The Plague of the Firstborn
1 Then Yahweh
[God] said to Moses,
"Yet one more plague I will bring
upon Pharaoh and
upon the Egyptians,
after this he will send you forth from here.
And when he sends you forth altogether,
he will surely drive you out from here."
2 "Speak now,
in the ears of the people,
and let every man borrow from his neighbor,
and every woman from her neighbor,
jewelry of silver,
and jewelry of gold."
And Yahweh gave the people favor
in the eyes of the Egyptians.
3 And 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 Then said Moses,
"Thus says Yahweh,
Around the middle of the night,
I will go out in the midst of the Egyptians,
5 and kill all the firstborn
in the land of Egypt.
From the firstborn of Pharaoh
that sits upon the throne,
to the firstborn of the handmaiden
who is behind the mill,
and all the firstborn of the beasts.
6 And there will be a great shriek
in all the land of Egypt,
such as the like there has not been,
nor has the like there shall not be."
7 "But for all the sons of Israel,
not a dog shall move his tongue,
from man to beast,
so that you shall know
that Yahweh separates
between Egypt and Israel."
8 "Then all these your servants
will come and bow down to me, saying,
'Get out!
You and all your people
who are on your foot!'
And after this I will go out."
Then he went out from Pharaoh
in fierce anger.
9 But Yahweh said to Moses,
"Pharaoh will not listen to you,
so that my wonders will multiply
in the land of Egypt."
10 Then Moses
and Aaron
did all these wonders before Pharaoh.
But Yahweh strengthened
the heart of Pharaoh,
and he did not send forth
the sons of Israel from his land.