Exodus 7; Exodus 8; Exodus 9

1 The LORD answered Moses, "I have made you a god to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron is your prophet.

2 Tell your brother Aaron everything I command you, and he must tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites leave the country.

3 But I will make Pharaoh stubborn. Even though I will do many miraculous signs and amazing things in Egypt,

4 Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will use my power to punish Egypt severely, and I will bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt in organized family groups.

5 The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I use my power against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of there."

6 Moses and Aaron did as the LORD had commanded them.

7 Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they talked to Pharaoh.

8 The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,

9 "When Pharaoh says to you, 'Give me a sign to prove that God has sent you,' tell Aaron, 'Take your shepherd's staff and throw it down in front of Pharaoh,' and it will become a large snake."

10 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did as the LORD had commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a large snake.

11 Then Pharaoh sent for his wise men and sorcerers. These Egyptian magicians did the same thing using their magic spells.

12 Each of them threw his staff down, and they all became large snakes. But Aaron's staff swallowed theirs.

13 Yet, Pharaoh continued to be stubborn and would not listen to them, as the LORD had predicted.

14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh is being stubborn. He refuses to let my people go.

15 In the morning meet Pharaoh when he's on his way to the Nile. Wait for him on the bank of the river. Take along the staff that turned into a snake.

16 Say to him, 'The LORD God of the Hebrews sent me to tell you, "Let my people go to worship me in the desert." So far you have not listened.

17 Here is what the LORD says: This is the way you will recognize that I am the LORD: With this staff in my hand, I'm going to strike the Nile, and the water will turn into blood.

18 The fish in the Nile will die, and the river will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink any water from the Nile.'"

19 The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt--its rivers, canals, ponds, and all its reservoirs--so that they turn into blood. There will be blood everywhere in Egypt, even in the wooden and stone containers.'"

20 Moses and Aaron did as the LORD had commanded. In front of Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron raised his staff and struck the Nile. All the water in the river turned into blood.

21 The fish in the Nile died, and it smelled so bad that the Egyptians couldn't drink any water from the river. There was blood everywhere in Egypt.

22 But the Egyptian magicians did the same thing using their magic spells. So Pharaoh continued to be stubborn and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, as the LORD had predicted.

23 Pharaoh turned and went back to his palace. He dismissed the entire matter from his mind.

24 All the Egyptians dug along the Nile for water to drink because they couldn't drink any of the water from the river.

25 Seven days passed after the LORD struck the Nile.

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, and tell him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go to worship me.

2 If you refuse to let them go, I will bring a plague of frogs on your whole country.

3 The Nile River will swarm with frogs. They will come into your palace, into your bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your officials, on your people, into your ovens and into your mixing bowls.

4 The frogs will jump on you, on your people, and on all your officials.'"

5 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Hold your staff over the rivers, canals, and ponds. This will bring frogs onto the land.'"

6 So Aaron held his staff over the waters of Egypt. The frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

7 But the magicians did the same thing using their magic spells and brought frogs onto the land.

8 Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray that the LORD will take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD."

9 Moses answered Pharaoh, "You may have the honor of choosing when I should pray for you, your officials, and your people. Then the frogs will leave you and your homes. The only ones left will be those in the Nile."

10 "Pray for me tomorrow," Pharaoh said. Moses replied, "It will be as you say so that you will know that there is no one like the LORD our God.

11 The frogs will leave you, your homes, your officials, and your people. The only frogs left will be those in the Nile."

12 After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses prayed to the LORD about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh.

13 The LORD did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, in the yards, and in the fields.

14 They were piled into countless heaps, and the land began to stink because of them.

15 When Pharaoh saw that the plague was over, he became stubborn and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, as the LORD had predicted.

16 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Hold out your staff and strike the dust on the ground. All over Egypt the dust will turn into gnats.'"

17 When Moses told him, Aaron held out the staff in his hand and struck the dust on the ground. It turned into gnats that bit people and animals. All the dust on the ground everywhere in Egypt turned into gnats.

18 The magicians also tried to produce gnats using their magic spells, but they couldn't do it. The gnats bit people and animals.

19 So the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the hand of God!" Yet, Pharaoh continued to be stubborn and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, as the LORD had predicted.

20 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Early in the morning, stand in Pharaoh's way when he's going to the Nile. Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go to worship me.

21 If you will not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, your people, and your houses. The homes of the Egyptians will be filled with flies, and even the ground outside will be covered with them.

