Exodus 9
The Fifth Plague—Death of Livestock
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord God of the Hebrews says: Let my people go to worship me.2 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them in slavery,3 the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock, including your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats.4 But the Lord will distinguish between Israel’s livestock and the livestock of the Egyptians. No animals belonging to the Israelites will die.’ ”
5 The Lord set a definite time. He said, “Tomorrow I will do this.”
6 The next day the Lord did as he said. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but none of the Israelites’ animals died.
7 Pharaoh found out that not one of the Israelites’ animals had died. Yet, Pharaoh continued to be stubborn and would not let the people go.
The Sixth Plague—Boils
8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take a handful of ashes from a kiln, and have Moses throw them up in the air as Pharaoh watches.
9 They will become a fine dust throughout Egypt. The dust will cause boils to break into open sores on people and animals throughout Egypt.”
10 They took ashes from a kiln and stood in front of Pharaoh. Moses threw the ashes up in the air, and they caused boils to break into open sores on people and animals.
11 The magicians couldn’t compete with Moses because they had boils like all the other Egyptians.
12 But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn, so he wouldn’t listen to Moses and Aaron, as the Lord had predicted to Moses.
The Seventh Plague—Hail
13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Early in the morning, go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord God of the Hebrews says: Let my people go to worship me.14 Now I will send plagues that will affect you personally as well as your officials and people. This is how you will know that there is no one like me anywhere on earth.15 By now I could have used my power to kill you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth.16 But I have spared you for this reason. I want to show you my power and make my name famous throughout the earth.17 You are still blocking my people from leaving.18 So, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever happened in Egypt since the beginning of its history.
19 Now, send servants to bring your livestock and everything else you have indoors. All people and animals still outside and not brought in will die when the hail falls on them.’ ”
20 Those members of Pharaoh’s court who listened to the Lord’s warning brought their servants and cattle indoors quickly.
21 But those who didn’t take the Lord’s warning seriously left their servants and animals out in the open.
22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward the sky, and hail will fall on people, animals, and every plant in the fields of Egypt.”23 When Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the Lord made it hail on Egypt.24 It hailed, and lightning flashed while it hailed. This was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation.25 All over Egypt the hail knocked down everything that was out in the open. It struck down people, animals, and every plant in the fields and destroyed every tree in the fields.
26 The only place it didn’t hail was the region of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.
27 Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he told them. “The Lord is right, and my people and I are wrong.
28 Pray to the Lord. We’ve had enough of God’s thunder and hail. I’ll let you go; you don’t have to stay here any longer.”
29 Moses replied, “As soon as I’m out of the city, I’ll spread out my hands to the Lord in prayer. The thunder will stop, and there will be no more hail. This is how you will know that the earth belongs to the Lord.
30 But I know that you and your officials still don’t fear the Lord God.”
31 (The flax and the barley were ruined, because the barley had formed heads and the flax was in bloom.
32 Neither the wheat nor the wild grain was damaged, because they ripen later.)
33 As soon as he left Pharaoh and went out of the city, Moses spread out his hands to the Lord in prayer. The thunder and the hail stopped, and no more rain came pouring down on the ground.34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had stopped, he sinned again. He and his officials continued to be stubborn.
35 Pharaoh was stubborn and would not let the Israelites go, as the Lord had predicted through Moses.
Exodus 9
Dead animals
1 The Lord sent Moses with this message for the kingt of Egypt:
The Lord God of the Hebrews commands you to let his people go, so they can worship him. 2 If you keep refusing, 3 he will bring a terrible disease on your horses and donkeys, your camels and cattle, and your sheep and goats. 4 But the Lord will protect the animals that belong to the people of Israel, and none of theirs will die.
5 Tomorrow is the day the Lord has set to do this.
6 It happened the next day—all the animals belonging to the Egyptians died, but the Israelites did not lose even one.
7 When the king found out, he was still too stubborn to let the people go.Sores
8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron:
Take a few handfuls of ashes from a stove and let Moses throw them into the air. Be sure the king is watching.
9 The ashes will blow across the land of Egypt, causing sores to break out on people and animals.
10 So they took a few handfuls of ashes and went to the king.t Moses threw them into the air, and sores immediately broke out on the Egyptians and their animals.t 11 The magicians were suffering so much from the sores, that they could not even come to Moses.
12 Everything happened just as the Lord had told Moses—he made the king too stubborn to listen to Moses and Aaron.Hailstones
13 The Lord told Moses to get up early the next morning and say to the king:t
The Lord God of the Hebrews commands you to let his people go, so they can worship him! 14 If you don't, he will send his worst plagues to strike you, your officials, and everyone else in your country. Then you will find out that no one can oppose the Lord. 15 In fact, he could already have sent a terrible disease and wiped you from the face of the earth.
16 But he has kept you alive, just to show you his power and to bring honour to himself everywhere in the world.t
17 You are still determined not to let the Lord's people go. 18 All right. At this time tomorrow, he will bring on Egypt the worst hailstorm in its history.
19 You had better give orders for every person and every animal in Egypt to take shelter. If they don't, they will die.
20 Some of the king's officials were frightened by what the Lord had said, and they hurried off to make sure their slaves and animals were safe.
21 But others paid no attention to his threats and left their slaves and animals out in the open.
22 Then the Lord told Moses, “Stretch your arm towards the sky, so that hailstones will fall on people, animals, and crops in the land of Egypt.” 23-24 Moses pointed his walking stick towards the sky, and hailstones started falling everywhere. Thunder roared, and lightning flashed back and forth, striking the ground. This was the worst storm in the history of Egypt.t 25 People, animals, and crops were pounded by the hailstones, and bark was stripped from trees.
26 Only Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was safe from the storm.
27 The king sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, “Now I have really sinned! My people and I are guilty, and the Lord is right.
28 We can't stand any more of this thunder and hail. Please ask the Lord to make it stop. Your people can go—you don't have to stay in Egypt any longer.”
29 Moses answered, “As soon as I leave the city, I will lift my arms in prayer. When the thunder and hail stop, you will know that the earth belongs to the Lord.
30 But I am certain that neither you nor your officials really fear the Lord God.”
31 Meanwhile, the flax and barley crops had been destroyed by the storm because they were ready to ripen.
32 But the wheat cropst ripen later, and they were not damaged.
33 After Moses left the royal palace and the city, he lifted his arms in prayer to the Lord, and the thunder, hail, and drenching rain stopped. 34 When the king realized that the storm was over, he disobeyed once more. He and his officials were so stubborn 35 that he refused to let the Israelites go. This was exactly what the Lord had said would happen.