Passage Resources Hebrew/Greek Your Content
Previous Next
Add parallel Print Page Options Listen to Exodus 7-12
Close NIV

Exodus 7-12
New International Version

7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God(A) to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.(B) 2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,(C) and though I multiply my signs and wonders(D) in Egypt, 4 he will not listen(E) to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment(F) I will bring out my divisions,(G) my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord(H) when I stretch out my hand(I) against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

6 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded(J) them. 7 Moses was eighty years old(K) and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake

8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,(L)’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”(M)

10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers,(N) and the Egyptian magicians(O) also did the same things by their secret arts:(P) 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart(Q) became hard and he would not listen(R) to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Blood

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding;(S) he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river.(T) Confront him on the bank of the Nile,(U) and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16 Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship(V) me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.(W) 17 This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord:(X) With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.(Y) 18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink;(Z) the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’”(AA)

19 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff(AB) and stretch out your hand(AC) over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels[a] of wood and stone.”

20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded.(AD) He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile,(AE) and all the water was changed into blood.(AF) 21 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.

22 But the Egyptian magicians(AG) did the same things by their secret arts,(AH) and Pharaoh’s heart(AI) became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. 23 Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water(AJ), because they could not drink the water of the river.

The Plague of Frogs

25 Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile. 8 1 [b]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship(AK) me. 2 If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs(AL) on your whole country. 3 The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people,(AM) and into your ovens and kneading troughs.(AN) 4 The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”

5 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff(AO) over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs(AP) come up on the land of Egypt.’”

6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs(AQ) came up and covered the land. 7 But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts;(AR) they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

8 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray(AS) to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices(AT) to the Lord.”

9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time(AU) for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.”

10 “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.

Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God.(AV) 11 The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”

12 After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. 13 And the Lord did what Moses asked.(AW) The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. 14 They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief,(AX) he hardened his heart(AY) and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Gnats

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff(AZ) and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.” 17 They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats(BA) came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. 18 But when the magicians(BB) tried to produce gnats by their secret arts,(BC) they could not.

Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, 19 the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger(BD) of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart(BE) was hard and he would not listen,(BF) just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Flies

20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning(BG) and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship(BH) me. 21 If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.

22 “‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen,(BI) where my people live;(BJ) no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know(BK) that I, the Lord, am in this land. 23 I will make a distinction[c] between my people and your people.(BL) This sign will occur tomorrow.’”

24 And the Lord did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials; throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies.(BM)

25 Then Pharaoh summoned(BN) Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”

26 But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians.(BO) And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must take a three-day journey(BP) into the wilderness to offer sacrifices(BQ) to the Lord our God, as he commands us.”

28 Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray(BR) for me.”

29 Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only let Pharaoh be sure that he does not act deceitfully(BS) again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

30 Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord,(BT) 31 and the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. 32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart(BU) and would not let the people go.

The Plague on Livestock

9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship(BV) me.” 2 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, 3 the hand(BW) of the Lord will bring a terrible plague(BX) on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. 4 But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt,(BY) so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’”

5 The Lord set a time and said, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.” 6 And the next day the Lord did it: All the livestock(BZ) of the Egyptians died,(CA) but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. 7 Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart(CB) was unyielding and he would not let the people go.(CC)

The Plague of Boils

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. 9 It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils(CD) will break out on people and animals throughout the land.”

10 So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals. 11 The magicians(CE) could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart(CF) and he would not listen(CG) to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.

The Plague of Hail

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship(CH) me, 14 or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know(CI) that there is no one like(CJ) me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people(CK) with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up[d] for this very purpose,(CL) that I might show you my power(CM) and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18 Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm(CN) that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now.(CO) 19 Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every person and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.’”

20 Those officials of Pharaoh who feared(CP) the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 21 But those who ignored(CQ) the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt—on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.” 23 When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder(CR) and hail,(CS) and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt; 24 hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation.(CT) 25 Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree.(CU) 26 The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen,(CV) where the Israelites were.(CW)

27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,”(CX) he said to them. “The Lord is in the right,(CY) and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Pray(CZ) to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go;(DA) you don’t have to stay any longer.”

29 Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands(DB) in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth(DC) is the Lord’s. 30 But I know that you and your officials still do not fear(DD) the Lord God.”

31 (The flax and barley(DE) were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. 32 The wheat and spelt,(DF) however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.)

33 Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the Lord; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. 35 So Pharaoh’s heart(DG) was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.

The Plague of Locusts

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart(DH) and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs(DI) of mine among them 2 that you may tell your children(DJ) and grandchildren how I dealt harshly(DK) with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.”(DL)

3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble(DM) yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 4 If you refuse(DN) to let them go, I will bring locusts(DO) into your country tomorrow. 5 They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left(DP) after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields.(DQ) 6 They will fill your houses(DR) and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians—something neither your parents nor your ancestors have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.’”(DS) Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

7 Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a snare(DT) to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?”(DU)

8 Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship(DV) the Lord your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.”

9 Moses answered, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival(DW) to the Lord.”

10 Pharaoh said, “The Lord be with you—if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil.[e] 11 No! Have only the men go and worship the Lord, since that’s what you have been asking for.” Then Moses and Aaron were driven out of Pharaoh’s presence.

12 And the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand(DX) over Egypt so that locusts swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail.”

13 So Moses stretched out his staff(DY) over Egypt, and the Lord made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts;(DZ) 14 they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts,(EA) nor will there ever be again. 15 They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured(EB) all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.

16 Pharaoh quickly summoned(EC) Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned(ED) against the Lord your God and against you. 17 Now forgive(EE) my sin once more and pray(EF) to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”

18 Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.(EG) 19 And the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea.[f] Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt. 20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,(EH) and he would not let the Israelites go.

The Plague of Darkness

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness(EI) spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness(EJ) covered all Egypt for three days. 23 No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.(EK)

24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go,(EL) worship the Lord. Even your women and children(EM) may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.”(EN)

25 But Moses said, “You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings(EO) to present to the Lord our God. 26 Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the Lord our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the Lord.”

27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,(EP) and he was not willing to let them go. 28 Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die.”

29 “Just as you say,” Moses replied. “I will never appear(EQ) before you again.”

The Plague on the Firstborn

11 Now the Lord had said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go(ER) from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely.(ES) 2 Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.”(ET) 3 (The Lord made the Egyptians favorably disposed(EU) toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded(EV) in Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and by the people.)

4 So Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘About midnight(EW) I will go throughout Egypt.(EX) 5 Every firstborn(EY) son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at her hand mill,(EZ) and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. 6 There will be loud wailing(FA) throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. 7 But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal.’ Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction(FB) between Egypt and Israel. 8 All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, ‘Go,(FC) you and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will leave.”(FD) Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh.

9 The Lord had said to Moses, “Pharaoh will refuse to listen(FE) to you—so that my wonders(FF) may be multiplied in Egypt.” 10 Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,(FG) and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country.

The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread(FH)

12 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, 2 “This month is to be for you the first month,(FI) the first month of your year. 3 Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb[g](FJ) for his family, one for each household.(FK) 4 If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. 5 The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect,(FL) and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. 6 Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month,(FM) when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.(FN) 7 Then they are to take some of the blood(FO) and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. 8 That same night(FP) they are to eat the meat roasted(FQ) over the fire, along with bitter herbs,(FR) and bread made without yeast.(FS) 9 Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs.(FT) 10 Do not leave any of it till morning;(FU) if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste;(FV) it is the Lord’s Passover.(FW)

12 “On that same night I will pass through(FX) Egypt and strike down(FY) every firstborn(FZ) of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods(GA) of Egypt. I am the Lord.(GB) 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over(GC) you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.(GD)

14 “This is a day you are to commemorate;(GE) for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.(GF) 15 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast.(GG) On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off(GH) from Israel. 16 On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work(GI) at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do.

17 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread,(GJ) because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt.(GK) Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.(GL) 18 In the first month(GM) you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner(GN) or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off(GO) from the community of Israel. 20 Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live,(GP) you must eat unleavened bread.”(GQ)

21 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover(GR) lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop,(GS) dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood(GT) on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. 23 When the Lord goes through the land to strike(GU) down the Egyptians, he will see the blood(GV) on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over(GW) that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer(GX) to enter your houses and strike you down.

24 “Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance(GY) for you and your descendants. 25 When you enter the land(GZ) that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 And when your children(HA) ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover(HB) sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’”(HC) Then the people bowed down and worshiped.(HD) 28 The Israelites did just what the Lord commanded(HE) Moses and Aaron.

