Exodus 9

The Sixth Plague: Boils Exodus 9:8–12

⁸Verse 8. Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron, “Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh. ⁹Verse 9. It shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking out with boils on man and on animal, throughout all the land of Egypt.” ¹⁰Verse 10. They took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward the sky; and it became a boil breaking out with boils on man and on animal. ¹¹Verse 11. The magicians couldn’t stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were on the magicians, and on all the Egyptians.

¹²Verse 12. Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he didn’t listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken to Moses.

Warning of Hail Exodus 9:13–22

¹³Verse 13. Yahweh said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, ‘This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, that they may serve me. ¹⁴Verse 14. For this time I will send all my plagues against your heart, against your officials, and against your people; that you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. ¹⁵Verse 15. For now I would have stretched out my hand, and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth; ¹⁶Verse 16. but indeed for this cause I have made you stand: to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth;

¹⁷Verse 17. as you still exalt yourself against my people, that you won’t let them go. ¹⁸Verse 18. Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now. ¹⁹Verse 19. Now therefore command that all of your livestock and all that you have in the field be brought into shelter. Every man and animal that is found in the field, and isn’t brought home, the hail shall come down on them, and they shall die.”’” ²⁰Verse 20. Those who feared Yahweh’s word among the servants of Pharaoh made their servants and their livestock flee into the houses.

²¹Verse 21. Whoever didn’t respect Yahweh’s word left his servants and his livestock in the field. ²²Verse 22. Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man, and on animal, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.”

Hail Falls Exodus 9:23–26

²³Verse 23. Moses stretched out his rod toward the heavens, and Yahweh sent thunder, hail, and lightning flashed down to the earth. Yahweh rained hail on the land of Egypt. ²⁴Verse 24. So there was very severe hail, and lightning mixed with the hail, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. ²⁵Verse 25. The hail struck throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and animal; and the hail struck every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field. ²⁶Verse 26. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.

Pharaoh's Confession and Promise Exodus 9:27–30

²⁷Verse 27. Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, “I have sinned this time. Yahweh is righteous, and I and my people are wicked. ²⁸Verse 28. Pray to Yahweh; for there has been enough of mighty thunderings and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.” ²⁹Verse 29. Moses said to him, “As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands to Yahweh. The thunders shall cease, and there will not be any more hail; that you may know that the earth is Yahweh’s. ³⁰Verse 30. But as for you and your servants, I know that you don’t yet fear Yahweh God.”

Aftermath of the Hail Exodus 9:31–34

³¹Verse 31. The flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was in bloom. ³²Verse 32. But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they had not grown up. ³³Verse 33. Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands to Yahweh; and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth. ³⁴Verse 34. When Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders had ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

Pharaoh's Hardened Heart Exodus 9:35

³⁵Verse 35. The heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he didn’t let the children of Israel go, just as Yahweh had spoken through Moses.