The Seventh Blow: Hail

9:13 24 The Lord said25 to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, stand26 before Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews: “Release my people so that they may serve me! 9:14 For this time I will send all my plagues27 on your very self28 and on your servants and your people, so that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 9:15 For by now I could have stretched out29 my hand and struck you and your people with plague, and you would have been destroyed30 from the earth. 9:16 But31 for this purpose I have caused you to stand:32 to show you33 my strength, and so that my name may be declared34 in all the earth. 9:17 You are still exalting35 yourself against my people by36 not releasing them. 9:18 I am going to cause very severe hail to rain down37 about this time tomorrow, such hail as has never occurred38 in Egypt from the day it was founded39 until now. 9:19 So now, send instructions40 to gather41 your livestock and all your possessions in the fields to a safe place. Every person42 or animal caught43 in the field and not brought into the house—the hail will come down on them, and they will die!” ’ ”

9:20 Those44 of Pharaoh’s servants who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their45 servants and livestock into the houses, 9:21 but those46 who did not take47 the word of the Lord seriously left their servants and their cattle48 in the field.

9:22 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Extend your hand toward the sky49 that there may be50 hail in all the land of Egypt, on people and on animals,51 and on everything that grows52 in the field in the land of Egypt.” 9:23 When Moses extended53 his staff toward the sky, the Lord54 sent thunder55 and hail, and fire fell to the earth;56 so the Lord caused hail to rain down on the land of Egypt. 9:24 Hail fell57 and fire mingled58 with the hail; the hail was so severe59 that there had not been any like it60 in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. 9:25 The hail struck everything in the open fields, both61 people and animals, throughout all the land of Egypt. The hail struck everything that grows62 in the field, and it broke all the trees of the field to pieces. 9:26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was there no hail.

9:27 So Pharaoh sent and summoned Moses and Aaron and said to them, “I have sinned this time!63 The Lord is righteous, and I and my people are guilty.64 9:28 Pray to the Lord, for the mighty65 thunderings and hail are too much!66 I will release you and you will stay no longer.”67

9:29 Moses said to him, “When I leave the city68 I will spread my hands to the Lord, the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the Lord.69 9:30 But as for you70 and your servants, I know that you do not yet fear71 the Lord God.”

9:31 (Now the72 flax and the barley were struck73 by the hail,74 for the barley had ripened75 and the flax76 was in bud. 9:32 But the wheat and the spelt77 were not struck, for they are later crops.)78

9:33 So Moses left Pharaoh, went out of the city, and spread out his hands to the Lord, and the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain stopped pouring on the earth. 9:34 When Pharaoh saw79 that the rain and hail and thunder ceased, he sinned again:80 both he and his servants hardened81 their hearts. 9:35 So Pharaoh’s heart remained hard,82 and he did not release the Israelites, as the Lord had predicted through Moses.