Exodus 7

1The LORDH3068H413 answeredH559 MosesH4872, “SeeH7200, I have madeH5414 you like GodH430 to PharaohH6547, and your brotherH251 AaronH175 will beH1961 your prophetH5030. 2YouH859 are to speakH1696 allH3605 thatH834 I command youH6680, and your brotherH251 AaronH175 is to tellH1696 PharaohH6547 to let the IsraelitesH1121H3478 goH7971 out of his landH776.

3But IH589 will hardenH7185 Pharaoh’sH6547 heartH3820, and though I will multiplyH7235 My signsH226 and wondersH4159 in the landH776 of EgyptH4714, 4PharaohH6547 will notH3808 listenH8085 to youH413.

Then I will layH5414 My handH3027 on EgyptH4714, and by mightyH1419 acts of judgmentH8201 I will bringH3318 the divisionsH6635 of My peopleH5971 the IsraelitesH1121H3478 out of the landH776 of EgyptH4714. 5And the EgyptiansH4713 will knowH3045 thatH3588 IH589 am the LORDH3068, when I stretch outH5186 My handH3027 againstH5921 EgyptH4714 and bringH3318 the IsraelitesH1121H3478 out from among themH8432.”

6So MosesH4872 and AaronH175 didH6213 just asH834 the LORDH3068 had commanded themH6680. 7MosesH4872 was eightyH8084 years oldH1121H8141 and AaronH175H1121 was eighty-threeH7969H8084H8141 when they spokeH1696 toH413 PharaohH6547.

Aaron’s Staff

8The LORDH3068 saidH559 toH413 MosesH4872H413 and AaronH175H559, 9“WhenH3588 PharaohH6547 tells youH1696H413, ‘PerformH5414 a miracleH4159,’ you are to sayH559H413 to AaronH175, ‘TakeH3947 your staffH4294 and throw it downH7993 beforeH6440 PharaohH6547,’ and it will becomeH1961 a serpentH8577.1”

10So MosesH4872 and AaronH175 wentH935 toH413 PharaohH6547 and didH6213H3651 just asH834 the LORDH3068 had commandedH6680. AaronH175 threwH7993 his staff downH4294 beforeH6440 PharaohH6547H6440 and his officialsH5650, and it becameH1961 a serpentH8577.

11But PharaohH6547 calledH7121 the wise menH2450 and sorcerersH3784 and magiciansH2748 of EgyptH4714, and theyH1992 alsoH1571 didH6213 the same thingsH3651 by their magic artsH3814. 12EachH376 one threw downH7993 his staffH4294, and it becameH1961 a serpentH8577. But Aaron’sH175 staffH4294 swallowed upH1104 the other staffsH4294.

13Still, Pharaoh’sH6547 heartH3820 was hardenedH2388,2 and he would notH3808 listenH8085 to themH413, just asH834 the LORDH3068 had saidH1696.

The First Plague: Blood

14Then the LORDH3068 saidH559 toH413 MosesH4872, “Pharaoh’sH6547 heartH3820 is unyieldingH3515;3 he refusesH3985 to let the peopleH5971 goH7971. 15GoH1980 toH413 PharaohH6547 in the morningH1242 as you see himH2009 walking outH3318 to the waterH4325. WaitH5324 onH5921 the bankH8193 of the NileH2975 to meet himH7122, and takeH3947 in your handH3027 the staffH4294 thatH834 was changedH2015 into a snakeH5175. 16Then sayH559 to himH413, ‘The LORDH3068, the GodH430 of the HebrewsH5680, has sent meH7971H413 to tell youH559: Let My peopleH5971 goH7971, so that they may worship MeH5647 in the wildernessH4057. ButH2009 untilH5704 nowH3541 you have notH3808 listenedH8085. 17This is whatH3541 the LORDH3068 saysH559: By thisH2063 you will knowH3045 thatH3588 IH589 am the LORDH3068. BeholdH2009, with the staffH4294 in my handH3027 IH595 will strikeH5221 the waterH4325 of the NileH2975H5921, and it will turnH2015 to bloodH1818. 18The fishH1710 in the NileH2975 will dieH4191, the riverH2975 will stinkH887, and the EgyptiansH4713 will be unableH3811 to drinkH8354 itsH4480H2975 waterH4325.’”

19And the LORDH3068 saidH559 toH413 MosesH4872, “TellH559H413 AaronH175, ‘TakeH3947 your staffH4294 and stretch outH5186 your handH3027 overH5921 the watersH4325 of EgyptH4714—overH5921 their riversH5104H5921 and canalsH2975H5921 and pondsH98 andH5921 allH3605 the reservoirsH4325H4723—that they may becomeH1961 bloodH1818.’ There will beH1961 bloodH1818 throughoutH3605 the landH776 of EgyptH4714, even in the vessels of woodH6086 and stoneH68.”

20MosesH4872 and AaronH175 didH6213H3651 just asH834 the LORDH3068 had commandedH6680; in the presenceH5869 of PharaohH6547H5869 and his officialsH5650, Aaron raisedH7311 the staffH42944 and struckH5221 the waterH4325 of the NileH2975, and allH3605 the waterH4325 was turnedH2015 to bloodH1818. 21The fishH1710 in the NileH2975 diedH4191, and the riverH2975 smelled so badH887 that the EgyptiansH4713 couldH3201 notH3808 drinkH8354 itsH4480H2975 waterH4325. And there wasH1961 bloodH1818 throughoutH3605 the landH776 of EgyptH4714.

22But the magiciansH2748 of EgyptH4714 didH6213 the same thingsH3651 by their magic artsH3909. So Pharaoh’sH6547 heartH3820 was hardenedH2388, and he would notH3808 listenH8085 toH413 Moses and Aaron, just asH834 the LORDH3068 had saidH1696. 23Instead, PharaohH6547 turned aroundH6437, wentH935 intoH413 his palaceH1004, and did notH3808 takeH7896 anyH1571 of thisH2063 to heartH3820. 24So allH3605 the EgyptiansH4713 dugH2658 aroundH5439 the NileH2975 for waterH4325 to drinkH8354, becauseH3588 they couldH3201 notH3808 drinkH8354 the waterH4325 from the riverH2975.

25And sevenH7651 full daysH3117 passedH4390 afterH310 the LORDH3068 had struckH5221 the NileH2975.