God Appoints Aaron to Assist Moses

1The LORD told Moses, “Listen! I’ve positioned you as Goda to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2You are to speak everything that I’ve commanded you, and then your brother Aaron will speak to Pharaoh, telling him to let the Israelis go out of his land. 3I’ll harden Pharaoh’s heart and I’ll add more and more of my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. 4When Pharaoh won’t listen to you, I’ll let loose my powerb upon Egypt. I’ll bring out my tribal divisions—my people the Israelis—from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment.c 5The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand over Egypt to bring the Israelis out from among them.” 6Moses and Aaron did what the LORD commanded them. 7Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Moses’ Staff Becomes a Snake

8Then the LORD told Moses and Aaron, 9“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miraculous sign,’ then you are to say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it in front of Pharaoh.’ It will become a serpent.”

10So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and did what the LORD had commanded them. Aaron threw his staff in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent. 11Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and sorcerers, and they—along with the Egyptian magicians—did the same thing with their secret arts. 12So each one threw down his staff and it became a serpent, but Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13Yet Pharaoh’s heart was stubbornd and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said would happen.

Water is Turned into Blood

14Then the LORD told Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hard. He has refused to let the people go. 15Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he’s going down to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile Rivere and meet him. Be sure to take with youf the staff that was turned into a snake. 16Then say to him, ‘The LORD God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you. He says, “Let my people go so they may serveg me in the desert, but until now you haven’t obeyed.”’h

17“‘This is what the LORD says: “This is how you’ll know that I am the LORD: Right now I’m going to strike the water of the Nile Riveri with the staff that’s in my hand, and it will be turned to blood. 18The fish in the Nile Riverj will die and the riverk will stink. The Egyptians will be unablel to drink water from the Nile River.m ”’”

19The LORD also told Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their Nile Rivern , over their ponds, and over their reservoirs,o and they’ll become blood. There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in theirp wood and stone containers.’”q

20Moses and Aaron did just what the LORD had commanded. Aaronr raised his staff and struck the water in the Nile Rivers in front oft Pharaoh and hisu officials,v and all the water in the Nile Riverw turned to blood. 21The fish in the Nile Riverx died and the rivery stank. The Egyptians were not able to drink water from the Nile River,z and blood was throughout the land of Egypt. 22But the Egyptian magicians did the same thingaa with their secret arts. Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn,bb and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said. 23Then Pharaoh turned away, went to his palace, and paid no attention to any of this. 24All the Egyptians dug around the Nile Rivercc for water to drink because they could not drink from the water in the Nile River.dd

The Plague of Frogs

25Seven days afteree the LORD had struck the Nile River,ff