God Commands Moses and Aaron

1Then the Lord saide to Moses, Behold, I haue made thee Pharaohs God, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy Prophet. 2Thou shalt speake all that I commaunded thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speake vnto Pharaoh, that he suffer the children of Israel to go out of his land. 3But I will harden Pharaohs heart, and multiplie my miracles and my wonders in the lande of Egypt. 4And Pharaoh shall not hearken vnto you, that I may lay mine hand vpon Egypt, and bring out myne armies, euen my people, the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, by great iudgements. 5Then the Egyptians shall knowe that I am the Lord, when I stretch foorth mine hand vpon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them. 6So Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them, euen so did they. 7(Nowe Moses was foure score yeere olde, and Aaron foure score and three, when they spake vnto Pharaoh)

Aaron’s Staff

8And the Lorde had spoken vnto Moses and Aaron, saying, 9If Pharaoh speake vnto you, saying, Shewe a miracle for you, then thou shalt say vnto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shalbe turned into a serpent. 10Then went Moses and Aaron vnto Pharaoh, and did euen as the Lord had commaunded: and Aaron cast forth his rod before Pharaoh and before his seruants, & it was turned into a serpent. 11Then Pharaoh called also for the wise men and sorcerers: and those charmers also of Egypt did in like maner with their enchantmens, 12For they cast downe euery man his rod, & they were turned into serpents: but Aarons rodde deuoured their rods. 13So Pharaohs heart was hardened, and hee hearkened not to them, as the Lorde had saide.

The First Plague: Blood

14The Lorde then saide vnto Moses, Pharaohs heart is obstinate, hee refuseth to let the people goe. 15Goe vnto Pharaoh in the morning, (loe, he will come forth vnto the water) and thou shalt stand and meete him by the riuers brinke, and the rod, which was turned into a serpent, shalt thou take in thine hand. 16And thou shalt say vnto him, The Lorde God of the Ebrewes hath sent me vnto thee, saying, Let my people goe, that they may serue mee in the wildernesse: and beholde, hitherto thou wouldest not heare. 17Thus saith the Lorde, In this shalt thou know that I am the Lord: behold, I wil smite with the rodde that is in mine hand vpon the water that is in the riuer, and it shalbe turned to blood. 18And the fish that is in the riuer shall dye, and the riuer shall stinke, and it shall grieue the Egyptians to drinke of the water of the riuer. 19The Lord then spake to Moses, Say vnto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand ouer the waters of Egypt, ouer their streames, ouer their riuers, & ouer their pondes,, and ouer all pooles of their waters, and they shalbe blood, and there shalbe blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and of stone.

20So Moses and Aaron did euen as the Lord commaunded: and hee lift vp the rodde, and smote the water that was in the riuer in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his seruants: and all the water that was in the riuer, was turned into blood. 21And the fish that was in the ryuer dyed, & the riuer stanke: so that the Egyptians could not drinke of the water of the riuer: and there was blood throughout all the lande of Egypt. 22And the enchanters of Egypt did likewise with their sorceries: and the heart of Phraoh was hardened: so that he did not hearken vnto them, as the Lord had sayde. 23Then Pharaoh returned, and went againe into his house, neither did this yet enter into his heart. 24All the Egyptians then digged rounde about the riuer for waters to drinke: for they could not drinke of the water of the riuer. 25And this continued fully seuen dayes after the Lord had smitten the riuer.