22 But on that day I will treat the region of Goshen differently. That is where my people live. There won't be any flies there. This way you will know that I, the LORD, am here in this land.

23 I will distinguish between my people and yours. This miraculous sign will happen tomorrow.'"

24 The LORD did what he said. Dense swarms of flies came into Pharaoh's palace and into the houses of his officials. All over Egypt the flies were ruining everything.

25 Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God here in this country."

26 Moses replied, "It wouldn't be right to do that. The sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God are disgusting to Egyptians. If they see us offer sacrifices that they consider disgusting, won't they stone us to death?

27 We need to travel three days into the desert to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, as he told us to do."

28 Pharaoh said, "I will let you go, but don't go very far. You may offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the desert and pray for me."

29 Moses answered, "As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the LORD. Tomorrow the swarms of flies will go away from you, your officials, and your people. But you must stop tricking us by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD."

30 Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD.

31 The LORD did what Moses asked. The swarms of flies left Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. Not one fly was left.

32 Yet, this time, too, Pharaoh was stubborn and did not let the people go.

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, and tell him, 'This is what the LORD God of the Hebrews says: Let my people go to worship me.

2 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them [in slavery],

3 the LORD will bring a terrible plague on your livestock, including your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats.

4 But the LORD will distinguish between Israel's livestock and the livestock of the Egyptians. No animals belonging to the Israelites will die.'"

5 The LORD set a definite time. He said, "Tomorrow I will do this."

6 The next day the LORD did as he said. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but none of the Israelites' animals died.

7 Pharaoh found out that not one of the Israelites' animals had died. Yet, Pharaoh continued to be stubborn and would not let the people go.

8 Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take a handful of ashes from a kiln, and have Moses throw them up in the air as Pharaoh watches.

9 They will become a fine dust throughout Egypt. The dust will cause boils to break into open sores on people and animals throughout Egypt."

10 They took ashes from a kiln and stood in front of Pharaoh. Moses threw the ashes up in the air, and they caused boils to break into open sores on people and animals.

11 The magicians couldn't compete with Moses because they had boils like all the other Egyptians.

12 But the LORD made Pharaoh stubborn, so he wouldn't listen to Moses and Aaron, as the LORD had predicted to Moses.

13 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Early in the morning, go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD God of the Hebrews says: Let my people go to worship me.

14 Now I will send plagues that will affect you personally as well as your officials and people. This is how you will know that there is no one like me anywhere on earth.

15 By now I could have used my power to kill you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth.

16 But I have spared you for this reason. I want to show you my power and make my name famous throughout the earth.

17 You are still blocking my people from leaving.

18 So, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever happened in Egypt since the beginning of its history.

19 Now, send [servants] to bring your livestock and everything else you have indoors. All people and animals still outside and not brought in will die when the hail falls on them.'"

20 Those members of Pharaoh's court who listened to the LORD's warning brought their servants and cattle indoors quickly.

21 But those who didn't take the LORD's warning seriously left their servants and animals out in the open.

22 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Lift your hand toward the sky, and hail will fall on people, animals, and every plant in the fields of Egypt."

23 When Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD made it hail on Egypt.

24 It hailed, and lightning flashed while it hailed. This was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation.

25 All over Egypt the hail knocked down everything that was out in the open. It struck down people, animals, and every plant in the fields and destroyed every tree in the fields.

26 The only place it didn't hail was the region of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.

27 Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. "This time I have sinned," he told them. "The LORD is right, and my people and I are wrong.

28 Pray to the LORD. We've had enough of God's thunder and hail. I'll let you go; you don't have to stay here any longer."

29 Moses replied, "As soon as I'm out of the city, I'll spread out my hands to the LORD in prayer. The thunder will stop, and there will be no more hail. This is how you will know that the earth belongs to the LORD.

30 But I know that you and your officials still don't fear the LORD God."

31 (The flax and the barley were ruined, because the barley had formed heads and the flax was in bloom.

32 Neither the wheat nor the wild grain was damaged, because they ripen later.)

33 As soon as he left Pharaoh and went out of the city, Moses spread out his hands to the LORD in prayer. The thunder and the hail stopped, and no more rain came pouring down on the ground.

34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had stopped, he sinned again. He and his officials continued to be stubborn.

35 Pharaoh was stubborn and would not let the Israelites go, as the LORD had predicted through Moses.