Exodus 7
English Standard Version
Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh
7 And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like (A)God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your (B)prophet. 2 (C)You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. 3 But (D)I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I (E)multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5 The Egyptians (F)shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” 6 Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them. 7 Now Moses was (G)eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.
8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, (H)‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’” 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the (I)magicians of Egypt, also (J)did the same by their secret arts. 12 For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Still (K)Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, (L)as the Lord had said.
The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. 15 (M)Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water, and stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him. Take in your hand (N)the staff that turned into a (O)serpent. 16 And you shall say to him, ‘The (P)Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, (Q)that they may serve me in the wilderness.” But so far, you have not obeyed. 17 Thus says the Lord, “By this (R)you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and (S)it shall turn into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will (T)grow weary of drinking water from the Nile.”’” 19 And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and (U)stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’”
20 Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he (V)lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the (W)water in the Nile turned into blood. 21 And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians (X)could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 22 But (Y)the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So (Z)Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as (AA)the Lord had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.
25 Seven full days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.
Exodus 7
Revised Standard Version
7 1 And the Lord said to Moses, “See, I make you as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you; and Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you; then I will lay my hand upon Egypt and bring forth my hosts, my people the sons of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.” 6 And Moses and Aaron did so; they did as the Lord commanded them. 7 Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Aaron’s Miraculous Rod
8 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourselves by working a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’” 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the Lord commanded; Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers; and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same by their secret arts. 12 For every man cast down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. 13 Still Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would 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 hardened, he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water; wait for him by the river’s brink, and take in your hand the rod which was turned into a serpent. 16 And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness; and behold, you have not yet obeyed.” 17 Thus says the Lord, “By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, I will strike the water that is in the Nile with the rod that is in my hand, and it shall be turned to blood, 18 and the fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile shall become foul, and the Egyptians will loathe to drink water from the Nile.”’” 19 And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’”
20 Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded; in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, he lifted up the rod and struck the water that was in the Nile, and all the water that was in the Nile turned to blood. 21 And the fish in the Nile died; and the Nile became foul, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 22 But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts; so Pharaoh’s heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them; as the Lord had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not lay even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug round about the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.
The Second Plague: Frogs
25 Seven days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.
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.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
