Pharaoh

Then the foremen of the people of Isra'el came and complained to Pharaoh: "Why are you treating your servants this way?

As they were leaving Pharaoh, they encountered Moshe and Aharon standing by the road;

and they said to them, "May ADONAI look at you and judge accordingly, because you have made us utterly abhorrent in the view of Pharaoh and his servants, and you have put a sword in their hands to kill us!"

For ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has dealt terribly with this people! And you haven't rescued your people at all!"

ADONAI said to Moshe, "Now you will see what I am going to do to Pharaoh. With a mighty hand he will send them off; with force he will drive them from the land!"

"Go in; and tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to let the people of Isra'el leave his land."

Moshe said to ADONAI, "Look, the people of Isra'el haven't listened to me; so how will Pharaoh listen to me, poor speaker that I am?"

But ADONAI spoke to Moshe and Aharon and gave them orders concerning both the people of Isra'el and Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to bring the people of Isra'el out of the land of Egypt.

and who told Pharaoh king of Egypt, to let the people of Isra'el leave Egypt. These are the same Moshe and Aharon.

he said, "I am ADONAI. Tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, everything I say to you."

Moshe answered ADONAI, "Look, I'm such a poor speaker that Pharaoh won't listen to me."

But ADONAI said to Moshe, "I have put you in the place of God to Pharaoh, and Aharon your brother will be your prophet.

You are to say everything I order you, and Aharon your brother is to speak to Pharaoh and tell him to let the people of Isra'el leave his land.

But I will make him hardhearted. Even though I will increase my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt,

Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my armies, my people the sons of Isra'el, out of the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment.

Moshe was eighty years old and Aharon eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

"When Pharaoh says to you, 'Perform a miracle,' tell Aharon to take his staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh, so that it can become a snake."

Moshe and Aharon went in to Pharaoh and did this, as ADONAI had ordered -Aharon threw down his staff in front of Pharaoh and his servants, and it turned into a snake.

But Pharaoh in turn called for the sages and sorcerers; and they too, the magicians of Egypt, did the same thing, making use of their secret arts.

Nevertheless, Pharaoh was made hardhearted; and he didn't listen to them, as ADONAI had said would happen.

ADONAI said to Moshe, "Pharaoh is stubborn. He refuses to let the people go.

Go to Pharaoh in the morning when he goes out to the water. Stand on the riverbank to confront him, take in your hand the staff which was turned into a snake,

Moshe and Aharon did exactly what ADONAI had ordered. He raised the staff and, in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants, struck the water in the river; and all the water in the river was turned into blood.

But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts, so that Pharaoh was made hardhearted and didn't listen to them, as ADONAI had said would happen.

Pharaoh just turned and went back to his palace, without taking any of this to heart.