“See here,” Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I place you in authority over all the land of Egypt.”

He wept loudly; the Egyptians heard it and Pharaoh’s household heard about it.

Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you.

They replied, “You have saved our lives! You are showing us favor, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.”

Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes, do so.” So the young girl went and got the child’s mother.

So now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

You must say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Israel is my son, my firstborn,

Pharaoh was thinking, “The people of the land are now many, and you are giving them rest from their labor.”

That same day Pharaoh commanded the slave masters and foremen who were over the people:

The Israelite foremen went and cried out to Pharaoh, “Why are you treating your servants this way?

When they went out from Pharaoh, they encountered Moses and Aaron standing there to meet them,

“Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt that he must release the Israelites from his land.”

But Moses said before the Lord, “Since I speak with difficulty, why should Pharaoh listen to me?”

So the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.

But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and although I will multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt,

Now Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Then Pharaoh also summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the magicians of Egypt by their secret arts did the same thing.

Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

The Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to release the people.

And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. He did not pay any attention to this.