One Year Bible Expressions - Flipbook - Page 109
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refuse to let them go, 3 the hand of the
Lord will strike all your livestock—your
horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep,
and goats—with a deadly plague. 4But
the Lord will again make a distinction
between the livestock of the Israelites
and that of the Egyptians. Not a single
one of Israel’s animals will die! 5 The
Lord has already set the time for the
plague to begin. He has declared that he
will strike the land tomorrow.’”
6And 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. 7Pharaoh
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.
8Then 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. 9 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.”
10So 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. 11Even the magicians were unable to stand before
Moses, because the boils had broken
out on them and all the Egyptians. 12But
the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and
just as the Lord had predicted to Moses,
Pharaoh refused to listen.
13 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.
14If 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. 15 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. 16 But
I have spared you for a purpose—to
J A N U A R Y
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show you my power* and to spread my
fame throughout the earth. 17 But you
still lord it over my people and refuse to
let them go. 18So tomorrow at this time I
will send a hailstorm more devastating
than any in all the history of Egypt.
19Quick! 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.’”
20Some of Pharaoh’s officials were
afraid because of what the Lord had
said. They quickly brought their servants and livestock in from the fields.
21But those who paid no attention to the
word of the Lord left theirs out in the
open.
22 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.”
23 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. 24Never in
all the history of Egypt had there been a
storm like that, with such devastating
hail and continuous lightning. 25 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 destroyed. 26The only place
without hail was the region of Goshen,
where the people of Israel lived.
27 Then Pharaoh quickly summoned
Moses and Aaron. “This time I have
sinned,” he confessed. “The Lord is the
righteous one, and my people and I are
wrong. 28Please beg the Lord to end this
terrifying thunder and hail. We’ve had
enough. I will let you go; you don’t need
to stay any longer.”
29“All right,” Moses replied. “As soon
as I leave the city, I will lift my hands and
pray to the Lord. Then the thunder and
hail will stop, and you will know that the
earth belongs to the Lord. 30But I know
that you and your officials still do not
fear the Lord God.”
31(All the flax and barley were ruined
