¶ And the LORD said unto Moses: behold, I have made thee Pharao's God, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharao: that he send the children of Israel out of his land. But I will harden Pharao's heart, that I may multiply my miracles and my wonders in the land of Egypt. And yet Pharao shall not hearken unto you, that I may set mine hand upon Egypt and bring out mine armies, even my people the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, with great judgements. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD when I have stretched forth my hand upon Egypt, and have brought out the children of Israel from among them. Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them. And Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty three when they spake unto Pharao.
¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron saying: when Pharao speaketh unto you and sayeth: shew a wonder, then shalt thou say unto Aaron, take the rod and cast it before Pharao, and it shall turn to a serpent. Then went Moses and Aaron in unto Pharao, and did even as the LORD had commanded. And Aaron cast forth his rod before Pharao and before his servants, and it turned to a serpent. Then Pharao called for the wise men, and enchanters of Egypt did in like manner with their sorcery. And they cast down every man his rod, and they turned to serpents: but Aaron's rod ate up their rods: and yet for all that Pharao's heart was hardened, so that he hearkened not unto them, even as the LORD had said.
¶ Then said the LORD unto Moses: Pharao's heart is hardened, and he refuseth to let the people go. Get thee unto Pharao in the morning, for he will come unto the water, and stond thou upon the river's brink against he come, and the rod which turned to a serpent take in thine hand. And say unto him: the LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee saying: let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: but hitherto thou wouldest not hear. Wherefore thus sayeth the LORD: hereby thou shalt know that I am the LORD. Behold, I will smite with the staff that is in mine hand upon the waters that are in the river, and they shall turn to blood. And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink: so that it shall grieve the Egyptians to drink of the water of the river. And the LORD spake unto Moses, say unto Aaron: take thy staff and stretch out thine hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, rivers, ponds and all pools of water, that they may be blood, and that there may be blood in all the land of Egypt: both in vessels of wood and also of stone. And Moses and Aaron did even as the LORD commanded. And he lift up the staff and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharao and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that was in the river, turned into blood. And the fish that was in the river died, and the river stank: so that the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river. And there was blood thorowout all the land of Egypt. And the enchanters of Egypt did likewise with their enchantments, so that Pharao's heart was hardened and did not regard them as the LORD had said. And Pharao turned himself and went into his house, and set not his heart thereunto. And the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink, for they could not drink of the water of the river. And it continued a week after that the LORD had smote the river.