1. The Lord said unto Moses, See, I have constituted thee as god unto Pharaoh; and Aaron, thy brother, shall be thy prophet.
2. Thou shalt speak all that I shall command thee; and Aaron, thy brother, shall speak unto Pharaoh that he send the sons of Israel out of his land.
3. And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
4. And Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, but I shall lay my hand upon Egypt and bring forth my hosts, and my people, the sons of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.
5. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from among them.
6. And Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded them, so did they.
7. And Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three years old when they spoke unto Pharaoh.
8. And the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,
9. If Pharaoh shall answer you, saying, Show a miracle, then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod and cast it before Pharaoh, that it shall become a dragon.
10. So Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did as the Lord had commanded; and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his slaves, and it became a dragon.
11. Then Pharaoh also called wise men and sorcerers; now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their fire worship.
12. For each one cast down his rod, and they became dragons; but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.
13. And Pharaoh’s heart became hard, that he hearkened not unto them as the Lord had said.
14. Then the Lord said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is become grievous, for he refuses to let the people go.
15. Go unto Pharaoh in the morning; behold, he goes out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river’s brink before him and take in thy hand the rod which was turned to a serpent
16. and say unto him, The Lord, the God of the Hebrews has sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness; and, behold, until now thou hast not desired to hear.
17. Thus hath the Lord said, In this thou shalt know that I am the Lord; behold, I will smite with the rod that is in my hand the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.