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)

¹⁶ the water from upstream stopped flowing.^(A) It piled up in a heap^(B) a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan,^(C) while the water flowing down^(D) to the Sea of the Arabah^(E) (that is, the Dead Sea^(F)) was completely cut off.^(G) So the people crossed over opposite Jericho.^(H)