29 At midnight(HF) the Lord(HG) struck down all the firstborn(HH) in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock(HI) as well. 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing(HJ) in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.

The Exodus

31 During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship(HK) the Lord as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds,(HL) as you have said, and go. And also bless(HM) me.”

33 The Egyptians urged the people to hurry(HN) and leave(HO) the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!”(HP) 34 So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs(HQ) wrapped in clothing. 35 The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold(HR) and for clothing.(HS) 36 The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed(HT) toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered(HU) the Egyptians.

37 The Israelites journeyed from Rameses(HV) to Sukkoth.(HW) There were about six hundred thousand men(HX) on foot, besides women and children. 38 Many other people(HY) went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. 39 With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out(HZ) of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.

40 Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt[h] was 430 years.(IA) 41 At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions(IB) left Egypt.(IC) 42 Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.(ID)

Passover Restrictions

43 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the regulations for the Passover meal:(IE)

“No foreigner(IF) may eat it. 44 Any slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcised(IG) him, 45 but a temporary resident or a hired worker(IH) may not eat it.

46 “It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones.(II) 47 The whole community of Israel must celebrate it.

48 “A foreigner residing among you who wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land.(IJ) No uncircumcised(IK) male may eat it. 49 The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner(IL) residing among you.”

50 All the Israelites did just what the Lord had commanded(IM) Moses and Aaron. 51 And on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt(IN) by their divisions.(IO)

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 7:19 Or even on their idols
  2. Exodus 8:1 In Hebrew texts 8:1-4 is numbered 7:26-29, and 8:5-32 is numbered 8:1-28.
  3. Exodus 8:23 Septuagint and Vulgate; Hebrew will put a deliverance
  4. Exodus 9:16 Or have spared you
  5. Exodus 10:10 Or Be careful, trouble is in store for you!
  6. Exodus 10:19 Or the Sea of Reeds
  7. Exodus 12:3 The Hebrew word can mean lamb or kid; also in verse 4.
  8. Exodus 12:40 Masoretic Text; Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint Egypt and Canaan
Listen to Exodus 7-12
Close NKJV

Exodus 7-12
New King James Version

Moses Before Pharaoh

7 So the Lord said to Moses: “See, I have made you (A)as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be (B)your prophet. 2 You (C)shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. 3 And (D)I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and (E)multiply My (F)signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 But (G)Pharaoh will not heed you, so (H)that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My [a]armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt (I)by great judgments. 5 And the Egyptians (J)shall know that I am the Lord, when I (K)stretch out My hand on Egypt and (L)bring out the children of Israel from among them.”

6 Then Moses and Aaron (M)did so; just as the Lord commanded them, so they did. 7 And Moses was (N)eighty years old and (O)Aaron eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Miraculous Rod(P)

8 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 9 “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, (Q)‘Show a miracle for yourselves,’ then you shall say to Aaron, (R)‘Take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.’ ” 10 So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just (S)as the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it (T)became a serpent.

11 But Pharaoh also (U)called the wise men and (V)the [b]sorcerers; so the magicians of Egypt, they also (W)did in like manner with their [c]enchantments. 12 For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. 13 And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.

The First Plague: Waters Become Blood

14 So the Lord said to Moses: (X)“Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning, when he goes out to the (Y)water, and you shall stand by the river’s bank to meet him; and (Z)the rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand. 16 And you shall say to him, (AA)‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, “Let My people go, (AB)that they may [d]serve Me in the wilderness”; but indeed, until now you would not hear! 17 Thus says the Lord: “By this (AC)you shall know that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and (AD)they shall be turned (AE)to blood. 18 And the fish that are in the river shall die, the river shall stink, and the Egyptians will (AF)loathe[e] to drink the water of the river.” ’ ”

19 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and (AG)stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they may become blood. And there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone.’ ” 20 And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the Lord commanded. So he (AH)lifted up the rod and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. And all the (AI)waters that were in the river were turned to blood. 21 The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians (AJ)could not drink the water of the river. So there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

22 (AK)Then the magicians of Egypt did (AL)so with their [f]enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, (AM)as the Lord had said. 23 And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this. 24 So all the Egyptians dug all around the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the river. 25 And seven days passed after the Lord had struck the river.

The Second Plague: Frogs

8 And the Lord spoke to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Let My people go, (AN)that they may serve Me. 2 But if you (AO)refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with (AP)frogs. 3 So the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into your house, into your (AQ)bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your servants, on your people, into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls. 4 And the frogs shall come up on you, on your people, and on all your servants.” ’ ”

5 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, “Say to Aaron, (AR)‘Stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.’ ” 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and (AS)the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 (AT)And the magicians did so with their [g]enchantments, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt.

8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, (AU)“Entreat[h] the Lord that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people (AV)go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord.”

9 And Moses said to Pharaoh, “Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only.”

10 So he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “Let it be according to your word, that you may know that (AW)there is no one like the Lord our God. 11 And the frogs shall depart from you, from your houses, from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only.”

12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. And Moses (AX)cried out to the Lord concerning the frogs which He had brought against Pharaoh. 13 So the Lord did according to the word of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields. 14 They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was (AY)relief, (AZ)he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said.

The Third Plague: Lice

16 So the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it may become [i]lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’ ” 17 And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and (BA)it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

18 Now (BB)the magicians so worked with their [j]enchantments to bring forth lice, but they (BC)could not. So there were lice on man and beast. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is (BD)the[k] finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s (BE)heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.

The Fourth Plague: Flies

20 And the Lord said to Moses, (BF)“Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Then say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: (BG)“Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 21 Or else, if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. 22 And in that day (BH)I will set apart the land of (BI)Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may (BJ)know that I am the Lord in the midst of the (BK)land. 23 I will [l]make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this (BL)sign shall be.” ’ ” 24 And the Lord did so. (BM)Thick swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh, into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt. The land was corrupted because of the swarms of flies.

25 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.”

26 And Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we would be sacrificing (BN)the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God. If we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, then will they not [m]stone us? 27 We will go (BO)three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as (BP)He will command us.”

28 So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. (BQ)Intercede for me.”

29 Then Moses said, “Indeed I am going out from you, and I will entreat the Lord, that the swarms of flies may depart tomorrow from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. But let Pharaoh not (BR)deal deceitfully anymore in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.”

30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and (BS)entreated the Lord. 31 And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained. 32 But Pharaoh (BT)hardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go.

The Fifth Plague: Livestock Diseased

9 Then the Lord said to Moses, (BU)“Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: “Let My people go, that they may (BV)serve Me. 2 For if you (BW)refuse to let them go, and still hold them, 3 behold, the (BX)hand of the Lord will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep—a very severe pestilence. 4 And (BY)the Lord will make a difference between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. So nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel.” ’ ” 5 Then the Lord appointed a set time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.”

6 So the Lord did this thing on the next day, and (BZ)all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died. 7 Then Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the (CA)heart of Pharaoh became hard, and he did not let the people go.

The Sixth Plague: Boils(CB)

8 So the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses scatter it toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause (CC)boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.” 10 Then they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses scattered them toward heaven. And they caused (CD)boils that break out in sores on man and beast. 11 And the (CE)magicians could not stand before Moses because of the (CF)boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he (CG)did not heed them, just (CH)as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

The Seventh Plague: Hail

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, (CI)“Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: “Let My people go, that they may (CJ)serve Me, 14 for at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart, and on your servants and on your people, (CK)that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth. 15 Now if I had (CL)stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with (CM)pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth. 16 But indeed for (CN)this purpose I have raised you up, that I may (CO)show My power in you, and that My (CP)name may be declared in all the earth. 17 As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go. 18 Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause very heavy hail to rain down, such as has not been in Egypt since its founding until now. 19 Therefore send now and gather your livestock and all that you have in the field, for the hail shall come down on every man and every animal which is found in the field and is not brought home; and they shall die.” ’ ”

20 He who (CQ)feared the word of the Lord among the (CR)servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his livestock flee to the houses. 21 But he who did not regard the word of the Lord left his servants and his livestock in the field.

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be (CS)hail in all the land of Egypt—on man, on beast, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.” 23 And Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven; and (CT)the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire darted to the ground. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. 24 So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, so very heavy that there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 And the (CU)hail struck throughout the whole land of Egypt, all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail struck every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field. 26 (CV)Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.

27 And Pharaoh sent and (CW)called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, (CX)“I have sinned this time. (CY)The Lord is righteous, and my people and I are wicked. 28 (CZ)Entreat[n] the Lord, that there may be no more [o]mighty thundering and hail, for it is enough. I will let you (DA)go, and you shall stay no longer.”

