10. Moses and Aaron went to the king and his officials and did exactly as the Lord had commanded—Aaron threw the stick down, and it turned into a snake.
11. Then the king called in the wise men and the magicians, who used their secret powers to do the same thing—
12. they threw down sticks that turned into snakes. But Aaron's snake swallowed theirs.
13. The king behaved just as the Lord had said and stubbornly refused to listen.
14. The Lord said to Moses:The Egyptian king stubbornly refuses to change his mind and let the people go.
15. Tomorrow morning take the stick that turned into a snake, then wait beside the River Nile for the king.
16. Tell him, “The Lord God of the Hebrews sent me to order you to release his people, so they can worship him in the desert. But until now, you have paid no attention.
17. “The Lord is going to do something to show you that he really is the Lord. I will strike the Nile with this stick, and the water will turn into blood.
18. The fish will die, the river will stink, and none of you Egyptians will be able to drink the water.”
19. Moses, then command Aaron to hold his stick over the water. And when he does, every drop of water in Egypt will turn into blood, including rivers, canals, ponds, and even the water in buckets and jars.
20. Moses and Aaron obeyed the Lord. Aaron held out his stick, then struck the Nile, as the king and his officials watched. The river turned into blood,