¹⁹ The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff^(A) and stretch out your hand^(B) over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels^[a] of wood and stone.”

²⁰ Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded.^(C) He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile,^(D) and all the water was changed into blood.^{(E) 21} The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.