Exodus 9:1–17

Egyptian Cattle Die

1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “aLet My people go, that they may serve Me.

2 “For aif you refuse to let them go and 1continue to hold them,

3 behold, athe hand of the Lord 1will come with a very severe pestilence on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks.

4 “aBut the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that bnothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel.” ’ ”

5 The Lord set a definite time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.”

6 So the Lord did this thing on the next day, and aall the livestock of Egypt died; bbut of the livestock of the sons of Israel, not one died.

7 Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was not even one of the livestock of Israel dead. But athe heart of Pharaoh was 1hardened, and he did not let the people go.

The Plague of Boils

8 Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take for yourselves handfuls of soot from a kiln, and let Moses throw it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh.

9 “It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and will become aboils breaking out with sores on man and beast through all the land of Egypt.”

10 So they took soot from a kiln, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses threw it toward the sky, and it became boils breaking out with sores on man and beast.

11 aThe 1magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians 2as well as on all the Egyptians.

12 And athe Lord 1hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses.

13 Then the Lord said to Moses, “aRise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “bLet My people go, that they may serve Me.

14 “For this time I will send all My plagues 1on you and your servants and your people, so that ayou may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.

15 “For if by now I had put forth My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, you would then have been cut off from the earth.

16 “But, indeed, afor this reason I have allowed you to 1remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth.

17 “Still you exalt yourself against My people 1by not letting them go.