The Fifth Blow: Disease

9:1 1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, “Release my people that they may serve me! 9:2 For if you refuse to release them2 and continue holding them,3 9:3 then the hand of the Lord will surely bring4 a very terrible plague5 on your livestock in the field, on the horses, the donkeys, the camels,6 the herds, and the flocks. 9:4 But the Lord will distinguish7 between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing8 will die of all that the Israelites have.” ’ ”9

9:5 The Lord set10 an appointed time, saying, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this11 in the land.” 9:6 And the Lord did this12 on the next day;13 all14 the livestock of the Egyptians15 died, but of the Israelites’ livestock not one died. 9:7 Pharaoh sent representatives to investigate,16 and indeed, not even one of the livestock of Israel had died. But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard,17 and he did not release the people.