< Exodus 7 >
1 And the LORD said to Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.
And the Lord said to Moses: “Behold, I have appointed you as the god of Pharaoh. And Aaron, your brother, will be your prophet.
2 Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak to Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.
You will speak to him all that I command you. And he will speak to Pharaoh, so that he may release the sons of Israel from his land.
3 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
But I will harden his heart, and I will multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,
4 But Pharaoh shall not hearken to you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth my armies, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt, by great judgments.
and he will not listen to you. And I will send my hand over Egypt, and I will lead my army and my people, the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt, through very great judgments.
5 And 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.
And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, who has extended my hand over Egypt, and who has led the sons of Israel from their midst.”
6 And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.
And so, Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had instructed. And so it was done.
7 And Moses [was] eighty years old, and Aaron eighty and three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh.
8 And the LORD spoke to Moses, and to Aaron, saying,
And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron:
9 When Pharaoh shall speak to you, saying, Show a miracle for you: then thou shalt say to Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast [it] before Pharaoh, [and] it shall become a serpent.
“When Pharaoh will say to you, ‘Show signs,’ you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff, and cast it down before Pharaoh, and it will be turned into a snake.’”
10 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.
And so Moses and Aaron entered to Pharaoh, and they did just as the Lord had commanded. And Aaron took the staff in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, and it was turned into a snake.
11 Then Pharaoh also called the wise-men, and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.
Then Pharaoh called the wise men and the sorcerers. And they also, by Egyptian incantations and certain secrets, did similarly.
12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
And each one cast down their staffs, and they were turned into serpents. But the staff of Aaron devoured their staffs.
13 And he hardened Pharaoh's heart that he hearkened not to them; as the LORD had said.
And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had instructed.
14 And the LORD said to Moses, Pharaoh's heart [is] hardened; he refuseth to let the people go.
Then the Lord said to Moses: “The heart of Pharaoh has been hardened; he is not willing to release the people.
15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out to the water, and thou shalt stand by the river's brink against he cometh; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thy hand.
Go to him in the morning; behold, he will go out to the waters. And you will stand to meet him above the bank of the river. And you will take, in your hand, the staff that was turned into a serpent.
16 And thou shalt say to him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me to thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.
And you will say to him: ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to you, saying: Release my people in order to sacrifice to me in the desert. And even until the present time, you were not willing to listen.
17 Thus 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.
Therefore, thus says the Lord: In this you will know that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike, with the staff that is in my hand, the water of the river, and it will be turned into blood.
18 And the fish that [is] in the river shall die, and the river shall be offensive in smell; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.
Also, the fishes that are in the river will die, and the waters will be polluted, and the Egyptians will be afflicted when they drink the water of the river.’”
19 And the LORD spoke to Moses, Say to Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thy hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon 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.
The Lord also said to Moses: “Say to Aaron: ‘Take your staff; and extend your hand over the waters of Egypt, and over their rivers and streams and marshes and all the pools of waters, so that they may be turned into blood. And let there be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, as much in vessels of wood as in those of stone.’”
20 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 into blood.
And Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had instructed. And lifting up the staff, he struck the water of the river in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants. And it was turned into blood.
21 And the fish that [was] in the river died; and the river was offensive in smell, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
And the fishes that were in the river died, and the river was polluted, and the Egyptians were not able to drink the water of the river, and there was blood throughout the entire land of Egypt.
22 And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken to them; as the LORD had said.
And the sorcerers of the Egyptians, with their incantations, did similarly. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had instructed.
23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he regard this also.
And he turned himself away, and he entered his house, neither did he apply his heart to this turn of events.
24 And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.
Then all the Egyptians dug along the borders of the river for water to drink. For they were not able to drink from the water of the river.
25 And seven days were fulfilled after that the LORD had smitten the river.
And seven days were completed, after the Lord struck the river.