JPS Tanakh 1917Berean Standard Bible

1. God Commands Moses and Aaron

2. 1JPSAnd the LORD said unto Moses: 'See, I have set thee in God's stead to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.BSBBSB: The LORD answered Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.
3. 2JPSThou shalt speak all that I command thee; and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.BSBBSB: 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.
4. 3JPSAnd I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.BSBBSB: But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I will multiply My signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,
5. 4JPSBut Pharaoh will not hearken unto you, and I will lay My hand upon Egypt, and bring forth My hosts, My people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt, by great judgments.BSBBSB: 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.
6. 5JPSAnd the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth My hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.'BSBBSB: 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.”
7. 6JPSAnd Moses and Aaron did so; as the LORD commanded them, so did they.BSBBSB: So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them.
8. 7JPSAnd Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spoke unto Pharaoh.BSBBSB: Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

9. Aaron’s Staff

10. 8JPSAnd the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying:BSBBSB: The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
11. 9JPS'When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying: Show a wonder for you; then thou shalt say unto Aaron: Take thy rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent.'BSBBSB: “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.”
12. 10JPSAnd Moses and Aaron went in unto 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.BSBBSB: 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.
13. 11JPSThen Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers; and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did in like manner with their secret arts.BSBBSB: But Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers and magicians of Egypt, and they also did the same things by their magic arts.
14. 12JPSFor they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents; but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.BSBBSB: Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up the other staffs.
15. 13JPSAnd Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken.BSBBSB: Still, Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

16. The First Plague: Blood

17. 14JPSAnd the LORD said unto Moses: 'Pharaoh's heart is stubborn, he refuseth to let the people go.BSBBSB: Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.
18. 15JPSGet thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thy hand.BSBBSB: 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.
19. 16JPSAnd thou shalt say unto him: The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, hath sent me unto thee, saying: Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness; and, behold, hitherto thou hast not hearkened;BSBBSB: 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.
20. 17JPSthus saith the LORD: In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD — behold, I will smite with the rod that is in my hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.BSBBSB: 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.
21. 18JPSAnd the fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall become foul; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink water from the river.'BSBBSB: The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink its water.’”
22. 19JPSAnd the LORD said unto Moses: 'Say unto Aaron: Take thy rod, and stretch out thy hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their ponds of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.'BSBBSB: 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.”
23. 20JPSAnd 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.BSBBSB: 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.
24. 21JPSAnd the fish that were in the river died; and the river became foul, and the Egyptians could not drink water from the river; and the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt.BSBBSB: 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.
25. 22JPSAnd the magicians of Egypt did in like manner with their secret arts; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken.BSBBSB: 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.
26. 23JPSAnd Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he lay even this to heart.BSBBSB: Instead, Pharaoh turned around, went into his palace, and did not take any of this to heart.
27. 24JPSAnd all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.BSBBSB: So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they could not drink the water from the river.
28. 25JPSAnd seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.BSBBSB: And seven full days passed after the LORD had struck the Nile.