Exodus 9

The Fifth Plague: Egyptian Livestock Die

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, "Let my people go, that they may serve me.2 For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them,3 behold, the hand of the Lord will fall with a very severe plague upon your livestock that are in the field, the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks.4 But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing of all that belongs to the people of Israel shall die."'"5 And the Lord set a time, saying, "Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land."6 And the next day the Lord did this thing. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one of the livestock of the people of Israel died.7 And Pharaoh sent, and behold, not one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

The Sixth Plague: Boils

8 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw them in the air in the sight of Pharaoh.9 It shall become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and become boils breaking out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt."10 So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. And Moses threw it in the air, and it became boils breaking out in sores on man and beast.11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils came upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians.12 But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

The Seventh Plague: Hail

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh and say to him, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, "Let my people go, that they may serve me.14 For this time I will send all my plagues on you yourself,t and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth.15 For by now I could have put out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth.16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth.17 You are still exalting yourself against my people and will not let them go.18 Behold, about this time tomorrow I will cause very heavy hail to fall, such as never has been in Egypt from the day it was founded until now.19 Now therefore send, get your livestock and all that you have in the field into safe shelter, for every man and beast that is in the field and is not brought home will die when the hail falls on them."'"20 Then whoever feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh hurried his slaves and his livestock into the houses,21 but whoever did not pay attention to the word of the Lord left his slaves and his livestock in the field.

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man and beast and every plant of the field, in the land of Egypt."23 Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail upon the land of Egypt.24 There was hail and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy hail, such as had never been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.25 The hail struck down everything that was in the field in all the land of Egypt, both man and beast. And the hail struck down every plant of the field and broke every tree of the field.26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel were, was there no hail.

27 Then Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron and said to them, "This time I have sinned; the Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong.28 Plead with the Lord, for there has been enough of God's thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer."29 Moses said to him, "As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will stretch out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the Lord's.30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord God."31 (The flax and the barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud.32 But the wheat and the emmert were not struck down, for they are late in coming up.)33 So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and stretched out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured upon the earth.34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet again and hardened his heart, he and his servants.35 So the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people of Israel go, just as the Lord had spoken through Moses.

Exodus 9

The Fifth Blow: Disease

1 s Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Release my people that they may serve me!2 For if you refuse to release themt and continue holding them,t3 then the hand of the Lord will surely bringt a very terrible plaguet on your livestock in the field, on the horses, the donkeys, the camels,s the herds, and the flocks.

4 But the Lord will distinguisht between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothingt will die of all that the Israelites have.”’”t
5 The Lord sett an appointed time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do thist in the land.”6 And the Lord did thist on the next day;t allt the livestock of the Egyptianst died, but of the Israelites’ livestock not one died.

7 Pharaoh sent representatives to investigate,t and indeed, not even one of the livestock of Israel had died. But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard,t and he did not release the people.

The Sixth Blow: Boils

8 s Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soott from a furnace, and have Moses throw itt into the air while Pharaoh is watching.t9 It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt and will cause boils to break out and festert on both people and animals in all the land of Egypt.”

10 So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh, Moses threw it into the air, and it caused festering boils to break out on both people and animals.
11 The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians.

12 But the Lord hardenedt Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted to Moses.

The Seventh Blow: Hail

13 s The Lord saidt to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, standt before Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: “Release my people so that they may serve me!14 For this time I will send all my plaguest on your very selft and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth.15 For by now I could have stretched outt my hand and struck you and your people with plague, and you would have been destroyedt from the earth.16 Butt for this purpose I have caused you to stand:t to show yout my strength, and so that my name may be declaredt in all the earth.17 You are still exaltingt yourself against my people byt not releasing them.18 I am going to cause very severe hail to rain downt about this time tomorrow, such hail as has never occurreds in Egypt from the day it was foundedt until now.

19 So now, send instructionst to gathert your livestock and all your possessions in the fields to a safe place. Every persont or animal caughtt in the field and not brought into the house – the hail will come down on them, and they will die!”’”
20 Thoset of Pharaoh’s servants who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring theirt servants and livestock into the houses,

21 but thoset who did not taket the word of the Lord seriously left their servants and their cattlet in the field.
22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Extend your hand toward the skyt that there may bet hail in all the land of Egypt, on people and on animals,t and on everything that growst in the field in the land of Egypt.”23 When Moses extendedt his staff toward the sky, the Lordt sent thundert and hail, and fire fell to the earth;s so the Lord caused hail to rain down on the land of Egypt.24 Hail fellt and fire mingledt with the hail; the hail was so severet that there had not been any like itt in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation.25 The hail struck everything in the open fields, botht people and animals, throughout all the land of Egypt. The hail struck everything that growst in the field, and it broke all the trees of the field to pieces.

26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was there no hail.
27 So Pharaoh sent and summoned Moses and Aaron and said to them, “I have sinned this time!s The Lord is righteous, and I and my people are guilty.t

28 Pray to the Lord, for the mightys thunderings and hail are too much!t I will release you and you will stay no longer.”t
29 Moses said to him, “When I leave the cityts I will spread my hands to the Lord, the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the Lord.s

30 But as for yout and your servants, I know that you do not yet feart the Lord God.”
31 (Now thet flax and the barley were struckt by the hail,t for the barley had ripenedt and the flaxs was in bud.

32 But the wheat and the speltt were not struck, for they are later crops.)t
33 So Moses left Pharaoh, went out of the city, and spread out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain stopped pouring on the earth.34 When Pharaoh sawt that the rain and hail and thunder ceased, he sinned again:t both he and his servants hardenedt their hearts.

35 So Pharaoh’s heart remained hard,t and he did not release the Israelites, as the Lord had predicted through Moses.