God Commands Moses and Aaron

1And the Lorde sayde vnto Moyses: behold, I haue made thee Pharaos God: and Aaron thy brother shalbe thy prophete. 2Thou shalt speake all that I commaunde thee, and Aaron thy brother shall speake vnto Pharao, that he sende the children of Israel out of his lande. 3And I will harden Pharaos heart, and multiplie my miracles & my wonders in the lande of Egypt. 4But Pharao shall not hearken vnto you, that I may set my hande vpon Egypt, and bryng out myne armies, and my people the chyldren of Israel out of the land of Egypt in great iudgmentes. 5And the Egyptians shall knowe that I am the Lord, when I stretch foorth my hande vpon Egypt, and bryng out the children of Israel fro among them. 6Moyses and Aaron did as the Lord commaunded them, euen so did they. 7Moyses was fourescore yere olde, and Aaron fourescore and three, when they spake vnto Pharao.

Aaron’s Staff

8And the Lorde spake vnto Moyses and Aaron, saying: 9If Pharao speake vnto you, saying, shewe a miracle for you: thou shalt say vnto Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast it before Pharao, that it may be a serpent. 10Then went Moyses and Aaron in vnto Pharao, and dyd euen as the Lorde had commaunded: and Aaron caste foorth his rodde before Pharao, and before his seruauntes, and it turned to a serpent. 11Then Pharao called for the wyse men, and enchaunters: and those sorcerers of Egypt dyd in like maner with their sorcerie. 12For they cast downe euery man his rod, and they turned to serpentes: but Aarons rodde did eate vp their roddes. 13And he helde Pharaos heart that he hearkened not vnto them, euen as the Lorde had sayde.

The First Plague: Blood

14The Lorde also sayde vnto Moyses: Pharaos heart is hardened, he refuseth to let the people go. 15Get thee vnto Pharao in the morning, loe, he wyll come vnto the water, and thou shalt stand vpo the ryuers brincke agaynst he come: and the rodde whiche was turned to a serpent, shalt thou take in thyne hande: 16And thou shalt say vnto hym: the Lorde God of the Hebrewes hath sent me vnto thee, saying: Let my people go, that they may serue me in the wyldernesse: and beholde, hytherto thou wouldest not heare. 17Thus sayeth the Lord, In this thou shalt knowe that I am the Lorde: beholde, I wyll smyte with the rodde that is in my hande, the waters whiche are in the ryuers, and they shalbe turned to blood. 18And the fishe that is in the riuer, shall dye: and the ryuer shall corrupt, and it shall greeue the Egyptians to drinke of the water of the ryuer. 19And the Lorde spake vnto Moyses: say vnto Aaron, Take thy rodde, and stretche out thyne hand ouer the waters of Egypt, ouer their streames, ouer their riuers and pondes, and all pooles of water whiche they haue, that they may be blood, and that there may be blood throughout all ye lande of Egypt, both in vesselles of wood, & also of stone.

20And Moyses and Aaron did euen as the Lorde commaunded: and he lyfte vp the rodde, and smote the waters that were in the ryuer in the sight of Pharao, and in the sight of his seruauntes: and all the water that was in the ryuer, turned into blood. 21And the fishe that was in the ryuer dyed: and the ryuer corrupted, and the Egyptians coulde not drinke of the waters of the ryuer, and there was blood throughout all the lande of Egypt. 22And the enchaunters of Egypt dyd lykewyse with their sorceries, and he heardened Pharaos heart, neyther did he hearken vnto them, as the Lorde had sayde. 23And Pharao turned him selfe, and went agayne into his house, and set not his heart thervnto. 24And the Egyptians dygged rounde about the ryuer for water to drinke: for they coulde not drinke of the water of the ryuer. 25And it continued seuen dayes after that the Lorde had smyten the ryuer.