 1 The Lord said to Moses, See, I have made you a god to Pharaoh. And Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh, he will send the children of Israel out of his land. 3 I will harden Pharaoh's heart and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 But Pharaoh shall not listen to you, and I will lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring my armies, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them. 6 Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them. So they did. 7 Moses was 80 years old, and Aaron was 83 years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh. 8 The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: 9 When Pharaoh speaks to you saying, Give a miracle, say to Aaron, Take your rod and throw it in front of Pharaoh and it will become a snake. 10 Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and did as the Lord had commanded. Aaron threw down his rod in front of Pharaoh and in front of his servants and it became a snake. 11 Then Pharaoh called the wise men and the sorcerers and they, the priests of Egypt, did the same with their secret arts. 12 Each one threw down his rod and they became snakes. But Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. 13 He hardened Pharaoh's heart so that he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. 14 The Lord said to Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened. He refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the water. Stand by the river bank until he comes. Then take the rod in your hand that was turned to a serpent. 16 Say to him, The Lord God of the Hebrews has sent me to you saying, Let my people go so that they may serve me in the wilderness. Until now, you would not hear. 17 Thus says the Lord, In this you will know that I am the Lord. Behold. I will strike with the rod that is in my hand upon the waters in the river and they will be turned to blood. 18 The fish in the river will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will hate to drink of the water of the river. 19 The Lord spoke to Moses, Say to Aaron, Take your rod, and stretch out your hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their canals, and upon their pools, and upon every reservoir of their waters, that they may become blood. And blood shall be throughout all the land of Egypt, both in wooden and in stone vessels. 20 Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded and he lifted up the rod and struck the water in the river in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. Then all the water in the river was turned to blood. 21 The fish in the river died and the river stank. The Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 22 The priests of Egypt did so with their secret arts. And Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house. He did not set his heart to this also. 24 All the Egyptians dug all around the river for water to drink, for they could not drink of the water of the river. 25 Seven days were completed after the Lord had stricken the river.
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