Exodus 9 (JPS) · Opened

1Then the LORD said unto Moses: 'Go in unto Pharaoh, and tell him: Thus saith the LORD, the God of the Hebrews: Let My people go, that they may serve Me.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.

2For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,But if you continue to restrain them and refuse to let them go,

3behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which are in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the herds, and upon the flocks; there shall be a very grievous murrain.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.

4And the LORD shall make a division between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt; and there shall nothing die of all that belongeth to the children of Israel.'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.’”

5And the LORD appointed a set time, saying: 'Tomorrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land.'The LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land.”

6And the LORD did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Egypt died; but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.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.

7And Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not so much as one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he did not let the people go.Pharaoh sent officials and found that none of the livestock of the Israelites had died. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the people go.

8And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron: 'Take to you handfuls of soot of the furnace, and let Moses throw it heavenward in the sight of Pharaoh.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.

9And it shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast, throughout all the land of Egypt.'It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on man and beast throughout the land.”

10And they took soot of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses threw it up heavenward; and it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast.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.

11And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.The magicians could not stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and on all the Egyptians.

12And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said to Moses.

13And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and say unto him: Thus saith the LORD, the God of the Hebrews: Let My people go, that they may serve Me.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.

14For I will this time send all My plagues upon thy person, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people; that thou mayest know that there is none like Me in all the earth.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.

15Surely now I had put forth My hand, and smitten thee and thy people with pestilence, and thou hadst been cut off from 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.

16But in very deed for this cause have I made thee to stand, to show thee My power, and that My name may be declared throughout all the earth.But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

17As yet exaltest thou thyself against My people, that thou wilt not let them go?Still, you lord it over My people and do not allow them to go.

18Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now.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.

19Now therefore send, hasten in thy cattle and all that thou hast in the field; for every man and beast that shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down upon them, and they shall die.'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.’”

20He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses;Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their servants and livestock to shelter,

21and he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field.but those who disregarded the word of the LORD left their servants and livestock in the field.

22And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Stretch forth thy hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.'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.”

23And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven; and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down unto the earth; and the LORD caused to hail upon 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 down hail upon the land of Egypt.

24So there was hail, and fire flashing up amidst the hail, very grievous, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.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.

25And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field.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.

26Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.The only place where it did not hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.

27And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them: 'I have sinned this time; the LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said. “The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

28Entreat the LORD, and let there be enough of these mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer.'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.”

29And Moses said unto him: 'As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread forth my hands unto the LORD; the thunders shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayest know that the earth is the LORD'S.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.

30But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God.' —But as for you and your officials, I know that you still do not fear the LORD our God.”

31And the flax and the barley were smitten; for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was in bloom.(Now the flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley was ripe and the flax was in bloom;

32But the wheat and the spelt were not smitten; for they ripen late. —but the wheat and spelt were not destroyed, because they are late crops.)

33And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread forth his hands unto the LORD; and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth.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.

34And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart—he and his officials.

35And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the children of Israel go; as the LORD had spoken by Moses.So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.

The Fifth Plague: Livestock

The Sixth Plague: Boils

The Seventh Plague: Hail

You’ve read Exodus 9

Go deeper

The Fifth Plague: Livestock

The Sixth Plague: Boils

The Seventh Plague: Hail

You’ve read Exodus 9

Go deeper