EXODUS 7

*Then Yehowah said to Moses, See, I have made you a god to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. 2 You shall declare all that I command you; and your brother Aaron shall order Pharaoh to send the sons of Israel away from his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 And Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring my hosts, my people the sons of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am Yehowah, when I stretch out my hand over Egypt, and bring the sons of Israel out of their midst. 6 And Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as Yehowah commanded them. 7 And Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh. * In the printed text, this paragraph is connected to and part of the last paragraph in the previous chapter.

8 And Yehowah spoke to Moses and Aaron, and said, 9 When Pharaoh speaks to you, and says, Show your wonderful power; you shall say to Aaron, Take your rod and throw it down in front of Pharaoh, so that it may become a water-snake. 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh, and did exactly as Yehowah had commanded; and Aaron threw down his rod in front of Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a water-snake. 11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and sorcerers; and these magicians of Egypt did the same by means of their secret arts. 12 And every man threw his rod down, and they became water-snakes; but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. 13 Yet Pharaoh's heart became obstinate, and he would not listen to them, as Yehowah had said.

14 So Yehowah said to Moses, Pharaoh's heart is stubborn; he refuses to send the people away. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning; see, he will be going to the water; and stand beside the river so as to meet him, and carry in your hand the rod which was changed into a snake. 16 And you shall say to him, Yehowah, the God of the Hebrews, sends me to you to say, Send my people away so that they may serve me in the desert. See, you have not yet obeyed. 17 Thus says Yehowah, By this you shall know that I am Yehowah: see, I will strike the water which is in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and it shall be turned to blood. 18 And the fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians will hate to drink any water from the river. 19 And Yehowah said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Take your rod, and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, their rivers, and their pools, and over all their ponds of water, so that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout the entire land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and of stone.

20 And Moses and Aaron did exactly as Yehowah commanded; and he picked up the rod and struck the water which was in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants; and all the water which was in the river was turned into blood. 21 And the fish which were in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink any water from the river; and there was blood throughout the entire land of Egypt. 22 Then the magicians of Egypt did the same by means of their secret arts; so Pharaoh's heart remained obstinate, and he would not listen to them, as Yehowah had said. 23 And Pharaoh looked away and went to his house, and paid no attention to this thing. 24 And all the Egyptians dug near the river for water to drink; for they could not drink water from the river.* * In the printed text verse 25 is joined with the first paragraph in the next chapter.