1 Moses is encouraged to go to Pharaoh. 7 His age. 8 His rod is turned into a Serpent. 11 The sorcerers do the like. 13 Pharaoh’s heart is hardened. 14 God’s message to Pharaoh. 19 The river is turned into blood.

¹ And the LORD said to Moses, See, I have made you a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.

² You shall speak all that I command you: and Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.

³ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

⁴ But Pharaoh shall not listen to you, that I may lay my hand on Egypt, and bring forth my armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

⁵ And 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.

⁶ And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.

⁷ And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh. ¶

⁸ And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

⁹ When Pharaoh shall speak to you, saying, Show a miracle for you: then you shall say to Aaron, Take your rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. ¶

¹⁰ And Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

¹¹ Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

¹² For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

¹³ And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he listened not to them; as the LORD had said. ¶

¹⁴ And the LORD said to Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuses to let the people go.

¹⁵ Get you to Pharaoh in the morning; see, he goes out to the water; and you shall stand by the river’s brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shall you take in your hand.

¹⁶ And you shall say to 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, behold, till now you would not hear.

¹⁷ Thus says the LORD, In this you shall know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in my hand on the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

¹⁸ And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river. ¶

¹⁹ And the LORD spoke to Moses, Say to Aaron, Take your rod, and stretch out your hand on the waters of Egypt, on their streams, on their rivers, and on their ponds, and on all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.

²⁰ And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote 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.

²¹ And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

²² And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he listen to them; as the LORD had said.

²³ And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.

²⁴ And all the Egyptians dig round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.

²⁵ And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.