Exodus 9
Complete Jewish Bible
9 Then Adonai said to Moshe, “Go to Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘Here is what Adonai, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they can worship me. 2 If you refuse to let them go and persist in holding on to them, 3 the hand of Adonai is on your livestock in the field — on the horses, donkeys, camels, cattle and flocks — and will make them suffer a devastating illness. 4 But Adonai will distinguish between Egypt’s and Isra’el’s livestock — nothing belonging to the people of Isra’el will die.”’” 5 Adonai determined the exact time by saying, “Tomorrow Adonai will do this in the land.” 6 The following day, Adonai did it — all the livestock of Egypt died; but not one of the animals belonging to the people of Isra’el died. 7 Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the people of Isra’el had died. Nevertheless, Pharaoh’s heart remained stubborn, and he didn’t let the people go.
8 Adonai said to Moshe and Aharon, “Take handfuls of ashes from a kiln, and let Moshe throw them in the air before Pharaoh’s eyes. 9 They will turn into fine dust over all the land of Egypt and become infected sores on men and animals throughout Egypt.” 10 So they took ashes from a kiln, stood in front of Pharaoh and threw them in the air; and they became infected sores on men and animals. 11 The magicians couldn’t even stand in Moshe’s presence because of the sores, which were on them as well as on the other Egyptians. 12 But Adonai made Pharaoh hardhearted, so that he didn’t listen to them — just as Adonai had said to Moshe.
13 Adonai said to Moshe, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Here is what Adonai says: “Let my people go, so that they can worship me. 14 For this time, I will inflict my plagues on you, yourself, and on your officials and your people; so that you will realize that I am without equal in all the earth. 15 By now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with such severe plagues that you would have been wiped off the earth. 16 But it is for this very reason that I have kept you alive — to show you my power, and so that my name may resound throughout the whole earth. (vii) 17 Since you are still setting yourself up against my people and not letting them go, 18 tomorrow, about this time, I will cause a hailstorm so heavy that Egypt has had nothing like it from the day it was founded until now. 19 Therefore, send and hurry to bring indoors all your livestock and everything else you have in the field. For hail will fall on every human being and animal left in the field that hasn’t been brought home, and they will die.”’”
20 Whoever among Pharaoh’s servants feared what Adonai had said had his slaves and livestock escape into the houses; 21 but those who had no regard for what Adonai had said left their slaves and livestock in the field.
22 Adonai said to Moshe, “Reach out your hand toward the sky, so that there will be hail in all the land of Egypt, falling on people, animals and everything growing in the field, throughout the land of Egypt.” 23 Moshe reached out with his staff toward the sky, and Adonai sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. Adonai caused it to hail on the land of Egypt — 24 it hailed, and fire flashed up with the hail; it was terrible, worse than any hailstorm in all of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 Throughout all the land of Egypt, the hail struck everything in the field, people and animals; and the hail struck every plant growing in the field and broke every tree there. 26 But in the land of Goshen, where the people of Isra’el were, there was no hail.
27 Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon and said to them, “This time I have sinned: Adonai is in the right; I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Intercede with Adonai — we can’t take any more of this terrible thunder and hail; and I will let you go, you will stay no longer.” 29 Moshe said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to Adonai; the thunder will end, and there won’t be any more hail — so that you can know that the earth belongs to Adonai. 30 But you and your servants, I know you still won’t fear Adonai, God.” 31 The flax and barley were ruined, because the barley was ripe and the flax in bud. 32 But the wheat and buckwheat were not ruined, because they come up later. (Maftir) 33 Moshe went out of the city, away from Pharaoh, and spread out his hands to Adonai. The thunder and hail ended, and the rain stopped pouring down on the earth. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail and thunder had ended, he sinned still more by making himself hardhearted, he and his servants. 35 Pharaoh was made hardhearted, and he didn’t let the people of Isra’el go, just as Adonai had said through Moshe.
Haftarah Va’era: Yechezk’el (Ezekiel) 28:25–29:21
B’rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Va’era: Romans 9:14–17; 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1
Shemot 9
Orthodox Jewish Bible
9 Then Hashem said unto Moshe, Go in unto Pharaoh, tell him, Thus saith Hashem Elohei HaIvrim, Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
2 For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,
3 Hinei, the Yad Hashem is upon thy mikneh (livestock) which is in the sadeh, upon the susim, upon the donkeys, upon the camels, upon the herd, and upon the tzon; there shall be a very grievous dever.
