The Message Bible MSG
New International Version NIV
1 God told Moses, "Look at me. I'll make you as a god to Pharaoh and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.
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Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.
2 You are to speak everything I command you, and your brother Aaron will tell it to Pharaoh. Then he will release the Israelites from his land.
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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 At the same time I am going to put Pharaoh's back up and follow it up by filling Egypt with signs and wonders.
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But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt,
4 Pharaoh is not going to listen to you, but I will have my way against Egypt and bring out my soldiers, my people the Israelites, from Egypt by mighty acts of judgment.
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he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites.
5 The Egyptians will realize that I am God when I step in and take the Israelites out of their country."
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And the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”
6 Moses and Aaron did exactly what God commanded.
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Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them.
7 Moses was eighty and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.
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Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.
8 Then God spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said,
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The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
9 "When Pharaoh speaks to you and says, 'Prove yourselves. Perform a miracle,' then tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh: It will turn into a snake.'"
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“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”
10 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did what God commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his servants, and it turned into a snake.
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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 called in his wise men and sorcerers. The magicians of Egypt did the same thing by their incantations:
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Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts:
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.