Exodus 9

1Yahweh said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and speak to him: 'Thus says Yahweh, God of the Hebrews, "Release my people, that they may serve me."'"

2For if you refuse to let them go and still hold them fast,

3See, the hand of Yahweh is on your livestock which are in the field—on horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, and flocks—a very severe plague.

4Yahweh will distinguish between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing will die from all that belongs to the children of Israel.

5Yahweh appointed a set time, saying, "Tomorrow Yahweh will do this thing in the land."

6Yahweh did that thing the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died, but not one of the livestock of the sons of Israel died.

7Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not one of Israel's livestock had died. Pharaoh's heart hardened, and he did not let the people go.

8Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of furnace ashes, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heavens before Pharaoh."

9It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and it will be boils breaking out into blisters on people and livestock throughout all the land of Egypt.

10They took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh; Moses sprinkled it toward the sky, and it became boils breaking forth with pustules on humans and livestock.

11The magicians were not able to stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and all the Egyptians.

12Yahweh hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken to Moses.

13Yahweh said to Moses, "Rise early in the morning, present yourself before Pharaoh, and tell him, 'Thus says Yahweh, God of the Hebrews: Release my people, that they may serve me.'"

14For this time I will send all my plagues against your heart, your servants, and your people, so that you may know there is none like me in all the earth.

15For now I would have thrust out my hand and struck you and your people with plague, and you would have been destroyed from the earth.

16But for this purpose I have made you stand, to show you my power, and so that my name may be declared in all the earth.

17You still exalt yourself against my people by refusing to send them.

18Behold, tomorrow about this time I will rain very heavy hail, such as has not been like it in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now.

19Now send and gather your livestock and everything you have in the field. Every person and beast found in the field that is not brought indoors—the hail will descend on them, and they will die.

20Anyone among Pharaoh's servants who feared the word of Yahweh brought his servants and livestock into the houses.

21Whoever did not take Yahweh's word to heart left his servants and his livestock in the field.

22Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the heavens, and there will be hail across all the land of Egypt—on humans, on livestock, and on every plant in the field, in the land of Egypt."

23Moses stretched out his staff toward the heavens, and Yahweh sent thunder and hail, with fire running down to the earth; Yahweh rained hail upon the land of Egypt.

24There was hail with fire flashing in its midst, very heavy—such as had not been like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.

25The hail struck all the land of Egypt, all that was in the field from man to beast; and the hail struck all grass in the field and broke every tree in the field.

26The land of Goshen alone, where the Israelites were, had no hail.

27Pharaoh sent and called Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "I have sinned this time. Yahweh is righteous, and I and my people are wicked."

28Pray to Yahweh; enough of God's thunders and hail. I will release you, and you shall not continue to remain.

29Moses said to him, "When I leave the city, I will spread out my hands to Yahweh; the thunders will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth belongs to Yahweh."

30You and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear Yahweh God.

31The flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in ear and the flax was budding.

32But the wheat and spelt were not beaten down, because they were immature.

33Moses went out from Pharaoh, out of the city, and spread out his hands to Yahweh; the thunders and hail ceased, and rain did not pour down on the earth.

34When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunders had ceased, he sinned even more and hardened his heart—he and his servants.

35Pharaoh's heart hardened, and he did not send Israel's sons away, just as Yahweh had spoken through Moses.