Exodus 7

And God said to Moses, “Look, I have made you God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.

You shall say everything that I will command you. And your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he should let the sons of Israel go from his land. \*

But I will harden the heart of Pharaoh, and I will multiply my signs and my miracles in the land of Egypt.

And Pharaoh will not listen to you, so I will put my hand on Egypt and will bring out my armies, my people, the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt with great judgments.

And the Egyptians will know that I am God when I stretch out my hand over Egypt to bring the sons of Israel out from their midst.” \*

And Moses and Aaron did; they did just as God commanded them.

And Moses was a son of 80 years and Aaron was a son of 83 years when they were speaking to Pharaoh. \*

And God said to Moses and to Aaron saying,

“For Pharaoh will speak to you, saying, ‘Create a miracle yourself,’ and you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before the face of Pharaoh; let it become a serpent.’” \*

And Moses and Aaron entered in to Pharaoh, and they did just as God commanded. And Aaron threw down his staff before the face of Pharaoh and before the faces of his servants, and it became a serpent.

And Pharaoh also called for wise men and sorcerers. And the magicians of Egypt also did so by their magic.

And each man threw down his staff, and they became serpents. And the staff of Aaron swallowed up their staffs.

And the heart of Pharaoh was strong, and he did not listen to them, just as God had spoken. \*

And God said to Moses, “The heart of Pharaoh is heavy; he has refused to let the people go.

Go to Pharaoh. Behold, in the morning he goes out to the water, so station yourself to meet him on the edge of the river. And take in your hand the staff that turned into a snake. \*

And say to him, ‘God, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you to say, “Let my people go, and they will serve me in the wilderness. And behold, until now, you have not listened.”

Thus says God: “By this you will know that I am God. Behold, I am about to strike against the waters that are in the river with the staff that is in my hand, and they will turn to blood.

And the fish that are in the river will die, and the river will stink. And the Egyptians will exhaust themselves to drink water from the river.”’” \*

And God said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt; over their streams, over their canals, and over their pools, and over every reservoir of their water, and it will become blood.’ And there will be blood in all the land of Egypt, both in containers of wood and in containers of stone.” \*

And Moses and Aaron did so, just as God commanded. And he raised the staff, and he struck the water that was in the river, in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants. And all the water that was in the river turned to blood.

And the fish that were in the river died, and the river stank, so the Egyptians were not able to drink water from the river. And the blood was in all the land of Egypt.

And the magicians of Egypt did the same with their magic. And the heart of Pharaoh was strong, and he did not listen to them, just as God had spoken. \*

And Pharaoh turned around and went into his house. And he did not set his heart even to this.

And all the Egyptians dug water to drink around the river, for they were not able to drink from the waters of the river. \*

And seven days were filled after God struck the river. \*