Exodus 7

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 hearken to you, and I will lay My hand upon Egypt, and bring My armies, 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 upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.”

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

7. And Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-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, ‘Give a miracle for yourselves,’ you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod, and throw it in front of Pharaoh. It shall become a snake.’ ”

10. And Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh. And they did so as the LORD had commanded. And Aaron threw down his rod in front of Pharaoh and in front of his servants, and it became a snake.

11. Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers. And they, the priests of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts,

12. For each man threw down his rod, and they became snakes, but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

13. And He hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that he did not hearken 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. You go to Pharaoh in the morning. Lo, he goes out to the water. And you shall stand by the river’s bank until he comes. And you shall take in your hand the rod which was turned to a snake.

16. And you shall say to him, ‘The LORD God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, “Let My people go so that they may serve Me in the wilderness.” And, behold, until 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 upon the waters in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

18. And the fish in the river shall die, and the river shall stink. And the Egyptians shall hate 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 upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their canals, and upon their pools, and upon every reservoir of their waters, that they may become blood. And blood shall be throughout all the land of Egypt, both in wooden and in stone vessels.’ ”

20. And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded. And he lifted up the rod 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 in the river were turned to blood.

21. And the fish 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 priests of Egypt did so with their secret arts. And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not hearken to them, as the LORD had said.

23. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house; And he also did not take this to heart.

24. And all the Egyptians dug all around the river for water to drink, for they could not drink of the water of the river.

25. And seven days were completed after the LORD had stricken the river.