New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Exodus 9
1
Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Go to Pharaoh. Tell him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, "Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me.
Reference
2
Do not refuse to let them go. Do not keep holding them back.
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Parallel theme
Exodus 8:2
3
" ' "If you refuse, my powerful hand will bring a terrible plague on you. I will strike your livestock in the fields. I will strike your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep and goats.
Reference
4
But I will treat Israel's livestock differently from yours. No animal that belongs to the people of Israel will die." ' "
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References Lord
Exodus 8:22
5
The Lord set a time for the plague. He said, "Tomorrow I will send it on the land."
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Parallel theme
Exodus 8:23
6
So the next day the Lord sent it. All of the livestock of the Egyptians died. But not one animal that belonged to the Israelites died.
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7
Pharaoh sent people to find out what had happened. They discovered that not even one animal that belonged to the Israelites had died. But his heart was still very stubborn. He wouldn't let the people go.
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8
Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, "Take handfuls of ashes from a furnace. Have Moses toss them into the air in front of Pharaoh.
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References Lord
Exodus 8:16
9
The ashes will turn into fine dust all over the whole land of Egypt. Then boils will break out on people and animals all over the land. Their bodies will be covered with them."
Reference
10
So Moses and Aaron took ashes from a furnace and stood in front of Pharaoh. Moses tossed them into the air. Then boils broke out on people and animals alike.
11
The bodies of all of the Egyptians were covered with boils. The magicians couldn't stand in front of Moses because of the boils that were all over them.
12
But the Lord made Pharaoh's heart stubborn. Pharaoh wouldn't listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.
Reference
References Lord
Exodus 4:21
13
Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Get up early in the morning. Go to Pharaoh and say to him, 'The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, "Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me.
Reference
14
" ' "If you do not let them go, I will send the full force of my plagues against you this time. They will strike your officials and your people. Then you will know that there is no one like me in the whole earth.
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Parallel theme
Exodus 8:10
15
" ' "By now I could have reached out my hand. I could have struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth.
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Parallel theme
Exodus 3:20
16
But I had a special reason for making you king. I decided to show you my power. I wanted my name to become known everywhere on earth.
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Parallel theme
Proverbs 16:4
Psalm 64:9
1 Chronicles 16:24
Exodus 14:17
Exodus 18:11
Malachi 1:11
1 Peter 2:8
Resurrection
Romans 9:17
17
" ' "But you are still against my people. You will not let them go.
18
So at this time tomorrow I will send the worst hailstorm ever to fall on Egypt in its entire history.
19
" ' "Give an order now to bring your livestock inside to a safe place. Bring in everything that is outside. The hail will fall on all of the people and animals that are left outside. They will die." ' "
20
The officials of Pharaoh who had respect for what the Lord had said obeyed him. They hurried to bring their slaves and their livestock inside.
Reference
21
But others didn't pay attention to what the Lord had said. They left their slaves and livestock outside.
22
Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Reach your hand out toward the sky. Then hail will fall all over Egypt. It will beat down on people and animals alike. It will strike everything that is growing in the fields of Egypt."
Reference
Parallel theme
Revelation 16:21
23
Moses reached his wooden staff out toward the sky. Then the Lord sent thunder and hail. Lightning flashed down to the ground. The Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt.
Reference
Parallel theme
Ezekiel 38:22
Revelation 8:7
Psalm 148:8
Psalm 77:18
References Lord
Psalm 18:13
Joshua 10:11
Isaiah 30:30
Psalm 29:3
24
Hail fell and lightning flashed back and forth. It was the worst storm in Egypt's entire history.
25
All over Egypt hail struck everything in the fields. It fell on people and animals alike. It beat down everything that was growing in the fields. It tore all of the leaves off the trees.
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The only place it didn't hail was in the area of Goshen. That's where the people of Israel were.
Reference
27
Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. "This time I've sinned," he said to them. "The Lord has done what is right. I and my people have done what is wrong.
Reference
Parallel theme
Romans 3:19
Righteousness
Psalm 129:4
Lamentations 1:18
2 Chronicles 12:6
Psalm 145:17
Romans 2:5
Daniel 9:14
Sin
Exodus 10:16
Matthew 27:4
Numbers 22:34
28
Pray to the Lord, because we've had enough thunder and hail. I'll let you and your people go. You don't have to stay here any longer."
Reference
29
Moses replied, "When I've left the city, I'll lift up my hands and pray to the Lord. The thunder will stop. There won't be any more hail. Then you will know that the earth belongs to the Lord.
