Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake

⁸ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ⁹ “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,^(A)’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”^(B)

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,^(C) and the Egyptian magicians^(D) also did the same things by their secret arts:^{(E) 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^(F) became hard and he would not listen^(G) to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Blood

¹⁴ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding;^(H) he refuses to let the people go. ¹⁵ Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river.^(I) Confront him on the bank of the Nile,^(J) 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^(K) me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.^{(L) 17} This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord:^(M) With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.^{(N) 18} The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink;^(O) the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’”^(P)

¹⁹ The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff^(Q) and stretch out your hand^(R) 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.^(S) He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile,^(T) and all the water was changed into blood.^{(U) 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^(V) did the same things by their secret arts,^(W) and Pharaoh’s heart^(X) 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^(Y), because they could not drink the water of the river.

The Plague of Frogs

²⁵ Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.

Jesus Changes Water Into Wine

2 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.^(A) Jesus’ mother^(B) was there, ² and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³ When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

⁴ “Woman,^[a](C) why do you involve me?”^(D) Jesus replied. “My hour^(E) has not yet come.”

⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”^(F)

⁶ Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing,^(G) each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.^[b]

⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

⁸ Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, ⁹ and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.^(H) He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside ¹⁰ and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”

¹¹ What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs^(I) through which he revealed his glory;^(J) and his disciples believed in him.^(K)

¹² After this he went down to Capernaum^(L) with his mother^(M) and brothers^(N) and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

Jesus Clears the Temple Courts^(O)

¹³ When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,^(P) Jesus went up to Jerusalem.^{(Q) 14} In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves,^(R) and others sitting at tables exchanging money.^{(S) 15} So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶ To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house^(T) into a market!” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”^[c](U)

¹⁸ The Jews^(V) then responded to him, “What sign^(W) can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”^(X)

¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”^(Y)

²⁰ They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” ²¹ But the temple he had spoken of was his body.^{(Z) 22} After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.^(AA) Then they believed the scripture^(AB) and the words that Jesus had spoken.

²³ Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival,^(AC) many people saw the signs^(AD) he was performing and believed^(AE) in his name.^{[d] 24} But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. ²⁵ He did not need any testimony about mankind,^(AF) for he knew what was in each person.^(AG)

8 ^1 [a]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship^(A) me. ² If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs^(B) on your whole country. ³ The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people,^(C) and into your ovens and kneading troughs.^{(D) 4} The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”

⁵ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff^(E) over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs^(F) come up on the land of Egypt.’”

⁶ So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs^(G) came up and covered the land. ⁷ But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts;^(H) they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

⁸ Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray^(I) to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices^(J) to the Lord.”

⁹ Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time^(K) for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.”

¹⁰ “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.

Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God.^{(L) 11} The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”

¹² After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. ¹³ And the Lord did what Moses asked.^(M) The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. ¹⁴ They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. ¹⁵ But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief,^(N) he hardened his heart^(O) and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Gnats

¹⁶ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff^(P) and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.” ¹⁷ They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats^(Q) came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. ¹⁸ But when the magicians^(R) tried to produce gnats by their secret arts,^(S) they could not.

Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, ¹⁹ the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger^(T) of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart^(U) was hard and he would not listen,^(V) just as the Lord had said.

Further Instructions

² Devote yourselves to prayer,^(A) being watchful and thankful. ³ And pray for us, too, that God may open a door^(B) for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery^(C) of Christ, for which I am in chains.^{(D) 4} Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. ⁵ Be wise^(E) in the way you act toward outsiders;^(F) make the most of every opportunity.^{(G) 6} Let your conversation be always full of grace,^(H) seasoned with salt,^(I) so that you may know how to answer everyone.^(J)

Final Greetings

⁷ Tychicus^(K) will tell you all the news about me. He is a dear brother, a faithful minister and fellow servant^[a](L) in the Lord. ⁸ I am sending him to you for the express purpose that you may know about our^[b] circumstances and that he may encourage your hearts.^{(M) 9} He is coming with Onesimus,^(N) our faithful and dear brother, who is one of you.^(O) They will tell you everything that is happening here.

¹⁰ My fellow prisoner Aristarchus^(P) sends you his greetings, as does Mark,^(Q) the cousin of Barnabas.^(R) (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) ¹¹ Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews^[c] among my co-workers^(S) for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me. ¹² Epaphras,^(T) who is one of you^(U) and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you,^(V) that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature^(W) and fully assured. ¹³ I vouch for him that he is working hard for you and for those at Laodicea^(X) and Hierapolis. ¹⁴ Our dear friend Luke,^(Y) the doctor, and Demas^(Z) send greetings. ¹⁵ Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea,^(AA) and to Nympha and the church in her house.^(AB)

¹⁶ After this letter has been read to you, see that it is also read^(AC) in the church of the Laodiceans and that you in turn read the letter from Laodicea.

¹⁷ Tell Archippus:^(AD) “See to it that you complete the ministry you have received in the Lord.”^(AE)

¹⁸ I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.^(AF) Remember^(AG) my chains.^(AH) Grace be with you.^(AI)