Chapter XLVII.

THE JUDGMENTS OF GOD ON PHARAOH AND THE LAND OF EGYPT.

AFTER the plague of blood was ended, God sent Moses again to Pharaoh. And when Pharaoh refused to let the people go, God sent another plague upon Egypt. He caused frogs to come forth out of the rivers, and to cover the whole land: they came into the houses, and into the beds, and upon the people, even into the king's chamber.

Then Pharaoh said to Moses and Aaron, “Entreat the Lord to take away the frogs from me, and from my people, and I will let the people go." And Moses prayed for Pharaoh, and God took away the frogs.

But when the frogs had gone, Pharaoh hardened his heart again, and would not let the people go.

Then God commanded Moses and Aaron to

bring many more plagues upon Pharaoh and the land of Egypt.

Aaron stretched forth the rod, and all the dust of the land became lice, which covered man and beast.

Then God sent swarms of flies, which filled the house of Pharaoh, and all the houses in the land of Egypt. And Pharaoh said that he would let the people go, if Moses would pray to God to take away the flies. But as soon as the flies were taken away, Pharaoh hardened his heart, and he would not let the people go. Then God sent a murrain, a very bad disease, upon the cattle. And all the cattle in the land died. But there was no murrain among the cattle of the children of Israel.

And God caused boils and blains to come upon man and upon beast, among the Egyptians.

And then God sent thunder and hail, and fire mingled with the hail. And it broke all the trees, and spoiled the flax and the barley, and every herb of the field. But there was no hail in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel lived.

Then Pharaoh said again, that he would let the people go, if Moses would pray to God to stop the thunder and the hail. But when the thunder and the hail had ceased, Pharaoh sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, and would not let the children of Israel go.

Then God sent locusts, which covered the whole earth, and filled all the houses, and ate up every green thing which the thunder and hail had left.

Then Pharaoh again asked Moses to pray for him; but as soon as God had taken away the locusts, he hardened his heart again, and would not let the people go.

When Pharaoh was in trouble, he feared the Lord, and said that he would obey Him; but when the plague was gone, his heart grew hard again, and he would not keep his promises.

Then God commanded Moses to stretch forth his hand toward heaven, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. The Egyptians could not see one another, or move from their places, for three days.

But there was light in the houses of the children of Israel.

Yet still Pharaoh hardened his heart, and would not let the people go.

Exodus viii. ix. & x.

Locusts are large insects which eat the leaves off the trees, and the corn, and destroy the fruit; they are like grasshoppers, but they are much larger.

Chapter XLVIII.

THE FIRST PASSOVER.

God had sent nine great plagues upon the land of Egypt; but Pharaoh the king still hardened his heart against God, and would not let His people go.

And the Lord said, that He would send yet one more plague upon Egypt, and that then Pharaoh would fear to keep the children of Israel, and would drive them out of the land in haste.

Then Moses went in once again to Pharaoh

to warn him, that God would send another plague upon the land of Egypt, more dreadful than any of the plagues that had been before.

And Moses stood before Pharaoh, and said, "Thus saith the Lord, About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt: and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maid-servant that is behind the mill; and all the firstborn of beasts. And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more." Then Moses went

out from the presence of Pharaoh.

The

Firstborn, means the first or eldest child. eldest child in every house in Egypt was to die, except among the children of Israel. None were to die among the children of Israel.

And the Lord spake again to Moses: God said, that Moses should command the children of Israel to take a lamb for every house. The lamb was to be perfect, without any fault or blemish; they were to keep it four days, and then