;
18 The fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall become foul; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink water from the river."'"
And the fish in the Nile will come to destruction, and the river will send up a bad smell, and the Egyptians will not be able, for disgust, to make use of the water of the Nile for drinking.
19 The LORD said to Moses, "Tell 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 ponds of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.'"
And the Lord said, Say to Aaron, Let the rod in your hand be stretched out over the waters of Egypt, and over the rivers and the streams and the pools, and over every stretch of water, so that they may be turned to blood; and there will be blood through all the land of Egypt, in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.
20 Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the staff, and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.
And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord had said; and when his rod had been lifted up and stretched out over the waters of the Nile before the eyes of Pharaoh and his servants, all the water in the Nile was turned to blood;
21 The fish that were in the river died; and the river became foul, and the Egyptians couldn't drink water from the river; and the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt.
And the fish in the Nile came to destruction, and a bad smell went up from the river, and the Egyptians were not able to make use of the water of the Nile for drinking; and there was blood through all the land of Egypt.
22 The magicians of Egypt did in like manner with their secret arts; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them; as the LORD had spoken.
And the wonder-workers of Egypt did the same with their secret arts: but Pharaoh's heart was made hard, and he would not give ear to them, as the Lord had said.
23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he lay even this to heart.
Then Pharaoh went into his house, and did not take even this to heart.
24 All the Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink; for they couldn't drink of the water of the river.
And all the Egyptians made holes round about the Nile to get drinking-water, for they were not able to make use of the Nile water.
25 Seven days were fulfilled, after the LORD had struck the river.
And seven days went past, after the Lord had put his hand on the Nile.

< Exodus 7 >