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Exodus 7-10
New Catholic Bible

Chapter 7

1 The Lord said to Moses, “Look, I have made you like a God to Pharaoh; Aaron will be your prophet.[a] 2 You will tell him what I have commanded you. Aaron, your brother, will tell Pharaoh to permit the children of Israel to leave his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and I will multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will lay my hand upon Egypt and I will make my hosts leave Egypt, the children of Israel, with great acts of judgment.

5 “The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the children of Israel out from their midst.”

6 Moses and Aaron did what the Lord had commanded them to do. 7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron was eighty-three years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.

The Plagues of Egypt[b]

Aaron’s Staff Turned into a Snake. The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Prove yourself by performing a wondrous deed,’ you will say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it in front of Pharaoh and it will become a serpent.’ ” 10 Moses and Aaron then went to Pharaoh and did what the Lord had commanded them to do. Aaron threw his staff in front of Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent. 11 Pharaoh gathered the wise men and sorcerers and even the magicians of Egypt. With their magic they did the same thing. 12 Each one threw his staff and the staffs became serpents, but the staff of Aaron swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

14 First Plague: Water Turned into Blood.[c] The Lord said to Moses, “The heart of Pharaoh is hardened. He refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning when he goes out to the water and stand in front of him on the Nile riverbank and take the staff in your hand that was changed into a serpent. 16 Then you will tell him, The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to tell you, ‘Let my people go so that they can serve me in the desert. Up to now you have not obeyed.’ 17 The Lord says, ‘By this you will know that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike the waters of the Nile with the staff that I have in my hand, and they will change into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the Nile will become putrid so that the Egyptians will not be able to drink from the Nile.” ’ ”

19 The Lord said to Moses, “Command Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, their canals, their ponds, and over all their supplies of water. They will turn into blood and there will be blood in all of the land of Egypt, even in their wood and stone jars.’ ”

20 Moses and Aaron did what the Lord had commanded. Aaron raised his staff and struck the waters of the Nile in the sight of Pharaoh and his servants. All the waters of the Nile changed into blood. 21 The fish in the Nile died, and the Nile became putrid, so that the Egyptians could not drink the water. There was blood in the entire land of Egypt. 22 But the magicians of Egypt, with their magic, did the same thing. The heart of Pharaoh was hardened and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.[d] 23 Pharaoh turned his back on them and went into his house and did not even pay attention to these things. 24 All the Egyptians dug along the Nile to find water to drink because they could not drink the water in the Nile.

25 Second Plague: The Frogs. Seven days passed after the Lord had struck the Nile. 26 [e]The Lord said to Moses, “Go to speak to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go to serve me. 27 If you refuse to let them go, then I will strike your land with frogs. 28 The Nile will swarm with frogs. They will come out and go into your houses, into the rooms where you sleep and up on your beds, into the houses of your ministers and your people, even into your ovens and your kneading bowls. 29 The frogs will come out and climb over you and your ministers.” ’ ”

Chapter 8

1 The Lord said to Moses, “Command Aaron: ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the waters, over the canals and pools, and make frogs come out all over the land of Egypt.’ ”

2 Aaron extended his hand over the waters of Egypt and frogs came out and covered the land of Egypt. 3 But the magicians, with their magic, did the same thing and made frogs to come up out all over the land of Egypt.

4 Pharaoh had Moses and Aaron summoned and said, “Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me, and my people and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.”

5 Moses said to Pharaoh, “Do me the honor of telling me when I should pray for you and your ministers and your people, to free you and your house from frogs, so that they only remain in the waters of the Nile.”

6 He answered, “Tomorrow.” Then Moses said, “As you say. In order that you may know that there is no equal to the Lord, our God, 7 the frogs will leave your house and those of your servants and of your people, remaining only in the Nile.”

