8 Then
the Lord said to Moses
and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a furnace and have Moses toss it into
the air in the presence of Pharaoh.9 It will become fine dust over
the whole land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on people and
animals throughout the land.” 10 So they took soot from a furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses
tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on people and animals.11 The
magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils that were on them
and on all the Egyptians.12 But the Lord hardened
Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said to Moses.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him,
‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: “Let my people go, so that they may
worship me.”2 If you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them
back,3 the
hand of the Lord will bring a terrible plague on your livestock in the field—on your
horses, donkeys and camels and on your cattle, sheep and goats.4 But the Lord will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and that of
Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’”
5 The Lord set a time and said, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.”6 And the
next day the Lord did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal
belonging to the Israelites died.7 Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of
the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he
would not let the people go.