1. The Lord said to Moses, “I have made you like God to the king of Egypt, and your brother Aaron will be like a prophet for you.
2. Tell Aaron your brother everything that I command you, and let him tell the king of Egypt to let the Israelites leave his country.
3. But I will make the king stubborn. I will do many miracles in Egypt,
4. but he will still refuse to listen. So then I will punish Egypt terribly, and I will lead my divisions, my people the Israelites, out of that land.
5. I will punish Egypt with my power, and I will bring the Israelites out of that land. Then they will know I am the Lord.”
6. Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded them.
7. Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three when they spoke to the king.
8. The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,
9. “Moses, when the king asks you to do a miracle, tell Aaron to throw his walking stick down in front of the king, and it will become a snake.”
10. So Moses and Aaron went to the king as the Lord had commanded. Aaron threw his walking stick down in front of the king and his officers, and it became a snake.