וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה ע֣וֹד נֶ֤גַע אֶחָד֙ אָבִ֤יא עַל־פַּרְעֹה֙ וְעַל־מִצְרַ֔יִם אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֕ן יְשַׁלַּ֥ח אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִזֶּ֑ה כְּשַׁ֨לְּח֔וֹ כָּלָ֕ה גָּרֵ֛שׁ יְגָרֵ֥שׁ אֶתְכֶ֖ם מִזֶּֽה׃

The Lord said to Moses, after the plague of darkness: One more blow I will bring upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt; afterwards, he will send you forth from here; when he sends you forth, he will completely expel you from here.

דַּבֶּר־נָ֖א בְּאָזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וְיִשְׁאֲל֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ ׀ מֵאֵ֣ת רֵעֵ֗הוּ וְאִשָּׁה֙ מֵאֵ֣ת רְעוּתָ֔הּ כְּלֵי־כֶ֖סֶף וּכְלֵ֥י זָהָֽב׃

Therefore, the Israelites must prepare for the upcoming events: Speak now in the ears of the people, and they shall ask each man from his neighbor, and each woman from her neighbor, silver vessels and gold vessels. Although the Israelites were enslaved, they remained part of Egyptian society and maintained relationships with their neighbors. God commanded them, or perhaps merely requested, that they should borrow valuable objects from their Egyptian acquaintances.

וַיִּתֵּ֧ן יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־חֵ֥ן הָעָ֖ם בְּעֵינֵ֣י מִצְרָ֑יִם גַּ֣ם ׀ הָאִ֣ישׁ מֹשֶׁ֗ה גָּד֤וֹל מְאֹד֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּעֵינֵ֥י עַבְדֵֽי־פַרְעֹ֖ה וּבְעֵינֵ֥י הָעָֽם׃ (ס)

One might have thought that the Egyptians would resent the Israelites after the plagues they had suffered on their account. However, the Lord granted the people favor in the eyes of Egypt. Initially victims of oppression and censure, the Israelites were now treated favorably by the Egyptians, who had become aware that a Great Power stood behind Israel. The social standing of the all the Israelites improved, while the man Moses was no longer looked upon as a stranger, but was very great in the land of Egypt, in the eyes of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the eyes of the people.

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה כֹּ֖ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֑ה כַּחֲצֹ֣ת הַלַּ֔יְלָה אֲנִ֥י יוֹצֵ֖א בְּת֥וֹךְ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

After the above interlude, the Torah narrates the conclusion of the confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh in the palace. Although he has been banished by Pharaoh, Moses continues to speak before he leaves. Moses said: So said the Lord: About midnight, or: At midnight, I will emerge in the midst of Egypt and strike the Egyptians.

וּמֵ֣ת כָּל־בְּכוֹר֮ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַיִם֒ מִבְּכ֤וֹר פַּרְעֹה֙ הַיֹּשֵׁ֣ב עַל־כִּסְא֔וֹ עַ֚ד בְּכ֣וֹר הַשִּׁפְחָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֖ר אַחַ֣ר הָרֵחָ֑יִם וְכֹ֖ל בְּכ֥וֹר בְּהֵמָֽה׃

Every firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, the highest and most important in the land, who sits on his throne, to the firstborn of the maidservant, who possesses the lowest social status, as his mother performs the menial task of grinding grain while she is standing behind the mill, and all firstborn animals.

וְהָֽיְתָ֛ה צְעָקָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה בְּכָל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲשֶׁ֤ר כָּמֹ֙הוּ֙ לֹ֣א נִהְיָ֔תָה וְכָמֹ֖הוּ לֹ֥א תֹסִֽף׃

There will be a great outcry in the entire land of Egypt that there has not been like it, nor will there be like it again. The disaster will strike the entire land, as death will reach every household.

וּלְכֹ֣ל ׀ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל לֹ֤א יֶֽחֱרַץ־כֶּ֙לֶב֙ לְשֹׁנ֔וֹ לְמֵאִ֖ישׁ וְעַד־בְּהֵמָ֑ה לְמַ֙עַן֙ תֵּֽדְע֔וּן אֲשֶׁר֙ יַפְלֶ֣ה יְהוָ֔ה בֵּ֥ין מִצְרַ֖יִם וּבֵ֥ין יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

But for all the children of Israel, a dog will not extend his tongue at anyone, from man to beast. The dogs will not dare to so much as bark at the children of Israel or even at their animals, so that you will know that the Lord distinguishes between Egypt and Israel.

וְיָרְד֣וּ כָל־עֲבָדֶיךָ֩ אֵ֨לֶּה אֵלַ֜י וְהִשְׁתַּֽחֲוּוּ־לִ֣י לֵאמֹ֗ר צֵ֤א אַתָּה֙ וְכָל־הָעָ֣ם אֲשֶׁר־בְּרַגְלֶ֔יךָ וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֖ן אֵצֵ֑א וַיֵּצֵ֥א מֵֽעִם־פַּרְעֹ֖ה בָּחֳרִי־אָֽף׃ (ס)

All these servants of yours, who surround you here, will descend to me and prostrate themselves to me, saying: Leave, you and all the people that follow you; and thereafter I will leave Egypt. He departed from Pharaoh’s presence in enflamed wrath, visibly angry.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה לֹא־יִשְׁמַ֥ע אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם פַּרְעֹ֑ה לְמַ֛עַן רְב֥וֹת מוֹפְתַ֖י בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

This and the following verse conclude the account of the plagues, except for the very last and worst plague. The final plague is separated from the others both due to its severity and because of the commandments which will be given to the Israelites to be performed at the same time, as related in the next section. The Lord had said to Moses already: Pharaoh will not heed you, despite the threat against his own firstborn, in order to increase My wonders in the land of Egypt. This was stated before the onset of the plagues, in 7:4: “Pharaoh will not heed you.”

וּמֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאַהֲרֹ֗ן עָשׂ֛וּ אֶת־כָּל־הַמֹּפְתִ֥ים הָאֵ֖לֶּה לִפְנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֑ה וַיְחַזֵּ֤ק יְהוָה֙ אֶת־לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֔ה וְלֹֽא־שִׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל מֵאַרְצֽוֹ׃ (פ)

Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not send forth the children of Israel from his land.