1The LORD said to Moses, "Look, I have made you as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. 2You shall speak all that I command you; and Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land. 3I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. 4But Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring forth my regiments, my people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. 5The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth my hand on Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them." 6Moses and Aaron did so. As the LORD commanded them, so they did. 7Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

8The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 9"When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Perform a miracle.' then you shall tell Aaron, 'Take your rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent.'" 10Moses 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. 11Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers. They also, the magicians of Egypt, did in like manner with their secret arts. 12For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. 13Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them; as the LORD had spoken.

14The LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is stubborn. He refuses to let the people go. 15Go to Pharaoh in the morning. Look, he goes out to the water; and you shall stand by the river's bank to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand. 16You shall tell him, 'The LORD, God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, "Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness:" and look, until now you haven't listened. 17Thus says the LORD, "In this you shall know that I am the LORD. Look, I will strike with the rod that is in my hand on the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. 18The fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall become foul; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink water from the river."'" 19The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your rod, and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their ponds of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.'"

20Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and struck 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 to blood. 21The fish that were in the river died; and the river became foul, and the Egyptians couldn't drink water from the river; and the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt. 22The magicians of Egypt did in like manner with their secret arts; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them; as the LORD had spoken. 23Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he lay even this to heart. 24All the Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink; for they couldn't drink of the water of the river. 25Seven days were fulfilled, after the LORD had struck the river.