New International Version NIV
New International Reader's Version NIRV
1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.
1
Then the LORD said to Moses, "I have made you like God to Pharaoh. And your brother Aaron will be like a prophet to you.
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.
2
You must say everything I command you to say. Then your brother Aaron must tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his country.
3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt,
3
"But I will make Pharaoh's heart stubborn. I will multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt.
4 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.
4
In spite of that, he will not listen to you. So I will use my powerful hand against Egypt. When I judge them with mighty acts, I will bring my people Israel out like an army on the march.
5 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.”
5
"Then the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. I will reach out my powerful hand against Egypt. I will bring the people of Israel out of it."
6 Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD commanded them.
6
Moses and Aaron did exactly as the LORD had commanded them.
7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.
7
Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they spoke to Pharaoh.
8 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
8
The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron.
9 “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.”
9
He said, "Pharaoh will say to you, 'Do a miracle.' When he does, speak to Aaron. Tell him, 'Take your wooden staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh.' It will turn into a snake."
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.
10
So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They did exactly as the LORD had commanded them. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials. It turned into a snake.
11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts:
11
Then Pharaoh sent for wise men and those who do evil magic. By doing their magic tricks, the Egyptian magicians did the same things Aaron had done.
12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.
12
Each one threw his staff down. Each staff turned into a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed theirs up.
13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
13
In spite of that, Pharaoh's heart became stubborn. He wouldn't listen to them, just as the LORD had said.
14 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go.
14
Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is very stubborn. He refuses to let the people go.
15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river. Confront him on the bank of the Nile, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake.
15
In the morning Pharaoh will go down to the water. Go and wait on the bank of the Nile River to meet him. Take in your hand the wooden staff that turned 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 me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.
16
"Say to Pharaoh, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you. He says, "Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me in the desert. But up to now you have not listened."
17 This is what the LORD says: By this you will know that I am the LORD: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.
17
" 'The LORD says, "Here is how you will know that I am the Lord. I will strike the water of the Nile River with the staff that is in my hand. The river will turn into blood.
18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’ ”
18
The fish in the river will die. The river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink its water." ' "
19 The LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand 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 of wood and stone.”
19
The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Get your staff. Reach your hand out over the waters of Egypt. The streams, waterways, ponds and all of the lakes will turn into blood. There will be blood everywhere in Egypt. It will even be in the wooden buckets and stone jars.' "
20 Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood.
20
Moses and Aaron did exactly as the LORD had commanded them. Aaron held out his staff in front of Pharaoh and his officials. He struck the water of the Nile River. And all of the water turned into blood.
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.
21
The fish in the Nile died. The river smelled so bad the Egyptians couldn't drink its water. There was blood everywhere in Egypt.
22 But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
22
But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by doing their magic tricks. So Pharaoh's heart became stubborn. He wouldn't 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.
23
Even that miracle didn't change Pharaoh's mind. In fact, he turned around and went into his palace.
24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water, because they could not drink the water of the river.
24
All of the Egyptians dug holes near the Nile River to get drinking water. They couldn't drink water from the river.
25 Seven days passed after the LORD struck the Nile.
25
Seven days passed after the LORD struck the Nile River.
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.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.