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The Plague of Dying Egyptian Livestock

Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Come to Pharaoh and speak to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, “(A)Let My people go, that they may serve Me. For (B)if you refuse to let them go and [a]continue to hold them, behold, (C)the hand of Yahweh [b]will come with a very heavy pestilence on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks. (D)But Yahweh will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that (E)nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.”’” Yahweh also set a definite time, saying, “Tomorrow Yahweh will do this thing in the land.” So Yahweh did this thing on the next day, and (F)all the livestock of Egypt died; (G)but of the livestock of the sons of Israel, not one died. And Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead. But (H)the heart of Pharaoh was [c]hardened with firmness, and he did not let the people go.

The Plague of Boils

Then Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of soot from a kiln, and let Moses toss it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. And it will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and it will become (I)boils breaking out with sores on man and beast through all the land of Egypt.” 10 So they took the soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses tossed it toward the sky, and it became boils breaking out with sores on man and beast. 11 (J)And the [d]magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians [e]as well as on all the Egyptians. 12 And (K)Yahweh [f]hardened Pharaoh’s heart with strength, and he did not listen to them, just as Yahweh had spoken to Moses.

The Plague of Hail

13 And Yahweh said to Moses, “(L)Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, and you shall say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, “(M)Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 14 For this time I will send all My plagues against your heart and amongst your servants and your people, so that (N)you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. 15 For if by now I had sent forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been wiped out from the earth. 16 But, indeed, (O)for this reason I have caused you to stand, in order to show you My power and in order to recount My name through all the earth. 17 Still you [g]exalt yourself against My people [h]by not letting them go. 18 Behold, about this time tomorrow, (P)I will rain down very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded [i]until now. 19 So now, send, bring (Q)your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. (R)Every man and beast that is found in the field and is not brought home, the hail will come down on them, and they will die.”’” 20 (S)The one among the servants of Pharaoh who [j]feared the word of Yahweh made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses; 21 but he who did not [k]consider in his heart the word of Yahweh [l]left his servants and his livestock in the field.

22 Now Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that (T)there may be hail on all the land of Egypt, on man and on beast and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.” 23 So Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and Yahweh gave forth [m]thunder and (U)hail, and fire went down to the earth. And Yahweh rained down hail on the land of Egypt. 24 So there was hail, and fire [n]flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 (V)And the hail struck all that was in the field through all the land of Egypt, from man to beast; the hail also struck every plant of the field and shattered every tree of the field. 26 (W)Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail.

27 Then Pharaoh (X)sent and called for Moses and Aaron and said to them, “(Y)I have sinned this time; Yahweh is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones. 28 (Z)Entreat Yahweh, for God’s [o]thunder and hail are too much; and (AA)I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” 29 And Moses said to him, “As soon as I go out of the city, I will (AB)spread out my [p]hands to Yahweh; the [q]thunder will cease, and there will be hail no longer, that you may know that (AC)the earth is Yahweh’s. 30 (AD)But as for you and your servants, I know that (AE)you do not yet [r]fear [s]Yahweh God.” 31 (Now the flax and the (AF)barley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the spelt were not struck down, for they are late-ripening.) 33 (AG)And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and spread out his [t]hands to Yahweh; and the [u]thunder and the hail ceased, and rain [v]no longer poured on the earth. 34 But Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the [w]thunder had ceased. So he sinned again and [x]hardened his heart with firmness, he and his servants. 35 And Pharaoh’s heart was [y]hardened with strength, and he did not let the sons of Israel go, just as (AH)Yahweh had spoken by the hand of Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 9:2 Lit still hold
  2. Exodus 9:3 Lit will be
  3. Exodus 9:7 Or glorified, cf. 14:4; lit heavy
  4. Exodus 9:11 Or soothsayer priests
  5. Exodus 9:11 Lit and on all
  6. Exodus 9:12 Lit strengthened
  7. Exodus 9:17 Lit Or build up
  8. Exodus 9:17 Lit so as not to let
  9. Exodus 9:18 Lit and until now
  10. Exodus 9:20 Or reverenced
  11. Exodus 9:21 Lit set
  12. Exodus 9:21 Lit then left
  13. Exodus 9:23 Lit sounds
  14. Exodus 9:24 Lit taking hold of itself
  15. Exodus 9:28 Lit sounds
  16. Exodus 9:29 Lit palms
  17. Exodus 9:29 Lit sounds
  18. Exodus 9:30 Or reverence
  19. Exodus 9:30 Lit before Yahweh God
  20. Exodus 9:33 Lit palms
  21. Exodus 9:33 Lit sounds
  22. Exodus 9:33 Lit was not poured
  23. Exodus 9:34 Lit sounds
  24. Exodus 9:34 Or glorified, cf. 14:4; lit made heavy
  25. Exodus 9:35 Lit strengthened

The Plague on the Egyptian Cattle

Then the Lord told Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord God of the Hebrews says: “Let my people go so they may serve[a] me. But if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them, then the hand of the Lord will come[b] with a very severe plague on your livestock in the fields, on horses, on donkeys, on camels, on cattle, and on sheep. The Lord will distinguish between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of the Egyptians, so that nothing that belongs to the Israelis will die.”’”

