The Plagues Begin

Two men from the slave camps walk into the biggest room in Egypt. Gold on every wall. Guards on every side. Pharaoh sits high above them, looking down. Moses opens his mouth: "Yahweh, the God of Israel, says — let my people go." Pharaoh laughs. "Who is Yahweh? I do not know him. Israel stays."

Aaron throws his staff on the stone floor. It hits the ground and turns into a snake. Pharaoh waves his hand. His own wise men throw their staffs down too. More snakes twist across the floor. But Aaron's snake opens its mouth wide and eats every one of them. Pharaoh watches. His answer is still no.

Pharaoh's face burns hot. He calls his slave masters close. "No more straw for the brick makers. They find their own. But the count stays the same." Now Israel runs through the fields pulling dry grass by hand, and still makes the same number of bricks. When they fall behind, the masters beat them.

Ex 5:1