After Moses and his brother Aaron met with the elders of Israel, they went to Pharaoh and said, “The God of Israel says, ‘Let my people go into the desert to hold a feast for me’.”
But Pharaoh said, “Who is this Lord? I don’t know Him, and I won’t let them go.
Why are you taking the people away from their work? Go away.” Pharaoh was angry so he made their work a lot harder. So they cried out to Moses.
So Moses prayed to God, and God said, “Go tell the Israelites, “I’ve heard your cries, and I will deliver you from the Egyptians. I’ll make you my own people, and I’ll bring you to the land I promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
Then Moses and Aaron went back to Pharaoh, and the contest between the king of Egypt and the God of Israel began. First, Aaron showed the sign of the staff turning into a snake. But Pharaoh did not believe, and he refused to let the children of Israel go. Then the plagues began. Moses stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and all the rivers and canals and ponds turned to blood. Even the water in the water jars turned to blood. All the fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad no one could drink from it. But God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he refused.
So God sent a plague of frogs all over the land, and Pharaoh called Moses. “Pray to the Lord to take these frogs away and I’ll let them go.” So Moses did. But then Pharaoh changed his mind.
Then Aaron stretched out his rod, and all the dust of Egypt turned into a plague of gnats. The magicians, who had imitated some of the earlier signs, could not do this sign, and they said, "This is the finger of God!" But Pharaoh did not listen.
God then sent the next six plagues on the Egyptians, but the Israelites were not touched by the plagues at all. These plagues were flies, livestock diseases, boils, hail, locusts, and darkness. Each time Pharaoh would say “yes” when the plague came, but refuse to let them go after it went away.
So God told Moses, “I have hardened Pharaoh’s heart to punish the Egyptians for their many false gods. I’m doing these signs so you will tell your children and grandchildren and so you will know that I am the Lord. Now I will bring one more plague on Egypt, and then Pharaoh will drive you out completely.”