Exodus 9 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.

Then Yahweh told Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him, 'This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go so they can worship me.'"

"Because if you refuse to let them go and keep holding them back,"

"Yahweh's hand will strike your livestock out in the fields with a devastating plague — your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, and sheep and goats."

"But Yahweh will make a distinction between Israel's livestock and Egypt's livestock. Not a single animal belonging to the Israelites will die."

And Yahweh set a specific time, saying, "Tomorrow Yahweh will do this throughout the land."

The next day, Yahweh did exactly that. All of Egypt's livestock died, but not a single animal belonging to the Israelites died.

Pharaoh sent people to investigate, and sure enough — not even one of the Israelite animals had died. But Pharaoh's heart remained stubborn, and he would not let the people go.

Then Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, "Take handfuls of soot from a furnace, and have Moses throw it into the air while Pharaoh watches."

"It will become fine dust over all of Egypt, and it will cause boils that break out in festering sores on people and animals throughout the entire land of Egypt."

So they took soot from a furnace, stood before Pharaoh, and Moses threw it into the air. It caused boils breaking out in sores on both people and animals.

The magicians couldn't even stand in front of Moses because of the boils — the magicians had boils just like everyone else in Egypt.

But Yahweh made Pharaoh's heart unyielding, and he refused to listen to them — exactly as Yahweh had told Moses would happen.

Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, 'This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go so they can worship me.'"

"Because this time I'm going to send the full force of my plagues against you personally, against your officials, and against your people — so you'll know there is no one like me in all the earth."

"By now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth."

"But this is exactly why I've let you stand: to show you my power, and so that my name will be talked about across the entire earth."

"You are still setting yourself up against my people and refusing to let them go."

"So pay attention: Tomorrow at about this time, I will send the worst hailstorm that has ever fallen on Egypt from the day it was founded until now."

"Now then—send orders to bring your livestock and everything you have in the fields to safety. Every person or animal left out in the open when the hail comes down will die."

Those among Pharaoh's officials who took Yahweh's word seriously rushed to get their servants and livestock under shelter.

But those who didn't take Yahweh's word seriously left their servants and livestock out in the fields.

Then Yahweh told Moses, "Stretch your hand toward the sky so that hail falls on the entire land of Egypt—on people, on animals, and on every plant growing in the fields of Egypt."

Moses stretched his staff toward the sky, and Yahweh sent thunder, hail, and lightning crashing down to the ground. Yahweh rained hail on the land of Egypt.

The hail fell and lightning flashed continuously in the middle of it — the worst storm Egypt had experienced in its entire history as a nation.

Throughout all of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the open fields—both people and animals. It beat down every plant in the fields and shattered every tree.

The only place it didn't hail was in the region of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.

Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, "This time I've done wrong. Yahweh is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong."

"Pray to Yahweh — we've had more than enough of God's thunder and hail. I'll let you go. You don't have to stay any longer."

Moses told him, "As soon as I leave the city, I'll spread my hands out to Yahweh. The thunder will stop and there won't be any more hail — so you'll know that the earth belongs to Yahweh."

"But I know that you and your officials still don't truly respect Yahweh God."

(The flax and barley were destroyed because the barley had headed out and the flax was in bloom.

But the wheat and the spelt weren't destroyed because they mature later in the season.)

Moses left Pharaoh, went out of the city, and spread his hands out to Yahweh. The thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured down on the land.

But when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had stopped, he went right back to doing wrong. He and his officials dug in their heels.

Pharaoh's heart remained unyielding, and he would not let the Israelites go — exactly as Yahweh had said through Moses.