Exodus 9:22-32

22Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Lift up your hand towards the sky. Then hail will fall over all the country of Egypt. It will fall on people and on animals. It will fall on all the plants that grow in the fields of Egypt.’

23When Moses lifted up his stick towards the sky, the Lord sent a great storm. He sent thunder, hail and lightning.

24The hail fell and there was lightning like fire. It was the worst storm anywhere in Egypt since Egypt had become a nation.

25Everywhere in Egypt, the hail knocked down everything that was in the fields. It knocked down both people and animals. It knocked down all the plants in the fields and it broke all the trees.

26But no hail fell in the region of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.

27Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron to come to him. He said to them, ‘This time, I have done a bad thing. The Lord is right. I and my people are guilty.

28The storms with the thunder and the hail are too much for us! Pray to the Lord to take them away. Then I will let you go! You do not need to stay any longer in Egypt.’

29Then Moses said to Pharaoh, ‘As soon as I leave the city, I will lift my hands to the Lord and I will pray to him. The storm will stop and there will be no more hail. Then you will know that the whole world belongs to the Lord.

30But I know you and your officers. You still do not respect the Lord God.’

31At that time, the barley was ripe in the fields and the flax was nearly ripe. So the storm of hail destroyed the flax and the barley.

32But the hail did not destroy the wheat and other grains. Those crops become ripe later in the year.