Moses & The Exodus

Yes, I will distinguish between my people and your people, and this sign will happen by tomorrow."'"

ADONAI did it: terrible swarms of insects went into Pharaoh's palace and into all his servants'houses - the insects ruined the entire land of Egypt.

Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon and said, "Go, and sacrifice to your God here in the land."

But Moshe replied, "It would be inappropriate for us to do that, because the animal we sacrifice to ADONAI our God is an abomination to the Egyptians. Won't the Egyptians stone us to death if before their very eyes we sacrifice what they consider an abomination?

No, we will go three days' journey into the desert and sacrifice to ADONAI our God, as he has ordered us to do."

Pharaoh said, "I will let you go, so that you can sacrifice to ADONAI your God in the desert. Only you are not to go very far away. Intercede on my behalf."

Moshe said, "All right, I am going away from you, and I will intercede with ADONAI; so that tomorrow, the swarms of insects will leave Pharaoh, his servants and his people. Just make sure that Pharaoh stops playing games with the people by preventing them from going and sacrificing to ADONAI."

Moshe left Pharaoh and interceded with ADONAI,

and ADONAI did what Moshe had asked: he removed the swarms of insects from Pharaoh, his servants and his people -not one remained.

But this time, too, Pharaoh made himself stubborn and didn't let the people go.

Then ADONAI said to Moshe, "Go to Pharaoh, and tell him, 'Here is what ADONAI, the God of the Hebrews, says: "Let my people go, so that they can worship me.

If you refuse to let them go and persist in holding on to them,

the hand of ADONAI is on your livestock in the field - on the horses, donkeys, camels, cattle and flocks -and will make them suffer a devastating illness.

But ADONAI will distinguish between Egypt's and Isra'el's livestock - nothing belonging to the people of Isra'el will die."'"

ADONAI determined the exact time by saying, "Tomorrow ADONAI will do this in the land."

The following day, ADONAI did it - all the livestock of Egypt died; but not one of the animals belonging to the people of Isra'el died.

Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the people of Isra'el had died. Nevertheless, Pharaoh's heart remained stubborn, and he didn't let the people go.

ADONAI said to Moshe and Aharon, "Take handfuls of ashes from a kiln, and let Moshe throw them in the air before Pharaoh's eyes.

They will turn into fine dust over all the land of Egypt and become infected sores on men and animals throughout Egypt."

So they took ashes from a kiln, stood in front of Pharaoh and threw them in the air; and they became infected sores on men and animals.

The magicians couldn't even stand in Moshe's presence because of the sores, which were on them as well as on the other Egyptians.

But ADONAI made Pharaoh hardhearted, so that he didn't listen to them -just as ADONAI had said to Moshe.

ADONAI said to Moshe, "Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, 'Here is what ADONAI says: "Let my people go, so that they can worship me.

For this time, I will inflict my plagues on you, yourself, and on your officials and your people; so that you will realize that I am without equal in all the earth.

By now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with such severe plagues that you would have been wiped off the earth.