²⁵ God saw the Israelites, and God knew.^(A)

⁷ Then the Lord said, “I have observed the misery of my people in Egypt, and have heard them crying out^(A) because of their oppressors. I know about their sufferings,

¹⁸ They will listen to what you say. Then you, along with the elders of Israel, must go to the king of Egypt and say to him: The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Now please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.^(A)

⁸ “If they will not believe you and will not respond to the evidence of the first sign, they may believe the evidence of the second sign. ⁹ And if they don’t believe even these two signs or listen to what you say, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the Nile will become blood on the ground.”^(A)