Study Desk

Then Moses said, "What if they will not believe me or ^(C1)listen ^(F1)to what I say? For they may say, '^(C2)The LORD has not appeared to you.'"

The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "^(C1)A staff."

Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and ^(C1)it turned into a serpent; and Moses fled from it.

But the LORD said to Moses, "Reach out with your hand and grasp it by its tail"—so he reached out with his hand and caught it, and it turned into a staff in his ^(F1)hand—

"so that ^(C1)they may believe that ^(C2)the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you."

The LORD furthermore said to him, "Now put your hand inside the fold of your robe." So he put his hand inside the fold, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was ^(C1)leprous like snow.

Then He said, "Put your hand inside the fold of your robe again." So he put his hand into the fold again, and when he took it out of the fold, behold, ^(C1)it was restored like the rest of his flesh.

"So if they will not believe you nor ^(F1)pay attention to the ^(F2)evidence of the first ^(F3)sign, they may believe the ^(F2)evidence of the last ^(F3)sign.

"But if they will not believe even these two ^(F1)signs nor pay attention to what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground; and the water which you take from the Nile ^(C1)will turn into blood on the dry ground."

Then Moses said to the LORD, "Please, Lord, ^(C1)I have never been ^(F1)eloquent, neither ^(F2)recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am ^(F3)slow of speech and ^(F3)slow of tongue."

But the LORD said to him, "Who has made the human mouth? Or ^(C1)who makes anyone unable to speak or deaf, or able to see or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?

"Now then go, and ^(C1)I Myself will be with your mouth, and ^(C2)instruct you in what you are to say."

But he said, "Please, Lord, now send the message by ^(F1)whomever You will."

Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, "Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that ^(F1)he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, ^(C1)he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be ^(F2)overjoyed.

"So you are to speak to him and ^(C1)put the words in his mouth; and I Myself will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will instruct you in what you are to do.

"^(C1)He shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him.

"And you shall take in your hand ^(C1)this staff, ^(C2)with which you shall perform the signs."

Then Moses departed and returned to ^(C1)his father-in-law ^(F1)Jethro, and said to him, "Please, let me go, that I may return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and see if they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

Now the LORD said to Moses in Midian, "Go ^(F1)back to Egypt, for ^(C1)all the men who were seeking your life are dead."

So Moses took his wife and his ^(C1)sons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the ^(C2)staff of God in his hand.

And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go ^(F1)back to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all ^(C1)the wonders which I have put in your ^(F2)power; but ^(C2)I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.

"Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: "^(C1)Israel is My son, My firstborn.

"So I said to you, '^(C1)Let My son go so that he may serve Me'; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, ^(C2)I am going to kill your son, your firstborn."'"

But it came about at the overnight encampment on the way, that the LORD met ^(F1)Moses, and ^(C1)sought to put him to death.

So Zipporah took ^(C1)a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and ^(F1)threw it at Moses' feet; and she said, "You are indeed a groom of blood to me!"

So He left him alone. At that time she said, "You are a groom of blood"—^(F1)because of the circumcision.

^(C1)Now the LORD said to Aaron, "Go to meet Moses in the wilderness." So he went and met him at the ^(C2)mountain of God and kissed him.

^(C1)Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which He had sent him, and ^(C2)all the signs that He had commanded him to do.

Then Moses and Aaron went and ^(C1)assembled all the elders of the sons of Israel;

and ^(C1)Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken to Moses. He then performed the ^(C2)signs in the sight of the people.

So ^(C1)the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD ^(F1)(C2)was concerned about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction, ^(C3)they bowed low and worshiped.

And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, "^(C1)This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: '^(C2)Let My people go so that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.'"

But Pharaoh said, "^(C1)Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, ^(C2)I will not let Israel go."

Then they said, "^(C1)The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God, otherwise He will strike us with plague or with the sword."

But the king of Egypt said to them, "Moses and Aaron, why do you let the people neglect their ^(F1)work? Get back to your ^(C1)labors!"