Reference
Parallel theme
Isaiah 1:15
Psalm 143:6
1 Kings 8:38
References Lord
1 Corinthians 10:26
1 Kings 8:22
Deuteronomy 10:14
32
But the wheat and spelt weren't destroyed. That's because they ripen later.
33
Then Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. He lifted up his hands and prayed to the Lord. The thunder and hail stopped. The rain didn't pour down on the land any longer.
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34
Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail and thunder had stopped. So he sinned again. He and his officials made their hearts stubborn.
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Parallel theme
Exodus 7:14
35
So Pharaoh's heart was stubborn. He wouldn't let the people of Israel go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.
Reference
References Lord
Exodus 4:21
Chapter Summary
Exodus chapter 9 is a continuation of the story of God bringing successive plagues upon Egypt so that Pharaoh might release the Israelites. These plagues consisted of a pestilence among the cattle, grievous boils upon men and animals, and a hailstorm. God demonstrated His might through these plagues and gave Pharaoh a chance to repent.
God told Moses to come before Pharaoh and to demand that he release Israel from his bondage; if he refused, a dread pestilence would afflict the cattle of Egypt, bringing ruin to the horses and asses, camels, cattle, sheep, and oxen of Egypt.
God pointed out that the Israelites' cattle would not suffer any of the maladies that would ravage Egypt. God assured Moses that it would happen at a given time so that Pharaoh would know the distinction was made by the LORD.
Sure enough, the next day, the pestilence struck Egypt, but it didn't strike Israel. Finding that only Egypt's animals perished, the servants of Pharaoh were quick to inform their master. Despite the signs and wonders that God had brought upon Egypt, Pharaoh was undeterred in his designs and determination to hold the Israelites in bondage.
The LORD instructed Moses and Aaron that they would take up ashes from the furnace and cast it in the air before Pharaoh. The Egyptians would be afflicted with grievous boils over their persons and animals. The sorcerers of Egypt were so incapacitated that they were unable to stand before Moses, and this proved that even the highest of Egypt's magical powers was no match against God.
Despite this, Pharaoh's heart was unchanged, and he refused to liberate Israel.
God instructed Moses to come before Pharaoh in the morning and warned him that He could easily have smitten Pharaoh and Egypt with pestilence and plagues by now. God pointed out, however, that such an act would have been an act of destruction rather than judgment. God sought to demonstrate His power over Egypt, causing His name to be sanctified throughout the world.
God commanded Pharaoh again to release Israel, warning him that if he continued to refuse, a grievous hailstorm would ravage Egypt. God instructed Pharaoh to bring his servants and animals to safety, pointing out that those that remained would perish or be injured.
A few servants of Pharaoh took the warning to heart and quickly brought their servants and animals to shelter; others, however, did not, and this was a sign to them that the word of the LORD was true unto its every syllable. Moses stretched forth his staff and called upon the LORD, and He sent the storm upon Egypt. The storm contained fire and wreaked havoc upon the land and killed all the men and animals that remained outside, as well as damaging the trees and crops.
This storm did not affect the land of Goshen, where the Israelites dwelled.
Pharaoh confessed that he had sinned and that the LORD was indeed just in all His dealings with Egypt. Pharaoh besought Moses to make supplication to the LORD and that he would agree to the departure of Israel. Moses assured Pharaoh that he would indeed pray, but he added that he knew well that Pharaoh and his servants did not truly fear the LORD. Moses went forth from the city and stretched forth his hands unto the LORD, and the storm abated.
Finding that the storm had indeed ceased, Pharaoh's heart was hardened once more against Israel, and he refused to let them depart, as the LORD desired. This was a sign to all that the words of Israel's God were true, and their powers were greater than Egypt's pagan gods and priests.
The passage demonstrated that God has dominion over all flesh, nature, and men's hearts. Furthermore, it demonstrated that He wanted to grant mercy and repentance to those who seek it, though it was oftentimes denied.
The passage showed that despite the obvious demonstrations of God's might, the Egyptians were unwilling to acknowledge His power. The plague upon the cattle was significant because it demonstrated that God's power was not limited to physical objects such as Egypt's mighty Nile. Furthermore, by sparing the Israelites from this plague, God demonstrated that He was able to protect them.
The boils served as further demonstration of this, since even the sorcerers of Egypt, whose powers had been thought to rival that of God, were felled by the disease, being unable even to stand before Moses.
