Exodus 11

The last disaster and the first Passover

Moses warns the Egyptians that the LORD will kill their firstborn sons

₁The LORD said to Moses:

I am going to punish the king of Egypt and his people one more time. Then the king will gladly let you leave his land, so that I will stop punishing the Egyptians. He will even chase you out. ₂Now go and tell my people to ask their Egyptian neighbours for gold and silver jewellery.

₃So the LORD made the Egyptians greatly respect the Israelites, and everyone, including the king and his officials, considered Moses an important leader.

₄Moses went to the king and said:

I have come to let you know what the LORD is going to do. About midnight he will go through the land of Egypt, ₅and wherever he goes, the firstborn son in every family will die. Your own son will die, and so will the son of the lowest slave woman. Even the firstborn males of cattle will die. ₆Everywhere in Egypt there will be loud crying. Nothing like this has ever happened before or will ever happen again.

₇But there won't be any need for the Israelites to cry. Things will be so quiet that not even a dog will be heard barking. Then you Egyptians will know that the LORD is good to the Israelites, even while he punishes you. ₈Your leaders will come and bow down, begging me to take my people and leave your country. Then we will leave.

Moses was very angry; he turned and left the king.

₉What the LORD had earlier said to Moses came true. He had said, “The king of Egypt won't listen. Then I will perform even more miracles.” ₁₀So the king of Egypt saw Moses and Aaron work miracles, but the LORD made him stubbornly refuse to let the Israelites leave his country.