Christian Standard Bible | New Living Translation |
1Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in 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 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 refuse to let them go and keep holding them, | 2If you continue to hold them and refuse to let them go, |
3then the LORD's hand will bring a severe plague against your livestock in the field--the 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 nothing of all that the Israelites own 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! |
5And the LORD set a time, saying, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing 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.’” |
6The LORD did this the next day. All the Egyptian livestock died, but none among the Israelite livestock 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 messengers who saw that not a single one of the Israelite livestock was dead. But Pharaoh's heart was hard, and he did 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 furnace soot, and Moses is to throw it toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh. | 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 the entire land of Egypt. It will become festering boils on people and animals throughout the land of Egypt." | 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 furnace soot and stood before Pharaoh. Moses threw it toward heaven, and it became festering boils on people and animals. | 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 of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians as well as 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 did not listen to them, as the LORD had told 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 and present yourself to Pharaoh. Tell him: 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. |
14For this time I am about to send all my plagues against you, your officials, and your people. Then you will know there is no one like me on the whole 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. |
15By now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague, and you would have been obliterated from 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. |
16However, I have let you live for this purpose: to show you my power and to make my name known on the whole earth. | 16But I have spared you for a purpose—to show you my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth. |
17You are still acting arrogantly against my people by not letting them go. | 17But you still lord it over my people and refuse to let them go. |
18Tomorrow at this time I will rain down the worst hail that has ever occurred in 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. |
19Therefore give orders to bring your livestock and all that you have in the field into shelters. Every person and animal that is in the field and not brought inside will die when the hail falls on 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 made their servants and livestock flee to shelters, | 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 didn't take to heart the LORD's word 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 and let there be hail throughout the land of Egypt--on people and animals and every plant of the field in 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. Lightning struck the land, and the LORD rained hail on 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, with lightning flashing through it, was so severe that nothing like it had occurred in the land of Egypt since it had become 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 people and animals. The hail beat down every plant of the field and shattered every tree in the field. | 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 it didn't hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were. | 26The only place without hail was the region of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived. |
27Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. "I have sinned this time," he said to them. "The LORD is the righteous one, and I and my people are the guilty ones. | 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. |
28Make an appeal to the LORD. There has been enough of God's thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don't 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 the earth belongs to the LORD. | 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 God." | 30But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the LORD God.” |
31The flax and the barley were destroyed because the barley was ripe and the flax was budding, | 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 the spelt were not destroyed since they are later crops. | 32But the wheat and the emmer wheat were spared, because they had not yet sprouted from the ground.) |
33Moses left Pharaoh and the city, and spread out his hands to the LORD. Then the thunder and hail ceased, and 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, 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 hard, and he did not let the Israelites go, 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. |
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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