Study Desk

The Plague on Livestock

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord , the God of the Hebrews, says: "Let my people go, so that they may worship^(a) me."

If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back,

the hand^(b) of the Lord will bring a terrible plague^(c) on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats.

But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt,^(d) so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.'"

The Lord set a time and said, "Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land."

And the next day the Lord did it: All the livestock^(e) of the Egyptians died,^(f) but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died.

Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart^(g) was unyielding and he would not let the people go.^(h)

Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh.

It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils⁽ⁱ⁾ will break out on people and animals throughout the land."

So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals.

The magicians^(j) could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians.

But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart^(k) and he would not listen^(l) to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord , the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship^(m) me,

or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know⁽ⁿ⁾ that there is no one like^(o) me in all the earth.

For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people^(p) with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth.

But I have raised you up^[a] for this very purpose,^(q) that I might show you my power^(r) and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go.

Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm^(s) that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now.^(t)

Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every person and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.'"

Those officials of Pharaoh who feared^(u) the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside.

But those who ignored^(v) the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt—on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt."

When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder^(w) and hail,^(x) and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt;

hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation.^(y)

Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree.^(z)

The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen,^(aa) where the Israelites were.^(ab)

Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. "This time I have sinned,"^(ac) he said to them. "The Lord is in the right,^(ad) and I and my people are in the wrong.

Pray^(ae) to the Lord , for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go;^(af) you don't have to stay any longer."

Moses replied, "When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands^(ag) in prayer to the Lord . The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth^(ah) is the Lord 's.

But I know that you and your officials still do not fear^(ai) the Lord God."

(The flax and barley^(aj) were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom.

The wheat and spelt,^(ak) however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.)

Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the Lord ; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land.

When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts.

So Pharaoh's heart^(al) was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.

The Plague of Locusts

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart^(a) and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs^(b) of mine among them

that you may tell your children^(c) and grandchildren how I dealt harshly^(d) with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord ."^(e)

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, "This is what the Lord , the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble^(f) yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me.

If you refuse^(g) to let them go, I will bring locusts^(h) into your country tomorrow.

They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left⁽ⁱ⁾ after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields.^(j)

They will fill your houses^(k) and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians—something neither your parents nor your ancestors have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.'"^(l) Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

Pharaoh's officials said to him, "How long will this man be a snare^(m) to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?"⁽ⁿ⁾

Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. "Go, worship^(o) the Lord your God," he said. "But tell me who will be going."

Moses answered, "We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival^(p) to the Lord ."

Pharaoh said, "The Lord be with you—if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil.^[a]

No! Have only the men go and worship the Lord , since that's what you have been asking for." Then Moses and Aaron were driven out of Pharaoh's presence.

And the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand^(q) over Egypt so that locusts swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail."

So Moses stretched out his staff^(r) over Egypt, and the Lord made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts;^(s)

they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts,^(t) nor will there ever be again.

They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured^(u) all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh quickly summoned^(v) Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned^(w) against the Lord your God and against you.

Now forgive^(x) my sin once more and pray^(y) to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me."

Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord .^(z)

And the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea.^[b] Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt.

But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart,^(aa) and he would not let the Israelites go.

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness^(ab) spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt."

So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness^(ac) covered all Egypt for three days.

No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.^(ad)

Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, "Go,^(ae) worship the Lord . Even your women and children^(af) may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind."^(ag)

But Moses said, "You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings^(ah) to present to the Lord our God.

Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the Lord our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the Lord ."

But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart,^(ai) and he was not willing to let them go.

Pharaoh said to Moses, "Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die."

"Just as you say," Moses replied. "I will never appear^(aj) before you again."

The Plague on the Firstborn

Now the Lord had said to Moses, "I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go^(a) from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely.^(b)

Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold."^(c)

(The Lord made the Egyptians favorably disposed^(d) toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded^(e) in Egypt by Pharaoh's officials and by the people.)

