Exodus 7-11
Then Yahweh said to Moses, “aSee, I set you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother aAaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land. 3 But aI will harden Pharaoh’s heart with stiffness that I may bmultiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 But aPharaoh will not listen to you. And I will set My hand upon Egypt and bbring out My hosts, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by cgreat judgments. 5 aThen the Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh, when I bstretch out My hand against Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst.” 6 So Moses and Aaron did it; aas Yahweh commanded them, thus they did. 7 Now Moses was aeighty years old and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Serpent
8 And Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, 9 “When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, ‘aWork a miraculous wonder,’ then you shall say to Aaron, ‘bTake your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, that it may become a serpent.’” 10 So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and thus they did just as Yahweh had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it abecame a serpent. 11 Then Pharaoh also acalled for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the bmagicians of Egypt, did the same with ctheir secret arts. 12 And each one threw down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet aPharaoh’s heart was hardened with strength, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.
The Plague of Water Turning to Blood
14 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hard with firmness; he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as ahe is going out to the water, and station yourself to meet him on the bank of the Nile; and you shall take in your hand bthe staff that was turned into a serpent. 16 aAnd you shall say to him, ‘Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, “bLet My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened until now.” 17 Thus says Yahweh, “aBy this you shall know that I am Yahweh: behold, I am about to strike the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and bit will be turned to blood. 18 aAnd the fish that are in the Nile will die, and the Nile will become foul, and the Egyptians will bbe weary of drinking water from the Nile.”’” 19 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and astretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools and over all their reservoirs of water, that they may become blood; and there will be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.’”
20 So Moses and Aaron did thus, as Yahweh had commanded. And he raised up athe staff and struck the water that was in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and ball the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood. 21 And the fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile became foul, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. And the blood was through all the land of Egypt. 22 aYet the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts; and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened with strength, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken. 23 Then Pharaoh turned and went into his house, and he did not set his heart even on this. 24 So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, for they could not drink of the water of the Nile. 25 And seven full days passed after Yahweh had struck the Nile.
The Plague of Frogs
Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Come to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “aLet My people go, that they may serve Me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite your whole territory with frogs. 3 And the Nile will aswarm with frogs, and they will go up and come into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and on your people and into your ovens and into your kneading bowls. 4 So the frogs will come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.”’” 5 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘aStretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the streams and over the pools, and cause the frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.’” 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the afrogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 aAnd the magicians did the same with their secret arts; they caused the frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.
8 Then Pharaoh acalled for Moses and Aaron and said, “bEntreat Yahweh that He may cause the frogs to depart from me and from my people; and cI will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to Yahweh.” 9 And Moses said to Pharaoh, “May the honor be yours to tell me: when shall I entreat for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses, that they may remain only in the Nile?”
10 Then he said, “Tomorrow.” So he said, “May it be according to your word, that you may know that there is ano one like Yahweh our God. 11 And the afrogs will depart from you and your houses and your servants and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.” 12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and aMoses cried out to Yahweh concerning the frogs which He had set upon Pharaoh. 13 So Yahweh did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, the courts, and the fields. 14 So they piled them in heaps, and the land became foul. 15 Then Pharaoh saw that there was relief, and he hardened his heart with firmness and adid not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.
The Plague of Gnats
16 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become gnats through all the land of Egypt.’” 17 And they did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became agnats through all the land of Egypt. 18 Then the magicians did the same with their secret arts in order to bring forth gnats, but athey could not; so there were gnats on man and beast. 19 And the magicians said to Pharaoh, “aThis is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened with strength, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.
The Plague of Flies
20 And Yahweh said to Moses, “aRise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as bhe comes out to the water, and you shall say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “cLet My people go, that they may serve Me. 21 For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. 22 aBut on that day I will make a distinction for the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, that you may know that bI, Yahweh, am in the midst of the land. 23 And I will put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will happen.”’” 24 Then Yahweh did so. And there came heavy swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants, and the land was alaid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt.
