12 Each one threw down his rod, and they turned into cobras. But then Aaron’s rod swallowed up each of their rods.
13 However, Pharaoh remained stubborn. He wouldn’t listen to them, just as the Lord had said.
14 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh is stubborn. He still refuses to let the people go.
15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning. As he is going out to the water, make sure you stand at the bank of the Nile River so you will run into him. Bring along the shepherd’s rod that turned into a snake.
16 Say to him, The Lord, the Hebrews’ God, has sent me to you with this message: Let my people go so that they can worship me in the desert. Up to now you still haven’t listened.
17 This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord. I’m now going to hit the water of the Nile River with this rod in my hand, and it will turn into blood.
18 The fish in the Nile are going to die, the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians won’t be able to drink water from the Nile."