Then the LORD said
to Moses
, " aSee
, I make
you as God
to Pharaoh
, and your brother
Aaron
shall be your prophet
.
"You shall speak all
that I command
you, and your brother
aAaron
shall speak
to Pharaoh
that he let
the sons
of Israel
go
out of his land
.
"But aI will harden Pharaoh's
heart
that I may bmultiply
My signs
and My wonders
in the land
of Egypt
.
"When aPharaoh does not listen
to you, then I will lay
My hand
on Egypt
and bbring
out My hosts
, My people
the sons
of Israel
, from the land
of Egypt
by cgreat
judgments
.
" aThe Egyptians shall know
that I am the LORD
, when I bstretch
out My hand
on Egypt
and bring
out the sons
of Israel
from their midst
."
So Moses and Aaron
did
it; aas the LORD
commanded
them, thus
they did
.
Moses was aeighty
years
old
and Aaron
1eighty-three
, when they spoke
to Pharaoh
.
Now the LORD spoke
to Moses
and Aaron
, saying
,
"When Pharaoh
speaks
to you, saying
, ` 1 aWork
a miracle
,' then you shall say
to Aaron
, ` bTake
your staff
and throw
it down
before
Pharaoh
, that it may become
a serpent
.' "
So 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 1his servants
, and it abecame
a serpent
.
Then Pharaoh also
acalled
for the wise
men
and the sorcerers
, and they also
, the 1 bmagicians
of Egypt
, did
2the same
with ctheir secret
arts
.
For each one
threw
down
his staff
and they turned
into serpents
. But Aaron's
staff
swallowed
up their staffs
.
Yet aPharaoh's heart
was 1hardened
, and he did not listen
to them, as the LORD
had said
.
Then the LORD said
to Moses
, "Pharaoh's
heart
is 1stubborn
; he refuses
to let
the people
go
.
"Go to Pharaoh
in the morning
1as ahe 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
bthe staff
that was turned
into a serpent
.
" aYou shall say to him, `The LORD
, the God
of the Hebrews
, sent
me to you, saying
, " bLet
My people
go
, that they may serve
Me in the wilderness
. But behold
, you have not listened
until
now
."
`Thus says
the LORD
, " aBy this
you shall know
that I am the LORD
: behold
, I will strike
1the water
that is in the Nile
with the staff
that is in my hand
, and bit will be turned
to blood
.
" aThe fish that are in the Nile
will die
, and the Nile
will 1become
foul
, and the Egyptians
will 2 bfind
difficulty
in drinking
water
from the Nile
.""'
Then the LORD said
to Moses
, "Say
to Aaron
, `Take
your staff
and astretch
out your hand
over
the waters
of Egypt
, over
their rivers
, over
their 1streams
, 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
.' "
So Moses and Aaron
did
even
as the LORD
had commanded
. And he lifted
up 1 athe staff
and struck
the water
that was in the Nile
, in the sight
of Pharaoh
and in the sight
of his servants
, and ball
the water
that was in the Nile
was turned
to blood
.
The fish that were in the Nile
died
, and the Nile
1became
foul
, so that the Egyptians
could
not drink
water
from the Nile
. And the blood
was through all
the land
of Egypt
.
aBut the 1magicians of Egypt
did
2the same
with their secret
arts
; and Pharaoh's
heart
was 3hardened
, and he did not listen
to them, as the LORD
had said
.
Then Pharaoh turned
and went
into his house
1with no
concern
even
for this
.
So all the Egyptians
dug
around
the Nile
for water
to drink
, for they could
not drink
of the water
of the Nile
.
Seven days
1passed
after
the LORD
had struck
the Nile
.