Add parallel Print Page Options

Aaron Speaks for Moses

The Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh. Your brother Aaron will be the one who speaks for you. You will speak all that I tell you. Your brother Aaron will tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his land. But I will make Pharaoh’s heart hard. So I will do many powerful works for the people to see in the land of Egypt. Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay My hand on Egypt. By great acts that will punish the Egyptians, I will bring out My family groups, My people, the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I put My hand upon Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” So Moses and Aaron did what the Lord told them to do. Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Special Walking Stick

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by doing a powerful work,’ then you say to Aaron, ‘Take your special stick and throw it down in front of Pharaoh so that it will become a snake.’” 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They did just as the Lord had told them. Aaron threw his stick down in front of Pharaoh and his servants and it became a snake. 11 Then Pharaoh called for his wise men and wonder-workers. They did the same thing using their secret ways. 12 For each one threw down his stick and it became a snake. But Aaron’s special stick ate their sticks. 13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart was hard. He did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

Water Becomes Blood

14 The Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is not changed. He will not let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning when he is going out to the water. Wait for him beside the Nile River. Take in your hand the special stick that became a snake. 16 And say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let My people go, so they may worship Me in the desert. But see, you have not yet listened.” 17 So the Lord says, “By this you will know that I am the Lord. I will hit the water of the Nile with the special stick that is in my hand. And the water will be changed to blood. 18 The fish that are in the Nile will die. And the Nile will have a bad smell. The Egyptians will not be able to drink water from the Nile.”’” 19 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your special stick and put your hand out over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their pools, and all their man-made lakes of water, so they will become blood. There will be blood through all the land of Egypt, even in pots of wood and pots of stone.’”

20 Moses and Aaron did what the Lord had told them. Aaron raised the special stick and hit the water of the Nile in front of Pharaoh and his servants. And all the water in the Nile was turned into blood. 21 The

fish that were in the Nile died. And the Nile had a bad smell. So the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. The blood was through all the land of Egypt. 22 But the wonder-workers of Egypt did the same thing using their secret ways. And Pharaoh’s heart was hard. He did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. 23 Then Pharaoh turned and went into his house, without even thinking what had happened. 24 And all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink. For they could not drink the water of the Nile. 25 Seven days passed after the Lord had hit the Nile.

Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God(A) to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.(B) You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,(C) and though I multiply my signs and wonders(D) in Egypt, he will not listen(E) to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment(F) I will bring out my divisions,(G) my people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord(H) when I stretch out my hand(I) against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded(J) them. Moses was eighty years old(K) and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,(L)’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”(M)

10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers,(N) and the Egyptian magicians(O) also did the same things by their secret arts:(P) 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart(Q) became hard and he would not listen(R) to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Blood

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding;(S) he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river.(T) Confront him on the bank of the Nile,(U) and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16 Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship(V) me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.(W) 17 This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord:(X) With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.(Y) 18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink;(Z) the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’”(AA)

19 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff(AB) and stretch out your hand(AC) over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels[a] of wood and stone.”

20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded.(AD) He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile,(AE) and all the water was changed into blood.(AF) 21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.

22 But the Egyptian magicians(AG) did the same things by their secret arts,(AH) and Pharaoh’s heart(AI) became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. 23 Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water(AJ), because they could not drink the water of the river.

The Plague of Frogs

25 Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 7:19 Or even on their idols