Exodus 9 - 12
The Plague of Dying Egyptian Livestock
9Then 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 1continue to hold them, 3behold, athe hand of Yahweh 1will 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.”’” 5Yahweh also set a definite time, saying, “Tomorrow Yahweh will do this thing in the land.” 6So 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. 7And Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead. But athe heart of Pharaoh was 1hardened with firmness, and he did not let the people go.
The Plague of Boils
8Then 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.” 10So 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. 11aAnd the 1magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians 2as well as on all the Egyptians. 12And aYahweh 1hardened Pharaoh’s heart with strength, and he did not listen to them, just as Yahweh had spoken to Moses.
The Plague of Hail
13And 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 1exalt yourself against My people 2by 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 1until 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.”’” 20aThe one among the servants of Pharaoh who 1feared the word of Yahweh made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses; 21but he who did not 1consider in his heart the word of Yahweh 2left his servants and his livestock in the field.
22Now 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.” 23So Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, and Yahweh gave forth 1thunder and ahail, and fire went down to the earth. And Yahweh rained down hail on the land of Egypt. 24So there was hail, and fire 1flashing 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. 25aAnd 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. 26aOnly in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, there was no hail.
27Then 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 1thunder and hail are too much; and bI will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” 29And Moses said to him, “As soon as I go out of the city, I will aspread out my 1hands to Yahweh; the 2thunder 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 1fear 2Yahweh God.” 31(Now the flax and the abarley were struck down, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud. 32But the wheat and the spelt were not struck down, for they are late-ripening.) 33aAnd Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and spread out his 1hands to Yahweh; and the 2thunder and the hail ceased, and rain 3no longer poured on the earth. 34But Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the 1thunder had ceased. So he sinned again and 2hardened his heart with firmness, he and his servants. 35And Pharaoh’s heart was 1hardened 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
10Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Come to Pharaoh, for aI have 1hardened his heart and the heart of his servants with firmness, that I may 2set these signs of Mine 3among them, 2and athat you may recount in the 1hearing of your son and of your grandson, how I dealt severely with the Egyptians, and how I 2put My signs among them, bthat you may know that I am Yahweh.”
3Then 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 1surface 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 1came upon the earth until this day.’” And he turned and went out from Pharaoh. 7aAnd 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?” 8So Moses and Aaron awere brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “bGo, serve Yahweh your God! 1Who are the ones that are going?” 9And 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.” 10Then he said to them, “Thus may Yahweh be with you, 1if ever I let you and your little ones go! See, for evil is 2on your faces. 11“Not so! Go now, the men among you, and serve Yahweh, for 1that is what you are seeking.” So athey were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
12Then 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.” 13So 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 1brought the alocusts. 14aAnd 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 1locusts, nor would there be so many 2again. 15For 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. 16Then 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.” 18aAnd he went out from Pharaoh and entreated Yahweh. 19So Yahweh changed the wind to a very strong west wind which took up the locusts and drove them into the 1Red Sea; not one locust remained in all the territory of Egypt. 20But aYahweh 1hardened Pharaoh’s heart with strength, and he did not let the sons of Israel go.
The Plague of Darkness
21Then 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.” 22So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was athick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. 23They 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. 24Then 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.” 25But Moses said, “You must also 1let us have in our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may 2sacrifice 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.” 27But aYahweh 1hardened Pharaoh’s heart with strength, and he was not willing to let them go. 28Then Pharaoh said to him, “aGet away from me! 1Beware, do not see my face again, for in the day you see my face you shall die!” 29And Moses said, “As you have spoken; aI shall never see your face again!”
Yahweh Says One More Plague
11Then 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 1hearing 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.” 3a(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.)
4So Moses said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘About amidnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, 5and 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 1bark, 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 1before me, saying, ‘Go out, you and all the people who 2follow you,’ and after that I will go out.” bAnd he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger.
9Then Yahweh said to Moses, “aPharaoh will not listen to you, so bthat My miraculous wonders will be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10aNow Moses and Aaron did all these miraculous wonders before Pharaoh; yet bYahweh 1hardened Pharaoh’s heart with strength, and he did not let the sons of Israel go out of his land.
