1 Then Jehovah said to Moses: »Go to Pharaoh, and tell him, this is what Jehovah the God of the Hebrews says: Let my people go to serve me.
2 »If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them in slavery,
3 Jehovah will bring a terrible plague on your livestock, including your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep, and goats.
4 »»Jehovah will distinguish between Israels livestock and the livestock of the Egyptians. The animals belonging to the Israelites will not die.« «
5 Jehovah set a definite time: »I, Jehovah, choose tomorrow as the time when I will do this.«
6 The next day Jehovah did as he had said. The Egyptians animals all died. Not one of the animals of the Israelites died.
7 The king asked what had happened. He was told that none of the animals of the Israelites had died. He was stubborn and would not let the people go.
8 Then Jehovah said to Moses and Aaron: »Take a few handfuls of ashes from a furnace. Moses is to throw them into the air in front of the king.
9 »They will spread out like fine dust over all the land of Egypt. They will produce boils that become open sores on the people and the animals.«
10 They got some ashes and stood before the king. Moses threw them into the air. They produced boils that became open sores on the people and the animals.
11 The magicians were not able to appear before Moses, because they were covered with boils, like all the other Egyptians.
12 Jehovah hardened the heart of Pharaoh and he did not listen to Moses and Aaron. Everything happened just as Jehovah had told Moses.
13 Jehovah told Moses to get up early the next morning and say to the king: »God of the Hebrews commands you to let his people go, so they can serve him!
14 »If you do not, he will send his worst plagues to strike you, your officials, and everyone else in your country. Then you will find out that no one can oppose Jehovah.
15 »He could already have sent a terrible disease and wiped you from the face of the earth.
16 »I have allowed you to remain, 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 by not letting them go.
18 »At this time tomorrow, I will send a very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded until now.
19 »Bring your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. Every man and beast that is found in the field and is not brought home will die from the hail.«
20 The ones among the servants of Pharaoh who respected the word of Jehovah made his servants and his livestock flee into the houses.
21 He who paid no regard to the word of Jehovah left his servants and his livestock in the field.
22 Jehovah said to Moses: »Stretch out your hand toward the sky. Hail will fall on all the land of Egypt, on man and on beast and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.«
23 Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky. Then Jehovah sent thunder and hail, and fire ran down to the earth. Jehovah rained hail on the land of Egypt.
24 It hailed, and lightning flashed while it hailed. This was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation.
25 All over Egypt the hail knocked down everything that was out in the open. It struck down people, animals, and every plant in the fields and destroyed every tree in the fields.
26 The region of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was the only place where there was no hail.
27 The king sent for Moses and Aaron and said: »This time I have sinned. Jehovah is in the right. My people and I are in the wrong.
28 »Pray to Jehovah! We have had enough of this thunder and hail! I promise to let you go. You do not have to stay here any longer.«
29 Moses said to him: »As soon as I go out of the city, I will lift up my hands in prayer to Jehovah. The thunder will stop. There will be no more hail. Thus you may know that the earth belongs to Jehovah.
30 »But I know that you and your servants do not yet respect Jehovah God.«
31 The flax and the barley were ruined, because the barley was ripe, and the flax was budding.
32 But the wheat crops ripen later, and they were not damaged.
33 Moses left the royal palace and the city. He lifted his arms in prayer to Jehovah. The thunder, hail, and drenching rain stopped.
34 The king realized that the storm was over. He disobeyed once more. He and his officials were so stubborn
35 that he refused to let the Israelites go. This was exactly what Jehovah said would happen.