1 The Lord told Moses, “There's one last plague I will bring down on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that he will let you go, but when he does, he'll expel every one of you from the country. 2 Now go and tell the Israelites, both men and women, to ask their Egyptian neighbors for silver and gold objects.” 3 The Lord made the Egyptians look favorably on the Israelites. In fact, Moses himself was highly respected in Egypt by both Pharaoh's officials and the ordinary people.

4 Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Around midnight I will go through the whole of Egypt. 5 Every firstborn son in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh sitting on his throne to the firstborn of the servant girl working with a handmill, as well as all the firstborn of the cattle. 6 There will be loud cries of mourning all over Egypt, such as have never been before, and will never be again. 7 But among all the Israelites there won't even be the sound of a dog barking at them or their animals. That way you will know that the Lord distinguishes between Egypt and Israel.’ 8 All your officials will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, ‘Leave, and take everyone who follows you with you!’ After that I will leave.” Moses was very angry, and left Pharaoh.

9 The Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh is refusing to listen to you so I can do even more miracles in Egypt.” 10 Moses and Aaron did these miracles before Pharaoh, but the Lord gave Pharaoh a stubborn attitude, and he wouldn't let the Israelites leave his country.