1Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘I have made you like God to Pharaoh. And your brother Aaron will be like a prophet to you.2You must say everything I command you to say. Then your brother Aaron must tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his country.3But I will make Pharaoh stubborn. I will multiply the signs and amazing things I will do in Egypt.4In spite of that, he will not listen to you. So I will use my powerful hand against Egypt. When I judge them with mighty acts, I will bring my people Israel out like an army on the march.5Then the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD. I will reach out my powerful hand against them. I will bring the people of Israel out of Egypt.’6Moses and Aaron did exactly as the LORD had commanded them.7Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Aaron’s walking stick becomes a snake
8The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron.9He said, ‘Pharaoh will say to you, “Do a miracle.” When he does, speak to Aaron. Tell him, “Take your walking stick and throw it down in front of Pharaoh.” It will turn into a snake.’10So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They did exactly as the LORD had commanded them. Aaron threw the stick down in front of Pharaoh and his officials. It turned into a snake.11Then Pharaoh sent for wise men and people who do evil magic. By doing their magic tricks, the Egyptian magicians did the same things Aaron had done.12Each one threw down his walking stick. Each stick turned into a snake. But Aaron’s walking stick swallowed theirs up.13In spite of that, Pharaoh became stubborn. He wouldn’t listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
The plague of blood
14Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Pharaoh is very stubborn. He refuses to let the people go.15In the morning Pharaoh will go down to the River Nile. Go and meet him on the bank of the river. Take in your hand the walking stick that turned into a snake.16Say to Pharaoh, “The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you. He says, ‘Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me in the desert. But up to now you have not listened.’17The LORD says, ‘Here is how you will know that I am the LORD. I will strike the water of the River Nile with the walking stick that is in my hand. The river will turn into blood.18The fish in the river will die. The river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’ ” ’19The LORD said to Moses, ‘Tell Aaron, “Get your walking stick. Reach your hand out over the waters of Egypt. The streams, canals, ponds and all the lakes will turn into blood. There will be blood everywhere in Egypt. It will even be in the wooden buckets and stone jars.” ’20Moses and Aaron did exactly as the LORD had commanded them. Aaron held out his staff in front of Pharaoh and his officials. He struck the water of the River Nile. And all the water turned into blood.21The fish in the Nile died. The river smelled so bad the Egyptians couldn’t drink its water. There was blood everywhere in Egypt.22But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by doing their magic tricks. So Pharaoh became stubborn. He wouldn’t listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.23Even that miracle didn’t change Pharaoh’s mind. In fact, he turned round and went into his palace.24All the Egyptians dug holes near the River Nile to get drinking water. They couldn’t drink water from the river.
The plague of frogs
25Seven days passed after the LORD struck the River Nile.
Exodus 7
English Standard Version
Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh
1And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. (Ge 20:7; Ex 4:16; 1Sa 9:9)2You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. (Ex 4:15; Ex 6:29)3But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, (Ex 4:21; Ex 11:9; Ps 78:43; Ps 105:26; Ps 135:9)4Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment.5The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” (Ex 7:17; Ex 8:10; Ex 8:22; Ex 14:4; Ex 14:18)6Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them.7Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh. (De 29:5; De 31:2; De 34:7; Ac 7:23; Ac 7:30)8Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron,9“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’” (Isa 7:11; Joh 2:18; Joh 4:48; Joh 6:30)10So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.11Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts. (Ge 41:8; Ex 7:12; Ex 7:22; Ex 8:7; Ex 8:18; Ex 9:11; 2Ti 3:8)12For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.13Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. (Ex 7:3)
The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood
14Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go.15Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent. (Ex 4:2; Ex 4:3; Ex 4:17; Ex 8:20; Ex 9:13; Ex 17:5)16And you 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 so far, you have not obeyed. (Ex 3:12; Ex 3:18; Ex 5:1; Ex 5:3; Ex 9:1; Ex 9:13)17Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood. (Ex 4:9; Ex 7:5; Re 16:4)18The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.”’” (Ex 7:21; Ex 7:24)19And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’” (Ex 8:5; Ex 8:16; Ex 9:22; Ex 10:12; Ex 10:21; Ex 14:16; Ex 14:21; Ex 14:26)20Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood. (Ex 17:9; Ps 78:44; Ps 105:29)21And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. (Ex 7:18; Ex 7:24)22But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. (Ex 7:3; Ex 7:11; Ex 7:13)23Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart.24And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.25Seven full days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.