亚伦和摩西面见法老

耶和华对摩西说:“我要使你在法老面前像上帝一样,你哥哥亚伦是你的发言人。 你要把我吩咐你的话告诉你哥哥亚伦,由他要求法老让以色列人离开埃及。 可是,我要使法老的心刚硬,虽然我在埃及行许多神迹奇事, 他将无动于衷。那时,我必伸手重重地惩罚埃及,然后领我的大队子民离开埃及。 埃及人看见我伸手攻击他们、把以色列人带出埃及,就会知道我是耶和华。” 摩西和亚伦便遵命而行。 去见法老的时候,摩西八十岁,亚伦八十三岁。

耶和华对摩西和亚伦说: “倘若法老要你们行神迹给他看,你就吩咐亚伦把手杖丢在法老面前,使杖变作蛇。”

10 摩西和亚伦照耶和华的吩咐来到法老面前。亚伦把手杖丢在法老和他的臣仆面前,杖就变作蛇。 11 法老召他的谋士和巫师前来,这些人是埃及的术士,他们也用邪术如法炮制。 12 各人将自己的手杖扔在地上,杖就变作蛇,但亚伦的杖吞噬了他们的杖。 13 法老却仍然硬着心,不肯听从摩西和亚伦,正如耶和华所言。

水变血之灾

14 耶和华对摩西说:“法老非常顽固,不肯释放百姓。 15 明天早晨,法老会去尼罗河边,你就在那里等他,要拿着曾变成蛇的手杖。 16 你要对他说,‘希伯来人的上帝耶和华差遣我来告诉你,要让祂的子民到旷野去事奉祂,但到如今你还是不肯。 17 所以祂说要用手杖击打尼罗河水,使河水变成血,好叫你知道祂是耶和华。 18 河里的鱼会死,河水会发臭,埃及人不能再喝尼罗河的水。’”

19 耶和华对摩西说:“你告诉亚伦,让他向埃及境内的各江河、溪流、池塘伸杖,使水变成血。埃及境内,包括木桶和石缸里将到处是血。” 20 摩西和亚伦就按着耶和华所吩咐的去做,亚伦在法老和埃及众臣仆面前举杖击打尼罗河水,河水都变成了血。 21 河里的鱼都死了,河水臭得不能饮用。埃及遍地都是血。 22 可是,法老的巫师也一样用邪术使水变成血。法老的心仍然刚硬,不肯听从摩西和亚伦的话,正如耶和华所言。 23 法老若无其事地转身回宫去了。 24 因为河水不能饮用,埃及人就在尼罗河两岸掘井取水饮用。

25 击打河水后,七天过去了。

耶和华对摩西说:“看哪,我使你在法老面前好象 神一样;你哥哥亚伦要作你的先知。 我吩咐你的一切,你都要说;你哥哥亚伦要告诉法老,法老就让以色列人离开他的地。 我要使法老心硬,我也要在埃及地加增我的神迹奇事。 可是法老不听你们的话,我必下手击打埃及;借着严厉的刑罚把我的军队,我的人民以色列人,从埃及地领出来。 我向埃及伸手,把以色列人从他们中间领出来的时候,埃及人就必知道我是耶和华。” 摩西和亚伦这样行了;耶和华怎样吩咐摩西和亚伦,他们就照样行了。 摩西和亚伦与法老说话的时候,摩西八十岁,亚伦八十三岁。

以杖变蛇

耶和华告诉摩西和亚伦说: “如果法老告诉你们说:‘你们行件奇事吧’,你就要对亚伦说:‘拿你的手杖来,把它丢在法老面前,它就会变作蛇。’” 10 摩西和亚伦就进到法老那里,照着耶和华吩咐他们的行了;亚伦把手杖丢在法老和法老的臣仆面前,手杖就变了蛇。 11 于是,法老也把智慧人和行法术的人召了来;他们本是埃及的术士,也用他们的巫术照样行了。 12 他们各人都丢下自己的手杖,手杖就变了蛇;亚伦的手杖却吞了他们的手杖。 13 法老心里刚硬,不肯听他们的话,就像耶和华所说的一样。

血灾

14 耶和华对摩西说:“法老心里固执,拒绝让人民离去。 15 明天早晨你要到法老那里去。看哪,法老出来到水边去的时候,你要站在河边迎见他;那变过蛇的手杖,你要拿在手里。 16 你要对法老说:‘耶和华希伯来人的 神差我到你这里来,说:“让我的人民离开这里,好使他们可以在旷野事奉我”,你看,直到现在你还是不听。 17 耶和华这样说:“看哪,我要用我手里的杖击打河中的水,水就必变成血;因此你就知道我是耶和华。 18 河中的鱼必死亡,河水也必发臭,埃及人就必厌恶喝这河里的水。”’” 19 耶和华对摩西说:“你要对亚伦说:‘拿你的手杖来,把你的手伸在埃及的众水之上,就是在他们的江、河、池和所有水塘之上,使水都变成血。因此,在埃及全地,连木器石器中都必有血。’”