8 Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, and Moses beseeched the Lord concerning the frogs that he had sent against Pharaoh. 9 The Lord did as Moses had said and the frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards, and in the fields. 10 They piled them up in heaps and the land stank. 11 But Pharaoh saw that there was a moment of relief, and he became stubborn and did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

12 Third Plague: The Gnats.[f] Then the Lord said to Moses, “Command Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth. It will change into gnats[g] in all the land of Egypt.’ ” 13 This is what he did. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth changed into gnats throughout Egypt. 14 The magicians did the same thing with their magic to produce gnats, but they were not able to do it. The gnats were on man and beast. 15 The magicians said to Pharaoh, “It is the finger of God.” But the heart of Pharaoh was so hardened that he did not listen, just as the Lord had predicted.

16 Fourth Plague: The Flies.[h] The Lord said to Moses, “Get up early tomorrow and present yourself to Pharaoh when he goes down to the water. You are to tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go so that they can serve me! 17 If you do not let my people go, then I will send flies[i] upon you, upon your ministers, upon your people, and upon your houses. The houses of Egypt will be filled with flies, and even the ground on which they stand will be filled with them. 18 But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen where my people live. There will be no flies there, so that you will know that I, the Lord, am in the land. 19 Thus I will establish a difference between my people and your people. This sign will happen tomorrow.” ’ ”

20 This is what the Lord did. A huge swarm of flies flew into the house of Pharaoh, the houses of his ministers, and all over the land of Egypt. The area was devastated because of the flies.

21 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go and sacrifice to your God in the land.”

22 But Moses answered, “It would not work, for the sacrifice that we are going to make to the Lord, our God, is an abomination to the Egyptians. Could we perform a sacrifice that is an abomination to the Egyptians in their sight? Would they not stone us?[j] 23 We will go into the desert, a three days’ journey, and that is where we will sacrifice to the Lord, our God, just as he has ordered us.”

24 So Pharaoh answered, “I will let you go and you can sacrifice to the Lord in the desert. Only do not go too far and pray for me.”

25 Moses answered, “I will leave you and pray to the Lord. Tomorrow the flies will depart from Pharaoh, from his ministers, and from the people. Pharaoh, however, must not deceive us by not letting the people go to perform their sacrifice to the Lord.”

26 Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. 27 The Lord did as Moses said, and the flies departed from Pharaoh, from his ministers, and from his people. There was not even one left. 28 But Pharaoh became stubborn and once again would not let the people go.

Chapter 9

Fifth Plague: The Pestilence on Livestock. 1 The Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: “Let my people go so that they can serve me. 2 If you refuse to permit them to leave and you continue to hinder them, 3 the hand of the Lord will come upon your animals in the fields: upon the horses, the donkeys, the camels, upon your herds and flocks, with a horrible plague. 4 But the Lord will distinguish between the animals of Israel and those of the Egyptians, so that none of those that belong to the children of Israel will die.” ’ ”

5 The Lord established the date saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will accomplish this thing in the land.”[k] 6 The next day, the Lord accomplished this thing. All the animals in Egypt died, but the animals of the children of Israel did not die, not even one of them. 7 Pharaoh sent men to find out, and not one of the animals of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh remained hardened, and he would not let the people go.

Sixth Plague: The Boils.[l] 8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: “Take two handfuls of ashes from the furnace. Moses is to throw them into the air in front of Pharaoh. 9 It will become a fine powder that will spread throughout the whole land and will produce running sores upon the people and the animals throughout the land of Egypt.” 10 They therefore took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses threw them into the air, and they produced running sores on people and animals. 11 The magicians could not stand in the presence of Moses because of the sores that had struck them as well as all the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord caused Pharaoh’s heart to be hardened. He did not listen to them, as the Lord had predicted to Moses.