Again Pharaoh said, "Look, ^(C1)the people of the land are now many, and you would have them cease from their labors!"

So the same day Pharaoh commanded ^(C1)the taskmasters over the people and their ^(C2)foremen, saying,

"You are no longer to give the people straw to make bricks as previously; have them go and gather straw for themselves.

"But you shall impose on them the quota of bricks which they were making before; you are not to reduce any of it. Because they are ^(C1)lazy, for that reason they cry ^(F1)out, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'

"Let the labor be heavier on the men, and have them work at it so that they will pay no attention to false words."

So ^(C1)the taskmasters of the people and their foremen went out and spoke to the people, saying, "This is what Pharaoh says: 'I am not going to give you any straw.

'You go, get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it; but none of your labor will be reduced.'"

So the people scattered through all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.

And the taskmasters pressed them, saying, "Complete your ^(F1)work quota, ^(F2)your daily amount, just as when ^(F3)you had straw."

Moreover, ^(C1)the foremen of the sons of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, ^(C2)were beaten ^(F1)and asked, "Why have you not completed your required task of making bricks either yesterday or today, as before?"

Then the foremen of the sons of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, "Why do you deal this way with your servants?

"There is no straw given to your servants, yet they keep saying to us, 'Make bricks!' And behold, your servants are being beaten; but it is the fault of your own people."

But he said, "You are ^(C1)lazy, very lazy; for that reason you say, 'Let us go and sacrifice to the LORD.'

"So go now and work; for you will be given no straw, but you must deliver the quota of bricks."

The foremen of the sons of Israel saw that they were in trouble, ^(F1)since they were told, "You must not reduce ^(F2)your daily amount of bricks."

When they left Pharaoh's presence, they met Moses and Aaron as they were ^(F1)waiting for them.

And ^(C1)they said to them, "^(C2)May the LORD look upon you and judge you, because you have ^(C3)made ^(F1)us repulsive in Pharaoh's sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us!"

Then Moses returned to the LORD and said, "^(C1)Lord, why have You brought harm to this people? Why did You ever send me?

"Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done harm to this people, ^(C1)and You have not rescued Your people at all."

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for ^(F1)(C1)under compulsion he will let them go, and ^(F1)under compulsion he will drive them out of his land."

God spoke further to Moses and said to him, "I am ^(C1)the LORD;

and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as ^(F1)(C1)God Almighty, but by ^(C2)My name, ^(F2)LORD, I did not make Myself known to them.

"I also established ^(C1)My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the ^(F1)land in which they lived as strangers.

"Furthermore I have ^(C1)heard the groaning of the sons of Israel, because the Egyptians are holding them in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant.

"Say, therefore, to the sons of Israel, '^(C1)I am the LORD, and ^(C2)I will bring you out from under the labors of the Egyptians, and I will rescue you from their bondage. I will also ^(C3)redeem you with ^(C4)an outstretched arm, and with great judgments.

'Then I will take you ^(F1)(C1)as My people, and ^(C2)I will be ^(F2)your God; and ^(C3)you shall know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the labors of the Egyptians.

'I will bring you to the land which ^(C1)I ^(F1)swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and ^(C2)I will give it to you as a possession; ^(C3)I am the LORD.'"

So Moses said this to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on ^(C1)account of their ^(F1)despondency and cruel bondage.

Now the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

"^(C1)Go, ^(F1)tell Pharaoh king of Egypt ^(F2)to let the sons of Israel go out of his land."

But Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, "Behold, the sons of Israel have not listened to me; ^(C1)how then will Pharaoh listen to me, as I am ^(F1)(C2)unskilled in speech?"

Nevertheless, the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron and gave them a command concerning the sons of Israel and Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

These are the heads of their fathers' households. ^(C1)The sons of Reuben, Israel's firstborn: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben.

And the ^(C1)sons of Simeon: ^(F1)Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon.

And these are the names of ^(C1)the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari; and the ^(F1)length of Levi's life was 137 years.

