CHAPTER 7
1 And the Lord said to Moses, Lo! I have made thee the god of Pharaoh; and Aaron, thy brother, shall be thy prophet.
2 Thou shalt speak to Aaron all things which I command to thee, and he shall speak to Pharaoh, that he deliver the sons of Israel from his land.
3 But I shall make hard his heart, and I shall multiply my signs and marvels in the land of Egypt,
4 and he shall not hear you; and I shall send mine hand on Egypt, and I shall lead out mine host, and my people, the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by most dooms;
5 and [the] Egyptians shall know, that I am the Lord, which have held forth mine hand on Egypt, and have led out of the midst of them the sons of Israel.
6 And so Moses did and Aaron; as the Lord commanded, so they did.
7 Forsooth Moses was of fourscore years, and Aaron of fourscore years and three, when they spake to Pharaoh.
8 And the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron,
9 When Pharaoh shall say to you, Show ye signs to us, thou shalt say to Aaron, Take thy rod, and cast forth it before Pharaoh, and be it turned into a serpent.
10 And so Moses and Aaron entered to Pharaoh, and did as the Lord commanded; and Aaron took the rod, and cast forth it before Pharaoh and his servants, the which rod was turned into a serpent.
11 Forsooth Pharaoh called forth wise men, and witches, and they also did by enchantments of Egypt, and by some privy things, in like manner;
12 and all casted forth their rods, which were turned into dragons; but the rod of Aaron devoured their rods.
13 And the heart of Pharaoh was made hard, and he heard not them, as the Lord commanded.
14 Forsooth the Lord said to Moses, The heart of Pharaoh is made grievous, he will not deliver the people;
15 go thou to him early; lo! he shall go out to the waters, and thou shalt stand in the coming of him on the brink of the flood; and thou shalt take in thine hand the rod, that was turned into a dragon,
16 and thou shalt say to him, The Lord God of Hebrews sent me to thee, and said, Deliver thou my people, that it make sacrifice to me in desert; and till to this present time thou wouldest not hear.
17 Therefore the Lord saith these things, In this thou shalt know, that I am the Lord; lo! I shall smite with the rod, that is in mine hand, the water of the flood, and it shall be turned into blood;
18 and the fishes that be in the flood shall die; and the waters shall wax rotten, and the Egyptians drinking the water of the flood shall be tormented.
19 Also the Lord said to Moses, Say thou to Aaron, Take thy rod, and hold forth thine hand on the waters of Egypt, and on the floods of them, and on the streams of them, and on the marshes, and on all the lakes of waters, that those [or they] be turned into blood; and blood be in all the land of Egypt, as well in vessels of wood, as of stone.
20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded; and Aaron raised the rod, and smote the water of the flood before Pharaoh and his servants, which water was turned into blood;
21 and [the] fishes, that were in the flood, died; and the flood was rotten, and [the] Egyptians might not drink the water of the flood; and blood was in all the land of Egypt.
22 And the witches of [the] Egyptians did in like manner by their enchant-ments; and the heart of Pharaoh was made hard, and he heard not them, as the Lord commanded.
23 And he turned away himself, and entered into his house, neither he took it to heart, yea, in this time.
24 Forsooth all [the] Egyptians digged water about the flood, to drink; for they might not drink of [the] water of the flood.
25 And seven days were fulfilled, after that the Lord smote the flood.