Scripture Verse

Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile, and all the water was changed into blood. The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt. Exodus 7:20

Introduction

portrait
Isaac Watts (1674–1748)

Words: Is­aac Watts, The Psalms of Da­vid 1719.

Music: Ames­bu­ry Uz­zi­ah C. Bur­nap, 1895 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Lyrics

When Pha­raoh dared to vex the saints,
And thus pro­voked their God,
Moses was sent at their com­plaints,
Armed with his dread­ful rod.
He called for dark­ness; dark­ness came
Like an o’er­whelm­ing flood;
He turned each lake and ev­ery stream
To lakes and streams of blood.

He gave the sign, and nois­ome flies
Through the whole coun­try spread;
And frogs in croak­ing ar­mies rise
About the mon­arch’s bed.
Through fields, and towns, and pa­laces,
The ten­fold ven­geance flew;
Locusts in swarms de­voured their trees,
And hail their cat­tle slew.

Then by an an­gel’s mid­night stroke
The flow­er of Egypt died;
The strength of ev­ery house was broke,
Their glo­ry and their pride.
Now let the world for­bear its rage,
Nor put the church in fear;
Israel must live through ev­ery age,
And be th’Al­migh­ty’s care.

illustration
The Nile Turns to Blood
James Tissot (1836–1902)