Signs for Moses

4 Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen^(A) to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?”

² Then the Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

“A staff,”^(B) he replied.

³ The Lord said, “Throw it on the ground.”

Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake,^(C) and he ran from it. ⁴ Then the Lord said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. ⁵ “This,” said the Lord, “is so that they may believe^(D) that the Lord, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.”

⁶ Then the Lord said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous^[a]—it had become as white as snow.^(E)

⁷ “Now put it back into your cloak,” he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored,^(F) like the rest of his flesh.

⁸ Then the Lord said, “If they do not believe^(G) you or pay attention to the first sign,^(H) they may believe the second. ⁹ But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood^(I) on the ground.”

¹⁰ Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”^(J)

¹¹ The Lord said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute?^(K) Who gives them sight or makes them blind?^(L) Is it not I, the Lord? ¹² Now go;^(M) I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”^(N)

¹³ But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.”^(O)

¹⁴ Then the Lord’s anger burned^(P) against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet^(Q) you, and he will be glad to see you. ¹⁵ You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth;^(R) I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. ¹⁶ He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth^(S) and as if you were God to him.^{(T) 17} But take this staff^(U) in your hand^(V) so you can perform the signs^(W) with it.”

Moses Returns to Egypt

¹⁸ Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Let me return to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive.”

Jethro said, “Go, and I wish you well.”

¹⁹ Now the Lord had said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill^(X) you are dead.^(Y)” ²⁰ So Moses took his wife and sons,^(Z) put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff^(AA) of God in his hand.

²¹ The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders^(AB) I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart^(AC) so that he will not let the people go.^{(AD) 22} Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son,^{(AE) 23} and I told you, “Let my son go,^(AF) so he may worship^(AG) me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’”^(AH)

²⁴ At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses^[b] and was about to kill^(AI) him. ²⁵ But Zipporah^(AJ) took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin^(AK) and touched Moses’ feet with it.^[c] “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. ²⁶ So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)

²⁷ The Lord said to Aaron, “Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So he met Moses at the mountain^(AL) of God and kissed^(AM) him. ²⁸ Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say, and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform.

²⁹ Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders^(AN) of the Israelites, ³⁰ and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs^(AO) before the people, ³¹ and they believed.^(AP) And when they heard that the Lord was concerned^(AQ) about them and had seen their misery,^(AR) they bowed down and worshiped.^(AS)

7 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) 2} 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. ³ But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,^(C) and though I multiply my signs and wonders^(D) in Egypt, ⁴ 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. ⁵ 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.”

⁶ Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded^(J) them. ⁷ Moses was eighty years old^(K) and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake

⁸ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ⁹ “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.

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.

The Plague of Flies

²⁰ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning^(W) and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship^(X) me. ²¹ If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.

²² “‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen,^(Y) where my people live;^(Z) no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know^(AA) that I, the Lord, am in this land. ²³ I will make a distinction^[b] between my people and your people.^(AB) This sign will occur tomorrow.’”

²⁴ And the Lord did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials; throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies.^(AC)

²⁵ Then Pharaoh summoned^(AD) Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”

²⁶ But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians.^(AE) And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? ²⁷ We must take a three-day journey^(AF) into the wilderness to offer sacrifices^(AG) to the Lord our God, as he commands us.”

²⁸ Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray^(AH) for me.”

²⁹ Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only let Pharaoh be sure that he does not act deceitfully^(AI) again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

³⁰ Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord,^{(AJ) 31} and the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. ³² But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart^(AK) and would not let the people go.

The Plague of Locusts

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart^(A) and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs^(B) of mine among them ² that you may tell your children^(C) and grandchildren how I dealt harshly^(D) with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.”^(E)

³ So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble^(F) yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. ⁴ If you refuse^(G) to let them go, I will bring locusts^(H) into your country tomorrow. ⁵ They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left^(I) after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields.^{(J) 6} They will fill your houses^(K) and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians—something neither your parents nor your ancestors have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.’”^(L) Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

⁷ Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a snare^(M) to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?”^(N)

⁸ Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship^(O) the Lord your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.”

⁹ Moses answered, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival^(P) to the Lord.”

¹⁰ Pharaoh said, “The Lord be with you—if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil.^{[a] 11} No! Have only the men go and worship the Lord, since that’s what you have been asking for.” Then Moses and Aaron were driven out of Pharaoh’s presence.

¹² And the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand^(Q) over Egypt so that locusts swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail.”

¹³ So Moses stretched out his staff^(R) over Egypt, and the Lord made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts;^{(S) 14} they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts,^(T) nor will there ever be again. ¹⁵ They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured^(U) all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.

¹⁶ Pharaoh quickly summoned^(V) Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned^(W) against the Lord your God and against you. ¹⁷ Now forgive^(X) my sin once more and pray^(Y) to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”

¹⁸ Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.^{(Z) 19} And the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea.^[b] Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt. ²⁰ But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,^(AA) and he would not let the Israelites go.

The Plague of Darkness

²¹ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness^(AB) spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” ²² So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness^(AC) covered all Egypt for three days. ²³ No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.^(AD)

²⁴ Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go,^(AE) worship the Lord. Even your women and children^(AF) may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.”^(AG)

²⁵ But Moses said, “You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings^(AH) to present to the Lord our God. ²⁶ Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the Lord our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the Lord.”

²⁷ But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,^(AI) and he was not willing to let them go. ²⁸ Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die.”

²⁹ “Just as you say,” Moses replied. “I will never appear^(AJ) before you again.”