Exodus 7
Christian Standard Bible
7 The Lord answered Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet. 2 You must say whatever I command you; then Aaron your brother must declare it to Pharaoh so that he will let the Israelites go from his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart(A) and multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you, but I will put my hand into Egypt and bring the military divisions of my people the Israelites out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord(B) when I stretch out my hand(C) against Egypt and bring out the Israelites from among them.”
6 So Moses and Aaron did this; they did just as the Lord commanded them. 7 Moses was eighty years old(D) and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.
8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh tells you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh. It will become a serpent.’”(E) 10 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord had commanded. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent. 11 But then Pharaoh called the wise men and sorcerers—the magicians(F) of Egypt, and they also did the same thing by their occult practices.(G) 12 Each one threw down his staff, and it became a serpent. But Aaron’s staff swallowed their staffs. 13 However, Pharaoh’s heart was hard,(H) and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hard: He refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning. When you see him walking out to the water, stand ready to meet him by the bank of the Nile. Take in your hand the staff that turned into a snake.(I) 16 Tell him: The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you: Let my people go, so that they may worship[a] me in the wilderness. But so far you have not listened. 17 This is what the Lord says: Here is how you will know that I am the Lord. Watch. I am about to strike the water in the Nile with the staff in my hand, and it will turn to blood. 18 The fish in the Nile will die, the river will stink, and the Egyptians will be unable to drink water from it.”
19 So the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron: Take your staff and stretch out your hand(J) over the waters of Egypt—over their rivers, canals, ponds, and all their water reservoirs—and they will become blood. There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in wooden and stone containers.”
20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded; in the sight of Pharaoh and his officials, he raised the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile was turned to blood.(K) 21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad the Egyptians could not drink water from it. There was blood throughout the land of Egypt.
22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their occult practices. So Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said. 23 Pharaoh turned around, went into his palace, and didn’t take even this to heart. 24 All the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink because they could not drink the water from the river. 25 Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.
Footnotes
- 7:16 Or serve; Ex 4:23
Exodus 7
1599 Geneva Bible
7 3 God hardeneth Pharaoh’s heart. 10 Moses and Aaron do the miracles of the serpent, and the blood: and Pharaoh’s sorcerers do the like.
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, Behold, I have made thee [a]Pharaoh’s [b]God, and Aaron thy brother shall [c]be thy Prophet.
2 Thou shalt speak all that I commanded thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he suffer the children of Israel to go out of his land.
3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my miracles, and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
4 And Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out mine armies, even my people, the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, by great [d]judgments.
5 Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.
6 So Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them, even so did they.
7 (Now Moses was [e]fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three, when they spake unto Pharaoh.)
8 ¶ And the Lord had spoken unto Moses and Aaron, saying,
9 If Pharaoh speak unto you, saying, Show a miracle for you, then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall be turned into a [f]serpent.
10 ¶ Then went Moses and Aaron unto Pharaoh, and did even as the Lord had commanded, and Aaron cast forth his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it was turned into a serpent.
11 Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and [g]sorcerers: and those charmers also of Egypt did in like manner with their enchantments.
12 For they cast down every man his rod, and they were turned into serpents: but Aaron’s rod devoured their rods.
13 So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not to them, as the Lord had said.
14 ¶ The Lord then said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is [h]obstinate, he refuseth to let the people go.
15 Go unto Pharaoh in the morning, (lo, he will come forth unto the water) and thou shalt stand and meet him by [i]the river’s brink, and the rod, which was turned into a serpent, shalt thou take in thine hand.
16 And thou shalt say unto him, The Lord God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go that they may serve me in the wilderness: and behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.
17 Thus saith the Lord, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord: behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the water that is in the river, and it shall be turned into blood.
18 And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink, and it shall [j]grieve the Egyptians to drink of the water of the river.
19 ¶ The Lord then spake to Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, and over their ponds, and over all pools of their waters, and they shall be [k]blood, and there shall be blood throughout the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and of stone.
20 So Moses and Aaron did even as the Lord commanded: (A)and he lift up the rod, and smote the water that was in the river in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants: and (B)all the water that was in the river, was turned into blood.
21 And the [l]fish that was in the river died, and the river stank: so that the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river: and there was blood throughout the land of Egypt.
22 And the enchanters of Egypt did [m]likewise with their sorceries: and the heart of Pharaoh was [n]hardened: so that he did not hearken unto them, as the Lord hath said.
23 Then Pharaoh returned, and went again into his house, [o]neither did this yet enter into his heart.
24 All the Egyptians then dug round about the river for waters to drink: for they could not drink of the water of the river.
25 And this [p]continued fully seven days after the Lord had smitten the river.
Footnotes
- Exodus 7:1 Or, a God to Pharaoh.
- Exodus 7:1 I have given thee power and authority to speak in my name and to execute my judgments upon him.
- Exodus 7:1 Or, shall speak for thee (before Pharaoh.)
- Exodus 7:4 To strengthen Moses’ faith, God promiseth again to punish most sharply the oppression of his Church.
- Exodus 7:7 Moses lived in affliction and banishment forty years before he enjoined his office to deliver God’s people.
- Exodus 7:9 Or, dragon.
- Exodus 7:11 It seemeth that these were Jannes and Jambres: read 2 Tim. 3:8, so ever the wicked maliciously resist the truth of God.
- Exodus 7:14 Or, heavy and dull.
- Exodus 7:15 To wit, the river Nile.
- Exodus 7:18 Or, they shall be weary, and abhor to drink.
- Exodus 7:19 The first plague.
- Exodus 7:21 To signify that it was a true miracle, and that God plagued them in that which was most necessary for the preservation of life.
- Exodus 7:22 In outward appearance, and after that the seven days were ended.
- Exodus 7:22 Hebrew, was made strong.
- Exodus 7:23 Hebrew, he set not his heart at all thereunto.
- Exodus 7:25 Or seven days accomplished.
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