4 And Hashem shall separate between the mikneh Yisroel and the mikneh Mitzrayim; and there shall nothing die of all that belongs to the Bnei Yisroel.
5 And Hashem appointed a mo’ed, saying, Tomorrow Hashem shall do this thing in the land.
6 And Hashem did that thing on the next day, and all the mikneh of Mitzrayim died; but of the mikneh of the Bnei Yisroel died not one.
7 And Pharaoh sent, and, hinei, there was not one of the mikneh Yisroel dead. And the lev Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let HaAm go.
8 And Hashem said unto Moshe and unto Aharon, Take to you handfuls of piach of the furnace, and let Moshe sprinkle it toward Shomayim in the sight of Pharaoh.
9 And it shall become fine dust in kol Eretz Mitzrayim, and shall be a sh’khin (boil) breaking forth with festers upon adam, and upon behemah, throughout kol Eretz Mitzrayim.
10 And they took piach of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moshe sprinkled it up toward Shomayim; and it became a sh’khin breaking forth with festers upon adam, and upon behemah.
11 And the kharetumim could not stand before Moshe because of the sh’khin; for the sh’khin was upon the kharetumim, and upon kol Mitzrayim.
12 And Hashem hardened the lev Pharaoh, and he paid heed not unto them; as Hashem had spoken unto Moshe.
13 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Rise up early in the boker, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith Hashem Elohei HaIvrim, Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
14 For I will at this time send all My maggefot upon thine lev, and upon thy avadim, and upon thy people; that thou mayest have da’as that there is none like Me in kol ha’aretz.
15 For now I will stretch out My Yad, that I may strike thee and thy people with dever; and thou shalt be cut off from ha’aretz.
16 In fact for this cause have I raised thee up, for to show in thee My ko’ach; and that My Shem may be declared throughout kol ha’aretz.
17 Thou still are exalting thyself against My people, that thou wilt not let them go.
18 Hinei, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain very grievous barad (hail), such as hath not been in Mitzrayim since the foundation thereof even until now.
19 Send therefore now, and gather thy mikneh, and all that thou hast in the sadeh; for upon every adam (man) and behemah (beast) which shall be found in the sadeh, and shall not be brought into shelter, the barad shall come down upon them, and they shall die.
20 He that feared the Devar Hashem among the avadim of Pharaoh made his avadim and his mikneh flee into the shelters;
21 And he that took not to heart the Devar Hashem left his avadim and his mikneh in the sadeh.
22 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Stretch forth thine yad toward Shomayim, that there may be barad in kol Eretz Mitzrayim, upon adam, and upon behemah, and upon kol esev hasadeh, throughout Eretz Mitzrayim.
23 And Moshe stretched forth his matteh toward Shomayim; and Hashem sent thunder and barad, and the eish flashed down upon the ground; and Hashem rained barad upon Eretz Mitzrayim.
24 So there was barad, and eish mingled with the barad, very grievous, such as there was none like it in kol Eretz Mitzrayim since it became a nation.
25 And the barad struck throughout kol Eretz Mitzrayim all that was in the sadeh, both adam and behemah; the barad struck kol esev hasadeh, and beat down kol etz of the sadeh.
26 Only in Eretz Goshen, where the Bnei Yisroel were, was there no barad.
27 And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moshe and Aharon, and said unto them, chatati (I have sinned) this time: Hashem HaTzaddik (is righteous), and I and my people are haresha’im (wicked, guilty, wrong).
28 Entreat Hashem for it is enough, that there be no more Elohim thunderings and barad; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.
29 And Moshe said unto him, As soon as I am gone out of the Ir, I will spread out my palms [davening] unto Hashem; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more barad; that thou mayest have da’as that ha’aretz is Hashem’s.
30 But as for thee and thy avadim, I know that ye will not yet fear Hashem Elohim.
31 And the flax and the barley was struck; for the barley was ripe, and the flax was in bud.
32 But the wheat and the spelt were not struck; for they were not yet come up.
33 And Moshe went out of the Ir from Pharaoh, and spread out his palms [davening] unto Hashem; and the thunders and barad ceased, and the rain was not poured upon ha’aretz.
34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the barad and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his lev, he and his avadim.
35 And the lev Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the Bnei Yisroel go; as Hashem had spoken by Moshe.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
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