Announcement of the Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn
11 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Still one plague I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt; afterward he will release you from here. At the moment of his releasing, he will certainly drive you completely out from here. 2 Speak in the ears of the people, and let them ask, a man from his neighbor and a woman from her neighbor, for objects of silver and objects of gold.” 3 And Yahweh gave the people favor in the eyes of Egypt. Also 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.
4 And Moses said, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘About the middle of the night I will go out through the midst of Egypt, 5 and every firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the slave woman who is behind the pair of millstones and every firstborn animal.[a] 6 And there will be a great cry of distress in all the land of Egypt, the like of which has not been nor will be again.[b] 7 But against all the Israelites,[c] from a man to an animal, a dog will not even bark,[d] so that you will know that Yahweh makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ 8 And all of these your servants will come down to me and bow to me, saying, ‘Go out, you and all the people who are at your feet.’ And afterward I will go out.” And he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.[e]
9 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that my wonders may multiply[f] in the land of Egypt.” 10 And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, and Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not release the Israelites[g] from his land.
Footnotes
- Exodus 11:5 The Hebrew word often refers to domestic animals
- Exodus 11:6 Literally “which like it has not been and like it will not be again”
- Exodus 11:7 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Exodus 11:7 Literally “move his tongue” or “sharpen his tongue”
- Exodus 11:8 Literally “with heat of nose”
- Exodus 11:9 Literally “for the sake of the multiplying of my wonders”
- Exodus 11:10 Literally “sons/children of Israel”