Exodus 9
Open in the reader1Then He-Who-Is said to Drawn-Out, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what He-Who-Is, the God of the Crosser, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
2But if you continue to restrain them and refuse to let them go,
3then the hand of He-Who-Is will bring a severe plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks.
4But He-Who-Is will make a distinction between the livestock of Strives-with-God and the livestock of Two-Straits, so that no animal belonging to the children of Strives-with-God will die.’”
5He-Who-Is set a time, saying, “Tomorrow He-Who-Is will do this in the land.”
6And the next day He-Who-Is did just that. All the livestock of the Two-Straitsians died, but not one animal belonging to the children of Strives-with-God died.
7Pharaoh sent officials and found that none of the livestock of the children of Strives-with-God had died. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the people go.
8Then He-Who-Is said to Drawn-Out and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the furnace; in the sight of Pharaoh, Drawn-Out is to toss it into the air.
9It will become fine dust over all the land of Two-Straits, and festering boils will break out on man and beast throughout the land.”
10So they took soot from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Drawn-Out tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on man and beast.
11The magicians could not stand before Drawn-Out, because the boils had broken out on them and on all the Two-Straitsians.
12But He-Who-Is hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not listen to them, just as He-Who-Is had said to Drawn-Out.
13Then He-Who-Is said to Drawn-Out, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him that this is what He-Who-Is, the God of the Crosser, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may 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.
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.
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.
17Still, you lord it over My people and do not allow them to go.
18Behold, at this time tomorrow I will rain down the worst hail that has ever fallen on Two-Straits, from the day it was founded until now.
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.’”
20Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of He-Who-Is hurried to bring their servants and livestock to shelter,
21but those who disregarded the word of He-Who-Is left their servants and livestock in the field.
22Then He-Who-Is said to Drawn-Out, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that hail may fall on all the land of Two-Straits—on man and beast and every plant of the field throughout the land of Two-Straits.”
23So Drawn-Out stretched out his staff toward heaven, and He-Who-Is sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So He-Who-Is rained down hail upon the land of Two-Straits.
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 Two-Straits from the time it became a nation.
25Throughout the land of Two-Straits, the hail struck down everything in the field, both man and beast; it beat down every plant of the field and stripped every tree.
26The only place where it did not hail was in the land of Goshen, where the children of Strives-with-God lived.
27Then Pharaoh summoned Drawn-Out and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said. “He-Who-Is is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
28Pray to He-Who-Is, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you do not need to stay any longer.”
29Drawn-Out said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to He-Who-Is. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is He-Who-Is’s.
30But as for you and your officials, I know that you still do not fear He-Who-Is our God.”
31(Now the flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley was ripe and the flax was in bloom;
32but the wheat and spelt were not destroyed, because they are late crops.)
33Then Drawn-Out departed from Pharaoh, went out of the city, and spread out his hands to He-Who-Is. The thunder and hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured down on the land.
34When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart—he and his officials.
35So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the children of Strives-with-God go, just as He-Who-Is had said through Drawn-Out.