13 Seventh Plague: The Hail.[m] The Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh and proclaim, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Let my people go so that they can serve me! 14 This time I will send all of my plagues against you, against your ministers, and against all your people, so that you may know that there is no one like me upon the whole earth. 15 By now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with plagues that would have wiped you off the face of the earth. 16 Instead, I let you live to show you my power and so that my name might be proclaimed all throughout the earth. 17 Will you still oppose my people and not let them leave? 18 Behold, I will send a terribly violent hail tomorrow at this time as has never been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded until today. 19 Send word to gather your animals and whatever is in the field into a safe shelter. Hail will fall upon all the people and upon all the animals that are in open countryside and that have not been brought into shelter, and they will die.” ’ ”

20 Some of the ministers of Pharaoh feared the Lord and brought their slaves and their animals into shelter.[n] 21 Others did not take the words of the Lord to heart, and they left their slaves and their animals in the open countryside.

22 The Lord said to Moses, “Stretch your hand out toward the heavens. Let there be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon people, upon animals, and upon the plants of the field throughout the land of Egypt.” 23 Moses stretched his staff toward the heavens, and the Lord sent thunder and hail. Lightning struck the earth, and the Lord made hail rain down upon the land of Egypt. 24 There was hail and lightning in the midst of the hail. The hail was so violent that nothing like it had ever been seen in the entire land of Egypt from the day it had become a nation. 25 The hail struck every person and animal that was in the open countryside throughout the land of Egypt. The hail also struck the plants in the field and splintered every tree in the open countryside. 26 Only the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel lived, had no hail.

27 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said to them, “This time I have sinned. The Lord is right. I and my people are guilty. 28 Pray to the Lord to stop the thunder and hail. I will let you leave. You need not stay any longer.” 29 Moses answered him, “When I leave the city, I will stretch out my hands toward the Lord. The thunder will cease, and the hail will end, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the Lord. 30 But as for you and your ministers, I know that you still do not fear the Lord God.”

31 The linen and barley was ruined, because the barley was in the ear and the flax was flowering. 32 But the wheat and the rye and the spelt were not harmed for they have a later season.

33 Moses left Pharaoh and the city. He extended his hand toward the Lord. The thunder and the hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down upon the land. 34 Pharaoh saw that the rain had stopped, as had the hail and the thunder, but he continued to sin and be stubborn, together with his ministers. 35 The heart of Pharaoh was hardened and he did not let the children of Israel leave, as the Lord had predicted through Moses.

Chapter 10

Eighth Plague: The Locusts.[o] 1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his ministers so that I may perform these signs in their midst 2 and so that you can tell your sons and grandsons how I dealt with the Egyptians and the signs I worked in their midst so that they may know that I am the Lord.”

3 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, ‘How long will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people go so that they may serve me. 4 If you refuse to let my people go, behold, I will send locusts upon your land. 5 They will cover the entire country so that you cannot even see the soil. They will devour what is left, whatever survived the hail, and they will devour every tree that grows in your fields. 6 They will fill your house, the houses of all your ministers and the houses of all the Egyptians, so many that even your fathers never saw so many, nor the fathers of your fathers, from when they came into this land until today.’ ” He turned and left Pharaoh.

7 The ministers of Pharaoh said to him, “How long will he be a snare to us? Let this people go to serve the Lord, their God. Otherwise Egypt may be ruined.”

8 Moses and Aaron were summoned to Pharaoh who said to them, “Go, serve the Lord, your God. But who will leave with you?” 9 Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, with our animals and our flocks, so that we can celebrate a feast of the Lord.”

10 [p]Pharaoh answered, “The Lord be with you, if I let you and your children leave. Clearly you have an evil project in mind. 11 No! Have only the men go with you and serve the Lord. That is what you want.” They then went out from Pharaoh.

12 The Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt to send locusts. Let them come down upon the land of Egypt to eat every plant that the hail spared.” 13 Moses extended his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord sent an east wind over the land all that day and all that night. By the morning, the east wind had brought the locusts. 14 The locusts swarmed over the whole land of Egypt and settled on every part of the territory of Egypt. It was very serious, so bad that it had never been as bad before nor would it ever be as bad again in the future. 15 They covered the whole land so that the land was darkened. They devoured every plant in the land and every fruit tree that the hail had spared. Not a green leaf remained upon the trees or the plants in the field throughout the land of Egypt.

