Exodus 7 is exciting stuff. There is a side note in the text about Moses’s age that reminded me to talk about the timeline of his life. Then Moses and Aaron appear before Pharaoh and thrown down. Aaron literally “throws down” his staff and it becomes a serpent. The magicians of Egypt can do the same thing but it’s not as cool as what Aaron’s staff does.

Exodus 7

The Lord said to Moses “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.

2 You shall speak all that I command you and your brother Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.

3 And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.

4 But Pharaoh will not listen to you, that I may lay my hand on Egypt and bring forth my armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

5 The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them.

6 And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the LORD commanded them.

7 Moses was 80 years old, and Aaron 83 years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.    

8 And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying

9 “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying ‘Perform a miracle,’ then thou shall say to Aaron ‘Take your staff and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.’”

10 Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did as the LORD had commanded: Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

11 Then Pharaoh called the wise men and the sorcerers: the magicians of Egypt did the same with their enchantments.

12 For each of them cast down their staff, and they became serpents: but Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs.

13 And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he did not listen to them; as the LORD had said.

14 The LORD said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hardened, he refuses to let the people go.

15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he goes out to the river; and you shall stand by the river’s bank to meet him. Have the staff in your hand which turned into a serpent. 

16 And say to him ‘The LORD God of the Hebrews has sent me to you saying “Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness.” And up until now you would not hear.

17 The Lord says “In this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, I will strike the water in the river with the staff that is in my hand, and it shall be turned to blood.

18 And the fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians will not be able to drink the water of the Nile.”’” 

19 The Lord spoke to Moses “Say to Aaron ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand across the waters of Egypt, across their streams, across their rivers, and across their ponds, and across all their pools of water, that they may become blood, that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’”

20 And Moses and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded; and he lifted up the staff, and struck the water that was in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the water that was in the river turned to blood.

21 The fish that were in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

22 And the magicians of Egypt did the same with their enchantments: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, neither did he listen to them, as the Lord had said.

23 Pharaoh turned and went into his house, for he did not take this matter to heart.

24 All the Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink, for they could not drink the water of the Nile.

25 Seven days passed after the LORD struck the Nile.

 You can read Exodus 7 in many different English (or other language) translation at Bible Gateway. Here is a link to the ESV, HCSB, NASB and NIV.