1 The Lord said:
I am going to let your brother Aaron speak for you. He will tell your message to the king, just as a prophet speaks my message to the people. 2 Tell Aaron everything I say to you, and he will order the king to let my people leave his country. 3-4 But I will make the king so stubborn that he won't listen to you. He won't listen even when I do many terrible things to him and his nation. Then I will bring a final punishment on Egypt, and the king will let Israel's families and tribes go. 5 When this happens, the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.
6 Moses and Aaron obeyed the Lord 7 and spoke to the king. At the time, Moses was 80 years old, and Aaron was 83.
A Stick Turns into a Snake
8-9 The Lord said, “Moses, when the king asks you and Aaron to perform a miracle, command Aaron to throw his walking stick down in front of the king, and it will turn into a snake.”
10 Moses and Aaron went to the king and his officials and did exactly as the Lord had commanded—Aaron threw the stick down, and it turned into a snake. 11 Then the king called in the wise men and the magicians, who used their secret powers to do the same thing— 12 they threw down sticks that turned into snakes. But Aaron's snake swallowed theirs. 13 The king behaved just as the Lord had said and stubbornly refused to listen.
The Nile River Turns into Blood
14 The Lord said to Moses:
The Egyptian king stubbornly refuses to change his mind and let the people go. 15 Tomorrow morning take the stick that turned into a snake, then wait beside the Nile River for the king. 16 Tell him, “The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to order you to release his people, so they can worship him in the desert. But until now, you have paid no attention.
17 “The Lord is going to do something to show you that he really is the Lord. I will strike the Nile with this stick, and the water will turn into blood. 18 The fish will die, the river will stink, and none of you Egyptians will be able to drink the water.”
19 Moses, then command Aaron to hold his stick over the water. And when he does, every drop of water in Egypt will turn into blood, including rivers, canals, ponds, and even the water in buckets and jars.
20 Moses and Aaron obeyed the Lord. Aaron held out his stick, then struck the Nile, as the king and his officials watched. The river turned into blood, 21 the fish died, and the water smelled so bad that none of the Egyptians could drink it. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.
22 But the Egyptian magicians used their secret powers to do the same thing. The king did just as the Lord had said—he stubbornly refused to listen. 23 Then he went back to his palace and never gave it a second thought. 24 The Egyptians had to dig holes along the banks of the Nile for drinking water, because water from the river was unfit to drink.
Frogs
25 Seven days after the Lord had struck the Nile,
1 Then the Lord saide to Moses, Behold, I haue made thee Pharaohs God, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy Prophet. 2 Thou shalt speake all that I commanded thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speake vnto Pharaoh, that he suffer the children of Israel to go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaohs heart, and multiplie my miracles and my wonders in the lande of Egypt. 4 And Pharaoh shall not hearken vnto you, that I may lay mine hand vpon Egypt, and bring out myne armies, euen my people, the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, by great iudgements. 5 Then the Egyptians shall knowe that I am the Lord, when I stretch foorth mine hand vpon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them. 6 So Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them, euen so did they. 7 (Nowe Moses was foure score yeere olde, and Aaron foure score and three, when they spake vnto Pharaoh) 8 And the Lord had spoken vnto Moses and Aaron, saying, 9 If Pharaoh speake vnto you, saying, Shewe a miracle for you, then thou shalt say vnto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shalbe turned into a serpent. 10 Then went Moses and Aaron vnto Pharaoh, and did euen as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast forth his rod before Pharaoh and before his seruants, and it was turned into a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh called also for the wise men and sorcerers: and those charmers also of Egypt did in like maner with their enchantmens, 12 For they cast downe euery man his rod, and they were turned into serpents: but Aarons rodde deuoured their rods. 13 So Pharaohs heart was hardened, and hee hearkened not to them, as the Lord had saide. 14 The Lord then saide vnto Moses, Pharaohs heart is obstinate, hee refuseth to let the people goe. 15 Goe vnto Pharaoh in the morning, (loe, he will come forth vnto the water) and thou shalt stand and meete him by the riuers brinke, and the rod, which was turned into a serpent, shalt thou take in thine hand. 16 And thou shalt say vnto him, The Lord God of the Ebrewes hath sent me vnto thee, saying, Let my people goe, that they may serue mee in the wildernesse: and beholde, hitherto thou wouldest not heare. 17 Thus saith the Lord, In this shalt thou know that I am the Lord: behold, I wil smite with the rodde that is in mine hand vpon the water that is in the riuer, and it shalbe turned to blood. 18 And the fish that is in the riuer shall dye, and the riuer shall stinke, and it shall grieue the Egyptians to drinke of the water of the riuer. 19 The Lord then spake to Moses, Say vnto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand ouer the waters of Egypt, ouer their streames, ouer their riuers, and ouer their pondes,, and ouer all pooles of their waters, and they shalbe blood, and there shalbe blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and of stone. 20 So Moses and Aaron did euen as the Lord commanded: and hee lift vp the rodde, and smote the water that was in the riuer in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his seruants: and all the water that was in the riuer, was turned into blood. 21 And the fish that was in the ryuer dyed, and the riuer stanke: so that the Egyptians could not drinke of the water of the riuer: and there was blood throughout all the lande of Egypt. 22 And the enchanters of Egypt did likewise with their sorceries: and the heart of Phraoh was hardened: so that he did not hearken vnto them, as the Lord had sayde. 23 Then Pharaoh returned, and went againe into his house, neither did this yet enter into his heart. 24 All the Egyptians then digged rounde about the riuer for waters to drinke: for they could not drinke of the water of the riuer. 25 And this continued fully seuen dayes after the Lord had smitten the riuer.