Exodus 7

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Look, I have made you as a god for Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron is tobe your prophet.	1 The LORD answered him, "See! I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall act as your prophet.
2 You must say whatever I command you, and your brother Aaron wil repeat to Pharaoh that he is to letthe Israelites leave his country.	2 You shall tell him all that I command you. In turn, your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave his land.
3 But I myself shal make Pharaoh stubborn and shall perform many a sign and wonder in Egypt.	3 Yet I will make Pharaoh so obstinate that, despite the many signs and wonders that I will work in the land of Egypt,
4 Since Pharaoh wil not listen to you, I shal lay my hand on Egypt and with great acts of judgement leadmy armies, my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.	4 he will not listen to you. Therefore I will lay my hand on Egypt and by great acts of judgment I will bring the hosts of my people, the Israelites, out of the land of Egypt,
5 And the Egyptians wil know that I am Yahweh when I stretch out my hand against the Egyptians andlead the Israelites out of their country.'	5 so that the Egyptians may learn that I am the LORD, as I stretch out my hand against Egypt and lead the Israelites out of their midst."
6 Moses and Aaron did exactly as Yahweh had ordered.	6 Moses and Aaron did as the LORD had commanded them.
7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh.	7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.
8 Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron,	8 The LORD told Moses and Aaron,
9 'If Pharaoh says to you, "Display some marvel," you must say to Aaron, "Take your staff and throw itdown in front of Pharaoh, and let it turn into a serpent!" '	9 "If Pharaoh demands that you work a sign or wonder, you shall say to Aaron: Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, and it will be changed into a snake."
10 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as Yahweh had ordered. Aaron threw down his staff infront of Pharaoh and his officials, and it turned into a serpent.	10 Then Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it was changed into a snake.
11 Then Pharaoh in his turn called for the sages and sorcerers, and by their spells the magicians of Egyptdid the same.	11 Pharaoh, in turn, summoned wise men and sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did likewise by their magic arts.
12 Each threw his staff down and these turned into serpents. But Aaron's staff swal owed up theirs.	12 Each one threw down his staff, and it was changed into a snake. But Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs.
13 Pharaoh, however, remained obstinate and, as Yahweh had foretold, refused to listen to Moses andAaron.	13 Pharaoh, however, was obstinate and would not listen to them, just as the LORD had foretold.
14 Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Pharaoh is adamant. He refuses to let the people go.	14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh is obdurate in refusing to let the people go.
15 Go to Pharaoh tomorrow morning as he makes his way to the water, confront him on the river bankand in your hand take the staff that turned into a snake.	15 Tomorrow morning, when he sets out for the water, go and present yourself by the river bank, holding in your hand the staff that turned into a serpent.
16 Say to him, "Yahweh, God of the Hebrews, sent me to say: Let my people go and worship in thedesert. Up til now, you have refused to listen.	16 Say to him: The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you with the message: Let my people go to worship me in the desert. But as yet you have not listened.
17 This is what Yahweh says: You wil know that I am Yahweh by this: with the staff that is in my hand Ishall strike the waters of the River and they wil turn to blood.	17 The LORD now says: This is how you shall know that I am the LORD. I will strike the water of the river with the staff I hold, and it shall be changed into blood.
18 The fish in the river wil die, and the River wil stink, and the Egyptians will not be able to drink the riverwater." '	18 The fish in the river shall die, and the river itself shall become so polluted that the Egyptians will be unable to drink its water."
19 Yahweh said to Moses, 'Say to Aaron, "Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters ofEgypt -- over their rivers and canals, their marshland, and all their reservoirs -- and they wil turn to blood. Therewil be blood throughout the whole of Egypt, even in sticks and stones." '	19 The LORD then said to Moses, "Say to Aaron: Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt--their streams and canals and pools, all their supplies of water--that they may become blood. Throughout the land of Egypt there shall be blood, even in the wooden pails and stone jars."
20 Moses and Aaron did as Yahweh ordered. He raised his staff and struck the waters of the River, withPharaoh and his officials looking on, and al the water in the River turned to blood.	20 Moses and Aaron did as the LORD had commanded. Aaron raised his staff and struck the waters of the river in full view of Pharaoh and his servants, and all the water of the river was changed into blood.
21 The fish in the River died, and the River stank; and the Egyptians could no longer drink the Riverwater. Throughout the whole of Egypt there was blood.	21 The fish in the river died, and the river itself became so polluted that the Egyptians could not drink its water. There was blood throughout the land of Egypt.
22 But by their spel s the magicians of Egypt did the same; Pharaoh remained obstinate and, as Yahwehhad foretold, refused to listen to Moses and Aaron.	22 But the Egyptian magicians did the same by their magic arts. So Pharaoh remained obstinate and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had foretold.
23 Pharaoh turned away and went back into his palace, taking no notice even of this.	23 He turned away and went into his house, with no concern even for this.
24 And the Egyptians al dug holes along the river-bank in search of drinking water, since they could notdrink the River water.	24 All the Egyptians had to dig in the neighborhood of the river for drinking water, since they could not drink the river water.
25 After Yahweh struck the River, seven days went by.	25 Seven days passed after the LORD had struck the river.
26 Then Yahweh said to Moses, 'Go to Pharaoh and say to him, "Yahweh says this: Let my people goand worship me.	26 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him: Thus says the LORD: Let my people go to worship me.
27 If you refuse to let them go, I shal strike your whole territory with frogs.	27 If you refuse to let them go, I warn you, I will send a plague of frogs over all your territory.
28 The River wil swarm with frogs; they wil make their way into your palace, into your bedroom, ontoyour bed, into the houses of your officials and subjects, into your ovens, into your kneading bowls.	28 The river will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and into your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your servants, too, and your subjects, even into your ovens and your kneading bowls.
29 The frogs wil actual y clamber onto you, onto your subjects and onto all your officials." '	29 The frogs will swarm all over you and your subjects and your servants."