10 Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

11 “aGo, 1tell Pharaoh king of Egypt 2to let the sons of Israel go out of his land.”

12 But Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, “Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; ahow then will Pharaoh listen to me, for I am 1bunskilled in speech?”

13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and gave them a charge to the sons of Israel and to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

The Heads of Israel

14 These are the heads of their fathers’ households. aThe sons of Reuben, Israel’s firstborn: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben.

15 The asons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon.

16 These are the names of athe sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon and Kohath and Merari; and the 1length of Levi’s life was one hundred and thirty-seven years.

17 aThe sons of Gershon: 1Libni and Shimei, according to their families.

18 aThe sons of Kohath: Amram and Izhar and Hebron and Uzziel; and the 1length of Kohath’s life was one hundred and thirty-three years.

19 aThe sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations.

20 aAmram 1married his father’s sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses; and the 2length of Amram’s life was one hundred and thirty-seven years.

21 aThe sons of Izhar: Korah and Nepheg and Zichri.

22 aThe sons of Uzziel: Mishael and 1Elzaphan and Sithri.

23 Aaron 1married Elisheba, the daughter of aAmminadab, the sister of bNahshon, and she bore him cNadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

24 The asons of Korah: Assir and Elkanah and 1Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites.

25 Aaron’s son aEleazar 1married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him bPhinehas. These are the heads of the fathers’ households of the Levites according to their families.

26 It was the same Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “aBring out the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their bhosts.”

27 They were the ones awho spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt 1about bringing out the sons of Israel from Egypt; it was the same Moses and Aaron.

28 Now it came about on the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,

29 that the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “aI am the Lord; bspeak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I speak to you.”

30 But Moses said before the Lord, “Behold, I am 1aunskilled in speech; how then will Pharaoh listen to me?”

Chapter 7

“I Will Stretch Out My Hand”

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “aSee, I make you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.

2 “You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother aAaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land.

3 “But aI will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may bmultiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.

4 “When aPharaoh does not listen to you, then I will lay My hand on Egypt and bbring out My hosts, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by cgreat judgments.

5 “aThe Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I bstretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst.”

6 So Moses and Aaron did it; aas the Lord commanded them, thus they did.

7 Moses was aeighty years old and Aaron 1eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Rod Becomes a Serpent

8 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

9 “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘1aWork a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘bTake your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’ ”

10 So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as the Lord had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and 1his servants, and it abecame a serpent.

11 Then Pharaoh also acalled for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the 1bmagicians of Egypt, did 2the same with ctheir secret arts.

12 For each one threw down his staff and they turned into serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.

13 Yet aPharaoh’s heart was 1hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said.