Exodus 7:1-13

1Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Look, I have made you like God to Pharaoh. Your brother Aaron will speak on your behalf, like your prophet.

2You must say everything that I command you to say. Your brother Aaron must tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country.

3But I will make Pharaoh's mind become hard. I will do many miracles in Egypt that show my power.

4But Pharaoh will still refuse to listen to you. Then I will show my authority and I will punish the Egyptians. I will bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt like an army.

5Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. I will show my great strength in Egypt and I will lead the Israelites out from there.’

6Moses and Aaron obeyed all the commands of the Lord.

7Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.

8The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,

9‘Pharaoh will say to you, “Show me a miracle.” Then say to Aaron, “Take your stick and throw it down in front of Pharaoh.” When Aaron does that, his stick will become a snake.’

10So Moses and Aaron went to see Pharaoh. They did everything that the Lord had commanded them. Aaron threw down his stick in front of Pharaoh and his officers. And the stick became a snake!

11Then Pharaoh called for his wise men and his magicians to come to him. The Egyptian magicians did the same thing as Aaron. They used their secret magic to do it.

12Each of them threw down his stick and it became a snake. But Aaron's stick ate all their sticks!

13But Pharaoh's mind was hard and he refused to listen to Moses and Aaron. That was what the Lord had said would happen, and it did!