28 Now it came about on the day when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, 29 that the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “(A)I am the Lord; (B)say to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.” 30 But Moses said before the Lord, “Behold, I am [a](C)unskilled in speech; how then will Pharaoh listen to me?”

I Will Extend My Hand

Then the Lord said to Moses, “(D)See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. As for you, you shall speak all that I command you, and your brother (E)Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land. But (F)I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that I may (G)multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. When (H)Pharaoh does not listen to you, I will lay My hand on Egypt and (I)bring out My armies, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by (J)great judgments. Then (K)the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I (L)extend My hand over Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst.” So Moses and Aaron did this; (M)as the Lord commanded them, so they did. And Moses was (N)eighty years old and Aaron [b]eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Staff Turns into a Serpent

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

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 6:30 Lit uncircumcised of lips
  2. Exodus 7:7 Lit 83 years old
  3. Exodus 7:9 Lit Show a wonder for yourselves
  4. Exodus 7:10 Lit before his
  5. Exodus 7:13 Lit strong

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