^(C1)The sons of Gershon: ^(F1)Libni and Shimei, according to their families.

And ^(C1)the sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel; and the ^(F1)length of Kohath's life was 133 years.

And ^(C1)the sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to their generations.

Now ^(C1)Amram ^(F1)married his father's sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses; and the ^(F2)length of Amram's life was 137 years.

And ^(C1)the sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri.

And ^(C1)the sons of Uzziel: Mishael, ^(F1)Elzaphan, and Sithri.

Aaron ^(F1)married Elisheba, the daughter of ^(C1)Amminadab, the sister of ^(C2)Nahshon, and she bore him ^(C3)Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

And the ^(C1)sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and ^(F1)Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites.

Now Aaron's son ^(C1)Eleazar ^(F1)married one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him ^(C2)Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers' households of the Levites according to their families.

It was the same Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, "^(C1)Bring out the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their ^(F1)(C2)multitudes."

They were the ones ^(C1)who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt ^(F1)about bringing out the sons of Israel from Egypt; it was the same Moses and Aaron.

Now it came about on the day when the LORD spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt,

that the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "^(C1)I am the LORD; ^(C2)say to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you."

But Moses said before the LORD, "Behold, I am ^(F1)(C1)unskilled in speech; how then will Pharaoh listen to me?"

Then the LORD said to Moses, "^(C1)See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet.

"As for you, you shall speak all that I command you, and your brother ^(C1)Aaron shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the sons of Israel go out of his land.

"But ^(C1)I will harden Pharaoh's heart, so that I may ^(C2)multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.

"When ^(C1)Pharaoh does not listen to you, I will lay My hand on Egypt and ^(C2)bring out My armies, My people the sons of Israel, from the land of Egypt by ^(C3)great judgments.

"Then ^(C1)the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I ^(C2)extend My hand over Egypt and bring out the sons of Israel from their midst."

So Moses and Aaron did this; ^(C1)as the LORD commanded them, so they did.

And Moses was ^(C1)eighty years old and Aaron ^(F1)eighty-three, when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Now the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying,

"When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, '^(F1)(C1)Work a miracle,' then you shall say to Aaron, '^(C2)Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh, so that it may turn into a serpent.'"

So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and so they did, just as the LORD had commanded; and Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and ^(F1)his servants, and it ^(C1)turned into a serpent.

Then Pharaoh also ^(C1)called for the wise men and the sorcerers, and they too, the ^(C2)soothsayer priests of Egypt, did the same with ^(C3)their secret arts.

For each one threw down his staff, and they turned into serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed their staffs.

Yet ^(C1)Pharaoh's heart was ^(F1)hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is ^(F1)stubborn; he refuses to let the people go.

"Go to Pharaoh in the morning ^(F1)just as ^(C1)he is going out to the water, and position yourself to meet him on the bank of the Nile; and you shall take in your hand ^(C2)the staff that was turned into a serpent.

"And ^(C1)you shall say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, sent me to you, saying, "^(C2)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me in the wilderness. But behold, you have not listened up to now."

'This is what the LORD says: "^(C1)By this you shall know that I am the LORD: behold, I am going to strike ^(F1)the water that is in the Nile with the staff that is in my hand, and ^(C2)it will be turned into blood.

"Then ^(C1)the fish that are in the Nile will die, the Nile will stink, and the Egyptians will ^(F1)(C2)no longer be able to drink water from the Nile."'"

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and ^(C1)extend your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their ^(F1)streams, over their pools, and over all their reservoirs of water, so that they may become blood; and there will be blood through all the land of Egypt, both in containers of wood and in containers of stone.'"

So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded. And he lifted up ^(F1)(C1)the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants; and ^(C2)all the water that was in the Nile was turned into blood.

Then the fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile stank, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. And the blood was through all the land of Egypt.

