Immerse: Beginnings Full Volume - Flipbook - Page 109
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E x od u s
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And the Lord did just as he had said. The next morning all the livestock
of the Egyptians died, but the Israelites didn’t lose a single animal. Pharaoh
sent his officials to investigate, and they discovered that the Israelites had
not lost a single animal! But even so, Pharaoh’s heart remained stubborn,
and he still refused to let the people go.
Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from
a brick kiln, and have Moses toss it into the air while Pharaoh watches.
The ashes will spread like fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, causing
festering boils to break out on people and animals throughout the land.”
So they took soot from a brick kiln and went and stood before Pharaoh.
As Pharaoh watched, Moses threw the soot into the air, and boils broke
out on people and animals alike. Even the magicians were unable to stand
before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and all the Egyptians. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and just as the Lord had
predicted to Moses, Pharaoh refused to listen.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and stand
before Pharaoh. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews,
says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. If you don’t, I will send
more plagues on you and your officials and your people. Then you will
know that there is no one like me in all the earth. By now I could have
lifted my hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you
off the face of the earth. But I have spared you for a p urpose—to show you
my power and to spread my fame throughout the earth. But you still lord it
over my people and refuse to let them go. So tomorrow at this time I will
send a hailstorm more devastating than any in all the history of Egypt.
Quick! Order your livestock and servants to come in from the fields to
find shelter. Any person or animal left outside will die when the hail falls.’”
Some of Pharaoh’s officials were afraid because of what the Lord had
said. They quickly brought their servants and livestock in from the fields.
But those who paid no attention to the word of the Lord left theirs out
in the open.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Lift your hand toward the sky so hail
may fall on the people, the livestock, and all the plants throughout the
land of Egypt.”
So Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, and the Lord sent thunder and
hail, and lightning flashed toward the earth. The Lord sent a tremendous
hailstorm against all the land of Egypt. Never in all the history of Egypt
had there been a storm like that, with such devastating hail and continuous lightning. It left all of Egypt in ruins. The hail struck down everything
in the open field—people, animals, and plants alike. Even the trees were
