7 So the Lord said to Moses: “See, I have made you aas God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be byour prophet. 2 You cshall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. 3 And dI will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and emultiply My fsigns and My wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 But gPharaoh will not heed you, so hthat I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My 1armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt iby great judgments. 5 And the Egyptians jshall know that I am the Lord, when I kstretch out My hand on Egypt and lbring out the children of Israel from among them.”

6 Then Moses and Aaron mdid so; just as the Lord commanded them, so they did. 7 And Moses was neighty years old and oAaron eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Miraculous Rod

8 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 9 “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, p‘Show a miracle for yourselves,’ then you shall say to Aaron, q‘Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.’ ” 10 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just ras the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it sbecame a serpent.

11 But Pharaoh also tcalled the wise men and uthe 2sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also vdid in like manner with their 3enchantments. 12 For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. 13 And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.

The First Plague: Waters Become Blood

14 So the Lord said to Moses: w“Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, when he goes out to the xwater, and you shall stand by the river’s bank to meet him; and ythe rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand. 16 And you shall say to him, z‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, “Let My people go, athat they may 4serve Me in the wilderness”; but indeed, until now you would not hear! 17 Thus says the Lord: “By this byou shall know that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and cthey shall be turned dto blood. 18 And the fish that are in the river shall die, the river shall stink, and the Egyptians will eloathe 5to drink the water of the river.” ’ ”

19 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and fstretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they may become blood. And there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone.’ ” 20 And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the Lord commanded. So he glifted 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 hwaters that were in the river were turned to blood. 21 The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians icould not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

22 jThen the magicians of Egypt did kso with their 6enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, las the Lord had said. 23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this. 24 So all the Egyptians dug all around the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the river. 25 And seven days passed after the Lord had struck the river.