| Berean Study Bible | New Living Translation |
| 1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. | 1“Go back to Pharaoh,” the LORD commanded Moses. “Tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. |
| 2But if you continue to restrain them and refuse to let them go, | 2If you continue to hold them and refuse to let them go, |
| 3then the hand of the LORD will bring a severe plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks. | 3the hand of the LORD will strike all your livestock—your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats—with a deadly plague. |
| 4But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’ ” | 4But the LORD will again make a distinction between the livestock of the Israelites and that of the Egyptians. Not a single one of Israel’s animals will die! |
| 5The LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land.” | 5The LORD has already set the time for the plague to begin. He has declared that he will strike the land tomorrow.’” |
| 6And the next day the LORD did just that. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. | 6And the LORD did just as he had said. The next morning all the livestock of the Egyptians died, but the Israelites didn’t lose a single animal. |
| 7Pharaoh sent officials and found that none of the livestock of the Israelites had died. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the people go. | 7Pharaoh sent his officials to investigate, and they discovered that the Israelites had not lost a single animal! But even so, Pharaoh’s heart remained stubborn, and he still refused to let the people go. A Plague of Festering Boils |
| 8Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the furnace; in the sight of Pharaoh, Moses is to toss it into the air. | 8Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a brick kiln, and have Moses toss it into the air while Pharaoh watches. |
| 9It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on man and beast throughout the land.” | 9The ashes will spread like fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, causing festering boils to break out on people and animals throughout the land.” |
| 10So they took soot from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on man and beast. | 10So they took soot from a brick kiln and went and stood before Pharaoh. As Pharaoh watched, Moses threw the soot into the air, and boils broke out on people and animals alike. |
| 11The magicians could not stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and on all the Egyptians. | 11Even the magicians were unable to stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and all the Egyptians. |
| 12But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said to Moses. | 12But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and just as the LORD had predicted to Moses, Pharaoh refused to listen. A Plague of Hail |
| 13Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. | 13Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. Tell him, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. |
| 14Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against you and your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth. | 14If you don’t, I will send more plagues on you and your officials and your people. Then you will know that there is no one like me in all the earth. |
| 15For by this time I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the earth. | 15By now I could have lifted my hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the face of the earth. |
| 16But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display My power to you, and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth. | 16But I have spared you for a purpose—to show you my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth. |
| 17Still, you lord it over My people and do not allow them to go. | 17But you still lord it over my people and refuse to let them go. |
| 18Behold, at this time tomorrow I will rain down the worst hail that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded until now. | 18So tomorrow at this time I will send a hailstorm more devastating than any in all the history of Egypt. |
| 19So give orders now to shelter your livestock and everything you have in the field. Every man or beast that remains in the field and is not brought inside will die when the hail comes down upon them.’ ” | 19Quick! Order your livestock and servants to come in from the fields to find shelter. Any person or animal left outside will die when the hail falls.’” |
| 20Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their servants and livestock to shelter, | 20Some of Pharaoh’s officials were afraid because of what the LORD had said. They quickly brought their servants and livestock in from the fields. |
| 21but those who disregarded the word of the LORD left their servants and livestock in the field. | 21But those who paid no attention to the word of the LORD left theirs out in the open. |
| 22Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt—on man and beast and every plant of the field throughout the land of Egypt.” | 22Then the LORD said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward the sky so hail may fall on the people, the livestock, and all the plants throughout the land of Egypt.” |
| 23So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD rained down hail upon the land of Egypt. | 23So Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed toward the earth. The LORD sent a tremendous hailstorm against all the land of Egypt. |
| 24The hail fell and the lightning continued flashing through it. The hail was so severe that nothing like it had ever been seen in all the land of Egypt from the time it became a nation. | 24Never in all the history of Egypt had there been a storm like that, with such devastating hail and continuous lightning. |
| 25Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both man and beast; it beat down every plant of the field and stripped every tree. | 25It left all of Egypt in ruins. The hail struck down everything in the open field—people, animals, and plants alike. Even the trees were destroyed. |
| 26The only place where it did not hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived. | 26The only place without hail was the region of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived. |
| 27Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said. “The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. | 27Then Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he confessed. “The LORD is the righteous one, and my people and I are wrong. |
| 28Pray to the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you do not need to stay any longer.” | 28Please beg the LORD to end this terrifying thunder and hail. We’ve had enough. I will let you go; you don’t need to stay any longer.” |
| 29Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s. | 29“All right,” Moses replied. “As soon as I leave the city, I will lift my hands and pray to the LORD. Then the thunder and hail will stop, and you will know that the earth belongs to the LORD. |
| 30But as for you and your officials, I know that you still do not fear the LORD our God.” | 30But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the LORD God.” |
| 31(Now the flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley was ripe and the flax was in bloom; | 31(All the flax and barley were ruined by the hail, because the barley had formed heads and the flax was budding. |
| 32but the wheat and spelt were not destroyed, because they are late crops.) | 32But the wheat and the emmer wheat were spared, because they had not yet sprouted from the ground.) |
| 33Then Moses departed from Pharaoh, went out of the city, and spread out his hands to the LORD. The thunder and hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. | 33So Moses left Pharaoh’s court and went out of the city. When he lifted his hands to the LORD, the thunder and hail stopped, and the downpour ceased. |
| 34When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart—he and his officials. | 34But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had stopped, he and his officials sinned again, and Pharaoh again became stubborn. |
| 35So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses. | 35Because his heart was hard, Pharaoh refused to let the people leave, just as the LORD had predicted through Moses. |
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