Exodus 9

The LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may serve me. For if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them, look, the hand of the LORD will be upon your livestock in the field—on the horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, and flocks—with a very severe pestilence. The LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and not one animal belonging to the Israelites will die.”’” The LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land.” The next day the LORD did this, and all the livestock of Egypt died, but not one of the Israelites’ livestock died. Pharaoh sent to inquire, and not one of Israel’s livestock had died. But Pharaoh’s heart grew stubborn, and he did not let the people go. The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a kiln, and let Moses throw it toward the sky in Pharaoh’s sight. It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt and produce boils that break out in blisters on people and animals throughout all the land of Egypt.” So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. Moses threw it toward the sky, and boils broke out in blisters on people and animals. The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and all the Egyptians. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had told Moses. The LORD said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may serve me. For this time I will send all my plagues against your heart and against your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth. For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. But for this purpose I have kept you standing: to show you my power and to have my name proclaimed throughout all the earth. Are you still exalting yourself against my people, refusing to let them go? Look, about this time tomorrow I will send down very heavy hail, unlike anything that has fallen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. Now send word to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to safety. The hail will fall on every person and animal found in the field that has not been brought inside, and they will die.”’” Those among Pharaoh’s servants who feared the word of the LORD hurried their servants and livestock into the houses. But those who did not take the word of the LORD to heart left their servants and livestock in the field. The LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, so that hail may fall throughout all the land of Egypt—on people and animals and on all the vegetation in the fields of Egypt.” Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the ground. The LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt. There was very heavy hail, with fire flashing in its midst, unlike anything in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. Throughout all the land of Egypt, the hail struck everything in the field, both people and animals. The hail struck all the vegetation in the field and shattered all the trees in the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were, was there no hail. Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said to them, “I have sinned this time. The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. Plead with the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go, and you will stay no longer.” Moses said to him, “As soon as I leave 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 I know that you and your servants do not yet fear the LORD God.” The flax and barley were struck down, for the barley had formed heads and the flax was in bud. But the wheat and spelt were not struck down, for they ripen late. Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands to the LORD, and the thunder and hail ceased, and rain no longer poured down on the earth. When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart, he and his servants. Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had spoken through Moses.

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