29 So Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will (DB)spread out my hands to the Lord; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, that you may know that the (DC)earth is the Lord’s. 30 But as for you and your servants, (DD)I know that you will not yet fear the Lord God.”

31 Now the flax and the barley were struck, (DE)for the barley was in the head and the flax was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they are [p]late crops.

33 So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and (DF)spread out his hands to the Lord; then the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth. 34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 So (DG)the heart of Pharaoh was hard; neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the Lord had spoken by Moses.

The Eighth Plague: Locusts(DH)

10 Now the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh; (DI)for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, (DJ)that I may show these signs of Mine before him, 2 and that (DK)you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may (DL)know that I am the Lord.”

3 So Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: ‘How long will you refuse to (DM)humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may (DN)serve Me. 4 Or else, if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring (DO)locusts into your territory. 5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, so that no one will be able to see the earth; and (DP)they shall eat the residue of what is left, which remains to you from the hail, and they shall eat every tree which grows up for you out of the field. 6 They shall (DQ)fill your houses, the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians—which neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.’ ” And he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

7 Then Pharaoh’s (DR)servants said to him, “How long shall this man be (DS)a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?”

8 So Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve the Lord your God. Who are the ones that are going?”

9 And Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds we will go, for (DT)we must hold a feast to the Lord.”

10 Then he said to them, “The Lord had better be with you when I let you and your little ones go! Beware, for evil is ahead of you. 11 Not so! Go now, you who are men, and serve the Lord, for that is what you desired.” And they were driven (DU)out from Pharaoh’s presence.

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, (DV)“Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come upon the land of Egypt, and (DW)eat every herb of the land—all that the hail has left.” 13 So Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. 14 And (DX)the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and rested on all the territory of Egypt. They were very severe; (DY)previously there had been no such locusts as they, nor shall there be such after them. 15 For they (DZ)covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they (EA)ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. So there remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt.

16 Then Pharaoh called (EB)for Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, (EC)“I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. 17 Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once, and (ED)entreat[q] the Lord your God, that He may take away from me this death only.” 18 So he (EE)went out from Pharaoh and entreated the Lord. 19 And the Lord turned a very strong west wind, which took the locusts away and blew them (EF)into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the territory of Egypt. 20 But the Lord (EG)hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.

The Ninth Plague: Darkness

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, (EH)“Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, [r]darkness which may even be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was (EI)thick darkness in all the land of Egypt (EJ)three days. 23 They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. (EK)But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

24 Then Pharaoh called to Moses and (EL)said, “Go, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be kept back. Let your (EM)little ones also go with you.”

25 But Moses said, “You must also give [s]us sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. 26 Our (EN)livestock also shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind. For we must take some of them to serve the Lord our God, and even we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there.”

27 But the Lord (EO)hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. 28 Then Pharaoh said to him, (EP)“Get away from me! Take heed to yourself and see my face no more! For in the day you see my face you shall die!”

29 So Moses said, “You have spoken well. (EQ)I will never see your face again.”

Death of the Firstborn Announced(ER)

11 And the Lord said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. (ES)Afterward he will let you go from here. (ET)When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether. 2 Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, (EU)articles of silver and articles of gold.” 3 (EV)And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man (EW)Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.

4 Then Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: (EX)‘About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; 5 and (EY)all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the handmill, and all the firstborn of the animals. 6 (EZ)Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, (FA)such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again. 7 (FB)But against none of the children of Israel (FC)shall a dog [t]move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the Lord does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.’ 8 And (FD)all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, ‘Get out, and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will go out.” (FE)Then he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.

9 But the Lord said to Moses, (FF)“Pharaoh will not heed you, so that (FG)My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10 So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; (FH)and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.

The Passover Instituted(FI)

12 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 (FJ)“This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the (FK)tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be (FL)without[u] blemish, a male [v]of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 Now you shall keep it until the (FM)fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. 7 And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 8 Then they shall eat the flesh on that (FN)night; (FO)roasted in fire, with (FP)unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. 9 Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but (FQ)roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. 10 (FR)You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. 11 And thus you shall eat it: [w]with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. (FS)It is the Lord’s Passover.

12 ‘For I (FT)will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and (FU)against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: (FV)I am the Lord. 13 Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

14 ‘So this day shall be to you (FW)a memorial; and you shall keep it as a (FX)feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast (FY)by an everlasting ordinance. 15 (FZ)Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, (GA)that [x]person shall be [y]cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day there shall be (GB)a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. 17 So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for (GC)on this same day I will have brought your [z]armies (GD)out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. 18 (GE)In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For (GF)seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’ ”

21 Then (GG)Moses called for all the (GH)elders of Israel and said to them, (GI)“Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and kill the Passover lamb. 22 (GJ)And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and (GK)strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. 23 (GL)For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the (GM)blood on the [aa]lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and (GN)not allow (GO)the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. 24 And you shall (GP)observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. 25 It will come to pass when you come to the land which the Lord will give you, (GQ)just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. 26 (GR)And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ 27 that you shall say, (GS)‘It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ ” So the people (GT)bowed their heads and worshiped. 28 Then the children of Israel went away and (GU)did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn(GV)

29 (GW)And it came to pass at midnight that (GX)the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was [ab]in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of (GY)livestock. 30 So Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

The Exodus

31 Then he (GZ)called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise, go out from among my people, (HA)both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have (HB)said. 32 (HC)Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.”

33 (HD)And the Egyptians (HE)urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. 35 Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians (HF)articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. 36 (HG)And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus (HH)they plundered the Egyptians.

37 Then (HI)the children of Israel journeyed from (HJ)Rameses to Succoth, about (HK)six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. 38 A (HL)mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of (HM)livestock. 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because (HN)they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.

40 Now the [ac]sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in [ad]Egypt was (HO)four hundred and thirty years. 41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years—on that very same day—it came to pass that (HP)all the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It is (HQ)a [ae]night of solemn observance to the Lord for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This is that night of the Lord, a solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations.

Passover Regulations(HR)

43 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is (HS)the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. 44 But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have (HT)circumcised him, then he may eat it. 45 (HU)A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it. 46 In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, (HV)nor shall you break one of its bones. 47 (HW)All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 And (HX)when a stranger [af]dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. 49 (HY)One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.”

50 Thus all the children of Israel did; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. 51 (HZ)And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt (IA)according to their armies.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 7:4 hosts
  2. Exodus 7:11 soothsayers
  3. Exodus 7:11 secret arts
  4. Exodus 7:16 worship
  5. Exodus 7:18 be weary of drinking
  6. Exodus 7:22 secret arts
  7. Exodus 8:7 secret arts
  8. Exodus 8:8 Pray to, Make supplication to
  9. Exodus 8:16 gnats
  10. Exodus 8:18 secret arts
  11. Exodus 8:19 An act of God
  12. Exodus 8:23 Lit. set a ransom, Ex. 9:4; 11:7
  13. Exodus 8:26 Put us to death by stoning
  14. Exodus 9:28 Pray to, Make supplication to
  15. Exodus 9:28 Lit. voices of God or sounds of God
  16. Exodus 9:32 Lit. darkened
  17. Exodus 10:17 make supplication to
  18. Exodus 10:21 Lit. that one may feel the darkness
  19. Exodus 10:25 Lit. into our hands
  20. Exodus 11:7 sharpen
  21. Exodus 12:5 perfect or sound
  22. Exodus 12:5 a year old
  23. Exodus 12:11 Made ready to travel
  24. Exodus 12:15 soul
  25. Exodus 12:15 Put to death
  26. Exodus 12:17 hosts
  27. Exodus 12:23 Crosspiece at top of door
  28. Exodus 12:29 in prison
  29. Exodus 12:40 Length of the stay
  30. Exodus 12:40 Sam., LXX Egypt and Canaan
  31. Exodus 12:42 night of vigil
  32. Exodus 12:48 As a resident alien
Listen to Exodus 7-12
Close NASB

Exodus 7-12
New American Standard Bible

I Will Extend My Hand

7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(A)See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. 2 As for you, you shall speak all that I command you, and your brother (B)Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land. 3 But (C)I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that I may (D)multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 When (E)Pharaoh does not listen to you, I will lay My hand on Egypt and (F)bring out My armies, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by (G)great judgments. 5 Then (H)the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I (I)extend My hand over Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst.” 6 So Moses and Aaron did this; (J)as the Lord commanded them, so they did. 7 And Moses was (K)eighty years old and Aaron [a]eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Staff Turns into a Serpent

8 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 9 “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘[b](L)Work a miracle,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘(M)Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, so that it may turn into a serpent.’” 10 So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and so they did, just as the Lord had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and [c]his servants, and it (N)turned into a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh also (O)called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they too, the (P)soothsayer priests of Egypt, did the same with (Q)their secret arts. 12 For each one threw down his staff, and they turned into serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed their staffs. 13 Yet (R)Pharaoh’s heart was [d]hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

Water Turned into Blood

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is [e]stubborn; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning [f]just as (S)he is going out to the water, and position yourself to meet him on the bank of the Nile; and you shall take in your hand (T)the staff that was turned into a serpent. 16 And (U)you shall say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “(V)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened up to now.” 17 This is what the Lord says: “(W)By this you shall know that I am the Lord: behold, I am going to strike [g]the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and (X)it will be turned into blood. 18 Then (Y)the fish that are in the Nile will die, the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will [h](Z)no longer be able to drink water from the Nile.”’” 19 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and (AA)extend your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their [i]streams, over their pools, and over all their reservoirs of water, so that they may become blood; and there will be blood through all the land of Egypt, both in containers of wood and in containers of stone.’”

