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

8  And Jehovah spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 9  When Pharaoh shall speak to you, saying, Do a miracle for yourselves, —then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy staff and cast it before Pharaoh—it will become a serpent. 10  And Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and did so, as Jehovah had commanded; and Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh, and before his bondmen, and it became a serpent. 11  And Pharaoh also called the sages and the sorcerers; and they too, the scribes of Egypt, did so with their enchantments: 12  they cast down every man his staff, and they became serpents; but Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staves. 13  And Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn, and he hearkened not to them, as Jehovah had said.

14  And Jehovah said to Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened: he refuseth to let the people go. 15  Go unto Pharaoh in the morning—behold, he will go out unto the water—and take thy stand by the bank of the river in front of him; and take in thy hand the staff that was turned into a serpent. 16  And say unto him, Jehovah the God of the Hebrews has sent me to thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness; but behold, hitherto thou hast not hearkened.