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.
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.’”
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.
So Pharaoh
sent officials,
who saw that
none
of the livestock
of the Israelites
had died.
But Pharaoh’s
heart
was hardened,
and he would not
let the people
go.
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
Pharaoh’s
heart,
and he would not
listen
to them,
just as
the LORD
had told
Moses.
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
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
for this very purpose,
that
I might display
to you
My power,
and that
My name
might be proclaimed
in all
the earth.
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,
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
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.
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.
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.