1 The Lord told Moses, “Look, I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2 You are to repeat everything that I tell you to say, and your brother Aaron must repeat it to Pharaoh so that he will let the Israelites leave his country. 3 But I will give Pharaoh a stubborn attitude, and though I will perform many signs and wonders in Egypt, he won't listen to you. 4 Then I will attack*Literally, “lay my hand on.” Egypt, imposing heavy punishments on them, and I will lead out by their tribes my people the Israelites. 5 In this way the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord—when I take action against Egypt and lead the Israelites out of the country.”

6 Moses and Aaron did exactly as the Lord had ordered. 7 Moses was eighty and Aaron was eighty-three when they went and spoke to Pharaoh.

8 The Lord told Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh asks you, ‘Why don't you perform a miracle, then?’ tell Aaron, ‘Take your walking stick and throw it down in front of Pharaoh,’ and it will turn into a snake.”

10 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did what the Lord had ordered. Aaron threw down his staff in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it turned into a snake. 11 But Pharaoh called in wise men and sorcerers, and these Egyptian magicians did the same thing using their magic arts. 12 Each of them threw down their walking sticks and they also turned into snakes, but Aaron's walking stick swallowed up all their walking sticks. 13 But Pharaoh had a hard, stubborn attitude, and he wouldn't listen to them, as the Lord had predicted.

14 The Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh has a stubborn attitude—he's refusing to let the people go. 15 So tomorrow morning go to Pharaoh as he walks down to the river. Wait to meet him on the bank of the Nile. Take with you the walking stick that turned into a snake. 16 Tell him: The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you, ‘Let my people go, so that they can worship me in the desert. But you have not listened up until now. 17 This is what the Lord is now telling you: This is how you will know that I am the Lord.’ ”

“Watch! Using the walking stick I'm holding, I'm going to hit the water of the Nile, and it will turn to blood. 18 The fish in the Nile will die, the river will smell, and the Egyptians won't be able to drink any of its water.”

19 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your walking stick in your hand and hold it out over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers and canals and ponds and pools, so that they will turn to blood. There will be blood through all of Egypt, even in containers made of wood and stone.’ ”

20 Moses and Aaron did exactly as the Lord had ordered. While Pharaoh and all his officials watched, Aaron lifted up his walking stick and hit the water of the Nile. Immediately the whole river turned to blood! 21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so awful that the Egyptians could not drink its water. There was blood through all of Egypt! 22 But the Egyptian magicians did the same thing using their magic arts. Pharaoh maintained his stubborn attitude and he wouldn't listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had predicted. 23 Pharaoh went back to his palace and didn't pay any attention to what had happened. 24 All the Egyptians dug alongside the Nile because they couldn't drink its water. 25 Seven days went by after the Lord hit the Nile.