20 So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. And he lifted up [j](AB)the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants; and (AC)all the water that was in the Nile was turned into blood. 21 Then the fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. And the blood was through all the land of Egypt. 22 (AD)But the soothsayer priests of Egypt did the same with their secret arts; and Pharaoh’s heart was [k]hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. 23 Then Pharaoh turned and went into his house [l]with no concern even for this. 24 So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they could not drink from the water of the Nile. 25 Seven days [m]passed after the Lord had struck the Nile.

Frogs over the Land

8 [n]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “(AE)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I am going to strike your entire territory with frogs. 3 The Nile will (AF)swarm with frogs, which will come up and go into your house, and into your bedroom and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants, and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading bowls. 4 So the frogs will come up on you, your people, and on all your servants.”’” 5 [o]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘(AG)Extend your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the [p]streams, and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’” 6 So Aaron extended his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the [q](AH)frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 However, (AI)the soothsayer priests did the same with their secret arts, [r]making frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

8 Then Pharaoh (AJ)called for Moses and Aaron and said, “(AK)Plead with the Lord [s]to remove the frogs from me and from my people; and (AL)I will let the people go, so that they may sacrifice to the Lord.” 9 And Moses said to Pharaoh, “[t]The honor is yours to tell me: when shall I plead for you and your servants and your people, [u]that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, that they be left only in the Nile?”

10 Then he said, “Tomorrow.” So he said, “May it be according to your word, so that you may know that there is (AM)no one like the Lord our God. 11 The (AN)frogs will depart from you and your houses, and from your servants and your people; they will be left only in the Nile.” 12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and (AO)Moses cried out to the Lord concerning the frogs which He had [v]inflicted upon Pharaoh. 13 The Lord did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. 14 So they piled them in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he [w]hardened his heart and (AP)did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Insects

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Extend your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may turn into [x]gnats through all the land of Egypt.’” 17 They did so; and Aaron extended his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were [y]gnats on every [z]person and animal. All the dust of the earth turned into [aa](AQ)gnats through all the land of Egypt. 18 The soothsayer priests tried with their secret arts to produce [ab]gnats, but (AR)they could not; so there were [ac]gnats on every person and animal. 19 Then the soothsayer priests said to Pharaoh, “(AS)This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was [ad]hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.

20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(AT)Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, [ae]as (AU)he comes out to the water; and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “(AV)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me. 21 For if you are not going to let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people, and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they live. 22 (AW)But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are [af]living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that [ag](AX)I, the Lord, am in the midst of the land. 23 I will [ah]put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur.”’” 24 Then the Lord did so. And [ai]thick swarms of flies entered the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants, and the land was (AY)laid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt.

25 Then Pharaoh (AZ)called for Moses and Aaron and said, “(BA)Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” 26 But Moses said, “It is not permissible for us to do so, because we will sacrifice to the Lord our God [aj]that which is (BB)an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice [ak]that which is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must go a (BC)three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God, just as He [al]commands us.” 28 Pharaoh said, “(BD)I will let you go, so that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. (BE)Plead for me.” 29 Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going to leave you, and I will plead with the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow; only do not let Pharaoh (BF)deal deceitfully again in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.”

30 So (BG)Moses left Pharaoh and pleaded with the Lord. 31 The Lord did [am]as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. 32 But Pharaoh [an]hardened his heart this time also, and (BH)he did not let the people go.

Egyptian Livestock Die

9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says: “(BI)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me. 2 For (BJ)if you refuse to let them go and [ao]continue to hold them, 3 behold, (BK)the hand of the Lord [ap]will come with a very severe plague on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks. 4 (BL)But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that (BM)nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.”’” 5 And the Lord set a definite time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” 6 So the Lord did this thing on the next day, and (BN)all the livestock of Egypt died; (BO)but not one of the livestock of the sons of Israel died. 7 And Pharaoh sent men, and they learned that, behold, not even one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But (BP)the heart of Pharaoh was [aq]hardened, and he did not let the people go.

The Plague of Boils

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of soot from a kiln, and Moses shall toss it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 Then it will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and will turn into (BQ)boils breaking out with sores on every person and animal through all the land of Egypt.” 10 So they took soot from a kiln, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses tossed it toward the sky, and it became boils breaking out with sores on every person and animal. 11 (BR)The soothsayer priests could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the soothsayer priests as well as on all the Egyptians. 12 But (BS)the Lord [ar]hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(BT)Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says: “(BU)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me. 14 For this time I am going to send all My plagues [as]on you and your servants and your people, so that (BV)you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. 15 For had I now put out My hand and struck you and your people with plague, you would then have been eliminated from the earth. 16 But indeed, (BW)for this reason I have allowed you to [at]remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name throughout the earth. 17 Still you exalt yourself against My people [au]by not letting them go.

The Plague of Hail

18 Behold, about this time tomorrow, (BX)I will [av]send a very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded [aw]until now. 19 So now, send word, bring (BY)your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. (BZ)Every person and animal that is found in the field and is not brought home, when the hail comes down on them, will die.”’” 20 (CA)Everyone among the servants of Pharaoh who [ax]feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring his servants and his livestock into the houses; 21 but everyone who [ay]did not pay regard to the word of the Lord [az]left his servants and his livestock in the field.

22 Now the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out with your hand toward the sky, so that [ba](CB)hail may fall on all the land of Egypt, on every person and animal, and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.” 23 So Moses reached out with his staff toward the sky, and the Lord [bb]sent [bc]thunder and (CC)hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. 24 So there was hail, and fire flashing intermittently in the midst of the hail, which was very heavy, such as had not occurred in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 (CD)The hail struck everything that was in the field through all the land of Egypt, from people to animals; the hail also struck every plant of the field, and shattered every tree of the field. 26 (CE)Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, was there no hail.

27 Then Pharaoh [bd](CF)sent for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “(CG)I have sinned this time; the Lord is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones. 28 (CH)Plead with the Lord, for there has been enough of God’s [be]thunder and hail; and (CI)I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” 29 Moses said to him, “As soon as I go out of the city, I will (CJ)spread out my [bf]hands to the Lord; the [bg]thunder will cease and there will no longer be hail, so that you may know that (CK)the earth is the Lord’s. 30 (CL)But as for you and your servants, I know that (CM)you do not yet [bh]fear [bi]the Lord God.” 31 (Now the flax and the (CN)barley were [bj]ruined, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the spelt were not [bk]ruined, for they ripen late.) 33 (CO)So Moses left the city from his meeting with Pharaoh, and spread out his [bl]hands to the Lord; and the [bm]thunder and the hail stopped, and rain [bn]no longer poured on the earth. 34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the [bo]thunder had stopped, he sinned again and [bp]hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35 So Pharaoh’s heart was [bq]hardened, and he did not let the sons of Israel go, just as the (CP)Lord had spoken through Moses.

The Plague of Locusts

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for (CQ)I have [br]hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, so that I may [bs]perform these signs of Mine [bt]among them, 2 and (CR)that you may tell in the [bu]presence of your son, and of your grandson, how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I [bv]performed My signs among them, (CS)so that you may know that I am the Lord.”

