So the whole community of the Israelites went out from the presence of Moses.

“Set apart to me every firstborn male – the first offspring of every womb among the Israelites, whether human or animal; it is mine.”

But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he chased after the Israelites. Now the Israelites were going out defiantly.

When Pharaoh got closer, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians marching after them, and they were terrified. The Israelites cried out to the Lord,

It happened at midnight – the Lord attacked all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the prison, and all the firstborn of the cattle.

The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a charge for the Israelites and Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring the Israelites out of the land of Egypt.

You are to receive the atonement money from the Israelites and give it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will be a memorial for the Israelites before the Lord, to make atonement for your lives.”

The Israelites, however, were fruitful, increased greatly, multiplied, and became extremely strong, so that the land was filled with them.

He said to his people, “Look at the Israelite people, more numerous and stronger than we are!

And now indeed the cry of the Israelites has come to me, and I have also seen how severely the Egyptians oppress them.

So now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh to bring my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt.”

Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, or that I should bring the Israelites out of Egypt?”

The Israelite foremen went and cried out to Pharaoh, “Why are you treating your servants this way?

I have also heard the groaning of the Israelites, whom the Egyptians are enslaving, and I have remembered my covenant.

“Go, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt that he must release the Israelites from his land.”

Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, was there no hail.

So Pharaoh’s heart remained hard, and he did not release the Israelites, as the Lord had predicted through Moses.

But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not release the Israelites.

Your lamb must be perfect, a male, one year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.

and the Israelites went away and did exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.