The Plague on the Firstborn Foretold

1And YHWH said to Moses, “One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that he will send you⁺ out from this place. When he sends you out, he will surely drive you out completely from this place. 2Speak now in the ears of the people, and let each man ask from his neighbor, and each woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold.”

3And YHWH gave the people favor in the eyes of Egypt. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the eyes of the servants of Pharaoh and in the eyes of the people.

4And Moses said, “Thus says YHWH: ‘About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, 5and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the maidservant who is behind the handmill, and every firstborn of a beast. 6And there shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has never been, and never shall be like it again. 7And against all the sons of Israel a dog shall not sharpen its tongue, against man even to beast,†’ so that you⁺ may know that YHWH distinguishes between Egypt and between Israel.

8And all these servants of yours shall come down to me and bow themselves to me, saying, ‘Go out, you and all the people who are at your feet.’ And after that I will go out.”

And he went out from Pharaoh with burning anger.

9And YHWH said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you⁺, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.”

10And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before the face of Pharaoh, and YHWH strengthened† the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not send out the sons of Israel from his land.