3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says: ‘How long will you refuse to (CT)humble yourself before Me? (CU)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me. 4 For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. 5 And they will cover the surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the land. (CV)They will also eat the rest of what has survived—what is left to you from the hail—and they will eat every tree of yours which grows [bw]in the field. 6 Then (CW)your houses will be filled with them, [bx]together with the houses of all your servants and the houses of all the Egyptians, something which neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day that they [by]came upon the earth until this day.’” And he turned and left Pharaoh. 7 Then (CX)Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be (CY)a snare to us? Let the [bz]people go, so that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet [ca]realize that Egypt is destroyed?” 8 So Moses and Aaron (CZ)were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “(DA)Go, serve the Lord your God! [cb]Who specifically are the ones who are going?” 9 Moses said, “(DB)We shall go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, (DC)with our flocks and our herds we shall go, for we [cc]must hold a feast to the Lord.” 10 Then he said to them, “So may the Lord be with you, when I let you and your little ones go! Watch out, for evil is [cd]on your mind! 11 Not so! Go now, but only the men among you, and serve the Lord, since [ce]that is what you desire.” So (DD)they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(DE)Reach out with your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come up on the land of Egypt and (DF)eat every plant of the land, everything that the hail has left.” 13 So Moses reached out with his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord directed an east wind on the land all that day and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind [cf]brought the (DG)locusts. 14 (DH)The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled in all the territory of Egypt; they were very [cg]numerous. There had never been so many [ch]locusts, nor would there be so many [ci]again. 15 For they covered the surface of the whole land, so that the land was darkened; and they (DI)ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Therefore nothing green was left on tree or plant of the field throughout the land of Egypt. 16 Then Pharaoh hurriedly (DJ)called for Moses and Aaron, and he said, “(DK)I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. 17 So now, please forgive my sin only this once, and (DL)plead with the Lord your God, that He would only remove this death from me.” 18 Then (DM)he left Pharaoh and pleaded with the Lord. 19 So the Lord shifted the wind to a very strong west wind, which picked up the locusts and drove them into the [cj]Red Sea; not one locust was left in all the territory of Egypt. 20 But (DN)the Lord [ck]hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go.

Darkness over the Land

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(DO)Reach out with your hand toward the sky, so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness (DP)which may be felt.” 22 So Moses reached out with his hand toward the sky, and there was (DQ)thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. 23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, (DR)but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings. 24 Then Pharaoh (DS)called for Moses, and said, “Go, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be left behind. Even (DT)your little ones may go with you.” 25 But Moses said, “You must also [cl]let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, so that we may [cm]sacrifice them to the Lord our God. 26 (DU)Therefore, our livestock too shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we shall take some of them to serve the Lord our God. And until we arrive there, we ourselves do not know with what we shall serve the Lord.” 27 But (DV)the Lord [cn]hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go. 28 Then Pharaoh said to him, “(DW)Get away from me! [co]Be careful, do not see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you shall die!” 29 Moses said, “You have spoken correctly; (DX)I shall never see your face again!”

The Last Plague

11 Now the Lord said to Moses, “One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt; (DY)after that he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will assuredly drive you out from here completely. 2 Speak now [cp]so that the people hear, that (DZ)each man is to ask of his neighbor, and each woman of her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold.” 3 And (EA)the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. (EB)Furthermore, the man Moses himself was [cq]greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.

4 Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘About (EC)midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, 5 and (ED)all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well. 6 So there shall be (EE)a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again. 7 (EF)But not even a dog will [cr]threaten any of the sons of Israel, nor anything from person to animal, so that you may [cs]learn how the Lord distinguishes between Egypt and Israel.’ 8 And (EG)all these servants of yours will come down to me and bow themselves [ct]before me, saying, ‘Go out, you and all the people who [cu]follow you,’ and after that I will go out.” (EH)And he left Pharaoh in the heat of anger.

9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “(EI)Pharaoh will not listen to you, so (EJ)that My wonders will be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10 So (EK)Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh; yet (EL)the Lord [cv]hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go out of his land.

The Passover Lamb

12 Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of [cw]Egypt, 2 “(EM)This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year for you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are, each one, to take a [cx]lamb for themselves, according to the fathers’ households, a [cy]lamb for [cz]each household. 4 Now if the household is too small for a [da]lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the [db]number of persons in them; in proportion to [dc]what each one should eat, you are to [dd]divide the lamb. 5 Your [de]lamb shall be (EN)an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 [df]You shall keep it until the (EO)fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to slaughter it [dg](EP)at twilight. 7 (EQ)Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel [dh]of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the flesh (ER)that same night, (ES)roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with (ET)unleavened bread [di](EU)and bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather (EV)roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with (EW)its entrails. 10 (EX)And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall completely burn with fire. 11 Now you shall eat it in this way: with your garment [dj]belted around your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in a hurry—it is (EY)the Lord’s Passover. 12 For (EZ)I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and fatally strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the human firstborn to animals; and (FA)against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—(FB)I am the Lord. 13 (FC)The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you [dk]live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will come upon you [dl]to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

Feast of Unleavened Bread

14 ‘Now (FD)this day shall be (FE)a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as [dm](FF)a permanent ordinance. 15 For (FG)seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove dough with yeast from your houses; for whoever eats anything with yeast from the first day until the seventh day, (FH)that [dn]person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 And (FI)on the first day you shall have a holy assembly, and another holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except for what must be eaten by every person—that alone may be [do]prepared by you. 17 You shall also keep (FJ)the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this (FK)very day I brought your [dp]multitudes out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall keep this day throughout your generations as (FL)a [dq]permanent ordinance. 18 (FM)In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 For (FN)seven days there shall be no dough with yeast found in your houses; for whoever eats anything with yeast, that [dr](FO)person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. 20 You shall not eat anything with yeast; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’”

21 Then (FP)Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and (FQ)take for yourselves [ds]lambs according to your families, and slaughter (FR)the Passover lamb. 22 And (FS)you shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and [dt]apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning.

A Memorial of Redemption

23 For (FT)the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; but when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will (FU)not allow the (FV)destroyer to come in to your houses to strike you. 24 And (FW)you shall keep this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever. 25 When you enter the land which the Lord will give you, as He has [du]promised, you shall keep this [dv]rite. 26 (FX)And when your children say to you, ‘[dw]What does this rite mean to you?’ 27 then you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to (FY)the Lord because He passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians, but [dx]spared our homes.’” (FZ)And the people bowed low and worshiped.

28 Then the sons of Israel went and did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

29 Now it came about at (GA)midnight that (GB)the Lord struck all (GC)the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of (GD)cattle. 30 And Pharaoh got up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was (GE)a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead. 31 Then (GF)he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Rise up, (GG)get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, [dy]worship the Lord, as you have said. 32 Take (GH)both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also.”

Exodus of Israel

33 (GI)The Egyptians urged the people, to send them out of the land in a hurry, for they said, “We will all be dead.” 34 So the people took (GJ)their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their shoulders.

35 (GK)Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; 36 and the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have their request. Therefore they (GL)plundered the Egyptians.

37 Now the (GM)sons of Israel journeyed from (GN)Rameses to Succoth, about (GO)six hundred thousand men on foot, aside from children. 38 A (GP)mixed multitude also went up with them, [dz]along with flocks and herds, a (GQ)very large number of livestock. 39 And they baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into cakes of unleavened bread. For it had no yeast, since they were (GR)driven out of Egypt and could not delay, nor had they [ea]prepared any provisions for themselves.

40 Now the time [eb]that the sons of Israel had lived in Egypt was (GS)430 years. 41 And at the end of 430 years, on (GT)this very day, (GU)all the [ec]multitudes of the Lord departed from the land of Egypt.

Ordinance of the Passover

42 (GV)It is a night [ed]to be observed for the Lord, for having brought them out of the land of Egypt; this night is for the Lord, [ee]to be observed by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations.

43 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of (GW)the Passover: no [ef](GX)foreigner is to eat it; 44 but as for every (GY)slave [eg]that someone has purchased with money, after you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. 45 (GZ)A stranger or a hired worker shall not eat it. 46 It is to be eaten in a single house; you are not to bring any of the meat outside of the house, (HA)nor are you to break any bone of it. 47 (HB)All the congregation of Israel are to [eh]celebrate this. 48 But (HC)if a stranger resides with you and [ei]celebrates the Passover to the Lord, all of his males are to be circumcised, and then he shall come near to [ej]celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised male may eat it. 49 [ek](HD)The same law shall [el]apply to the native as to the stranger who resides among you.”