^(C1)But the soothsayer priests of Egypt did the same with their secret arts; and Pharaoh's heart was ^(F1)hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

Then Pharaoh turned and went into his house ^(F1)with no concern even for this.

So all the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water to drink, because they could not drink from the water of the Nile.

Seven days ^(F1)passed after the LORD had struck the Nile.

^(F1)Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: "^(C1)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.

"But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I am going to strike your entire territory with frogs.

"The Nile will ^(C1)swarm with frogs, which will come up and go into your house, and into your bedroom and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants, and on your people, and into your ovens and kneading bowls.

"So the frogs will come up on you, your people, and on all your servants."'"

^(F1)Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, '^(C1)Extend your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the ^(F2)streams, and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.'"

So Aaron extended his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the ^(F1)(C1)frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

However, ^(C1)the soothsayer priests did the same with their secret arts, ^(F1)making frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

Then Pharaoh ^(C1)called for Moses and Aaron and said, "^(C2)Plead with the LORD ^(F1)to remove the frogs from me and from my people; and ^(C3)I will let the people go, so that they may sacrifice to the LORD."

And Moses said to Pharaoh, "^(F1)The honor is yours to tell me: when shall I plead for you and your servants and your people, ^(F2)that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, that they be left only in the Nile?"

Then he said, "Tomorrow." So he said, "May it be according to your word, so that you may know that there is ^(C1)no one like the LORD our God.

"The ^(C1)frogs will depart from you and your houses, and from your servants and your people; they will be left only in the Nile."

Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and ^(C1)Moses cried out to the LORD concerning the frogs which He had ^(F1)inflicted upon Pharaoh.

The LORD did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, the courtyards, and the fields.

So they piled them in heaps, and the land stank.

But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he ^(F1)hardened his heart and ^(C1)did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, 'Extend your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may turn into ^(F1)gnats through all the land of Egypt.'"

They did so; and Aaron extended his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were ^(F1)gnats on every ^(F2)person and animal. All the dust of the earth turned into ^(F1)(C1)gnats through all the land of Egypt.

The soothsayer priests tried with their secret arts to produce ^(F1)gnats, but ^(C1)they could not; so there were ^(F1)gnats on every person and animal.

Then the soothsayer priests said to Pharaoh, "^(C1)This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was ^(F1)hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "^(C1)Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, ^(F1)as ^(C2)he comes out to the water; and say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: "^(C3)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.

"For if you are not going to let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people, and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they live.

"^(C1)But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are ^(F1)living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that ^(F2)(C2)I, the LORD, am in the midst of the land.

"I will ^(F1)put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur."'"

Then the LORD did so. And ^(F1)thick swarms of flies entered the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants, and the land was ^(C1)laid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt.

Then Pharaoh ^(C1)called for Moses and Aaron and said, "^(C2)Go, sacrifice to your God within the land."

But Moses said, "It is not permissible for us to do so, because we will sacrifice to the LORD our God ^(F1)that which is ^(C1)an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice ^(F1)that which is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us?

"We must go a ^(C1)three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God, just as He ^(F1)commands us."

Pharaoh said, "^(C1)I will let you go, so that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. ^(C2)Plead for me."

Then Moses said, "Behold, I am going to leave you, and I will plead with the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow; only do not let Pharaoh ^(C1)deal deceitfully again in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD."

So ^(C1)Moses left Pharaoh and pleaded with the LORD.

The LORD did ^(F1)as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained.

But Pharaoh ^(F1)hardened his heart this time also, and ^(C1)he did not let the people go.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews says: "^(C1)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.

"For ^(C1)if you refuse to let them go and ^(F1)continue to hold them,

behold, ^(C1)the hand of the LORD ^(F1)will come with a very severe plague on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks.

"^(C1)But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that ^(C2)nothing will die of all that belongs to the sons of Israel."'"

And the LORD set a definite time, saying, "Tomorrow the LORD will do this thing in the land."

So the LORD did this thing on the next day, and ^(C1)all the livestock of Egypt died; ^(C2)but not one of the livestock of the sons of Israel died.

