The Plague on Livestock
1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may worship me.” 2If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them back, 3the hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats. 4But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’ ”
5The Lord set a time and said, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.” 6And the next day the Lord did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. 7Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.
The Plague of Boils
8Then the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into the air in the presence of Pharaoh. 9It will become fine dust over the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on people and animals throughout the land.”
10So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals. 11The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them and on all the Egyptians. 12But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.
The Plague of Hail
13Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, 14or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. 15For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. 16But I have raised you up9:16 Or have spared you for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. 17You still set yourself against my people and will not let them go. 18Therefore, at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded till now. 19Give an order now to bring your livestock and everything you have in the field to a place of shelter, because the hail will fall on every person and animal that has not been brought in and is still out in the field, and they will die.’ ”
20Those officials of Pharaoh who feared the word of the Lord hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside. 21But those who ignored the word of the Lord left their slaves and livestock in the field.
22Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that hail will fall all over Egypt—on people and animals and on everything growing in the fields of Egypt.” 23When Moses stretched out his staff toward the sky, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning flashed down to the ground. So the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt; 24hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in all the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. 25Throughout Egypt hail struck everything in the fields—both people and animals; it beat down everything growing in the fields and stripped every tree. 26The only place it did not hail was the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were.
27Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said to them. “The Lord is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong. 28Pray to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t have to stay any longer.”
29Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the Lord. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. 30But I know that you and your officials still do not fear the Lord God.”
31(The flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley had headed and the flax was in bloom. 32The wheat and spelt, however, were not destroyed, because they ripen later.)
33Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He spread out his hands toward the Lord; the thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land. 34When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had stopped, he sinned again: He and his officials hardened their hearts. 35So Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.
Femte katastrofe: Kvægpest
1„Gå tilbage til Farao,” befalede Herren, „og sig til ham: Herren, hebræernes Gud, siger: ‚Lad mit folk rejse for at tilbede mig.’ 2Hvis du stadig plager dem og nægter at lade dem rejse, 3vil Herren sende en pest, som vil slå jeres køer, heste, æsler, kameler, får og geder ihjel. 4Men Herren vil igen gøre forskel mellem israelitterne og egypterne. Ikke et eneste af israelitternes husdyr skal dø.”
5Herren satte en frist og sagde: „I morgen skal det ske!” 6Den næste dag skete det, som Herren havde sagt: Alle9,6 Det er almindeligt i Bibelens sprogbrug, at ordet „alle” ikke skal forstås absolut, men relativt. Det betyder ofte en meget stor mængde eller næsten alle. De få dyr, som overlevede pesten, risikerede at blive ramt af haglene i v. 19-25. egypternes husdyr døde, men ikke et eneste af israelitternes dyr døde. 7Da sendte Farao folk ud for at se efter, og de bekræftede, at ingen af israelitternes husdyr var døde. Men hans hjerte var forhærdet, og han lod stadig ikke israelitterne rejse.
Sjette katastrofe: Bylder
8Derpå sagde Herren til Moses og Aron: „Tag nogle håndfulde sod fra smelteovnen og lad Moses kaste soden op i luften, mens Farao ser på det. 9Så vil der komme en støvsky over Egypten, som vil få betændelse og bylder til at bryde ud på både mennesker og dyr over hele landet.”
10Så tog de sod fra ovnen og gik til Farao, og mens Farao så på det, kastede Moses soden op i luften, og både mennesker og dyr blev fulde af betændte bylder. 11Troldmændene kunne ikke klare sig imod Moses eller beskytte sig imod bylderne. Betændelsen angreb dem såvel som alle andre egyptere. 12Men Herren gjorde Farao endnu mere stædig, så han stadig ikke ville lade folket rejse—nøjagtig som Herren havde sagt til Moses.
Syvende katastrofe: Hagl
13Så sagde Herren til Moses: „I morgen tidlig skal du gå til Farao og sige: Herren, hebræernes Gud, siger: Lad mit folk tage af sted for at tilbede mig. 14Denne gang vil jeg sende en katastrofe, der for alvor vil gå ud over dig og dine hoffolk og hele dit folk. Da skal du indse, at der ikke findes en Gud som mig i hele verden. 15Jeg kunne for længst have gjort det af med dig og dit folk, så I blev udryddet fra jordens overflade, 16men jeg har gjort dig til konge, fordi jeg vil demonstrere min magt på dig, og for at mit navn kan blive kendt over hele jorden. 17Du tyranniserer stadig mit folk og vil ikke lade dem rejse. 18Så i morgen ved denne tid vil jeg sende et haglvejr værre end nogensinde i Egyptens historie. 19Sørg for, at alle husdyr og alle markarbejdere kommer indenfor i sikkerhed, for hvert eneste menneske og dyr, der ikke er under tag, vil dø i haglvejret.”
20De af Faraos tjenere, som troede på, hvad Herren havde sagt, skyndte sig at få deres husdyr og slaver indendørs, 21men de, som ignorerede Herrens ord, lod deres slaver og dyr blive ude på marken.
22Så sagde Herren til Moses: „Løft din hånd mod himlen, så vil der falde hagl på mennesker og dyr og alle markens afgrøder over hele Egypten.” 23-24Da Moses løftede sin stav mod himlen, sendte Herren et frygteligt tordenvejr. Lynene glimtede uafladeligt, og haglene faldt tungt over hele Egypten. Det var så voldsomt, at man aldrig havde oplevet noget lignende i hele Egyptens historie. 25Landet lå i ruiner. Mennesker og dyr på markerne blev dræbt, træer blev splintret, markens afgrøder blev slået ned. 26Kun i Goshens land, hvor israelitterne boede, faldt der ingen hagl.
27Da sendte Farao i al hast bud efter Moses og Aron. „Nu indser jeg min fejl,” sagde han. „Herren har ret, og jeg og mit folk har uret. 28Bed dog Herren om at standse tordenen og haglvejret. Jeres folk kan rejse med det samme.”
29„Godt,” svarede Moses, „så snart jeg er ude af byen, vil jeg udrække mine hænder i bøn til Herren, og både hagl og torden vil holde op. Det skal være dig et tegn på, at Herren har al magt på jorden. 30Alligevel ved jeg, at du og dine hoffolk endnu ikke er villige til at bøje jer for Gud.”
31Den dag blev al hør og byg ødelagt, for katastrofen kom på en årstid, hvor byggen stod med aks og hørren i blomst. 32Hvede og spelt blev ikke beskadiget, for de kommer senere.
33Så forlod Moses Farao. Da han kom ud af byen, rakte han hænderne ud i bøn til Herren. Straks standsede tordenen og haglvejret, og regnen holdt op. 34-35Men da Farao så, at regnen, tordenen og haglene var holdt op, fortsatte han med sit oprør. Han blev hård igen og nægtede stadig at lade israelitterne rejse—nøjagtig som Herren havde forudsagt.
