A Plague of Hail!

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning. Go to Pharaoh and tell him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. If you don't, I will send a plague that will really speak to you and your officials and all the Egyptian people. I will prove to you that there is no other God like me in all the earth. I could have killed you all by now. I could have attacked you with a plague that would have wiped you from the face of the earth. But I have let you live for this reason that you might see my power and that my fame might spread throughout the earth.

But you are still lording it over my people, and you refuse to let them go. So tomorrow at this time I will send a hailstorm worse than any in all of Egypt's history. Quick! Order your livestock and servants to come in from the fields. Every person or animal left outside will die beneath the hail.'"

Some of Pharaoh's officials believed what the LORD said. They immediately brought their livestock and servants in from the fields. But those who had no respect for the word of the LORD left them out in the open.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Lift your hand toward the sky, and cause the hail to fall throughout Egypt, on the people, the animals, and the crops."

So Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck 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 severe hail and continuous lightning. It left all of Egypt in ruins. Everything left in the fields was destroyed people, animals, and crops alike. Even all the trees were destroyed. The only spot in all Egypt without hail that day was the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived.

Then Pharaoh urgently sent for Moses and Aaron. "I finally admit my fault, "he confessed. "The LORD is right, and my people and I are wrong. Please beg the LORD to end this terrifying thunder and hail. I will let you go at once."

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. This will prove to you that the earth belongs to the LORD. But as for you and your officials, I know that you still don not fear the LORD God as you should."

All the flax and barley were destroyed because the barley was ripe and the flax was in bloom. But the wheat and the spelt were not destroyed because they had not yet sprouted from the ground.

So Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. As he lifted his hands to the LORD, all at once the thunder and hail stopped, and the downpour ceased. When Pharaoh saw this, he and his officials sinned yet again by stubbornly refusing to do as they had promised. Pharaoh refused to let the people leave, just as the LORD had predicted.

A Plague of Flies!

Next the LORD told Moses, "Get up early in the morning and meet Pharaoh as he goes down to the river. Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. If you refuse, I will send swarms of flies throughout Egypt. Your homes will be filled with them, and the ground will be covered with them. But it will be very different in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am the LORD and that I have power even in the heart of your land. I will make a clear distinction between your people and my people. This miraculous sign will happen tomorrow.'"

And the LORD did just as he had said. There were terrible swarms of flies in Pharaoh's palace and in every home in Egypt. The whole country was thrown into chaos by the flies.

Pharaoh hastily called for Moses and Aaron. "All right! Go ahead and offer sacrifices to your God, "he said. "But do it here in this land. Don't go out into the wilderness."

But Moses replied, "That won't do! The Egyptians would detest the sacrifices that we offer to the LORD our God. If we offer them here where they can see us, they will be sure to stone us. We must take a three-day trip into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, just as he has commanded us."

All right, go ahead, "Pharaoh replied. "I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the wilderness. But don't go too far away. Now hurry, and pray for me."

As soon as I go, "Moses said, "I will ask the LORD to cause the swarms of flies to disappear from you and all your people. But I am warning you, don't change your mind again and refuse to let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD."

So Moses left Pharaoh and asked the LORD to remove all the flies. And the LORD did as Moses asked and caused the swarms to disappear. Not a single fly remained in the land! But Pharaoh hardened his heart again and refused to let the people go.