The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 7 -

Then the Lord saide to Moses, Behold, I haue made thee Pharaohs God, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy Prophet.

Thou shalt speake all that I commanded thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speake vnto Pharaoh, that he suffer the children of Israel to go out of his land.

But I will harden Pharaohs heart, and multiplie my miracles and my wonders in the lande of Egypt.

And 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.

Then 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.

So Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them, euen so did they.

(Nowe Moses was foure score yeere olde, and Aaron foure score and three, when they spake vnto Pharaoh)

Aaron’s Staff

And the Lord had spoken vnto Moses and Aaron, saying,

If 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.

Then went Moses and Aaron vnto Pharaoh, and did euen as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast forth his rod before Pharaoh and before his seruants, and it was turned into a serpent.

Then Pharaoh called also for the wise men and sorcerers: and those charmers also of Egypt did in like maner with their enchantmens,

For they cast downe euery man his rod, and they were turned into serpents: but Aarons rodde deuoured their rods.

So Pharaohs heart was hardened, and hee hearkened not to them, as the Lord had saide.

The First Plague: Blood

The Lord then saide vnto Moses, Pharaohs heart is obstinate, hee refuseth to let the people goe.

Goe 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.

And thou shalt say vnto him, The Lord 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.

Thus saith the Lord, 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.

And 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.

The 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, and 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.

So Moses and Aaron did euen as the Lord commanded: 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.

And the fish that was in the ryuer dyed, and 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.

And 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.

Then Pharaoh returned, and went againe into his house, neither did this yet enter into his heart.

All the Egyptians then digged rounde about the riuer for waters to drinke: for they could not drinke of the water of the riuer.

And this continued fully seuen dayes after the Lord had smitten the riuer.

The LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I have made you as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.

You 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.

I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

But Pharaoh will not listen to you, so I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring out my armies, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand on Egypt, and bring the children of Israel out from among them.”

Moses and Aaron did so. As the LORD commanded them, so they did.

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

Aaron’s Staff

The LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,

“When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘Perform a miracle!’ then you shall tell Aaron, ‘Take your rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, and it will become a serpent.’”

Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, as the LORD had commanded. Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers. They also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same thing with their enchantments.

For they each cast down their rods, and they became serpents; but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them, as the LORD had spoken.

The First Plague: Blood

The LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn. He refuses to let the people go.

Go to Pharaoh in the morning. Behold, he is going out to the water. You shall stand by the river’s bank to meet him. You shall take the rod which was turned to a serpent in your hand.

You shall tell him, ‘The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness. Behold, until now you haven’t listened.”

The LORD says, “In this you shall know that I am the LORD. Behold: 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.

The fish that are in the river will die and the river will become foul. The Egyptians will loathe to drink water from the river.”’”

The 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. There will be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’”

Moses 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.

The fish that were in the river died. The river became foul. The Egyptians couldn’t drink water from the river. The blood was throughout all the land of Egypt.

The magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their enchantments. So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he didn’t listen to them, as the LORD had spoken.

Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he didn’t even take this to heart.

All the Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink; for they couldn’t drink the river water.

Seven days were fulfilled, after the LORD had struck the river.