God Commands Moses and Aaron 1 AKJV And the LORD said to Moses, See, I have made you a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. BSB BSB: The LORD answered Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.
2 AKJV You shall speak all that I command you: and Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. BSB BSB: You are to speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his land.
3 AKJV And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. BSB BSB: But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I will multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,
4 AKJV But Pharaoh shall not listen to you, that I may lay my hand on Egypt, and bring forth my armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. BSB BSB: Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay My hand on Egypt, and by mighty acts of judgment I will bring the divisions of My people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.
5 AKJV And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth my hand on Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them. BSB BSB: And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out My hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out from among them.”
6 AKJV And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they. BSB BSB: So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them.
7 AKJV And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh. BSB BSB: Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Aaron’s Staff 8 AKJV And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, BSB BSB: The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
9 AKJV When Pharaoh shall speak to you, saying, Show a miracle for you: then you shall say to Aaron, Take your rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent. BSB BSB: “When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ you are to say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a serpent.”
10 AKJV And Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent. BSB BSB: So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent.
11 AKJV Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. BSB BSB: But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts.
12 AKJV For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. BSB BSB: Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up the other staffs.
13 AKJV And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he listened not to them; as the LORD had said. BSB BSB: Still, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
The First Plague: Blood 14 AKJV And the LORD said to Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuses to let the people go. BSB BSB: Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.
15 AKJV Get you to Pharaoh in the morning; see, he goes out to the water; and you shall stand by the river’s brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shall you take in your hand. BSB BSB: Go to Pharaoh in the morning as you see him walking out to the water. Wait on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake.
16 AKJV And you shall say to him, The LORD God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, till now you would not hear. BSB BSB: Then say to him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.
17 AKJV Thus says the LORD, In this you shall know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in my hand on the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. BSB BSB: This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD. Behold, with the staff in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will turn to blood.
18 AKJV And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river. BSB BSB: The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink its water.’”
19 AKJV And the LORD spoke to Moses, Say to Aaron, Take your rod, and stretch out your hand on the waters of Egypt, on their streams, on their rivers, and on their ponds, and on all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone. BSB BSB: And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers and canals and ponds and all the reservoirs—that they may become blood.’ There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in the vessels of wood and stone.”
20 AKJV And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. BSB BSB: Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded; in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised the staff and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was turned to blood.
21 AKJV And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. BSB BSB: The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. And there was blood throughout the land of Egypt.
22 AKJV And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he listen to them; as the LORD had said. BSB BSB: But the magicians of Egypt did the same things by their magic arts. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
23 AKJV And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also. BSB BSB: Instead, Pharaoh turned around, went into his palace, and did not take any of this to heart.
24 AKJV And all the Egyptians dig round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river. BSB BSB: So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they could not drink the water from the river.
25 AKJV And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river. BSB BSB: And seven full days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile.