וארא

God spoke to Moses and said, “I am God. I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai,” a Hebrew name that means “God Almighty.” God reminded Moses about the covenant, His promise, to give the Israelites the land of Canaan, where their ancestors had lived as travelers.

God had heard the Israelites’ moaning in Egypt and remembered that promise. “Tell the people: I will free you from the Egyptians’ hard labor. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and great acts. I will take you to be My people, and I will be your God. I will bring you into the land I swore to give your ancestors.”

Moses told the Israelites, but they could not listen; their spirits were crushed by cruel bondage. Still, God said, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him to let the Israelites leave.” Moses worried because he was tongue-tied, but God gave him help: “Aaron will speak for you.” Moses was eighty and Aaron eighty-three when they went to Pharaoh. When Pharaoh demanded a marvel, Aaron threw down his rod and it became a serpent. Pharaoh’s magicians did the same, but Aaron’s serpent swallowed theirs. Pharaoh’s heart stayed stubborn.

God told Moses to meet Pharaoh early by the Nile. Moses said, “Let my people go so they may worship God in the wilderness.” Pharaoh refused, so Moses warned that the Nile would be struck. Aaron held out the rod over the waters, rivers, canals, ponds, and the water turned to blood, even in wooden and stone vessels. Fish died, the river stank, and people dug around the Nile for drinking water. Pharaoh still paid no regard.

After seven days, God sent frogs. They swarmed up from the Nile into the palace, bedrooms, beds, ovens, and kneading bowls. Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron: “Plead with God to remove the frogs, and I will let the people go to sacrifice.” Moses asked when he should pray. “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said. Moses prayed, and the frogs died in houses, courtyards, and fields, piled in heaps until the land stank. When Pharaoh felt relief, he became stubborn again.

Then Aaron struck the dust, and it became lice on people and animals. The magicians tried to copy it but could not. They told Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God!” Yet Pharaoh would not listen.

Again Moses met Pharaoh in the morning and warned that swarms of insects would fill houses and even the ground. God said He would set apart Goshen, where the Israelites lived, so no swarms would be there. The swarms came heavily, ruining the land. Pharaoh tried to bargain: “Sacrifice within the land.” Moses answered that they must go three days into the wilderness. When Moses pleaded, God removed the swarms, but Pharaoh still would not let the people go.

Next, God sent a severe pestilence on Egyptian livestock, horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, and sheep, while Israel’s animals were unharmed. Pharaoh checked and found it true, yet remained stubborn. Then Moses threw soot from a kiln toward the sky, and it became fine dust that caused painful boils on people and animals; even the magicians were afflicted.

Finally, God warned of a hailstorm like Egypt had never seen. Some of Pharaoh’s courtiers hurried slaves and animals indoors; others ignored the warning. Moses held out his rod, and thunder, hail, and fire streamed down, shattering trees and striking what was outside. Only Goshen had no hail. Pharaoh admitted he was wrong and begged Moses to plead. Moses spread out his hands, and the storm stopped, but Pharaoh’s heart stiffened again.