25 And Pharaoh acalled for Moses and Aaron and said, “bGo, sacrifice to your God within the land.” 26 But Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we will sacrifice to Yahweh our God what is aan abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not then stone us? 27 We must go a athree days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to Yahweh our God as He says to us.” 28 And Pharaoh said, “aI will let you go, that you may sacrifice to Yahweh your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. bEntreat for me.” 29 Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you, and I shall entreat Yahweh that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow; only may Pharaoh not adeal deceitfully again in not letting the people go to sacrifice to Yahweh.”
30 So aMoses went out from Pharaoh and entreated Yahweh. 31 And Yahweh did according to the word of Moses and caused the swarms of flies to depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. 32 Then Pharaoh hardened his heart with firmness this time also, and ahe did not let the people go.
The Plague of Dying Egyptian Livestock
Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Come to Pharaoh and speak to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, “aLet My people go, that they may serve Me. 2 For aif you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them, 3 behold, athe hand of Yahweh will come with a very heavy pestilence on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks. 4 aBut Yahweh will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that bnothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.”’” 5 Yahweh also set a definite time, saying, “Tomorrow Yahweh will do this thing in the land.” 6 So Yahweh did this thing on the next day, and aall the livestock of Egypt died; bbut of the livestock of the sons of Israel, not one died. 7 And Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead. But athe heart of Pharaoh was hardened with firmness, and he did not let the people go.
The Plague of Boils
8 Then Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of soot from a kiln, and let Moses toss it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. 9 And it will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and it will become aboils breaking out with sores on man and beast through all the land of Egypt.” 10 So they took the soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses tossed it toward the sky, and it became boils breaking out with sores on man and beast. 11 aAnd the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians as well as on all the Egyptians. 12 And aYahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart with strength, and he did not listen to them, just as Yahweh had spoken to Moses.
The Plague of Hail
13 And Yahweh said to Moses, “aRise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, and you shall say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, “bLet My people go, that they may serve Me. 14 For this time I will send all My plagues against your heart and amongst your servants and your people, so that ayou may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. 15 For if by now I had sent forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been wiped out from the earth. 16 But, indeed, afor this reason I have caused you to stand, in order to show you My power and in order to recount My name through all the earth. 17 Still you exalt yourself against My people by not letting them go. 18 Behold, about this time tomorrow, aI will rain down very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. 19 So now, send, bring ayour livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. bEvery man and beast that is found in the field and is not brought home, the hail will come down on them, and they will die.”’” 20 aThe one among the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of Yahweh made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses; 21 but he who did not consider in his heart the word of Yahweh left his servants and his livestock in the field.
22 Now Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that athere may be hail on all the land of Egypt, on man and on beast and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.” 23 So Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and Yahweh gave forth thunder and ahail, and fire went down to the earth. And Yahweh rained down hail on the land of Egypt. 24 So there was hail, and fire flashing continually in the midst of the hail, very heavy, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. 25 aAnd the hail struck all that was in the field through all the land of Egypt, from man to beast; the hail also struck every plant of the field and shattered every tree of the field. 26 aOnly in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail.
27 Then Pharaoh asent and called for Moses and Aaron and said to them, “bI have sinned this time; Yahweh is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones. 28 aEntreat Yahweh, for God’s thunder and hail are too much; and bI will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” 29 And Moses said to him, “As soon as I go out of the city, I will aspread out my hands to Yahweh; the thunder will cease, and there will be hail no longer, that you may know that bthe earth is Yahweh’s. 30 aBut as for you and your servants, I know that byou do not yet fear Yahweh God.” 31 (Now the flax and the abarley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32 But the wheat and the spelt were not struck down, for they are late-ripening.) 33 aAnd Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and spread out his hands to Yahweh; and the thunder and the hail ceased, and rain no longer poured on the earth. 34 But Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased. So he sinned again and hardened his heart with firmness, he and his servants. 35 And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened with strength, and he did not let the sons of Israel go, just as aYahweh had spoken by the hand of Moses.