16 Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord, your God, and against you. 17 But now once again forgive my sin and pray to the Lord, your God, so that he may turn aside this death from me.”

18 Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. 19 The Lord changed the direction of the wind and made a strong wind blow from the sea. It carried the locusts away and blew them into the Red Sea. There was not one locust left in all the land of Egypt. 20 But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not let the children of Israel leave.

21 Ninth Plague: The Darkness.[q] The Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the heavens. Darkness will come upon the land of Egypt, so dark that one can feel it.”

22 Moses stretched out his hand toward the heavens. Darkness came upon the land of Egypt for three days. 23 People could not see each other, and for three days no one could move around. But there was light where the children of Israel were living.[r]

24 Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Leave, and serve the Lord. Take your babies with you. Only leave your flocks and herds here.”

25 Moses answered, “You must also grant us sacrifices and burnt offerings that we will offer to the Lord, our God. 26 Our animals, too, must leave with us; not even a hoof will be left behind. We must choose the sacrificial victims that we will offer to the Lord, our God, from among them, and we will not know how to serve the Lord until we will have arrived in that place.” 27 But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh who would not let them go. 28 Pharaoh therefore said to Moses, “Leave me! Make sure that you never see me again, for the next time you see my face, you will die.” 29 Moses said, “You have spoken well, for I will not see your face again.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 7:1 A prophet is one who speaks in the name of another (here: Moses).
  2. Exodus 7:8 Bits from various traditions are skillfully combined to show the gradual hardening of Pharaoh and the increasing misfortunes that this brings upon Egypt. The ten “plagues” have for their purpose to show the character of the God in whose name Moses bids Pharaoh to release the Hebrews, but whom the proud “son of the sun” claims he does not know (Ex 5:2). This God is mightier than all the magicians of Egypt; he can command every creature, and his power extends not only to Israel but to the land of the Nile and its inhabitants.

    8 
    These very colorful narratives profile the struggle between the Lord and the forces of evil. Pharaoh personifies the human freedom that is opposed to the divine plan but that God makes use of to realize his plan. We should not be surprised that tradition has systematized and amplified these events to better manifest the greatness and power of the Lord.

  3. Exodus 7:14 Moses appears as a prophet; he is the Lord’s spokesperson.
  4. Exodus 7:22 God allowed the magicians to imitate Moses who turned the Nile into blood, but did not have the power to reverse the miracle (i.e., change the blood into water).
  5. Exodus 7:26 The power of the God of Israel begins to impress Pharaoh.
  6. Exodus 8:12 For the first time, the magicians cannot compete with the Lord and recognize his presence.
  7. Exodus 8:12 Gnats, flies: the type of bothersome insects that caused so much distress is not certain.
  8. Exodus 8:16 The power of God becomes more evident from the fact that he preserves Israel from the plague that he inflicts upon the Egyptians.
  9. Exodus 8:17 Gnats, flies: the type of bothersome insects that caused so much distress is not certain.
  10. Exodus 8:22 The Egyptians would not have endured seeing the Hebrews sacrifice animals that they, the Egyptians, regarded as sacred.
  11. Exodus 9:5 God personally performs the miracle without Moses or Aaron or any staff. This should have been a persuasive event for Pharaoh to change his heart but he remains hardened.
  12. Exodus 9:8 This time the magicians are eliminated not without humor: in their turn they are victims of the wonder worked by Moses.
  13. Exodus 9:13 The God of Israel wants to be recognized and served as Lord of the whole earth. Pharaoh acknowledges his sin but his heart remains unchanged.
  14. Exodus 9:20 Some of Pharaoh’s ministers acknowledge the power of God and take action to protect their slaves and animals from the predicted hail storm.
  15. Exodus 10:1 By remaining obstinate, Pharaoh furnishes God with the occasion to multiply his wonders and show that he is really the Lord.
  16. Exodus 10:10 Pharaoh does not trust the Hebrews and wants to keep the women and children in Egypt as hostages.
  17. Exodus 10:21 Is this the rupture between Moses and Pharaoh? All Moses’ warnings have remained without effect.
  18. Exodus 10:23 The Israelites were spared the destructive effects of the plagues, whereas the Egyptians had a foretaste of what hell is like. We have the assurance of God’s faithfulness to those who remain faithful to God (see Deut 7:6).
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Exodus 7-10
New International Version

