1So יהוה said to Mosheh, “See, I have made you an elohima to Pharaoh, and Aharon your brother is your prophet.

2“You shall speak all that I command you, and Aharon your brother shall speak to Pharaoh, to let the children of Yisra’ĕl go out of his land.

3“But I am going to harden the heart of Pharaoh, and shall increase My signs and My wonders in the land of Mitsrayim.

4“And Pharaoh is not going to listen to you, and I shall lay My hand on Mitsrayim, and bring My divisions and My people, the children of Yisra’ĕl, out of the land of Mitsrayim by great judgments.

5“And the Mitsrites shall know that I am יהוה, when I stretch out My hand on Mitsrayim. And I shall bring the children of Yisra’ĕl out from among them.”

6And Mosheh and Aharon did as יהוה commanded them, so they did.

7Now Mosheh was eighty years old and Aharon eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.

8And יהוה spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon, saying,

9“When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Show a miracle for yourselves,’ then you shall say to Aharon, ‘Take your rod and throw it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.’ ”

10So Mosheh and Aharon went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, as יהוה commanded. And Aharon threw his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

11But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the practisers of witchcraft. And they, the magicians of Mitsrayim, also did so with their magic.

12And they, each one, threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But the rod of Aharon swallowed up their rods.

13And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as יהוה had said.

14And יהוה said to Mosheh, “The heart of Pharaoh is hard, he refuses to let the people go.

15“Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he goes out to the water, and you shall stand by the river’s bank to meet him. And take in your hand the rod which was turned into a serpent.

16“And you shall say to him, ‘יהוה the Elohim of the Heḇrews has sent me to you, saying, “Let My people go, so that they serve Me in the wilderness,” but see, until now you have not listened!

17‘Thus said יהוה, “By this you know that I am יהוה. See, I am striking the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and they shall be turned to blood,

18and the fish in the river shall die. And the river shall stink, and the Mitsrites shall find it impossible to drink the water of the river.” ’ ”

19And יהוה spoke to Mosheh, “Say to Aharon, ‘Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Mitsrayim, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they become blood. And there shall be blood in all the land of Mitsrayim, both in wooden and in stone containers.’ ”

20And Mosheh and Aharon did so, as יהוה commanded. And he lifted up the rod and struck the waters that were in the river, in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants. And all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.

21And the fish that were in the river died, and the river stank, and the Mitsrites were unable to drink the water of the river. And the blood was in all the land of Mitsrayim.

22And the magicians of Mitsrayim did the same with their magic. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as יהוה had said.

23And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and his heart was not moved by this either.

24And all the Mitsrites dug all around the river for water to drink, for they were unable to drink the water of the river.

25And seven days were completed after יהוה had struck the river.