The Plague of Locusts
Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Come to Pharaoh, for aI have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants with firmness, that I may set these signs of Mine among them, 2 and athat you may recount in the hearing of your son and of your grandson, how I dealt severely with the Egyptians, and how I put My signs among them, bthat you may know that I am Yahweh.”
3 Then Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to ahumble yourself before Me? bLet My people go, that they may serve Me. 4 For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. 5 And they shall cover the surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the land. aThey will also eat the rest of what has escaped—what remains for you from the hail—and they will eat every tree which sprouts for you out of the field. 6 Then ayour houses and the houses of all your servants and the houses of all the Egyptians shall be filled, something which neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day that they came upon the earth until this day.’” And he turned and went out from Pharaoh. 7 aAnd Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long will this man be ba snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve Yahweh their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?” 8 So Moses and Aaron awere brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “bGo, serve Yahweh your God! Who are the ones that are going?” 9 And Moses said, “aWe shall go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, bwith our flocks and our herds we shall go, for it is a feast of Yahweh for us.” 10 Then he said to them, “Thus may Yahweh be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! See, for evil is on your faces. 11 Not so! Go now, the men among you, and serve Yahweh, for that is what you are seeking.” So athey were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
12 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “aStretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Egypt and beat every plant of the land, all that the hail has left remaining.” 13 So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and Yahweh directed an east wind on the land all that day and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the alocusts. 14 aAnd the locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and rested on all the territory of Egypt; they were very heavy. There had never been so many locusts, nor would there be so many again. 15 For they covered the surface of the whole land, so that the land was darkened; and they aate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Thus nothing green was left on tree or plant of the field through all the land of Egypt. 16 Then Pharaoh hurriedly acalled for Moses and Aaron, and he said, “bI have sinned against Yahweh your God and against you. 17 So now, please forgive my sin only this once and aentreat Yahweh your God, that He would only cause this death to depart from me.” 18 aAnd he went out from Pharaoh and entreated Yahweh. 19 So Yahweh changed the wind to a very strong west wind which took up the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea; not one locust remained in all the territory of Egypt. 20 But aYahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart with strength, and he did not let the sons of Israel go.
The Plague of Darkness
21 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “aStretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness bwhich may be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was athick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. 23 They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, abut all the sons of Israel had light in their places of habitation. 24 Then Pharaoh acalled to Moses and said, “Go, serve Yahweh; only let your flocks and your herds be detained. Even byour little ones may go with you.” 25 But Moses said, “You must also let us have in our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice them to Yahweh our God. 26 aTherefore, our livestock too shall go with us; not a hoof shall remain behind, for we shall take some of them to serve Yahweh our God. And until we come there, we ourselves do not know with what we shall serve Yahweh.” 27 But aYahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart with strength, and he was not willing to let them go. 28 Then Pharaoh said to him, “aGet away from me! Beware, do not see my face again, for in the day you see my face you shall die!” 29 And Moses said, “As you have spoken; aI shall never see your face again!”
Yahweh Says One More Plague
Then Yahweh said to Moses, “One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt; aafter that he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out from here completely. 2 Speak now in the hearing of the people so that aeach man may ask from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor for articles of silver and articles of gold.” 3 a(And Yahweh gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. bMoreover, the man Moses himself was very great in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.)
4 So Moses said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘About amidnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, 5 and aall the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the servant-girl who is behind the millstones; and all the firstborn of the cattle. 6 Moreover, there shall be aa great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again. 7 aBut for any of the sons of Israel a dog will not even bark, whether against man or beast, that you may know how Yahweh makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ 8 aThen all these your servants will come down to me and bow themselves before me, saying, ‘Go out, you and all the people who follow you,’ and after that I will go out.” bAnd he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger.
9 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “aPharaoh will not listen to you, so bthat My miraculous wonders will be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10 aNow Moses and Aaron did all these miraculous wonders before Pharaoh; yet bYahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart with strength, and he did not let the sons of Israel go out of his land.
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