The plague of the hailstorm was significant because God warned Pharaoh of it, giving him and his servants a chance to repent. This wasn't done in haste, however, because the servants of Pharaoh took heed and brought their servants and animals to shelter. This demonstrated that God's warnings were indeed true, and the power of the LORD was real.
Furthermore, Pharaoh was the first amongst all Egypt to recognize the power of the LORD. When the storm came, he admitted that he had sinned and that the LORD was indeed just in all of His dealings with Egypt. He begged Moses to pray to the LORD on behalf of Egypt, as he thought that this would be a suitable way of appeasing Him. After Moses prayed and the storm stopped, Pharaoh's heart was once again hardened, and he refused to release Israel, as the LORD desired.
God assured Moses that He brought all these plagues upon Egypt so that His name might be sanctified throughout the world. The passage demonstrated that God's powers were far greater than those of Pharaoh and Egypt. Furthermore, it demonstrated that God has dominion over nature, being able to command the sun to shine or to hide behind clouds.
God demonstrated that He had power over ailments and disease, being able to cause or prevent them at will. God demonstrated power over the men and servants of Egypt by giving them warnings of these plagues, thus giving them a chance at repentance and making them suffer the consequences of defying Him and His beloved Israel.
Finally, God demonstrated that He had power over the Pharaoh himself, being able to make his heart both hard and humble, depending on the situation and the needs of the moment.
It is important for us to understand that God is able to protect us from harm and to keep us away from suffering and disease. It is important to know that when God warns us of the dangers we invite upon ourselves by our sins, it is an act of mercy rather than one of vengeance.
Moses was a man who demonstrated his devotion to God not on one single occasion but throughout his life. This was the reason why God chose him to deliver His messages to Pharaoh and to the people of Israel. Despite the warnings, plagues, and demonstrations of power, Pharaoh continued to refuse to heed the words of God, Moses, and Israel's priests.
The passage demonstrated that it is not enough to say that we repent of our sins and wrongdoings. It is necessary to show through actions that we are truly sorry for them. If we continue to walk the path of sin, thinking that our repentance words are an end to our transgressions, then we delude ourselves. Likewise, we should not be so arrogant as to think that our repentance words are sufficient to absolve us of our sins, unless we truly mean them and demonstrate such through our deeds.
The wonders that God performed were designed to demonstrate that He was indeed real, as well as to demonstrate the extent of His power and might. Furthermore, the warnings that God brought through Moses to the Egyptians was a test to see if they would heed His words or not.
We must be as God desires, showing our repentance through our actions. We must also believe that God does hear our prayers, and that He has the power to do whatever He needs to in order to demonstrate that He is real and that his laws are indeed worthy of being followed.
God told Moses to come before Pharaoh and to demand that he release Israel from his bondage; if he refused, a dread pestilence would afflict the cattle of Egypt, bringing ruin to the horses and asses, camels, cattle, sheep, and oxen of Egypt.
God pointed out that the Israelites' cattle would not suffer any of the maladies that would ravage Egypt. God assured Moses that it would happen at a given time so that Pharaoh would know the distinction was made by the LORD.
Sure enough, the next day, the pestilence struck Egypt, but it didn't strike Israel. Finding that only Egypt's animals perished, the servants of Pharaoh were quick to inform their master. Despite the signs and wonders that God had brought upon Egypt, Pharaoh was undeterred in his designs and determination to hold the Israelites in bondage.
The LORD instructed Moses and Aaron that they would take up ashes from the furnace and cast it in the air before Pharaoh. The Egyptians would be afflicted with grievous boils over their persons and animals. The sorcerers of Egypt were so incapacitated that they were unable to stand before Moses, and this proved that even the highest of Egypt's magical powers was no match against God.
Despite this, Pharaoh's heart was unchanged, and he refused to liberate Israel.
God instructed Moses to come before Pharaoh in the morning and warned him that He could easily have smitten Pharaoh and Egypt with pestilence and plagues by now. God pointed out, however, that such an act would have been an act of destruction rather than judgment. God sought to demonstrate His power over Egypt, causing His name to be sanctified throughout the world.
God commanded Pharaoh again to release Israel, warning him that if he continued to refuse, a grievous hailstorm would ravage Egypt. God instructed Pharaoh to bring his servants and animals to safety, pointing out that those that remained would perish or be injured.
A few servants of Pharaoh took the warning to heart and quickly brought their servants and animals to shelter; others, however, did not, and this was a sign to them that the word of the LORD was true unto its every syllable. Moses stretched forth his staff and called upon the LORD, and He sent the storm upon Egypt. The storm contained fire and wreaked havoc upon the land and killed all the men and animals that remained outside, as well as damaging the trees and crops.
This storm did not affect the land of Goshen, where the Israelites dwelled.
Pharaoh confessed that he had sinned and that the LORD was indeed just in all His dealings with Egypt. Pharaoh besought Moses to make supplication to the LORD and that he would agree to the departure of Israel. Moses assured Pharaoh that he would indeed pray, but he added that he knew well that Pharaoh and his servants did not truly fear the LORD. Moses went forth from the city and stretched forth his hands unto the LORD, and the storm abated.
Finding that the storm had indeed ceased, Pharaoh's heart was hardened once more against Israel, and he refused to let them depart, as the LORD desired. This was a sign to all that the words of Israel's God were true, and their powers were greater than Egypt's pagan gods and priests.
The passage demonstrated that God has dominion over all flesh, nature, and men's hearts. Furthermore, it demonstrated that He wanted to grant mercy and repentance to those who seek it, though it was oftentimes denied.
The passage showed that despite the obvious demonstrations of God's might, the Egyptians were unwilling to acknowledge His power. The plague upon the cattle was significant because it demonstrated that God's power was not limited to physical objects such as Egypt's mighty Nile. Furthermore, by sparing the Israelites from this plague, God demonstrated that He was able to protect them.
The boils served as further demonstration of this, since even the sorcerers of Egypt, whose powers had been thought to rival that of God, were felled by the disease, being unable even to stand before Moses.
The plague of the hailstorm was significant because God warned Pharaoh of it, giving him and his servants a chance to repent. This wasn't done in haste, however, because the servants of Pharaoh took heed and brought their servants and animals to shelter. This demonstrated that God's warnings were indeed true, and the power of the LORD was real.
Furthermore, Pharaoh was the first amongst all Egypt to recognize the power of the LORD. When the storm came, he admitted that he had sinned and that the LORD was indeed just in all of His dealings with Egypt. He begged Moses to pray to the LORD on behalf of Egypt, as he thought that this would be a suitable way of appeasing Him. After Moses prayed and the storm stopped, Pharaoh's heart was once again hardened, and he refused to release Israel, as the LORD desired.
God assured Moses that He brought all these plagues upon Egypt so that His name might be sanctified throughout the world. The passage demonstrated that God's powers were far greater than those of Pharaoh and Egypt. Furthermore, it demonstrated that God has dominion over nature, being able to command the sun to shine or to hide behind clouds.
God demonstrated that He had power over ailments and disease, being able to cause or prevent them at will. God demonstrated power over the men and servants of Egypt by giving them warnings of these plagues, thus giving them a chance at repentance and making them suffer the consequences of defying Him and His beloved Israel.
Finally, God demonstrated that He had power over the Pharaoh himself, being able to make his heart both hard and humble, depending on the situation and the needs of the moment.
It is important for us to understand that God is able to protect us from harm and to keep us away from suffering and disease. It is important to know that when God warns us of the dangers we invite upon ourselves by our sins, it is an act of mercy rather than one of vengeance.
Moses was a man who demonstrated his devotion to God not on one single occasion but throughout his life. This was the reason why God chose him to deliver His messages to Pharaoh and to the people of Israel. Despite the warnings, plagues, and demonstrations of power, Pharaoh continued to refuse to heed the words of God, Moses, and Israel's priests.
The passage demonstrated that it is not enough to say that we repent of our sins and wrongdoings. It is necessary to show through actions that we are truly sorry for them. If we continue to walk the path of sin, thinking that our repentance words are an end to our transgressions, then we delude ourselves. Likewise, we should not be so arrogant as to think that our repentance words are sufficient to absolve us of our sins, unless we truly mean them and demonstrate such through our deeds.
The wonders that God performed were designed to demonstrate that He was indeed real, as well as to demonstrate the extent of His power and might. Furthermore, the warnings that God brought through Moses to the Egyptians was a test to see if they would heed His words or not.
We must be as God desires, showing our repentance through our actions. We must also believe that God does hear our prayers, and that He has the power to do whatever He needs to in order to demonstrate that He is real and that his laws are indeed worthy of being followed.