Exodus 9

A Plague against Livestock

9"Go back to Pharaoh," the LORD commanded Moses. "Tell him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me.H3068H559H4872H935H6547H1696H559H3068H430H5680H5971H7971H56472If you continue to hold them and refuse to let them go,H3986H7971H23883the hand of the LORD will strike all your livestock—your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats—with a deadly plague.H3027H3068H1961H4735H7704H5483H2543H1581H1241H6629H3966H3515H16984But the LORD will again make a distinction between the livestock of the Israelites and that of the Egyptians. Not a single one of Israel's animals will die!H3068H6395H4735H3478H4735H4714H1697H4191H1121H34785The LORD has already set the time for the plague to begin. He has declared that he will strike the land tomorrow.'"H3068H7760H4150H559H4279H3068H6213H1697H7766And the LORD did just as he had said. The next morning all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but the Israelites didn't lose a single animal.H3068H6213H1697H4283H4735H4714H4191H4735H1121H3478H4191H2597Pharaoh sent his officials to investigate, and they discovered that the Israelites had not lost a single animal! But even so, Pharaoh's heart remained stubborn

, and he still refused to let the people go.H6547H7971H259H4735H3478H4191H3820H6547H3513H5971H7971

A Plague of Festering Boils

8Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from a brick kiln, and have Moses toss it into the air while Pharaoh watches.H3068H559H4872H175H3947H2651H4393H6368H3536H4872H2236H8064H5869H65479The ashes will spread like fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, causing festering boils to break out on people and animals throughout the land."H80H776H4714H7822H6524H76H120H929H776H471410So they took soot from a brick kiln and went and stood before Pharaoh. As Pharaoh watched, Moses threw the soot into the air, and boils broke out on people and animals alike.H3947H6368H3536H5975H6440H6547H4872H2236H8064H7822H6524H76H120H92911Even the magicians were unable to stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and all the Egyptians.H2748H3201H5975H6440H4872H6440H7822H7822H2748H471412But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and just as the LORD had predicted to Moses, Pharaoh refused to listen.H3068H2388H3820H6547H8085H3068H1696H4872

A Plague of Hail

13Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. Tell him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me.H3068H559H4872H7925H1242H3320H6440H6547H559H559H3068H430H5680H5971H7971H564714If you don't, I will send more plagues on you

and your officials and your people. Then you will know that there is no one like me in all the earth.H6471H7971H4046H3820H5650H5971H3045H77615By now I could have lifted my hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the face of the earth.H7971H3027H5221H5971H1698H3582H77616But I have spared you for a purpose—to show you my power

and to spread my fame throughout the earth.H199H5668H5975H7200H3581H8034H5608H77617But you still lord it over my people and refuse to let them go.H5549H5971H797118So tomorrow at this time I will send a hailstorm more devastating than any in all the history of Egypt.H4279H6256H4305H3966H3515H1259H3644H4714H4480H3117H324519Quick! Order your livestock and servants to come in from the fields to find shelter. Any person or animal left outside will die when the hail falls.'"H7971H5756H4735H7704H120H929H4672H7704H622H1004H1259H3381H419120Some of Pharaoh's officials were afraid because of what the LORD had said. They quickly brought their servants and livestock in from the fields.H3373H1697H3068H5650H6547H5650H4735H5127H100421But those who paid no attention to the word of the LORD left theirs out in the open.H7760H3820H1697H3068H5800H5650H4735H770422Then the LORD said to Moses, "Lift your hand toward the sky so hail may fall on the people, the livestock, and all the plants throughout the land of Egypt."H3068H559H4872H5186H3027H8064H1259H776H4714H120H929H6212H7704H776H471423So Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed toward the earth. The LORD sent a tremendous hailstorm against all the land of Egypt.H4872H5186H4294H8064H3068H5414H6963H1259H784H1980H776H3068H4305H1259H776H471424Never in all the history of Egypt had there been a storm like that, with such devastating hail and continuous lightning.H1259H784H3947H8432H1259H3966H3515H3808H776H4714H147125It left all of Egypt in ruins. The hail struck down everything in the open field—people, animals, and plants alike. Even the trees were destroyed.H1259H5221H776H4714H7704H120H929H1259H5221H6212H7704H7665H6086H770426The only place without hail was the region of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived.H776H1657H1121H3478H125927Then Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. "This time I have sinned," he confessed. "The LORD is the righteous one, and my people and I are wrong.H6547H7971H7121H4872H175H559H2398H6471H3068H6662H5971H756328Please beg the LORD to end this terrifying thunder and hail. We've had enough. I will let you go; you don't need to stay any longer."H6279H3068H7227H430H6963H1259H7971H5975H325429"All right," Moses replied. "As soon as I leave the city, I will lift my hands and pray to the LORD. Then the thunder and hail will stop, and you will know that the earth belongs to the LORD.H4872H559H3318H5892H6566H3709H3068H6963H2308H1259H3045H776H306830But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the LORD God."H5650H3045H3372H6440H3068H43031(All the flax and barley were ruined by the hail, because the barley had formed heads and the flax was budding.H6594H8184H5221H8184H24H6594H139232But the wheat and the emmer wheat were spared, because they had not yet sprouted from the ground.)H2406H3698H5221H2007H64833So Moses left Pharaoh's court and went out of the city. When he lifted his hands to the LORD, the thunder and hail stopped, and the downpour ceased.H4872H3318H5892H6547H6566H3709H3068H6963H1259H2308H4306H5413H77634But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had stopped, he and his officials sinned again, and Pharaoh again became stubborn

.H6547H7200H4306H1259H6963H2308H2398H3254H3513H3820H565035Because his heart was hard, Pharaoh refused to let the people leave, just as the LORD had predicted through Moses.H3820H6547H2388H1121H3478H7971H3068H1696H3027H4872