So Moses said, "This is what the Lord says: ‘About midnight^(f) I will go throughout Egypt.^(g)

Every firstborn^(h) son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at her hand mill,⁽ⁱ⁾ and all the firstborn of the cattle as well.

There will be loud wailing^(j) throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again.

But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal.' Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction^(k) between Egypt and Israel.

All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, ‘Go,^(l) you and all the people who follow you!' After that I will leave."^(m) Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh.

The Lord had said to Moses, "Pharaoh will refuse to listen⁽ⁿ⁾ to you—so that my wonders^(o) may be multiplied in Egypt."

Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart,^(p) and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country.

The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread^(a)

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt,

"This month is to be for you the first month,^(b) the first month of your year.

Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb^[a](c) for his family, one for each household.^(d)

If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat.

The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect,^(e) and you may take them from the sheep or the goats.

Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month,^(f) when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.^(g)

Then they are to take some of the blood^(h) and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.

That same night⁽ⁱ⁾ they are to eat the meat roasted^(j) over the fire, along with bitter herbs,^(k) and bread made without yeast.^(l)

Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs.^(m)

Do not leave any of it till morning;⁽ⁿ⁾ if some is left till morning, you must burn it.

This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste;^(o) it is the Lord 's Passover.^(p)

"On that same night I will pass through^(q) Egypt and strike down^(r) every firstborn^(s) of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods^(t) of Egypt. I am the Lord .^(u)

The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over^(v) you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.^(w)

"This is a day you are to commemorate;^(x) for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord —a lasting ordinance.^(y)

For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast.^(z) On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off^(aa) from Israel.

On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work^(ab) at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do.

"Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread,^(ac) because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt.^(ad) Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.^(ae)

In the first month^(af) you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day.

For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner^(ag) or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off^(ah) from the community of Israel.

Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live,^(ai) you must eat unleavened bread."^(aj)

Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover^(ak) lamb.

Take a bunch of hyssop,^(al) dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood^(am) on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning.

When the Lord goes through the land to strike^(an) down the Egyptians, he will see the blood^(ao) on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over^(ap) that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer^(aq) to enter your houses and strike you down.

"Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance^(ar) for you and your descendants.

When you enter the land^(as) that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony.

And when your children^(at) ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?'

then tell them, ‘It is the Passover^(au) sacrifice to the Lord , who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.'"^(av) Then the people bowed down and worshiped.^(aw)

The Israelites did just what the Lord commanded^(ax) Moses and Aaron.

At midnight^(ay) the Lord ^(az) struck down all the firstborn^(ba) in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock^(bb) as well.

Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing^(bc) in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.

During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship^(bd) the Lord as you have requested.

Take your flocks and herds,^(be) as you have said, and go. And also bless^(bf) me."

The Egyptians urged the people to hurry^(bg) and leave^(bh) the country. "For otherwise," they said, "we will all die!"^(bi)

So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs^(bj) wrapped in clothing.

The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold^(bk) and for clothing.^(bl)

The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed^(bm) toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered^(bn) the Egyptians.

The Israelites journeyed from Rameses^(bo) to Sukkoth.^(bp) There were about six hundred thousand men^(bq) on foot, besides women and children.

Many other people^(br) went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds.

With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out^(bs) of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.

Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt^[b] was 430 years.^(bt)

At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord 's divisions^(bu) left Egypt.^(bv)

Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.^(bw)

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, "These are the regulations for the Passover meal:^(bx) "No foreigner^(by) may eat it.

Any slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcised^(bz) him,

but a temporary resident or a hired worker^(ca) may not eat it.

"It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones.^(cb)

The whole community of Israel must celebrate it.

"A foreigner residing among you who wants to celebrate the Lord 's Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land.^(cc) No uncircumcised^(cd) male may eat it.

The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner^(ce) residing among you."

All the Israelites did just what the Lord had commanded^(cf) Moses and Aaron.

And on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt^(cg) by their divisions.^(ch)