20 摩西和亚伦就这样行了,就像耶和华所吩咐的;亚伦在法老面前和法老的臣仆面前举起手杖,击打河里的水,河里的水就都变了血。 21 河里的鱼死了,河水发臭了,埃及人也不能喝这河里的水了;在埃及,全地都有血。 22 埃及的术士也用他们的巫术这样行了;可是法老却心里刚硬,不肯听摩西和亚伦,就像耶和华所说的。 23 法老转身回到宫里去,也不把这事放在心上。 24 所有的埃及人都在河的周围掘地,要得水喝,因为他们不能喝这河里的水。

25 耶和华击打尼罗河以后,满了七天。

Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God(A) to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.(B) You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,(C) and though I multiply my signs and wonders(D) in Egypt, he will not listen(E) to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment(F) I will bring out my divisions,(G) my people the Israelites. And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord(H) when I stretch out my hand(I) against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded(J) them. Moses was eighty years old(K) and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,(L)’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”(M)

10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers,(N) and the Egyptian magicians(O) also did the same things by their secret arts:(P) 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart(Q) became hard and he would not listen(R) to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Blood

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding;(S) he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river.(T) Confront him on the bank of the Nile,(U) and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16 Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship(V) me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.(W) 17 This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord:(X) With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.(Y) 18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink;(Z) the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’”(AA)

19 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff(AB) and stretch out your hand(AC) over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels[a] of wood and stone.”

20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded.(AD) He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile,(AE) and all the water was changed into blood.(AF) 21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.

22 But the Egyptian magicians(AG) did the same things by their secret arts,(AH) and Pharaoh’s heart(AI) became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. 23 Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water(AJ), because they could not drink the water of the river.

The Plague of Frogs

25 Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 7:19 Or even on their idols

“I Will Stretch Out My Hand”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “(A)See, I make you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother (B)Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land. But (C)I will harden Pharaoh’s heart that I may (D)multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. When (E)Pharaoh does not listen to you, then I will lay My hand on Egypt and (F)bring out My hosts, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by (G)great judgments. (H)The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I (I)stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst.” So Moses and Aaron did it; (J)as the Lord commanded them, thus they did. Moses was (K)eighty years old and Aaron [a]eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Rod Becomes a Serpent

Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘[b](L)Work a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘(M)Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’” 10 So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as the Lord had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and [c]his servants, and it (N)became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh also (O)called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the [d](P)magicians of Egypt, did [e]the same with (Q)their secret arts. 12 For each one threw down his staff and they turned into serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet (R)Pharaoh’s heart was [f]hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said.

Water Is Turned to Blood

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is [g]stubborn; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning [h]as (S)he is going out to the water, and station yourself to meet him on the bank of the Nile; and you shall take in your hand (T)the staff that was turned into a serpent. 16 (U)You shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “(V)Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened until now.” 17 Thus says the Lord, “(W)By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, I will strike [i]the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and (X)it will be turned to blood. 18 (Y)The fish that are in the Nile will die, and the Nile will [j]become foul, and the Egyptians will [k](Z)find difficulty in drinking water from the Nile.”’” 19 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and (AA)stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their [l]streams, and over their pools, and over all their reservoirs of water, that they may become blood; and there will be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’”

20 So Moses and Aaron did even as the Lord had commanded. And he lifted up [m](AB)the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and (AC)all the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood. 21 The fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile [n]became foul, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. And the blood was through all the land of Egypt. 22 (AD)But the [o]magicians of Egypt did [p]the same with their secret arts; and Pharaoh’s heart was [q]hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said. 23 Then Pharaoh turned and went into his house [r]with no concern even for this. 24 So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink of the water of the Nile. 25 Seven days [s]passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 7:7 Lit 83 years old
  2. Exodus 7:9 Lit Show a wonder for yourselves
  3. Exodus 7:10 Lit before his
  4. Exodus 7:11 Or soothsayer priests
  5. Exodus 7:11 Lit thus
  6. Exodus 7:13 Lit strong
  7. Exodus 7:14 Or hard; lit heavy
  8. Exodus 7:15 Lit behold
  9. Exodus 7:17 Lit upon the waters
  10. Exodus 7:18 I.e. have a bad smell
  11. Exodus 7:18 Or be weary of
  12. Exodus 7:19 Or canals
  13. Exodus 7:20 Lit with the staff
  14. Exodus 7:21 I.e. had a bad smell
  15. Exodus 7:22 Or soothsayer priests
  16. Exodus 7:22 Lit thus
  17. Exodus 7:22 Lit strong
  18. Exodus 7:23 Lit and he did not set his heart even to this
  19. Exodus 7:25 Lit were fulfilled