The Passover Lamb
12Now Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron in the land of 1Egypt, 2“aThis month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. 3“Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a 1lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a 2lamb for 3each household. 4‘Now if the household is too small for a 1lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the 2number of persons in them; according to 3what each man should eat, you are to 4apportion the lamb. 5‘Your 1lamb shall be aa male, without blemish, a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6‘1And you shall keep it until the afourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall slaughter it 2,bat twilight. 7‘aMoreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel 1of the houses in which they eat it. 8‘And they shall eat the flesh athat night, broasted with fire, and they shall eat it with cunleavened bread 1,dand bitter herbs. 9‘Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather aroasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with bits entrails. 10‘aAnd you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire. 11‘Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste—it is athe Passover of Yahweh. 12‘And aI will go through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and bagainst all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—cI am Yahweh. 13‘aAnd the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and I will see the blood, and I will pass over you, and there shall be no plague among you 1to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread
14‘Now athis day will be ba memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to Yahweh; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as 1,ca perpetual statute. 15‘aSeven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall 1remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, bthat 2person shall be cut off from Israel. 16‘aNow on the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you; no work at all shall be done on them, except what must be eaten 1by every person, that alone may be done by you. 17‘You shall also keep athe Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this bvery day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall keep this day throughout your generations as 1,ca perpetual statute. 18‘aIn the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19‘aSeven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened, that 1,bperson shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. 20‘You shall not eat anything leavened; in all your places of habitation you shall eat unleavened bread.’”
21Then aMoses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “1Bring out and btake for yourselves 2lambs according to your families and slaughter cthe Passover lamb. 22“aAnd you shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and 1touch some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the doorway of his house until morning. 23“And aYahweh will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and He will see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, and Yahweh will pass over the doorway and will bnot allow the cdestroyer to come into your houses to smite you. 24“And ayou shall keep this event as a statute for you and your children forever. 25“And it will be, when you enter the land which Yahweh will give you, as He has 1promised, you shall keep this new 2slavery. 26“aAnd it will be when your children say to you, ‘1What is the meaning of this new slavery to you?’ 27that you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to aYahweh who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but delivered our homes.’” bAnd the people bowed low and worshiped.
28Then the sons of Israel went and did so; just as Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
Death of the Firstborn of Egypt
29Now it happened at amidnight that bYahweh struck all cthe firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the 1dungeon, and all the firstborn of dcattle. 30Then Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was aa great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead. 31Then ahe called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Rise up, bget out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, 1serve Yahweh, as you have spoken. 32“Take aboth your flocks and your herds, as you have spoken, and go, and bless me also.”
Israel Goes Out from Egypt
33aAnd the Egyptians strongly pressed the people to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, “We will all be dead.” 34So the people took up atheir dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their shoulders.
35aNow the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses—they had asked from the Egyptians for articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; 36and Yahweh had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they aplundered the Egyptians.
37And the asons of Israel journeyed from bRameses to Succoth, about csix hundred thousand men on foot, aside from the little ones. 38A 1,aforeign multitude also went up with them, 2along with flocks and herds, a bvery 3large number of livestock. 39And they baked the dough which they had brought out of Egypt into cakes of unleavened bread. For it had not become leavened, since they were adriven out of Egypt and could not delay, nor had they 1prepared any provisions for themselves.
40Now the time 1that the sons of Israel lived in Egypt was a430 years. 41And it happened at the end of 430 years, 1to athe very day, that ball the hosts of Yahweh went out from the land of Egypt. 42aIt is a night to be kept for Yahweh for having brought them out from the land of Egypt; this night is for Yahweh, to be kept 1by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations.
The Statute of the Passover
43And Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of athe Passover: no 1,bforeigner shall eat of it; 44but every man’s aslave purchased with money, after you have circumcised him, then he may eat of it. 45“aA foreign resident or a hired person shall not eat of it. 46“It shall be eaten in a single house; you shall not bring forth any of the flesh outside of the house, aand you shall not break any bone of it. 47“aAll the congregation of Israel shall 1celebrate this. 48“But aif a sojourner sojourns with you and 1celebrates the Passover to Yahweh, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near to 2celebrate it; and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat of it. 49“1,aThe same law shall 2apply to the native as to the sojourner who sojourns among you.”