50 Then all the sons of Israel did so; they did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 And on that very day (HE)the Lord brought the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt (HF)according to their [em]multitudes.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 7:7 Lit 83 years old
  2. Exodus 7:9 Lit Show a wonder for yourselves
  3. Exodus 7:10 Lit before his
  4. Exodus 7:13 Lit strong
  5. Exodus 7:14 Or hard; lit heavy
  6. Exodus 7:15 Lit behold
  7. Exodus 7:17 Lit upon the waters
  8. Exodus 7:18 Lit be weary of
  9. Exodus 7:19 Or canals
  10. Exodus 7:20 Lit with the staff
  11. Exodus 7:22 Lit strong
  12. Exodus 7:23 Lit and he did not set his heart even to this
  13. Exodus 7:25 Lit were fulfilled
  14. Exodus 8:1 Ch 7:26 in Heb
  15. Exodus 8:5 Ch 8:1 in Heb
  16. Exodus 8:5 Or canals
  17. Exodus 8:6 Lit frog
  18. Exodus 8:7 Lit and made
  19. Exodus 8:8 Lit that He remove
  20. Exodus 8:9 Lit Glory over me
  21. Exodus 8:9 Lit cut off the frogs from
  22. Exodus 8:12 Lit placed
  23. Exodus 8:15 Lit made heavy
  24. Exodus 8:16 Or lice
  25. Exodus 8:17 Or lice
  26. Exodus 8:17 I.e., Egyptians and their livestock
  27. Exodus 8:17 Or lice
  28. Exodus 8:18 Or lice
  29. Exodus 8:18 Or lice
  30. Exodus 8:19 Lit strong
  31. Exodus 8:20 Lit behold
  32. Exodus 8:22 Lit standing
  33. Exodus 8:22 Or I am the Lord in the midst of the earth
  34. Exodus 8:23 Lit set a ransom
  35. Exodus 8:24 Lit heavy
  36. Exodus 8:26 Lit the abomination of Egypt
  37. Exodus 8:26 Lit the abomination of Egypt
  38. Exodus 8:27 Lit says to us
  39. Exodus 8:31 Lit according to the word of Moses
  40. Exodus 8:32 Lit made heavy
  41. Exodus 9:2 Lit still hold
  42. Exodus 9:3 Lit will be
  43. Exodus 9:7 Lit heavy
  44. Exodus 9:12 Lit made strong
  45. Exodus 9:14 Lit to your heart
  46. Exodus 9:16 Lit stand
  47. Exodus 9:17 Lit so as not to let
  48. Exodus 9:18 Lit cause to rain
  49. Exodus 9:18 Lit and until now
  50. Exodus 9:20 Or revered
  51. Exodus 9:21 Lit did not set his heart to
  52. Exodus 9:21 Lit then left
  53. Exodus 9:22 Lit there may be hail
  54. Exodus 9:23 Lit gave
  55. Exodus 9:23 Lit sounds
  56. Exodus 9:27 Lit sent and called
  57. Exodus 9:28 Lit sounds
  58. Exodus 9:29 Lit palms
  59. Exodus 9:29 Lit sounds
  60. Exodus 9:30 Or revere
  61. Exodus 9:30 Lit before the Lord
  62. Exodus 9:31 Lit struck
  63. Exodus 9:32 Lit struck
  64. Exodus 9:33 Lit palms
  65. Exodus 9:33 Lit sounds
  66. Exodus 9:33 Lit was not poured
  67. Exodus 9:34 Lit sounds
  68. Exodus 9:34 Lit made heavy
  69. Exodus 9:35 Lit strong
  70. Exodus 10:1 Lit made heavy
  71. Exodus 10:1 Lit put
  72. Exodus 10:1 Lit in his midst
  73. Exodus 10:2 Lit ears
  74. Exodus 10:2 Lit put
  75. Exodus 10:5 Lit from
  76. Exodus 10:6 Lit and the
  77. Exodus 10:6 Lit were
  78. Exodus 10:7 Or men
  79. Exodus 10:7 Lit know
  80. Exodus 10:8 Lit Who and who are
  81. Exodus 10:9 Lit have a feast
  82. Exodus 10:10 Lit before your face
  83. Exodus 10:11 Lit you desire it
  84. Exodus 10:13 Lit carried
  85. Exodus 10:14 Lit heavy
  86. Exodus 10:14 Lit locusts like them before them
  87. Exodus 10:14 Lit after them
  88. Exodus 10:19 Lit Sea of Reeds
  89. Exodus 10:20 Lit made strong
  90. Exodus 10:25 Lit hand over
  91. Exodus 10:25 Lit make them for
  92. Exodus 10:27 Lit made strong
  93. Exodus 10:28 Lit Take care for yourself
  94. Exodus 11:2 Lit in the ears of the people that
  95. Exodus 11:3 Lit very great
  96. Exodus 11:7 Lit move its tongue
  97. Exodus 11:7 Lit know
  98. Exodus 11:8 Lit to
  99. Exodus 11:8 Lit are at your feet
  100. Exodus 11:10 Lit made strong
  101. Exodus 12:1 Lit Egypt, saying
  102. Exodus 12:3 Or kid
  103. Exodus 12:3 Or kid
  104. Exodus 12:3 Lit the
  105. Exodus 12:4 Or kid
  106. Exodus 12:4 Or amount
  107. Exodus 12:4 Lit each man’s eating
  108. Exodus 12:4 Lit compute for
  109. Exodus 12:5 Or kid
  110. Exodus 12:6 Lit It shall be to you for a guarding
  111. Exodus 12:6 Lit between the two evenings
  112. Exodus 12:7 Lit upon
  113. Exodus 12:8 Lit in addition to
  114. Exodus 12:11 I.e., for travel
  115. Exodus 12:13 Lit are
  116. Exodus 12:13 Lit for destruction
  117. Exodus 12:14 Or an eternal
  118. Exodus 12:15 Lit soul
  119. Exodus 12:16 Lit done
  120. Exodus 12:17 Lit armies
  121. Exodus 12:17 Or eternal
  122. Exodus 12:19 Lit soul
  123. Exodus 12:21 Lit sheep
  124. Exodus 12:22 Lit cause to touch
  125. Exodus 12:25 Lit spoken
  126. Exodus 12:25 Lit service
  127. Exodus 12:26 Lit What is this service to you?
  128. Exodus 12:27 Lit delivered
  129. Exodus 12:31 Or serve
  130. Exodus 12:38 Lit and
  131. Exodus 12:39 Lit made
  132. Exodus 12:40 Or of the sons of Israel who lived
  133. Exodus 12:41 Lit armies
  134. Exodus 12:42 Or of vigil
  135. Exodus 12:42 Or of vigil
  136. Exodus 12:43 Lit son of a stranger
  137. Exodus 12:44 Lit of a man, an acquisition of money
  138. Exodus 12:47 Lit perform
  139. Exodus 12:48 Lit performs
  140. Exodus 12:48 Lit perform
  141. Exodus 12:49 Lit One law
  142. Exodus 12:49 Lit be
  143. Exodus 12:51 I.e., multitudes in battle formation
Close NLT

Exodus 7-12
New Living Translation

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Serpent

7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pay close attention to this. I will make you seem like God to Pharaoh, and your brother, Aaron, will be your prophet. 2 Tell Aaron everything I command you, and Aaron must command Pharaoh to let the people of Israel leave his country. 3 But I will make Pharaoh’s heart stubborn so I can multiply my miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 Even then Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you. So I will bring down my fist on Egypt. Then I will rescue my forces—my people, the Israelites—from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment. 5 When I raise my powerful hand and bring out the Israelites, the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.”

6 So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded them. 7 Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron was eighty-three when they made their demands to Pharaoh.

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “Pharaoh will demand, ‘Show me a miracle.’ When he does this, say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh, and it will become a serpent.[a]’”

10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did what the Lord had commanded them. Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent! 11 Then Pharaoh called in his own wise men and sorcerers, and these Egyptian magicians did the same thing with their magic. 12 They threw down their staffs, which also became serpents! But then Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Pharaoh’s heart, however, remained hard. He still refused to listen, just as the Lord had predicted.

A Plague of Blood

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is stubborn,[b] and he still refuses to let the people go. 15 So go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes down to the river. Stand on the bank of the Nile and meet him there. Be sure to take along the staff that turned into a snake. 16 Then announce to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you, “Let my people go, so they can worship me in the wilderness.” Until now, you have refused to listen to him. 17 So this is what the Lord says: “I will show you that I am the Lord.” Look! I will strike the water of the Nile with this staff in my hand, and the river will turn to blood. 18 The fish in it will die, and the river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink any water from the Nile.’”

19 Then the Lord said to Moses: “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and raise your hand over the waters of Egypt—all its rivers, canals, ponds, and all the reservoirs. Turn all the water to blood. Everywhere in Egypt the water will turn to blood, even the water stored in wooden bowls and stone pots.’”

20 So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them. As Pharaoh and all of his officials watched, Aaron raised his staff and struck the water of the Nile. Suddenly, the whole river turned to blood! 21 The fish in the river died, and the water became so foul that the Egyptians couldn’t drink it. There was blood everywhere throughout the land of Egypt. 22 But again the magicians of Egypt used their magic, and they, too, turned water into blood. So Pharaoh’s heart remained hard. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had predicted. 23 Pharaoh returned to his palace and put the whole thing out of his mind. 24 Then all the Egyptians dug along the riverbank to find drinking water, for they couldn’t drink the water from the Nile.

