²³ So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail.^(A) Lightning struck the earth, and the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. ²⁴ The hail, with lightning flashing through it, was so severe that nothing like it had occurred in the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. ²⁵ Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both man and beast. The hail beat down every plant of the field and shattered every tree in the field.