Exodus 9
Hail Falls, and a Heart Grows Harder
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The Fifth Plague: Livestock Die
9:1The Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: Let My people go so that they may serve Me.
9:2“‘If you are unwilling to let My people go and still hold them,
9:3“‘behold, the hand of the Lord will come upon your livestock in the plains, your horses, beasts of burden, camels, cattle, and sheep, with a very great mortality.
9:4“‘At that time I will make a marvelous distinction between the Egyptians’ livestock and the sons of Israel’s livestock. Nothing belonging to the sons of Israel shall die.’”
9:5God appointed a time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.”
9:6The Lord did this the next day. All the Egyptians’ livestock died, but none of the sons of Israel’s livestock died.
9:7Pharaoh saw that none of the sons of Israel’s livestock had died. Yet Pharaoh’s heart became heavy, and he did not let the people go.
The Sixth Plague: Boils
9:8The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a furnace, and let Moses scatter it toward heaven before Pharaoh and his attendants.
9:9“Let it become fine dust over all the land of Egypt. Boils, with blisters breaking out, shall come upon people and four-footed animals, on people and four-footed animals throughout Egypt.”
9:10He took soot from the furnace before Pharaoh. Moses scattered it toward heaven, and boils with blisters broke out on people and four-footed animals.
9:11The sorcerers could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the sorcerers and throughout the land of Egypt.
9:12The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, as the Lord had commanded.
Moses Warns Pharaoh
9:13The Lord said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. Say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: Let My people go so that they may serve Me.
9:14“‘This time I will send all My blows upon your heart and those of your attendants and people, so that you may know there is no other like Me in all the earth.
9:15“‘Now I will stretch out My hand and strike you and your people with death, and you shall be wiped from the earth.
9:16“‘For this purpose you were preserved: that I might show My strength in you and that My name might be proclaimed throughout the earth.
9:17“‘Do you still act against My people by refusing to let them go?
9:18“‘At this time tomorrow I will rain down very abundant hail, such as has never been in Egypt from the day it was created until today.
9:19“‘Hurry now and gather your livestock and everything you have in the plains. All the people and livestock you have there who do not enter a house will die when the hail falls on them.’”
9:20Those among Pharaoh’s attendants who feared the Lord’s word gathered their livestock into the houses.
9:21Those who paid no attention to the Lord’s word left the livestock in the plains.
The Seventh Plague: Hailstorm
9:22The Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, and there shall be hail throughout the land of Egypt, on people, livestock, and every plant upon the ground.”
9:23Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven. The Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire ran over the earth. The Lord rained hail upon all the land of Egypt.
9:24There was hail, with fire flaming amid the hail. The hail was very, very abundant, such as had never been in Egypt since a nation came to be there.
9:25Throughout Egypt the hail struck people and livestock. It struck every plant in the plains and shattered all the trees there.
9:26Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, was there no hail.
9:27Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said to them, “This time I have sinned. The Lord is righteous, and I and my people are ungodly.
9:28“Pray to the Lord for me, and let God’s thunder, hail, and fire cease. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.”
9:29Moses said to him, “When I leave the city I will spread out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease, and the hail and rain will be no more, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the Lord.
9:30“As for you and your attendants, I know that you do not yet fear the Lord.”
9:31The flax and barley were struck down, for the barley was standing ready and the flax was setting seed.
9:32The wheat and spelt were not struck down, for they were late crops.
9:33Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and hail ceased. Rain no longer fell upon the earth.
9:34When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and made his heart and his attendants’ hearts heavy.
9:35Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not let the sons of Israel go, as the Lord had spoken to Moses.
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Saints Translation · Liturgical reading edition · V1 · working draft awaiting specialist review.