The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 9 -

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.

But if you continue to restrain them and refuse to let them go,

then the hand of the LORD will bring a severe plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks.

But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’”

The LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land.”

And the next day the LORD did just that. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died.

Pharaoh sent officials and found that none of the livestock of the Israelites had died. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened,(a) and he would not let the people go.

The Sixth Plague: Boils

Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the furnace; in the sight of Pharaoh, Moses is to toss it into the air.

It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on man and beast throughout the land.”

So they took soot from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on man and beast.

The magicians could not stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and on all the Egyptians.

But the LORD hardened

(b)

Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said to Moses.

The Seventh Plague: Hail

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.

Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against you

(c)

and your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.

For by this time I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the earth.

But I have raised you up

(d)

for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you,(e) and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.(f)

Still, you lord it over My people and do not allow them to go.

Behold, at this time tomorrow I will rain down the worst hail that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded until now.

So give orders now to shelter your livestock and everything you have in the field. Every man or beast that remains in the field and is not brought inside will die when the hail comes down upon them.’”

Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their servants and livestock to shelter,

but those who disregarded the word of the LORD left their servants and livestock in the field.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt—on man and beast and every plant of the field throughout the land of Egypt.”

So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD rained down hail upon the land of Egypt.

The hail fell and the lightning continued flashing through it. The hail was so severe that nothing like it had ever been seen in all the land of Egypt from the time it became a nation.

Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both man and beast; it beat down every plant of the field and stripped every tree.

The only place where it did not hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.

Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said. “The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

Pray to the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you do not need to stay any longer.”

Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.

But as for you and your officials, I know that you still do not fear the LORD our God.”

(Now the flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley was ripe and the flax was in bloom;

but the wheat and spelt were not destroyed, because they are late crops.)

Then Moses departed from Pharaoh, went out of the city, and spread out his hands to the LORD. The thunder and hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured down on the land.

When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart—he and his officials.

So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.

Footnotes

(a)9:7 Or made heavy; also in verse 34

(b)9:12 Or stiffened or strengthened; also in verse 35

(d)9:16 Or have spared you

(e)9:16 LXX in you

(f)9:16 Cited in Romans 9:17

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, that they may serve me.

For if you refuse to let them go, and hold them still,

behold, the LORD’s hand is on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks with a very grievous pestilence.

The LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt; and nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel.”’”

The LORD appointed a set time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land.”

The LORD did that thing on the next day; and all the livestock of Egypt died, but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died.

Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not so much as one of the livestock of the Israelites dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he didn’t let the people go.

The Sixth Plague: Boils

The LORD said to Moses and to Aaron, “Take handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh.

It shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be boils and blisters breaking out on man and on animal, throughout all the land of Egypt.”

They took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward the sky; and it became boils and blisters breaking out on man and on animal.

The magicians couldn’t stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians.

The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he didn’t listen to them, as the LORD had spoken to Moses.

The Seventh Plague: Hail

The LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, that they may serve me.

For this time I will send all my plagues against your heart, against your officials, and against your people; that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth.

For now I would have stretched out my hand, and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth;

but indeed for this cause I have made you stand: to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth,

because you still exalt yourself against my people, that you won’t let them go.

Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now.

Now therefore command that all of your livestock and all that you have in the field be brought into shelter. The hail will come down on every man and animal that is found in the field, and isn’t brought home, and they will die.”’”

Those who feared the LORD’s word among the servants of Pharaoh made their servants and their livestock flee into the houses.

Whoever didn’t respect the LORD’s word left his servants and his livestock in the field.

The LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man, and on animal, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.”

Moses stretched out his rod toward the heavens, and the LORD sent thunder and hail; and lightning flashed down to the earth. The LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt.

So there was very severe hail, and lightning mixed with the hail, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.

The hail struck throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and animal; and the hail struck every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field.

Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.

Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time. The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

Pray to the LORD; for there has been enough of mighty thunderings and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.”

Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunders shall cease, and there will not be any more hail; that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.

But as for you and your servants, I know that you don’t yet fear the LORD God.”

The flax and the barley were struck, for the barley had ripened and the flax was blooming.

But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they had not grown up.

Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread out his hands to the LORD; and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth.

When Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders had ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

The heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he didn’t let the children of Israel go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.