7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God(A) to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet.(B) 2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart,(C) and though I multiply my signs and wonders(D) in Egypt, 4 he will not listen(E) to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment(F) I will bring out my divisions,(G) my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord(H) when I stretch out my hand(I) against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”

6 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded(J) them. 7 Moses was eighty years old(K) and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Aaron’s Staff Becomes a Snake

8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,(L)’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.”(M)

10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers,(N) and the Egyptian magicians(O) also did the same things by their secret arts:(P) 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart(Q) became hard and he would not listen(R) to them, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Blood

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding;(S) he refuses to let the people go. 15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the river.(T) Confront him on the bank of the Nile,(U) and take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake. 16 Then say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to say to you: Let my people go, so that they may worship(V) me in the wilderness. But until now you have not listened.(W) 17 This is what the Lord says: By this you will know that I am the Lord:(X) With the staff that is in my hand I will strike the water of the Nile, and it will be changed into blood.(Y) 18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink;(Z) the Egyptians will not be able to drink its water.’”(AA)

19 The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff(AB) and stretch out your hand(AC) over the waters of Egypt—over the streams and canals, over the ponds and all the reservoirs—and they will turn to blood.’ Blood will be everywhere in Egypt, even in vessels[a] of wood and stone.”

20 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded.(AD) He raised his staff in the presence of Pharaoh and his officials and struck the water of the Nile,(AE) and all the water was changed into blood.(AF) 21 The fish in the Nile died, and the river smelled so bad that the Egyptians could not drink its water. Blood was everywhere in Egypt.

22 But the Egyptian magicians(AG) did the same things by their secret arts,(AH) and Pharaoh’s heart(AI) became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. 23 Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water(AJ), because they could not drink the water of the river.

The Plague of Frogs

25 Seven days passed after the Lord struck the Nile. 8 1 [b]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship(AK) me. 2 If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs(AL) on your whole country. 3 The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people,(AM) and into your ovens and kneading troughs.(AN) 4 The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”

5 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff(AO) over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs(AP) come up on the land of Egypt.’”

6 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs(AQ) came up and covered the land. 7 But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts;(AR) they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

8 Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray(AS) to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices(AT) to the Lord.”

9 Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time(AU) for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.”

10 “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.

Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God.(AV) 11 The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”

12 After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. 13 And the Lord did what Moses asked.(AW) The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. 14 They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief,(AX) he hardened his heart(AY) and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Gnats

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff(AZ) and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.” 17 They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats(BA) came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. 18 But when the magicians(BB) tried to produce gnats by their secret arts,(BC) they could not.

Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, 19 the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger(BD) of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart(BE) was hard and he would not listen,(BF) just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Flies

20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning(BG) and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship(BH) me. 21 If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.

22 “‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen,(BI) where my people live;(BJ) no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know(BK) that I, the Lord, am in this land. 23 I will make a distinction[c] between my people and your people.(BL) This sign will occur tomorrow.’”

24 And the Lord did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials; throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies.(BM)

25 Then Pharaoh summoned(BN) Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”

26 But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians.(BO) And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must take a three-day journey(BP) into the wilderness to offer sacrifices(BQ) to the Lord our God, as he commands us.”

28 Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray(BR) for me.”

29 Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only let Pharaoh be sure that he does not act deceitfully(BS) again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

30 Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord,(BT) 31 and the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. 32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart(BU) and would not let the people go.