25 Seven days passed from the time the Lord struck the Nile.

A Plague of Frogs

8 [c]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go back to Pharaoh and announce to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. 2 If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs across your entire land. 3 The Nile River will swarm with frogs. They will come up out of the river and into your palace, even into your bedroom and onto your bed! They will enter the houses of your officials and your people. They will even jump into your ovens and your kneading bowls. 4 Frogs will jump on you, your people, and all your officials.’”

5 [d]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Raise the staff in your hand over all the rivers, canals, and ponds of Egypt, and bring up frogs over all the land.’” 6 So Aaron raised his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs came up and covered the whole land! 7 But the magicians were able to do the same thing with their magic. They, too, caused frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.

8 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and begged, “Plead with the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people. I will let your people go, so they can offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

9 “You set the time!” Moses replied. “Tell me when you want me to pray for you, your officials, and your people. Then you and your houses will be rid of the frogs. They will remain only in the Nile River.”

10 “Do it tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.

“All right,” Moses replied, “it will be as you have said. Then you will know that there is no one like the Lord our God. 11 The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials, and your people. They will remain only in the Nile River.”

12 So Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh’s palace, and Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had inflicted on Pharaoh. 13 And the Lord did just what Moses had predicted. The frogs in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields all died. 14 The Egyptians piled them into great heaps, and a terrible stench filled the land. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that relief had come, he became stubborn.[e] He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had predicted.

A Plague of Gnats

16 So the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Raise your staff and strike the ground. The dust will turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.’” 17 So Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded them. When Aaron raised his hand and struck the ground with his staff, gnats infested the entire land, covering the Egyptians and their animals. All the dust in the land of Egypt turned into gnats. 18 Pharaoh’s magicians tried to do the same thing with their secret arts, but this time they failed. And the gnats covered everyone, people and animals alike.

19 “This is the finger of God!” the magicians exclaimed to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard. He wouldn’t listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

A Plague of Flies

20 Then the Lord told Moses, “Get up early in the morning and stand in Pharaoh’s way as he goes down to the river. Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. 21 If you refuse, then I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, your people, and all the houses. The Egyptian homes will be filled with flies, and the ground will be covered with them. 22 But this time I will spare the region of Goshen, where my people live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am the Lord and that I am present even in the heart of your land. 23 I will make a clear distinction between[f] my people and your people. This miraculous sign will happen tomorrow.’”

24 And the Lord did just as he had said. A thick swarm of flies filled Pharaoh’s palace and the houses of his officials. The whole land of Egypt was thrown into chaos by the flies.

25 Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron. “All right! Go ahead and offer sacrifices to your God,” he said. “But do it here in this land.”

26 But Moses replied, “That wouldn’t be right. The Egyptians detest the sacrifices that we offer to the Lord our God. Look, if we offer our sacrifices here where the Egyptians can see us, they will stone us. 27 We must take a three-day trip into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, just as he has commanded us.”

28 “All right, go ahead,” Pharaoh replied. “I will let you go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God. But don’t go too far away. Now hurry and pray for me.”

29 Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the swarms of flies will disappear from you and your officials and all your people. But I am warning you, Pharaoh, don’t lie to us again and refuse to let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.”

30 So Moses left Pharaoh’s palace and pleaded with the Lord to remove all the flies. 31 And the Lord did as Moses asked and caused the swarms of flies to disappear from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. Not a single fly remained. 32 But Pharaoh again became stubborn and refused to let the people go.

A Plague against Livestock

9 “Go back to Pharaoh,” the Lord commanded Moses. “Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. 2 If you continue to hold them and refuse to let them go, 3 the hand of the Lord will strike all your livestock—your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats—with a deadly plague. 4 But the Lord will again make a distinction between the livestock of the Israelites and that of the Egyptians. Not a single one of Israel’s animals will die! 5 The Lord has already set the time for the plague to begin. He has declared that he will strike the land tomorrow.’”

6 And the Lord did just as he had said. The next morning all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but the Israelites didn’t lose a single animal. 7 Pharaoh sent his officials to investigate, and they discovered that the Israelites had not lost a single animal! But even so, Pharaoh’s heart remained stubborn,[g] and he still refused to let the people go.

A Plague of Festering Boils

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a brick kiln, and have Moses toss it into the air while Pharaoh watches. 9 The ashes will spread like fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, causing festering boils to break out on people and animals throughout the land.”

10 So they took soot from a brick kiln and went and stood before Pharaoh. As Pharaoh watched, Moses threw the soot into the air, and boils broke out on people and animals alike. 11 Even the magicians were unable to stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and all the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and just as the Lord had predicted to Moses, Pharaoh refused to listen.

A Plague of Hail

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. 14 If you don’t, I will send more plagues on you[h] and your officials and your people. Then you will know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15 By now I could have lifted my hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the face of the earth. 16 But I have spared you for a purpose—to show you my power[i] and to spread my fame throughout the earth. 17 But you still lord it over my people and refuse to let them go. 18 So tomorrow at this time I will send a hailstorm more devastating than any in all the history of Egypt. 19 Quick! Order your livestock and servants to come in from the fields to find shelter. Any person or animal left outside will die when the hail falls.’”

20 Some of Pharaoh’s officials were afraid because of what the Lord had said. They quickly brought their servants and livestock in from the fields. 21 But those who paid no attention to the word of the Lord left theirs out in the open.

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward the sky so hail may fall on the people, the livestock, and all the plants throughout the land of Egypt.”

23 So Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed toward the earth. The Lord sent a tremendous hailstorm against all the land of Egypt. 24 Never in all the history of Egypt had there been a storm like that, with such devastating hail and continuous lightning. 25 It left all of Egypt in ruins. The hail struck down everything in the open field—people, animals, and plants alike. Even the trees were destroyed. 26 The only place without hail was the region of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived.

27 Then Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he confessed. “The Lord is the righteous one, and my people and I are wrong. 28 Please beg the Lord to end this terrifying thunder and hail. We’ve had enough. I will let you go; you don’t need to stay any longer.”

29 “All right,” Moses replied. “As soon as I leave the city, I will lift my hands and pray to the Lord. Then the thunder and hail will stop, and you will know that the earth belongs to the Lord. 30 But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the Lord God.”

31 (All the flax and barley were ruined by the hail, because the barley had formed heads and the flax was budding. 32 But the wheat and the emmer wheat were spared, because they had not yet sprouted from the ground.)

33 So Moses left Pharaoh’s court and went out of the city. When he lifted his hands to the Lord, the thunder and hail stopped, and the downpour ceased. 34 But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had stopped, he and his officials sinned again, and Pharaoh again became stubborn.[j] 35 Because his heart was hard, Pharaoh refused to let the people leave, just as the Lord had predicted through Moses.

A Plague of Locusts

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Return to Pharaoh and make your demands again. I have made him and his officials stubborn[k] so I can display my miraculous signs among them. 2 I’ve also done it so you can tell your children and grandchildren about how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and about the signs I displayed among them—and so you will know that I am the Lord.”

3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people go, so they can worship me. 4 If you refuse, watch out! For tomorrow I will bring a swarm of locusts on your country. 5 They will cover the land so that you won’t be able to see the ground. They will devour what little is left of your crops after the hailstorm, including all the trees growing in the fields. 6 They will overrun your palaces and the homes of your officials and all the houses in Egypt. Never in the history of Egypt have your ancestors seen a plague like this one!” And with that, Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

7 Pharaoh’s officials now came to Pharaoh and appealed to him. “How long will you let this man hold us hostage? Let the men go to worship the Lord their God! Don’t you realize that Egypt lies in ruins?”

8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “All right,” he told them, “go and worship the Lord your God. But who exactly will be going with you?”

9 Moses replied, “We will all go—young and old, our sons and daughters, and our flocks and herds. We must all join together in celebrating a festival to the Lord.”

10 Pharaoh retorted, “The Lord will certainly need to be with you if I let you take your little ones! I can see through your evil plan. 11 Never! Only the men may go and worship the Lord, since that is what you requested.” And Pharaoh threw them out of the palace.

12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the land of Egypt to bring on the locusts. Let them cover the land and devour every plant that survived the hailstorm.”

13 So Moses raised his staff over Egypt, and the Lord caused an east wind to blow over the land all that day and through the night. When morning arrived, the east wind had brought the locusts. 14 And the locusts swarmed over the whole land of Egypt, settling in dense swarms from one end of the country to the other. It was the worst locust plague in Egyptian history, and there has never been another one like it. 15 For the locusts covered the whole country and darkened the land. They devoured every plant in the fields and all the fruit on the trees that had survived the hailstorm. Not a single leaf was left on the trees and plants throughout the land of Egypt.