And Pharaoh sent men, and they learned that, behold, not even one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But ^(C1)the heart of Pharaoh was ^(F1)hardened, and he did not let the people go.

Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "Take for yourselves handfuls of soot from a kiln, and Moses shall toss it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh.

"Then it will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and will turn into ^(C1)boils breaking out with sores on every person and animal through all the land of Egypt."

So they took soot from a kiln, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses tossed it toward the sky, and it became boils breaking out with sores on every person and animal.

^(C1)The soothsayer priests could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the soothsayer priests as well as on all the Egyptians.

But ^(C1)the LORD ^(F1)hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had spoken to Moses.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "^(C1)Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews says: "^(C2)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.

"For this time I am going to send all My plagues ^(F1)on you and your servants and your people, so that ^(C1)you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.

"For had I now put out My hand and struck you and your people with plague, you would then have been eliminated from the earth.

"But indeed, ^(C1)for this reason I have allowed you to ^(F1)remain, in order to show you My power and in order to proclaim My name throughout the earth.

"Still you exalt yourself against My people ^(F1)by not letting them go.

"Behold, about this time tomorrow, ^(C1)I will ^(F1)send a very heavy hail, such as has not been seen in Egypt from the day it was founded ^(F2)until now.

"So now, send word, bring ^(C1)your livestock and whatever you have in the field to safety. ^(C2)Every person and animal that is found in the field and is not brought home, when the hail comes down on them, will die."'"

^(C1)Everyone among the servants of Pharaoh who ^(F1)feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring his servants and his livestock into the houses;

but everyone who ^(F1)did not pay regard to the word of the LORD ^(F2)left his servants and his livestock in the field.

Now the LORD said to Moses, "Reach out with your hand toward the sky, so that ^(F1)(C1)hail may fall on all the land of Egypt, on every person and animal, and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of Egypt."

So Moses reached out with his staff toward the sky, and the LORD ^(F1)sent ^(F2)thunder and ^(C1)hail, and fire ran down to the earth. And the LORD rained hail on the land of Egypt.

So there was hail, and fire flashing intermittently in the midst of the hail, which was very heavy, such as had not occurred in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.

^(C1)The hail struck everything that was in the field through all the land of Egypt, from people to animals; the hail also struck every plant of the field, and shattered every tree of the field.

^(C1)Only in the land of Goshen, where the sons of Israel were, was there no hail.

Then Pharaoh ^(F1)(C1)sent for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "^(C2)I have sinned this time; the LORD is the righteous one, and I and my people are the wicked ones.

"^(C1)Plead with the LORD, for there has been enough of God's ^(F1)thunder and hail; and ^(C2)I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer."

Moses said to him, "As soon as I go out of the city, I will ^(C1)spread out my ^(F1)hands to the LORD; the ^(F2)thunder will cease and there will no longer be hail, so that you may know that ^(C2)the earth is the LORD'S.

"^(C1)But as for you and your servants, I know that ^(C2)you do not yet ^(F1)fear ^(F2)the LORD God."

(Now the flax and the ^(C1)barley were ^(F1)ruined, for the barley was in the ear and the flax was in bud.

But the wheat and the spelt were not ^(F1)ruined, for they ripen late.)

^(C1)So Moses left the city from his meeting with Pharaoh, and spread out his ^(F1)hands to the LORD; and the ^(F2)thunder and the hail stopped, and rain ^(F3)no longer poured on the earth.

But when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the ^(F1)thunder had stopped, he sinned again and ^(F2)hardened his heart, he and his servants.

So Pharaoh's heart was ^(F1)hardened, and he did not let the sons of Israel go, just as the ^(C1)LORD had spoken through Moses.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for ^(C1)I have ^(F1)hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, so that I may ^(F2)perform these signs of Mine ^(F3)among them,

and ^(C1)that you may tell in the ^(F1)presence of your son, and of your grandson, how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I ^(F2)performed My signs among them, ^(C2)so that you may know that I am the LORD."

