The previous abundance of the land will not be remembered because of the famine that follows, for the famine will be very severe.

This food should be held in storage for the land in preparation for the seven years of famine that will occur throughout the land of Egypt. In this way the land will survive the famine.”

He then said, “Look, I hear that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy grain for us so that we may live and not die.”

Reuben said to them, “Didn’t I say to you, ‘Don’t sin against the boy,’ but you wouldn’t listen? So now we must pay for shedding his blood!”

Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?” His brothers could not answer him because they were dumbfounded before him.

But the midwives feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.

Moses answered again, “And if they do not believe me or pay attention to me, but say, ‘The Lord has not appeared to you’?”

“If they do not believe you or pay attention to the former sign, then they may believe the latter sign.

Moses told this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and hard labor.

When the fish that were in the Nile died, the Nile began to stink, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. There was blood everywhere in the land of Egypt!

But the magicians of Egypt did the same by their secret arts, and so Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, and he refused to listen to Moses and Aaron – just as the Lord had predicted.

But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

When the magicians attempted to bring forth gnats by their secret arts, they could not. So there were gnats on people and on animals.

The magicians said to Pharaoh, “It is the finger of God!” But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also and did not release the people.

But the Lord will distinguish between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, and nothing will die of all that the Israelites have.”’”

Pharaoh sent representatives to investigate, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of Israel had died. But Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, and he did not release the people.

The magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians.

But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted to Moses.

Pray to the Lord, for the mighty thunderings and hail are too much! I will release you and you will stay no longer.”