The Lord set the time: “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” The Lord did this thing the next day, and all the livestock of the Egyptians died. But not one of the livestock died that belonged to the Israelis. Then Pharaoh inquired and discovered[c] that not a single one of the livestock of Israel had died, but Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn[d] and he would not let the people go.

The Plague of Boils

Then the Lord told Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a kiln, and let Moses throw it into the air[e] in front of Pharaoh. The soot[f] will become dust over the entire land of Egypt, and it will become boils erupting into sores on people and animals throughout the land of Egypt.”

10 So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. Then Moses threw it into the air,[g] and it became boils producing running sores on people and animals. 11 The magicians were not able to stand before Moses because of the boils, because the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. 12 The Lord made Pharaoh’s heart stubborn[h] so that he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had told Moses.

The Plague of Hail

13 Then the Lord told Moses, “Get up early in the morning, present yourself to Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord God of the Hebrews says: “Let my people go so they may serve[i] me. 14 Indeed, this time I’m sending all my plagues against you[j], your officials,[k] and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15 Indeed, by now I could have sent forth my hand and struck you and your people with a plague, and you would have been destroyed from the earth. 16 However, I’ve kept you standing[l] in order to show you my power and to declare my name in all the earth. 17 You are still acting arrogantly against my people by not letting them go. 18 Look! About this time tomorrow, I’ll send a severe hail storm, such as has not happened in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19 So send for your livestock and everything that belongs to you that’s out in the field, because[m] every person and animal found in the field that has not been brought inside to shelters will die when the hail comes down on them.”’”

20 Whoever feared the message from the Lord among Pharaoh’s officials[n] made his servants and livestock flee into shelters. 21 But whoever did not pay attention[o] to the message from the Lord left his servants and his livestock outside in the fields.

22 Then the Lord told Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, and there will be hail in all the land of Egypt, on people, animals, and all the vegetation of the field throughout the land of Egypt.” 23 When Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. The Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt.

24 There was very heavy hail, and lightning was flashing continuously in the midst of the hail. There had not been anything like it in the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. 25 The hail struck everything, including people and animals, outside in the fields throughout the land of Egypt. The hail struck all the vegetation of the fields and shattered all the trees in the orchards. 26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelis were, was there no hail.

27 Pharaoh sent word[p] and called for Moses and Aaron. “I’ve sinned this time,” he told them. “The Lord is righteous, but I and my people are wicked. 28 Pray to the Lord! There has been enough of God’s thunder and hail! I’ll let you go, and you need not stay any longer.”

29 Moses told him, “When I leave the city I’ll spread out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease and the hail won’t continue, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the Lord. 30 But as for you and your officials,[q] I know that you don’t yet fear the Lord God.” 31 (Now the flax and the barley were ruined because the barley was in ear and the flax was in bud. 32 The wheat and the wild grain[r] were not ruined because they were late crops.)

33 Then Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and spread out his hands to the Lord. The thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured out on the land. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had stopped, he continued to sin. He, along with his officials,[s] hardened his heart. 35 Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn,[t] and he did not let the Israelis go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 9:1 Or worship
  2. Exodus 9:3 Lit. be
  3. Exodus 9:7 Lit. sent and behold
  4. Exodus 9:7 Lit. strong
  5. Exodus 9:8 Lit. toward heaven
  6. Exodus 9:9 Lit. it
  7. Exodus 9:10 Lit. toward heaven
  8. Exodus 9:12 Lit. strong; i.e. determined
  9. Exodus 9:13 Or worship
  10. Exodus 9:14 Lit. to your heart
  11. Exodus 9:14 Or servants
  12. Exodus 9:16 Or allowed you to live; Lit. caused you to stand
  13. Exodus 9:19 Lit. and
  14. Exodus 9:20 Or servants
  15. Exodus 9:21 Lit. set his heart
  16. Exodus 9:27 The Heb. lacks word
  17. Exodus 9:30 Or servants
  18. Exodus 9:32 Or spelt
  19. Exodus 9:34 Or servants
  20. Exodus 9:35 Lit. strong