The LORD said, "I am going to make you like God to the king, and your brother Aaron will speak to him as your prophet.

But I will make the king stubborn, and he will not listen to you, no matter how many terrifying things I do in Egypt. Then I will bring severe punishment on Egypt and lead the tribes of my people out of the land.

The Egyptians will then know that I am the LORD, when I raise my hand against them and bring the Israelites out of their country."

At the time when they spoke to the king, Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three.

"If the king demands that you prove yourselves by performing a miracle, tell Aaron to take his walking stick and throw it down in front of the king, and it will turn into a snake."

Then the king called for his wise men and magicians, and by their magic they did the same thing.

The king, however, remained stubborn and, just as the LORD had said, the king would not listen to Moses and Aaron.

So go and meet him in the morning when he goes down to the Nile. Take with you the walking stick that was turned into a snake, and wait for him on the riverbank.

Now, Your Majesty, the LORD says that you will find out who he is by what he is going to do. Look, I am going to strike the surface of the river with this stick, and the water will be turned into blood.

The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron to take his stick and hold it out over all the rivers, canals, and pools in Egypt. The water will become blood, and all over the land there will be blood, even in the wooden tubs and stone jars."

The fish in the river died, and it smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink from it. There was blood everywhere in Egypt.

Instead, he turned and went back to his palace without paying any attention even to this.

Seven days passed after the LORD struck the river.

Then the LORD said to Moses,

The king will think that the Israelites are wandering around in the country and are closed in by the desert.

When the king of Egypt was told that the people had escaped, he and his officials changed their minds and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites escape, and we have lost them as our slaves!"

He set out with all his chariots, including the six hundred finest, commanded by their officers.

The Egyptian army, with all the horses, chariots, and drivers, pursued them and caught up with them where they were camped by the Red Sea near Pi Hahiroth and Baal Zephon.

They said to Moses, "Weren't there any graves in Egypt? Did you have to bring us out here in the desert to die? Look what you have done by bringing us out of Egypt!

Moses answered, "Don't be afraid! Stand your ground, and you will see what the LORD will do to save you today; you will never see these Egyptians again.

The LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out for help? Tell the people to move forward.

I will make the Egyptians so stubborn that they will go in after them, and I will gain honor by my victory over the king, his army, his chariots, and his drivers.

The angel of God, who had been in front of the army of Israel, moved and went to the rear. The pillar of cloud also moved until it was

Moses held out his hand over the sea, and the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind. It blew all night and turned the sea into dry land. The water was divided,

The Egyptians pursued them and went after them into the sea with all their horses, chariots, and drivers.

He made the wheels of their chariots get stuck, so that they moved with great difficulty. The Egyptians said, "The LORD is fighting for the Israelites against us. Let's get out of here!"

So Moses held out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the water returned to its normal level. The Egyptians tried to escape from the water, but the LORD threw them into the sea.

But the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on both sides.

When the Israelites saw the great power with which the LORD had defeated the Egyptians, they stood in awe of the LORD; and they had faith in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

Has any god ever dared to go and take a people from another nation and make them his own, as the LORD your God did for you in Egypt? Before your very eyes he used his great power and strength; he brought plagues and war, worked miracles and wonders, and caused terrifying things to happen.

and his miracles. You saw what he did to the king of Egypt and to his entire country.

You saw how the LORD completely wiped out the Egyptian army, along with their horses and chariots, by drowning them in the Red Sea when they were pursuing you.

While their ancestors watched, God performed miracles in the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt.

He divided the sea and took them through it; he made the waters stand like walls.

and performed his mighty acts and miracles in the plain of Zoan in the land of Egypt.

He sent flies among them, that tormented them, and frogs that ruined their land.

He killed their grapevines with hail and their fig trees with frost.

He caused them great distress by pouring out his anger and fierce rage, which came as messengers of death.

He killed the first-born sons of all the families of Egypt.

He led them safely, and they were not afraid; but the sea came rolling over their enemies.

They did God's mighty acts and performed miracles in Egypt.

He turned their rivers into blood and killed all their fish.

God commanded, and flies and gnats swarmed throughout the whole country.

he destroyed their grapevines and fig trees and broke down all the trees.

they ate all the plants in the land; they ate all the crops.

Then he led the Israelites out; they carried silver and gold, and all of them were healthy and strong.

Our ancestors in Egypt did not understand God's wonderful acts; they forgot the many times he showed them his love, and they rebelled against the Almighty at the Red Sea.

He gave a command to the Red Sea, and it dried up; he led his people across on dry land.

But the water drowned their enemies; not one of them was left.

In Egypt he killed all the first-born of people and animals alike.

There he performed miracles and wonders to punish the king and all his officials.

He killed the first-born sons of the Egyptians; his love is eternal.

with his strong hand, his powerful arm; his love is eternal.

he led his people through it; his love is eternal;

He led the people out of Egypt, performing miracles and wonders in Egypt and at the Red Sea and for forty years in the desert.

"Who is the LORD?" the king demanded. "Why should I listen to him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD; and I will not let Israel go."

"Stop giving the people straw for making bricks. Make them go and find it for themselves.

But still require them to make the same number of bricks as before, not one brick less. They don't have enough work to do, and that is why they keep asking me to let them go and offer sacrifices to their God!

Yet you are still arrogant and refuse to let my people go.

So Moses and Aaron went to the king and said to him, "The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says, 'How much longer will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me.

Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods, because he did this when the Egyptians treated the Israelites with such contempt."

Look at those who are proud; pour out your anger and humble them.

Yes, look at them and bring them down; crush the wicked where they stand.

"And now, I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, honor, and glorify the King of Heaven. Everything he does is right and just, and he can humble anyone who acts proudly."

You acted against the Lord of heaven and brought in the cups and bowls taken from his Temple. You, your noblemen, your wives, and your concubines drank wine out of them and praised gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone---gods that cannot see or hear and that do not know anything. But you did not honor the God who determines whether you live or die and who controls everything you do.

In the same way you younger people must submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you must put on the apron of humility, to serve one another; for the scripture says, "God resists the proud, but shows favor to the humble."

But to show you my power I have let you live so that my fame might spread over the whole world.

We have heard how the LORD dried up the Red Sea in front of you when you were leaving Egypt. We have also heard how you killed Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan.

We were afraid as soon as we heard about it; we have all lost our courage because of you. The LORD your God is God in heaven above and here on earth.

May they know that you alone are the LORD, supreme ruler over all the earth.

Where is the LORD, who by his power did great things through Moses, dividing the waters of the sea and leading his people through the deep water, to win everlasting fame for himself ?" Led by the LORD, they were as sure-footed as wild horses, and never stumbled.

As cattle are led into a fertile valley, so the LORD gave his people rest. He led his people and brought honor to his name.

Long ago you performed miracles and wonders in Egypt, and you have continued to perform them to this day, both in Israel and among all the other nations, so that you are now known everywhere.

But I did not, since that would have brought dishonor to my name, for in the presence of the people among whom they were living I had announced to Israel that I was going to lead them out of Egypt.

"O Lord our God, you showed your power by bringing your people out of Egypt, and your power is still remembered. We have sinned; we have done wrong.

For the scripture says to the king of Egypt, "I made you king in order to use you to show my power and to spread my fame over the whole world."