Aaron's Staff Becomes a Serpent

¹The LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you a god to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet." ²You will speak all that I command you, and Aaron your brother will speak to Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land. ³"But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and I will multiply my signs and wonders throughout Egypt. ⁴But Pharaoh will not listen to you, so I will lay my hand upon Egypt and bring out my armies, my people the children of Israel, from the land of Egypt through great judgments. ⁵The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the people of Israel out from among them." ⁶Moses and Aaron did exactly what the LORD commanded them. ⁷Moses was 80 years old, and Aaron was 83 years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh. ⁸The LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron and said, ⁹"When Pharaoh demands, 'Prove yourselves with a miracle,' tell Aaron to take his staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh. It will turn into a serpent." ¹⁰Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did exactly what the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it turned into a serpent. ¹¹Pharaoh summoned his wise men and sorcerers, and the magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their enchantments. ¹²Each of them threw down his staff, and their staffs also became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up every one of theirs. ¹³And he made Pharaoh's heart hard, so he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.