16 Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you,” he confessed. 17 “Forgive my sin, just this once, and plead with the Lord your God to take away this death from me.”

18 So Moses left Pharaoh’s court and pleaded with the Lord. 19 The Lord responded by shifting the wind, and the strong west wind blew the locusts into the Red Sea.[l] Not a single locust remained in all the land of Egypt. 20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart again, so he refused to let the people go.

A Plague of Darkness

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward heaven, and the land of Egypt will be covered with a darkness so thick you can feel it.” 22 So Moses lifted his hand to the sky, and a deep darkness covered the entire land of Egypt for three days. 23 During all that time the people could not see each other, and no one moved. But there was light as usual where the people of Israel lived.

24 Finally, Pharaoh called for Moses. “Go and worship the Lord,” he said. “But leave your flocks and herds here. You may even take your little ones with you.”

25 “No,” Moses said, “you must provide us with animals for sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord our God. 26 All our livestock must go with us, too; not a hoof can be left behind. We must choose our sacrifices for the Lord our God from among these animals. And we won’t know how we are to worship the Lord until we get there.”

27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart once more, and he would not let them go. 28 “Get out of here!” Pharaoh shouted at Moses. “I’m warning you. Never come back to see me again! The day you see my face, you will die!”

29 “Very well,” Moses replied. “I will never see your face again.”

Death for Egypt’s Firstborn

11 Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will strike Pharaoh and the land of Egypt with one more blow. After that, Pharaoh will let you leave this country. In fact, he will be so eager to get rid of you that he will force you all to leave. 2 Tell all the Israelite men and women to ask their Egyptian neighbors for articles of silver and gold.” 3 (Now the Lord had caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the people of Israel. And Moses was considered a very great man in the land of Egypt, respected by Pharaoh’s officials and the Egyptian people alike.)

4 Moses had announced to Pharaoh, “This is what the Lord says: At midnight tonight I will pass through the heart of Egypt. 5 All the firstborn sons will die in every family in Egypt, from the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, to the oldest son of his lowliest servant girl who grinds the flour. Even the firstborn of all the livestock will die. 6 Then a loud wail will rise throughout the land of Egypt, a wail like no one has heard before or will ever hear again. 7 But among the Israelites it will be so peaceful that not even a dog will bark. Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites. 8 All the officials of Egypt will run to me and fall to the ground before me. ‘Please leave!’ they will beg. ‘Hurry! And take all your followers with you.’ Only then will I go!” Then, burning with anger, Moses left Pharaoh.

9 Now the Lord had told Moses earlier, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, but then I will do even more mighty miracles in the land of Egypt.” 10 Moses and Aaron performed these miracles in Pharaoh’s presence, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he wouldn’t let the Israelites leave the country.

The First Passover

12 While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the Lord gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron: 2 “From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. 3 Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household. 4 If a family is too small to eat a whole animal, let them share with another family in the neighborhood. Divide the animal according to the size of each family and how much they can eat. 5 The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects.

6 “Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. 7 They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal. 8 That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water. The whole animal—including the head, legs, and internal organs—must be roasted over a fire. 10 Do not leave any of it until the next morning. Burn whatever is not eaten before morning.

11 “These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed,[m] wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the Lord’s Passover. 12 On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the Lord! 13 But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.

14 “This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the Lord. This is a law for all time. 15 For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. On the first day of the festival, remove every trace of yeast from your homes. Anyone who eats bread made with yeast during the seven days of the festival will be cut off from the community of Israel. 16 On the first day of the festival and again on the seventh day, all the people must observe an official day for holy assembly. No work of any kind may be done on these days except in the preparation of food.

17 “Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread, for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day. This festival will be a permanent law for you; celebrate this day from generation to generation. 18 The bread you eat must be made without yeast from the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day of that month. 19 During those seven days, there must be no trace of yeast in your homes. Anyone who eats anything made with yeast during this week will be cut off from the community of Israel. These regulations apply both to the foreigners living among you and to the native-born Israelites. 20 During those days you must not eat anything made with yeast. Wherever you live, eat only bread made without yeast.”

21 Then Moses called all the elders of Israel together and said to them, “Go, pick out a lamb or young goat for each of your families, and slaughter the Passover animal. 22 Drain the blood into a basin. Then take a bundle of hyssop branches and dip it into the blood. Brush the hyssop across the top and sides of the doorframes of your houses. And no one may go out through the door until morning. 23 For the Lord will pass through the land to strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the Lord will pass over your home. He will not permit his death angel to enter your house and strike you down.

24 “Remember, these instructions are a permanent law that you and your descendants must observe forever. 25 When you enter the land the Lord has promised to give you, you will continue to observe this ceremony. 26 Then your children will ask, ‘What does this ceremony mean?’ 27 And you will reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. And though he struck the Egyptians, he spared our families.’” When Moses had finished speaking, all the people bowed down to the ground and worshiped.

28 So the people of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded through Moses and Aaron. 29 And that night at midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed. 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died.

Israel’s Exodus from Egypt

31 Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron during the night. “Get out!” he ordered. “Leave my people—and take the rest of the Israelites with you! Go and worship the Lord as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds, as you said, and be gone. Go, but bless me as you leave.” 33 All the Egyptians urged the people of Israel to get out of the land as quickly as possible, for they thought, “We will all die!”

34 The Israelites took their bread dough before yeast was added. They wrapped their kneading boards in their cloaks and carried them on their shoulders. 35 And the people of Israel did as Moses had instructed; they asked the Egyptians for clothing and articles of silver and gold. 36 The Lord caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth!

37 That night the people of Israel left Rameses and started for Succoth. There were about 600,000 men,[n] plus all the women and children. 38 A rabble of non-Israelites went with them, along with great flocks and herds of livestock. 39 For bread they baked flat cakes from the dough without yeast they had brought from Egypt. It was made without yeast because the people were driven out of Egypt in such a hurry that they had no time to prepare the bread or other food.

40 The people of Israel had lived in Egypt[o] for 430 years. 41 In fact, it was on the last day of the 430th year that all the Lord’s forces left the land. 42 On this night the Lord kept his promise to bring his people out of the land of Egypt. So this night belongs to him, and it must be commemorated every year by all the Israelites, from generation to generation.

Instructions for the Passover

43 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the instructions for the festival of Passover. No outsiders are allowed to eat the Passover meal. 44 But any slave who has been purchased may eat it if he has been circumcised. 45 Temporary residents and hired servants may not eat it. 46 Each Passover lamb must be eaten in one house. Do not carry any of its meat outside, and do not break any of its bones. 47 The whole community of Israel must celebrate this Passover festival.

48 “If there are foreigners living among you who want to celebrate the Lord’s Passover, let all their males be circumcised. Only then may they celebrate the Passover with you like any native-born Israelite. But no uncircumcised male may ever eat the Passover meal. 49 This instruction applies to everyone, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner living among you.”

50 So all the people of Israel followed all the Lord’s commands to Moses and Aaron. 51 On that very day the Lord brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt like an army.

Footnotes

  1. 7:9 Hebrew tannin, which elsewhere refers to a sea monster. Greek version translates it “dragon.”
  2. 7:14 Hebrew heavy.
  3. 8:1 Verses 8:1-4 are numbered 7:26-29 in Hebrew text.
  4. 8:5 Verses 8:5-32 are numbered 8:1-28 in Hebrew text.
  5. 8:15 Hebrew made his heart heavy; also in 8:32.
  6. 8:23 As in Greek and Latin versions; Hebrew reads I will set redemption between.
  7. 9:7 Hebrew heavy.
  8. 9:14 Hebrew on your heart.
  9. 9:16 Greek version reads to display my power in you; compare Rom 9:17.
  10. 9:34 Hebrew made his heart heavy.
  11. 10:1 Hebrew have made his heart and his officials’ hearts heavy.
  12. 10:19 Hebrew sea of reeds.
  13. 12:11 Hebrew Bind up your loins.
  14. 12:37 Or fighting men; Hebrew reads men on foot.
  15. 12:40 Samaritan Pentateuch reads in Canaan and Egypt; Greek version reads in Egypt and Canaan.
Next
Exodus 6
Exodus 13
Next
dropdown
New International Version (NIV)

Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.

July Summer Surge

More on the NIV

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Learn the Bible in 30 days
New American Standard Bible (NASB)

New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.

New American Standard Bible is made available by The Lockman Foundation
New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.