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.