1Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 3But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, 4he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. 5And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”
6Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. 7Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake
8The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”
10So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: 12Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.
The Plague of Blood
14Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he refuses to let the people go. 15Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river. Confront him on the bank of the Nile, and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened. 17This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord: With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood. 18The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink; the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’ ”
19The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels7:19 Or even on their idols of wood and stone.”
20Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. 21The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.
22But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. 23Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. 24And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water, because they could not drink the water of the river.
The Plague of Frogs
25Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile.
17:1 Kut 4:15, 16; Mdo 14:12Kisha Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Tazama, nimekufanya kuwa kama Mungu kwa Farao, naye Aroni, huyo ndugu yako, atakuwa nabii wako. 2Utasema kila kitu nitakachokuagiza, naye Aroni ndugu yako atamwambia Farao awaachie Waisraeli watoke katika nchi yake. 37:3 Kut 3:20; 4:21; Rum 9:18; Mdo 7:36Lakini nitaufanya moyo wa Farao kuwa mgumu. Ingawa nitazidisha ishara na maajabu katika Misri, 47:4 Kut 3:20; 6:26; 8:15-19; 9:12; 11:9; Mdo 7:36hatawasikiliza. Kisha nitaupeleka mkono wangu juu ya Misri, na kwa matendo makuu ya hukumu nitavitoa vikundi vyangu, watu wangu Waisraeli. 57:5 Kut 3:20; 6:2; Za 138:7; Eze 6:14; 25:13Nao Wamisri watajua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana nitakapounyoosha mkono wangu dhidi ya Misri na kuwatoa Waisraeli watoke humo.”
67:6 Mwa 6:22Mose na Aroni wakafanya sawasawa kama vile Bwana alivyowaagiza. 77:7 Kum 31:2; 34:7; Mdo 7:23-30Mose alikuwa na umri wa miaka themanini na Aroni alikuwa na umri wa miaka themanini na mitatu walipozungumza na Farao.
Fimbo Ya Aroni Yawa Nyoka
8Bwana akamwambia Mose na Aroni, 97:9 Kum 6:22; 2Fal 19:29; Za 78:43; 105:27; Isa 7:11; 37:30; 38:7-8; 55:13; Yn 2:11; Kut 4:2-5“Farao atakapowaambia, ‘Fanyeni muujiza,’ basi mwambie Aroni, ‘Chukua fimbo yako na uitupe chini mbele ya Farao,’ nayo fimbo itakuwa nyoka.”
10Ndipo Mose na Aroni wakaenda kwa Farao wakafanya sawasawa kama vile Bwana alivyoagiza. Aroni akaitupa ile fimbo yake chini mbele ya Farao na maafisa wake, nayo ikawa nyoka. 117:11 Kut 22:18; Kum 18:10; 1Sam 6:12; 2Fal 21:6; Isa 2:6; 47:12; Yer 27:9; Mal 3:5; Mwa 41:8; 2Tim 3:8; Mt 24:24Farao naye akawaita watu wenye maarifa na wachawi na waganga wa Kimisri, nao wakafanya vivyo hivyo kwa siri ya uganga wao. 12Kila mmoja alitupa fimbo yake chini, nayo ikawa nyoka. Lakini fimbo ya Aroni ikazimeza zile fimbo zao. 137:13 Kut 4:21Hata hivyo moyo wa Farao ukawa mgumu, naye hakuwasikiliza Mose na Aroni, sawasawa kama vile Bwana alivyokuwa amesema.
Pigo La Kwanza: Damu
147:14 Kut 7:22; 9:7; 10:20-27; 8:15, 32Kisha Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Moyo wa Farao ni mgumu, anakataa kuwaachia watu kuondoka. 15Nenda kwa Farao asubuhi wakati anapokwenda mtoni. Ngoja ukingoni mwa Naili ili uonane naye, na uchukue mkononi mwako fimbo ile iliyobadilishwa kuwa nyoka. 167:16 Kut 3:18Kisha umwambie, ‘Bwana, Mungu wa Waebrania, amenituma nikuambie: Waachie watu wangu waende, ili wapate kuniabudu jangwani. Lakini hadi sasa hujasikiliza. 177:17 Kut 4:9; 6:2; 14:25; Ufu 11:6; 16:4Hili ndilo Bwana asemalo: Kwa hili utajua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana: Fimbo iliyo mkononi mwangu nitapiga nayo maji ya Naili nayo yatabadilika kuwa damu. 187:18 Isa 19:6; Za 78:44Samaki waliomo katika Mto Naili watakufa, nao mto utanuka vibaya, Wamisri hawataweza kunywa hayo maji yake.’ ”
197:19 Kut 4:2; 14:21; 2Fal 5:11Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Mwambie Aroni, ‘Chukua ile fimbo yako unyooshe mkono wako juu ya maji ya Misri, juu ya chemchemi na mifereji, juu ya madimbwi na mabwawa yote,’ navyo vitabadilika kuwa damu. Damu itakuwa kila mahali katika Misri, hata kwenye vyombo vya miti na vya mawe.”
207:20 Kut 17:5; Za 78:44; 105:29; 114:3; Hab 3:8Mose na Aroni wakafanya kama vile Bwana alivyokuwa amewaagiza. Akainua fimbo yake machoni pa Farao na maafisa wake na kuyapiga maji ya Mto Naili, na maji yote yakabadilika kuwa damu. 21Samaki katika Mto Naili wakafa, nao mto ukanuka vibaya sana kiasi kwamba Wamisri hawakuweza kunywa maji yake. Damu ilikuwa kila mahali katika nchi ya Misri.
227:22 Mwa 41:8; Mt 24:24; Kut 8:19; Za 105:28Lakini waganga wa Misri kwa kutumia siri ya uganga wao wakafanya vivyo hivyo, nao moyo wa Farao ukawa mgumu, hakuwasikiliza Mose na Aroni, kama vile Bwana alivyokuwa amesema. 23Badala yake, Farao akageuka, akaenda kwenye jumba lake la kifalme, wala hakulitia hili moyoni. 24Nao Wamisri wote wakachimba kandokando ya Mto Naili kupata maji ya kunywa, kwa sababu hawakuweza kunywa maji ya mto.
Pigo La Pili: Vyura
25Zilipita siku saba baada ya Bwana kuyapiga maji ya Mto Naili.
