Chapter 17—The Plagues on Egypt
The Lord said unto Moses, “Wherefore, say unto the children of
Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens
of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will
redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments. And
I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God, and
ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out
from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto
the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to
Isaac, and to Jacob, and I will give it you for a heritage. I am the Lord.
And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel; but they hearkened
not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage. And the
Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Go in, speak unto Pharaoh, king of
Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.”
Moses was somewhat discouraged. In his despondency he inquired
of the Lord, If the children of Israel, thine own circumcised people, will
not hearken unto me, how then shall Pharaoh, who is uncircumcised,
and an idolater, hear me? “And the Lord said unto Moses, See, I
have made thee a God to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy
prophet. Thou shalt speak all that I command thee, and Aaron thy
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brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel
out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply my
signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh shall not
hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth
mine armies, and my people, the children of Israel, out of the land of
Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the
Lord, when I stretch forth mine hand upon Egypt, and bring out the
children of Israel from among them. And Moses and Aaron did as the
Lord commanded them, so did they.”
The Lord told Moses that the signs and wonders which he should
show before Pharaoh would harden his heart, because he would not
receive them, and God would multiply his signs. Every punishment
which the king rejected would bring the next chastisement more close
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