Exodus 9 · Parashat Vaera

Then the Lord said to Moshe, Go in to Par῾o, and tell him, Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

For if thou refuse to let them go, and wilt hold them still,

behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thy cattle which is in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep: there shall be a very grievous plague.

And the Lord shall separate the cattle of Yisra᾽el from the cattle of Miżrayim: and nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Yisra᾽el.

And the Lord appointed a set time, saying, Tomorrow the Lord shall do this thing in the land.

And the Lord did that thing on the morrow, and all the cattle of Miżrayim died: but of the cattle of the children of Yisra᾽el not one died.

And Par῾o sent, and, behold, there was not one of the cattle of Yisra᾽el dead. And the heart of Par῾o was hard, and he did not let the people go.

And the Lord said to Moshe and to Aharon, Take for yourselves handfuls of soot of the furnace, and let Moshe sprinkle it heaven- wards in the sight of Par῾o.

And it shall become small dust in all the land of Miżrayim, and shall be a pox breaking out in blisters upon man, and upon beast, throughout all the land of Miżrayim.

And they took soot of the furnace, and stood before Par῾o; and Moshe sprinkled it up heavenwards; and it became a pox breaking out in blisters on man and beast.

And the magicians could not stand before Moshe because of the pox; for the pox was on the magicians, and on all Miżrayim.

And the Lord hardened the heart of Par῾o, and he hearkened not to them; as the Lord had spoken to Moshe.

And the Lord said to Moshe, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Par῾o, and say to him, Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

For I will at this time send all my plagues upon thy heart, and on thy servants, and on thy people; that thou mayst know that there is none like me in all the earth.

For now if I would stretch out my hand, I might smite thee and thy people with pestilence; and thou shouldst be cut off from the earth.

And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up, to show in thee my power; and that my name may be proclaimed throughout all the earth.

If as yet thou dost exalt thyself against my people, so as not to let them go,

behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Miżrayim since its foundation until now.

Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle, and all that thou hast in the field; for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field, and shall not be brought home, the hail shall come down, and they shall die.

He that feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Par῾o made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses:

and he that regarded not the word of the Lord left his servants and his cattle in the field.

And the Lord said to Moshe, Stretch out thy hand towards heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Miżrayim, on man and beast, and on every plant of the field, throughout the land of Miżrayim.

And Moshe stretched out his rod towards heaven: and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran down upon the ground; and the Lord rained hail upon the land of Miżrayim.

So there was hail, and fire flaring up amidst the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Miżrayim since it became a nation.

And the hail smote throughout all the land of Miżrayim all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every plant of the field, and broke every tree of the field.

Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Yisra᾽el were, was there no hail.

And Par῾o sent, and called for Moshe and Aharon, and said to them, I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

Entreat the Lord that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.

And Moshe said to him, As soon as I am gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the Lord; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that thou mayst know that the earth is the Lord’s.

But as for thee and thy servants, I know that you will not yet fear the Lord God.

And the flax and the barley were struck: for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was in bud.

But the wheat and the spelt were not struck: for they were late ripening.

And Moshe went out of the city from Par῾o, and spread out his hands to the Lord: and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was no longer poured upon the earth.

And when Par῾o saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders had ceased, he sinned yet again, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

And the heart of Par῾o was hard, neither would he let the children of Yisra᾽el go; as the Lord had spoken by Moshe.