Exodus 9
Legacy Standard Bible
The Plague of Dying Egyptian Livestock
9 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. 2 For (B)if you refuse to let them go and [a]continue to hold them, 3 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. 4 (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.”’” 5 Yahweh also set a definite time, saying, “Tomorrow Yahweh will do this thing in the land.” 6 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. 7 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
8 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. 9 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
- Exodus 9:2 Lit still hold
- Exodus 9:3 Lit will be
- Exodus 9:7 Or glorified, cf. 14:4; lit heavy
- Exodus 9:11 Or soothsayer priests
- Exodus 9:11 Lit and on all
- Exodus 9:12 Lit strengthened
- Exodus 9:17 Or build up
- Exodus 9:17 Lit so as not to let
- Exodus 9:18 Lit and until now
- Exodus 9:20 Or reverenced
- Exodus 9:21 Lit set
- Exodus 9:21 Lit then left
- Exodus 9:23 Lit sounds
- Exodus 9:24 Lit taking hold of itself
- Exodus 9:28 Lit sounds
- Exodus 9:29 Lit palms
- Exodus 9:29 Lit sounds
- Exodus 9:30 Or reverence
- Exodus 9:30 Lit before Yahweh God
- Exodus 9:33 Lit palms
- Exodus 9:33 Lit sounds
- Exodus 9:33 Lit was not poured
- Exodus 9:34 Lit sounds
- Exodus 9:34 Or glorified, cf. 14:4; lit made heavy
- Exodus 9:35 Lit strengthened
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
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