Moses Warns the Egyptians That the Lord Will Kill Their First-Born Sons
1 The Lord said to Moses:
I am going to punish the king of Egypt and his people one more time. Then the king will gladly let you leave his land. In fact, he will even chase you out. 2 Now go and tell my people to ask their Egyptian neighbors for gold and silver jewelry.
3 So the Lord made the Egyptians greatly respect the Israelites, and everyone, including the king's officials, considered Moses an important leader.
4 Moses went to the king and said:
I have come to let you know what the Lord is going to do. About midnight he will go through the land of Egypt, 5 and wherever he goes, the first-born son in every family will die. Your own son will die, and so will the son of the lowest slave woman. Even the first-born males of your cattle will die. 6 Everywhere in Egypt there will be loud crying. Nothing like this has ever happened before or will ever happen again.
7 But there won't be any need for the Israelites to cry. Things will be so quiet that not even a dog will be heard barking. Then you Egyptians will know that the Lord is good to the Israelites, even while he punishes you. 8 Your leaders will come and bow down, begging me to take my people and leave your country. Then we will leave.
Moses was very angry; he turned and left the king.
9 What the Lord had earlier said to Moses came true. He had said, “The king of Egypt won't listen. Then I will perform even more miracles.” 10 So the king of Egypt saw Moses and Aaron work miracles, but the Lord made him stubbornly refuse to let the Israelites leave his country.
1 Now the Lord had saide vnto Moses, yet will I bring one plague more vpon Pharaoh, and vpon Egypt: after that, he will let you go hence: when he letteth you goe, he shall at once chase you hence. 2 Speake thou nowe to the people, that euery man require of his neighbour, and euery woman of her neighbour iewels of siluer and iewels of gold. 3 And the Lord gaue the people fauour in the sight of the Egyptians: also Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaohs seruantes, and in the sight of the people.) 4 Also Moses sayde, Thus sayth the Lord, About midnight will I goe out into the middes of Egypt. 5 And all the first borne in the lande of Egypt shall die, from the first borne of Pharaoh that sitteth on his throne, vnto the first borne of the maide seruant, that is at the mille, and all the first borne of beastes. 6 Then there shalbe a great crie throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was neuer none like, nor shalbe. 7 But against none of ye children of Israel shall a dogge moue his tongue, neyther against man nor beast, that ye may knowe that the Lord putteth a difference betweene the Egyptians and Israel. 8 And all these thy seruants shall come downe vnto me, and fal before me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that are at thy feete, and after this will I depart. So he went out from Pharaoh very angry. 9 And the Lord saide vnto Moses, Pharaoh shall not heare you, that my wonders may bee multiplied in the land of Egypt. 10 So Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh: but the Lord hardened Pharaohs heart, and he suffred not the children of Israel to goe out of his lande.