Exodus 9

Egyptian Cattle Die

1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “1Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 2For 2if you refuse to let them go and 3continue to hold them, 3behold, 4the hand of the Lord 5will come with a very severe 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. 46But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that 7nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.”’” 5The Lord set a definite time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” 6So the Lord did this thing on the next day, and 8all the livestock of Egypt died; 9but of the livestock of the sons of Israel, not one died. 7Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead. But 10the heart of Pharaoh was 11hardened, and he did not let the people go.

The Plague of Boils

8Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of soot from a kiln, and let Moses throw it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. 9It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and will become 12boils breaking out with sores on man and beast through all the land of Egypt.” 10So they took soot from a kiln, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses threw it toward the sky, and it became boils breaking out with sores on man and beast. 1113The 14magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians 15as well as on all the Egyptians. 12And 16the Lord 17hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

13Then the Lord said to Moses, “18Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “19Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 14For this time I will send all My plagues 20on you and your servants and your people, so that 21you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. 15For if by now I had put forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been cut off from the earth. 16But, indeed, 22for this reason I have allowed you to 23remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth. 17Still you exalt yourself against My people 24by not letting them go.

The Plague of Hail

18Behold, about this time tomorrow, 25I will 26send a very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded 27until now. 19Now therefore send, bring 28your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. 29Every man and beast that is found in the field and is not brought home, when the hail comes down on them, will die.”’” 2030The one among the servants of Pharaoh who 31feared the word of the Lord made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses; 21but he who 32paid no regard to the word of the Lord 33left his servants and his livestock in the field.

22Now the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that 3435hail may fall on all the land of Egypt, on man and on beast and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.” 23Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and the Lord 36sent 37thunder and 38hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. 24So there was hail, and fire 39flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very severe, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 2540The hail struck all that was in the field through all the land of Egypt, both man and beast; the hail also struck every plant of the field and shattered every tree of the field. 2641Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail.

27Then Pharaoh 4243sent for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “44I have sinned this time; the Lord is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones. 2845Make supplication to the Lord, for there has been enough of God’s 46thunder and hail; and 47I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” 29Moses said to him, “As soon as I go out of the city, I will 48spread out my 49hands to the Lord; the 50thunder will cease and there will be hail no longer, that you may know that 51the earth is the Lord’s. 3052But as for you and your servants, I know that 53you do not yet 54fear 55the Lord God.” 31(Now the flax and the 56barley were 57ruined, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32But the wheat and the spelt were not 58ruined, for they ripen late.) 3359So Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread out his 60hands to the Lord; and the 61thunder and the hail ceased, and rain 62no longer poured on the earth. 34But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the 63thunder had ceased, he sinned again and 64hardened his heart, he and his servants. 35Pharaoh’s heart was 65hardened, and he did not let the sons of Israel go, just as the 66Lord had spoken through Moses.