The Plague on Livestock

9 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship(BV) me.” 2 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, 3 the hand(BW) of the Lord will bring a terrible plague(BX) on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. 4 But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt,(BY) so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’”

5 The Lord set a time and said, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.” 6 And the next day the Lord did it: All the livestock(BZ) of the Egyptians died,(CA) but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. 7 Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart(CB) was unyielding and he would not let the people go.(CC)

The Plague of Boils

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. 9 It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils(CD) will break out on people and animals throughout the land.”

10 So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals. 11 The magicians(CE) could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians. 12 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart(CF) and he would not listen(CG) to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.

The Plague of Hail

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship(CH) me, 14 or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know(CI) that there is no one like(CJ) me in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people(CK) with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16 But I have raised you up[d] for this very purpose,(CL) that I might show you my power(CM) and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17 You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18 Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm(CN) that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now.(CO) 19 Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every person and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.’”

20 Those officials of Pharaoh who feared(CP) the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 21 But those who ignored(CQ) the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.

22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt—on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.” 23 When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder(CR) and hail,(CS) and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt; 24 hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation.(CT) 25 Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree.(CU) 26 The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen,(CV) where the Israelites were.(CW)

27 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,”(CX) he said to them. “The Lord is in the right,(CY) and I and my people are in the wrong. 28 Pray(CZ) to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go;(DA) you don’t have to stay any longer.”

29 Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands(DB) in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth(DC) is the Lord’s. 30 But I know that you and your officials still do not fear(DD) the Lord God.”

31 (The flax and barley(DE) were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. 32 The wheat and spelt,(DF) however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.)

33 Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the Lord; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. 35 So Pharaoh’s heart(DG) was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.

The Plague of Locusts

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart(DH) and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs(DI) of mine among them 2 that you may tell your children(DJ) and grandchildren how I dealt harshly(DK) with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.”(DL)

3 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble(DM) yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 4 If you refuse(DN) to let them go, I will bring locusts(DO) into your country tomorrow. 5 They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left(DP) after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields.(DQ) 6 They will fill your houses(DR) and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians—something neither your parents nor your ancestors have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.’”(DS) Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

7 Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a snare(DT) to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?”(DU)

8 Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship(DV) the Lord your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.”

9 Moses answered, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival(DW) to the Lord.”

10 Pharaoh said, “The Lord be with you—if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil.[e] 11 No! Have only the men go and worship the Lord, since that’s what you have been asking for.” Then Moses and Aaron were driven out of Pharaoh’s presence.

12 And the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand(DX) over Egypt so that locusts swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail.”

13 So Moses stretched out his staff(DY) over Egypt, and the Lord made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts;(DZ) 14 they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts,(EA) nor will there ever be again. 15 They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured(EB) all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.

16 Pharaoh quickly summoned(EC) Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned(ED) against the Lord your God and against you. 17 Now forgive(EE) my sin once more and pray(EF) to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”

18 Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.(EG) 19 And the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea.[f] Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt. 20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,(EH) and he would not let the Israelites go.

The Plague of Darkness

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness(EI) spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness(EJ) covered all Egypt for three days. 23 No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.(EK)

24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go,(EL) worship the Lord. Even your women and children(EM) may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.”(EN)

25 But Moses said, “You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings(EO) to present to the Lord our God. 26 Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the Lord our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the Lord.”

27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,(EP) and he was not willing to let them go. 28 Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die.”

29 “Just as you say,” Moses replied. “I will never appear(EQ) before you again.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 7:19 Or even on their idols
  2. Exodus 8:1 In Hebrew texts 8:1-4 is numbered 7:26-29, and 8:5-32 is numbered 8:1-28.
  3. Exodus 8:23 Septuagint and Vulgate; Hebrew will put a deliverance
  4. Exodus 9:16 Or have spared you
  5. Exodus 10:10 Or Be careful, trouble is in store for you!
  6. Exodus 10:19 Or the Sea of Reeds
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