Exodus, 7

1. The LORD answered him, "See! I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall act as your prophet.

1. Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Look, I have made you as a god for Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron is to be your prophet.

2. You shall tell him all that I command you. In turn, your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave his land.

2. You must say whatever I command you, and your brother Aaron will repeat to Pharaoh that he is to let the Israelites leave his country.

3. Yet I will make Pharaoh so obstinate that, despite the many signs and wonders that I will work in the land of Egypt,

3. But I myself shall make Pharaoh stubborn and shall perform many a sign and wonder in Egypt.

4. he will not listen to you. Therefore I will lay my hand on Egypt and by great acts of judgment I will bring the hosts of my people, the Israelites, out of the land of Egypt,

4. Since Pharaoh will not listen to you, I shall lay my hand on Egypt and with great acts of judgement lead my armies, my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.

5. so that the Egyptians may learn that I am the LORD, as I stretch out my hand against Egypt and lead the Israelites out of their midst."

5. And the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I stretch out my hand against the Egyptians and lead the Israelites out of their country.'

6. Moses and Aaron did as the LORD had commanded them.

6. Moses and Aaron did exactly as Yahweh had ordered.

7. Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

7. Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

8. The LORD told Moses and Aaron,

8. Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron,

9. "If Pharaoh demands that you work a sign or wonder, you shall say to Aaron: Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, and it will be changed into a snake."

9. 'If Pharaoh says to you, "Display some marvel," you must say to Aaron, "Take your staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh, and let it turn into a serpent!" '

10. Then Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it was changed into a snake.

10. Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as Yahweh had ordered. Aaron threw down his staff in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it turned into a serpent.

11. Pharaoh, in turn, summoned wise men and sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did likewise by their magic arts.

11. Then Pharaoh in his turn called for the sages and sorcerers, and by their spells the magicians of Egypt did the same.

12. Each one threw down his staff, and it was changed into a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs.

12. Each threw his staff down and these turned into serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up theirs.

13. Pharaoh, however, was obstinate and would not listen to them, just as the LORD had foretold.

13. Pharaoh, however, remained obstinate and, as Yahweh had foretold, refused to listen to Moses and Aaron.

14. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh is obdurate in refusing to let the people go.

14. Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Pharaoh is adamant. He refuses to let the people go.

15. Tomorrow morning, when he sets out for the water, go and present yourself by the river bank, holding in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent.

15. Go to Pharaoh tomorrow morning as he makes his way to the water, confront him on the river bank and in your hand take the staff that turned into a snake.

16. Say to him: The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you with the message: Let my people go to worship me in the desert. But as yet you have not listened.

16. Say to him, "Yahweh, God of the Hebrews, sent me to say: Let my people go and worship in the desert. Up till now, you have refused to listen.

17. The LORD now says: This is how you shall know that I am the LORD. I will strike the water of the river with the staff I hold, and it shall be changed into blood.

17. This is what Yahweh says: You will know that I am Yahweh by this: with the staff that is in my hand I shall strike the waters of the River and they will turn to blood.

18. The fish in the river shall die, and the river itself shall become so polluted that the Egyptians will be unable to drink its water."

18. The fish in the river will die, and the River will stink, and the Egyptians will not be able to drink the river water." '

19. The LORD then said to Moses, "Say to Aaron: Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt--their streams and canals and pools, all their supplies of water--that they may become blood. Throughout the land of Egypt there shall be blood, even in the wooden pails and stone jars."

19. Yahweh said to Moses, 'Say to Aaron, "Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt -- over their rivers and canals, their marshland, and all their reservoirs -- and they will turn to blood. There will be blood throughout the whole of Egypt, even in sticks and stones,"

20. Moses and Aaron did as the LORD had commanded. Aaron raised his staff and struck the waters of the river in full view of Pharaoh and his servants, and all the water of the river was changed into blood.

20. Moses and Aaron did as Yahweh ordered. He raised his staff and struck the waters of the River, with Pharaoh and his officials looking on, and all the water in the River turned to blood.

21. The fish in the river died, and the river itself became so polluted that the Egyptians could not drink its water. There was blood throughout the land of Egypt.

21. The fish in the River died, and the River stank; and the Egyptians could no longer drink the River water. Throughout the whole of Egypt there was blood.

22. But the Egyptian magicians did the same by their magic arts. So Pharaoh remained obstinate and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had foretold.

22. But by their spells the magicians of Egypt did the same; Pharaoh remained obstinate and, as Yahweh had foretold, refused to listen to Moses and Aaron.

23. He turned away and went into his house, with no concern even for this.

23. Pharaoh turned away and went back into his palace, taking no notice even of this.

24. All the Egyptians had to dig in the neighborhood of the river for drinking water, since they could not drink the river water.

24. And the Egyptians all dug holes along the river-bank in search of drinking water, since they could not drink the River water.

25. Seven days passed after the LORD had struck the river.

25. After Yahweh struck the River, seven days went by.

26. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him: Thus says the LORD: Let my people go to worship me.

26. Then Yahweh said to Moses, 'Go to Pharaoh and say to him, "Yahweh says this: Let my people go and worship me.

27. If you refuse to let them go, I warn you, I will send a plague of frogs over all your territory.

27. If you refuse to let them go, I shall strike your whole territory with frogs.

28. The river will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and into your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your servants, too, and your subjects, even into your ovens and your kneading bowls.

28. The River will swarm with frogs; they will make their way into your palace, into your bedroom, onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and subjects, into your ovens, into your kneading bowls.

29. The frogs will swarm all over you and your subjects and your servants."

29. The frogs will actually clamber onto you, onto your subjects and onto all your officials." '