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, "This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews says: 'How long will you refuse to ^(C1)humble yourself before Me? ^(C2)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.

'For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.

'And they will cover the surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the land. ^(C1)They will also eat the rest of what has survived—what is left to you from the hail—and they will eat every tree of yours which grows ^(F1)in the field.

'Then ^(C1)your houses will be filled with them, ^(F1)together with the houses of all your servants and the houses of all the Egyptians, something which neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day that they ^(F2)came upon the earth until this day.'" And he turned and left Pharaoh.

Then ^(C1)Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long shall this man be ^(C2)a snare to us? Let the ^(F1)people go, so that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not yet ^(F2)realize that Egypt is destroyed?"

So Moses and Aaron ^(C1)were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, "^(C2)Go, serve the LORD your God! ^(F1)Who specifically are the ones who are going?"

Moses said, "^(C1)We shall go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, ^(C2)with our flocks and our herds we shall go, for we ^(F1)must hold a feast to the LORD."

Then he said to them, "So may the LORD be with you, when I let you and your little ones go! Watch out, for evil is ^(F1)on your mind!

"Not so! Go now, but only the men among you, and serve the LORD, since ^(F1)that is what you desire." So ^(C1)they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "^(C1)Reach out with your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come up on the land of Egypt and ^(C2)eat every plant of the land, everything that the hail has left."

So Moses reached out with his staff over the land of Egypt, and the LORD directed an east wind on the land all that day and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind ^(F1)brought the ^(C1)locusts.

^(C1)The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled in all the territory of Egypt; they were very ^(F1)numerous. There had never been so many ^(F2)locusts, nor would there be so many ^(F3)again.

For they covered the surface of the whole land, so that the land was darkened; and they ^(C1)ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Therefore nothing green was left on tree or plant of the field throughout the land of Egypt.

Then Pharaoh hurriedly ^(C1)called for Moses and Aaron, and he said, "^(C2)I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you.

"So now, please forgive my sin only this once, and ^(C1)plead with the LORD your God, that He would only remove this death from me."

Then ^(C1)he left Pharaoh and pleaded with the LORD.

So the LORD shifted the wind to a very strong west wind, which picked up the locusts and drove them into the ^(F1)Red Sea; not one locust was left in all the territory of Egypt.

But ^(C1)the LORD ^(F1)hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "^(C1)Reach out with your hand toward the sky, so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness ^(C2)which may be felt."

So Moses reached out with his hand toward the sky, and there was ^(C1)thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.

They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, ^(C1)but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings.

Then Pharaoh ^(C1)called for Moses, and said, "Go, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be left behind. Even ^(C2)your little ones may go with you."

But Moses said, "You must also ^(F1)let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, so that we may ^(F2)sacrifice them to the LORD our God.

"^(C1)Therefore, our livestock too shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we shall take some of them to serve the LORD our God. And until we arrive there, we ourselves do not know with what we shall serve the LORD."

But ^(C1)the LORD ^(F1)hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he was not willing to let them go.

Then Pharaoh said to him, "^(C1)Get away from me! ^(F1)Be careful, do not see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you shall die!"

Moses said, "You have spoken correctly; ^(C1)I shall never see your face again!"

Now the LORD said to Moses, "One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt; ^(C1)after that he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will assuredly drive you out from here completely.

"Speak now ^(F1)so that the people hear, that ^(C1)each man is to ask of his neighbor, and each woman of her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold."

And ^(C1)the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. ^(C2)Furthermore, the man Moses himself was ^(F1)greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people.

Then Moses said, "This is what the LORD says: 'About ^(C1)midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt,

and ^(C1)all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well.

'So there shall be ^(C1)a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again.

'^(C1)But not even a dog will ^(F1)threaten any of the sons of Israel, nor anything from person to animal, so that you may ^(F2)learn how the LORD distinguishes between Egypt and Israel.'

