1 Jehovah said to Moses: »See, I make you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.

2 »You shall speak all that I command you. Your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land.

3 »I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.

4 »Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will use my power to punish lay my hand upon Egypt severely. I will bring my people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt in organized family groups.

5 »The Egyptians will know that I am Jehovah when I use my power against Egypt and bring the sons of Israel out of there.«

6 Moses and Aaron did as Jehovah commanded them.

7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three when they talked to Pharaoh.

8 Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron:

9 »Pharaoh will say: ‘Give me a sign to prove that God has sent you.’ Tell Aaron: ‘Take your shepherd’s staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh. It will become a large snake.’

10 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They did as Jehovah commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials. It became a large snake.

11 Then Pharaoh sent for his wise men and sorcerers. These Egyptian magicians did the same thing using their magic spells.

12 Each of them threw his staff down. They all became large snakes. But Aaron’s staff swallowed theirs.

13 Pharaoh continued to be stubborn. Just as Jehovah had predicted, he would not listen to them.

14 Jehovah said to Moses: »Pharaoh is being stubborn. He will not let my people go.

15 »In the morning meet Pharaoh when he is on his way to the Nile. Wait for him on the bank of the river. Take the staff that turned into a snake.

16 »Say to Pharaoh: ‘Jehovah the God of the Hebrews sent me to tell you, Let my people go to worship me in the wilderness. So far you have not listened.’«

17 »Jehovah says: ‘This is the way you will recognize that I am Jehovah: I will strike the Nile with this staff in my hand. The water will turn into blood.

18 ‘The fish in the Nile will die. The river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink any water from the Nile.« ’«

19 Jehovah then spoke to Moses: »Tell Aaron, Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt; its rivers, canals, ponds, and all its reservoirs. They will turn into blood. There will be blood everywhere in Egypt, even in the buckets of wood and stone pitchers.«

20 Moses and Aaron did as Jehovah commanded. Aaron raised his staff and struck the Nile in front of Pharaoh and his officials. All the water in the river turned into blood.

21 The fish in the Nile died. The river smelled bad. The Egyptians could not drink any water from the river. There was blood everywhere in Egypt.

22 But the Egyptian magicians did the same thing using their magic spells. So Pharaoh continued to be stubborn. He would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as Jehovah predicted.

23 Pharaoh turned and went back to his palace. This did not change his mind and heart.

24 All the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink because they could not drink any of the water from the river.

25 Seven days passed after Jehovah struck the Nile.