Death of the Firstborn Announced(A)

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

Then Moses said, “Thus says the Lord: (G)‘About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; and (H)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. (I)Then there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, (J)such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again. (K)But against none of the children of Israel (L)shall a dog [a]move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the Lord does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.’ And (M)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.” (N)Then he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.

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

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 11:7 sharpen

Announcement of the Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn

11 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Still one plague I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt; afterward he will release you from here. At the moment of his releasing, he will certainly drive you completely out from here. Speak in the ears of the people, and let them ask, a man from his neighbor and a woman from her neighbor, for objects of silver and objects of gold.” And Yahweh gave the people favor in the eyes of Egypt. Also the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the eyes of the servants of Pharaoh and in the eyes of the people.

And Moses said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘About the middle of the night I will go out through the midst of Egypt, and every firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the slave woman who is behind the pair of millstones and every firstborn animal.[a] And there will be a great cry of distress in all the land of Egypt, the like of which has not been nor will be again.[b] But against all the Israelites,[c] from a man to an animal, a dog will not even bark,[d] so that you will know that Yahweh makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ And all of these your servants will come down to me and bow to me, saying, ‘Go out, you and all the people who are at your feet.’ And afterward I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.[e]

And Yahweh said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that my wonders may multiply[f] in the land of Egypt.” 10 And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not release the Israelites[g] from his land.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 11:5 The Hebrew word often refers to domestic animals
  2. Exodus 11:6 Literally “which like it has not been and like it will not be again”
  3. Exodus 11:7 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  4. Exodus 11:7 Literally “move his tongue” or “sharpen his tongue”
  5. Exodus 11:8 Literally “with heat of nose”
  6. Exodus 11:9 Literally “for the sake of the multiplying of my wonders”
  7. Exodus 11:10 Literally “sons/children of Israel”