Exodus 9:1-21 ▼

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.

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

3 the hand of the LORD will strike with a deadly pestilence your livestock in the field: the horses, the donkeys, the camels, the herds, and the flocks.

4 But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that nothing shall die of all that belongs to the Israelites.’”

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

6 And on the next day the LORD did so; all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but of the livestock of the Israelites not one died.

7 Pharaoh inquired and found that not one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he would not let the people go.

8 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the kiln, and let Moses throw it in the air in the sight of Pharaoh.

9 It shall become fine dust all over the land of Egypt, and shall cause festering boils on humans and animals throughout the whole land of Egypt.”

10 So they took soot from the kiln, and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses threw it in the air, and it caused festering boils on humans and animals.

11 The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils afflicted the magicians as well as all the Egyptians.

12 But the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses.

13 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews: Let my people go, so that they may worship me.

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

15 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.

16 But this is why I have let you live: to show you my power, and to make my name resound through all the earth.

17 You are still exalting yourself against my people, and will not let them go.

18 Tomorrow at this time I will cause the heaviest hail to fall that has ever fallen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now.

19 Send, therefore, and have your livestock and everything that you have in the open field brought to a secure place; every human or animal that is in the open field and is not brought under shelter will die when the hail comes down upon them.’”

20 Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the LORD hurried their slaves and livestock off to a secure place.

21 Those who did not regard the word of the LORD left their slaves and livestock in the open field.