"And ^(C1)all these servants of yours will come down to me and bow themselves ^(F1)before me, saying, 'Go out, you and all the people who ^(F2)follow you,' and after that I will go out." ^(C2)And he left Pharaoh in the heat of anger.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "^(C1)Pharaoh will not listen to you, so ^(C2)that My wonders will be multiplied in the land of Egypt."

So ^(C1)Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh; yet ^(C2)the LORD ^(F1)hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go out of his land.

Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of ^(F1)Egypt,

"^(C1)This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year for you.

"Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the tenth of this month they are, each one, to take a ^(F1)lamb for themselves, according to the fathers' households, a ^(F1)lamb for ^(F2)each household.

'Now if the household is too small for a ^(F1)lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the ^(F2)number of persons in them; in proportion to ^(F3)what each one should eat, you are to ^(F4)divide the lamb.

'Your ^(F1)lamb shall be ^(C1)an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.

'^(F1)You shall keep it until the ^(C1)fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to slaughter it ^(F2)(C2)at twilight.

'^(C1)Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel ^(F1)of the houses in which they eat it.

'They shall eat the flesh ^(C1)that same night, ^(C2)roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with ^(C3)unleavened bread ^(F1)(C4)and bitter herbs.

'Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather ^(C1)roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with ^(C2)its entrails.

'^(C1)And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall completely burn with fire.

'Now you shall eat it in this way: with your garment ^(F1)belted around your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in a hurry—it is ^(C1)the LORD'S Passover.

'For ^(C1)I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and fatally strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the human firstborn to animals; and ^(C2)against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments—^(C3)I am the LORD.

'^(C1)The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you ^(F1)live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will come upon you ^(F2)to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

'Now ^(C1)this day shall be ^(C2)a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as ^(F1)(C3)a permanent ordinance.

'For ^(C1)seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove dough with yeast from your houses; for whoever eats anything with yeast from the first day until the seventh day, ^(C2)that ^(F1)person shall be cut off from Israel.

'And ^(C1)on the first day you shall have a holy assembly, and another holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except for what must be eaten by every person—that alone may be ^(F1)prepared by you.

'You shall also keep ^(C1)the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this ^(C2)very day I brought your ^(F1)multitudes out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall keep this day throughout your generations as ^(C3)a ^(F2)permanent ordinance.

'^(C1)In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening.

'For ^(C1)seven days there shall be no dough with yeast found in your houses; for whoever eats anything with yeast, that ^(F1)(C2)person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land.

'You shall not eat anything with yeast; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.'"

Then ^(C1)Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, "Go and ^(C2)take for yourselves ^(F1)lambs according to your families, and slaughter ^(C3)the Passover lamb.

"And ^(C1)you shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and ^(F1)apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning.

"For ^(C1)the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; but when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will ^(C2)not allow the ^(C3)destroyer to come in to your houses to strike you.

"And ^(C1)you shall keep this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever.

"When you enter the land which the LORD will give you, as He has ^(F1)promised, you shall keep this ^(F2)rite.

"^(C1)And when your children say to you, '^(F1)What does this rite mean to you?'

then you shall say, 'It is a Passover sacrifice to ^(C1)the LORD because He passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians, but ^(F1)spared our homes.'" ^(C2)And the people bowed low and worshiped.

Then the sons of Israel went and did so; just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

Now it came about at ^(C1)midnight that ^(C2)the LORD struck all ^(C3)the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of ^(C4)cattle.

And Pharaoh got up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was ^(C1)a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead.

Then ^(C1)he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, "Rise up, ^(C2)get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel; and go, ^(F1)worship the LORD, as you have said.

"Take ^(C1)both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and go, and bless me also."

^(C1)The Egyptians urged the people, to send them out of the land in a hurry, for they said, "We will all be dead."

So the people took ^(C1)their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls bound up in the clothes on their shoulders.

^(C1)Now the sons of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, for they had requested from the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing;