Exodus 7

Moses and Aaron Before Pharaoh

1 And the Lord said to Moses, "See, I have made you like o God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your p prophet. 2 q You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. 3 But r I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I s multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. 5 The Egyptians t shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them." 6 Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the Lord commanded them. 7 Now Moses was u eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 "When Pharaoh says to you, v 'Prove yourselves by working a miracle,' then you shall say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.'" 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the w magicians of Egypt, also x did the same by their secret arts. 12 For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Still r Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, r as the Lord had said.

The First Plague: Water Turned to Blood

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuses to let the people go. 15 y Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile to meet him, and take in your hand z the staff that turned into a a serpent. 16 And you shall say to him, 'The b Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, "Let my people go, c that they may serve me in the wilderness. But so far, you have not obeyed." 17 Thus says the Lord, "By this d you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and e it shall turn into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will f grow weary of drinking water from the Nile."'" 19 And the Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and g stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, and their ponds, and all their pools of water, so that they may become blood, and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, even in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.'"

20 Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he h lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the i water in the Nile turned into blood. 21 And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians j could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. 22 But k the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts. So l Pharaoh's heart remained hardened, and he would not listen to them, as m the Lord had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.

25 Seven full days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.

  1. Cross References
    Exodus 4:16
    He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him.
  2. Cross References
    Genesis 20:7
    Now then, return the man's wife, for he is a prophet, so that he will pray for you, and you shall live. But if you do not return her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours.
    1 Samuel 9:9
    (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he said, "Come, let us go to the seer," for today's "prophet" was formerly called a seer.)
  3. Cross References
    Exodus 4:15
    You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do.
    Exodus 6:29
    The Lord said to Moses, "I am the Lord ; tell Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.
  4. Cross References
    Exodus 4:21
    And the Lord said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
  5. Cross References
    Exodus 11:9
    Then the Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh will not listen to you, that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.
    Psalms 135:9
    Who in your midst, O Egypt, sent signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants.
    Psalms 78:43 - 51
    When he performed his signs in Egypt and his marvels in the fields of Zoan.
    Psalms 105:26 - 36
    He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen.
  6. Cross References
    Exodus 7:17
    Thus says the Lord, "By this you shall know that I am the Lord : behold, with the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water that is in the Nile, and it shall turn into blood.
    Exodus 8:10
    And he said, "Tomorrow." Moses said, "Be it as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God.
    Exodus 8:22
    But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.
    Exodus 14:4
    And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord." And they did so.
    Exodus 14:18
    And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten glory over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.
  7. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 29:5
    I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn off your feet.
    Deuteronomy 31:2
    And he said to them, "I am 120 years old today. I am no longer able to go out and come in. The Lord has said to me, 'You shall not go over this Jordan.
    Deuteronomy 34:7
    Moses was 120 years old when he died. His eye was undimmed, and his vigor unabated.
    Acts 7:23
    When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel.
    Acts 7:30
    Now when forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush.
  8. Cross References
    Isaiah 7:11
    "Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven."
    John 2:18
    So the Jews said to him, "What sign do you show us for doing these things?
    John 4:48
    So Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.
    John 6:30
    So they said to him, "Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?
  9. Cross References
    Genesis 41:8
    So in the morning his spirit was troubled, and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt and all its wise men. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh.
  10. Cross References
    Exodus 7:12
    For each man cast down his staff, and they beca...
    Exodus 7:22
    But the magicians of Egypt did the same by thei...
    Exodus 8:7
    But the magicians did the same by their secret ...
    Exodus 8:18
    The magicians tried by their secret arts to pro...
    Exodus 9:11
    And the magicians could not stand before Moses ...
    2 Timothy 3:8
    Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so th...
  11. Cross References
    Exodus 7:3
    But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.
  12. Cross References
    Exodus 7:3
    But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.
  13. Cross References
    Exodus 8:20
    Then the Lord said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord, "Let my people go, that they may serve me.
    Exodus 9:13
    Then the Lord said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, "Let my people go, that they may serve me.
  14. Cross References
    Exodus 4:2
    The Lord said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff.
    Exodus 4:17
    And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.
    Exodus 17:5
    And the Lord said to Moses, "Pass on before the people, taking with you some of the elders of Israel, and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.
  15. Cross References
    Exodus 4:3
    And he said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it.
  16. Cross References
    Exodus 3:18
    And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.
    Exodus 5:3
    Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.
    Exodus 9:1
    Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, "Let my people go, that they may serve me.
    Exodus 9:13
    Then the Lord said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, "Let my people go, that they may serve me.
  17. Cross References
    Exodus 3:12
    He said, "But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.
    Exodus 3:18
    And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.
    Exodus 5:1
    Afterward Moses and Aaron went and said to Pharaoh, "Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness.'
    Exodus 5:3
    Then they said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest he fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.
  18. Cross References
    Exodus 7:5
    The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.
  19. Cross References
    Exodus 4:9
    If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.
    Revelation 16:4
    The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of water, and they became blood.
  20. Cross References
    Exodus 7:21
    And the fish in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.
    Exodus 7:24
    And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.
  21. Cross References
    Exodus 8:5 - 6
    And the Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Str...
    Exodus 8:16 - 17
    Then the Lord said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'St...
    Exodus 9:22
    Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your ...
    Exodus 10:12
    Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your ...
    Exodus 10:21
    Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your ...
    Exodus 14:16
    Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand o...
    Exodus 14:21
    Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea,...
    Exodus 14:26
    Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your ...
  22. Cross References
    Exodus 17:9
    So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose for us men, and go out and fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.
  23. Cross References
    Psalms 78:44
    He turned their rivers to blood, so that they could not drink of their streams.
    Psalms 105:29
    He turned their waters into blood and caused their fish to die.
  24. Cross References
    Exodus 7:18
    The fish in the Nile shall die, and the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will grow weary of drinking water from the Nile."'
    Exodus 7:24
    And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.
  25. Cross References
    Exodus 7:11
    Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts.
  26. Cross References
    Exodus 7:13
    Still Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
  27. Cross References
    Exodus 7:3 - 4
    But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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