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The Death of the Firstborn

11 Now the Lord had told Moses, “I have one more ·way to punish the king and the people of [L plague to bring on Pharaoh and] Egypt. After this, ·the king [L he] will send all of you away from ·Egypt [L this place]. When he does, he will ·force you to leave completely [drive you away]. Tell ·the men and women of Israel [L in the hearing of the people] ·to ask their neighbors [that each man should ask his neighbor and each woman should ask her neighbor] for things made of silver and gold.” The Lord had caused the Egyptians to ·respect [show favor to] the Israelites, and both ·the king’s [L Pharaoh’s] officers and the Egyptian people considered Moses to be a great man.

So Moses said to ·the king [L him], “This is what the Lord says: ‘About midnight tonight I will go through all Egypt. Every firstborn son in the land of Egypt will die—from the firstborn son of ·the king [L Pharaoh], who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the slave girl ·grinding grain [L who is behind the handmill]. Also the firstborn farm animals will die. There will be loud outcries everywhere in Egypt, worse than any time before or after this. But not even a dog will ·bark [growl] at the ·Israelites [L the sons/T children of Israel] or their animals.’ Then you will know that the Lord ·treats Israel differently from [makes a distinction between Israel and] Egypt. All your officers will come to me. They will bow facedown to the ground before me and say, ‘Leave and take all your people ·with you [who follow you; L who are on your foot].’ After that, I will leave.” Then Moses very angrily left ·the king [L Pharaoh].

The Lord had told Moses, “·The king [L Pharaoh] will not listen to ·you and Aaron [L you] so that I may do many ·miracles [wonders] in the land of Egypt.” 10 Moses and Aaron did all these great ·miracles [wonders] in front of ·the king [L Pharaoh]. But the Lord ·made him stubborn [L hardened the heart of Pharaoh], and the king would not let the ·Israelites [L sons/T children of Israel] leave his country.

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The Last Plague

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

Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘About (E)midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, and (F)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. So there shall be (G)a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again. (H)But not even a dog will [c]threaten any of the sons of Israel, nor anything from person to animal, so that you may [d]learn how the Lord distinguishes between Egypt and Israel.’ And (I)all these servants of yours will come down to me and bow themselves [e]before me, saying, ‘Go out, you and all the people who [f]follow you,’ and after that I will go out.” (J)And he left Pharaoh in the heat of anger.

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

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 11:2 Lit in the ears of the people that
  2. Exodus 11:3 Lit very great
  3. Exodus 11:7 Lit move its tongue
  4. Exodus 11:7 Lit know
  5. Exodus 11:8 Lit to
  6. Exodus 11:8 Lit are at your feet
  7. Exodus 11:10 Lit made strong