Exodus 7

And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.

1The LORD said to Moses, "Look, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Your brother Aaron will be your prophet, the one who speaks your words for you."

2Thou shalt speak all that I command thee: and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.

2"Say everything I tell you to say. Aaron will tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his land."

3And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

3"But I will make Pharaoh stubborn. I will do many signs and wonders in the land of Egypt."

4But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

4"Pharaoh will not listen to you. So I will use my power against Egypt. I will punish Egypt in mighty ways. Then I will bring out my people, the Israelites."

5And 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.

5"When I reach out my hand against Egypt, the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD. They will know it when I bring the Israelites out from among them."

6And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.

6Moses and Aaron did exactly what the LORD told them to do.

7And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old, when they spake unto Pharaoh.

7Moses was eighty years old. Aaron was eighty-three. That is how old they were when they spoke to Pharaoh.

NoteThe KJV says "fourscore." A score means twenty, so fourscore means eighty.

8And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

8The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said:

9When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, Shew a miracle for you: then thou shalt say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.

9"Pharaoh will say to you, 'Show me a miracle.' Then tell Aaron to throw his staff down in front of Pharaoh. It will turn into a snake."

NoteThe KJV word "rod" means a long wooden staff, like a shepherd's walking stick.

10And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

10So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They did just what the LORD had told them. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his helpers. It turned into a snake.

11Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

11Then Pharaoh called for his wise men and his magicians. They did the same thing using their magic.

12For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.

12Each man threw down his staff, and each staff turned into a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed up all their staffs.

13And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

13Still Pharaoh stayed stubborn. He would not listen to them. It happened just as the LORD had said.

14And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go.

14Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh is stubborn. He refuses to let the people go."

15Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river’s brink against he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.

15"Go to Pharaoh in the morning. He will be walking out to the water. Wait for him at the edge of the river. Take the staff that turned into a snake."

Note"The river" here means the Nile. It was the big river that gave Egypt its water.

16And 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.

16"Say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you. He says, let my people go, so they can worship me out in the desert. But you still have not listened.'"

17Thus 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 waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

17"The LORD says this: Now you will know that I am the LORD. I will strike the river water with the staff in my hand. The water will turn into blood."

18And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall lothe to drink of the water of the river.

18"The fish in the river will die. The river will smell terrible. The Egyptians will not be able to drink its water."

19And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood, and in vessels of stone.

19The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron to take his staff. Tell him to hold his hand out over all the water in Egypt. That means the streams, the canals, the ponds, and the pools. They will all turn into blood. There will be blood all over Egypt, even in wooden bowls and stone jars."

20And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.

20Moses and Aaron did just what the LORD had told them. Aaron lifted the staff and struck the river water. Pharaoh and his helpers watched him do it. All the water in the river turned into blood.

21And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

21The fish in the river died. The river smelled awful, so the Egyptians could not drink its water. There was blood all over the land of Egypt.

22And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said.

22But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their magic. So Pharaoh stayed stubborn and would not listen to Moses and Aaron. It happened just as the LORD had said.

23And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.

23Pharaoh turned around and went into his house. He did not even think about what had happened.

24And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river.

24All the Egyptians dug holes in the ground near the river. They were looking for water to drink, because the river water was ruined.

25And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.

25Seven whole days went by after the LORD struck the river.