In Va’era, Pharaoh refuses to allow the children of Isra’el to leave Mitsrayim, even after Aharon exhibits miraculous powers, transforming his staff into a serpent. The first seven plagues strike Mitsrayim: Blood, Frogs, Gnats, Flies, Pestilence, Boils, and Fiery Hail.
1. Va’era 1st Portion (Exo 6)
2 Elohim spoke further to Moshe 3 and said to him, “I am ,יהוה
and I appeared to Avraham, to Yitz’chak and to Ya‘akov by the
name of El Shaddai, but by my name Yud-Heh-Vav-Heh []יהוה
I did not make myself known to them. 4 I also established my
covenant with them to give them the land of Kena‘an, the land
in which they sojourned.
2. Va’era 1st Portion (Exo 6)
5 Moreover, I have heard the groaning of the children of Isra’el,
whom the Mitsrites are holding in bondage, and I have
remembered my covenant.
6 “Therefore, say to the children of Isra’el: ‘I am ,יהוה and I shall
bring you out from under the burdens of the Mitsrites, and I
shall deliver you from their enslaving, and I shall redeem you
with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.
3. Va’era 1st Portion (Exo 6)
7 Then I shall take you as my people, and I shall be your Elohim.
Then you shall know that I am יהוה your Elohim, who brought
you out from under the burdens of the Mitsrites. 8 And I shall
bring you to the land which I swore to give to Avraham, to
Yitz’chak and to Ya‘akov. And I will give it to you as an
inheritance. I am ’.יהוה ”
4. Va’era 1st Portion (Exo 6)
9 So Moshe spoke thus to the children of Isra’el, but they did not
listen to Moshe for shortness of spirit and hard slavery.
10 Then יהוה spoke to Moshe, saying, 11 “Go, tell Pharaoh
sovereign of Mitsrayim to let the children of Isra’el go out of his
land.”
5. Va’era 1st Portion (Exo 6)
12 But Moshe spoke to ,יהוה saying, “Behold, the children of
Isra’el have not listened to me; how then will Pharaoh listen to
me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?”
13 Now יהוה spoke to Moshe and Aharon, and gave them a
command to the children of Isra’el and to Pharaoh sovereign of
Mitsrayim, to bring the children of Isra’el out of the land of
Mitsrayim.
6. Va’era 2nd Portion (Exo 6)
14 These are the heads of their fathers’ houses:
The sons of Re’uven the first-born of Isra’el were Hanokh and
Pallu, Hetzron and Karmi. These are the clans of Re’uven.
15 The sons of Shim‘on were Y’mu’el, and Yamin, and Ohad, and
Yakhin, and Tzochar and Sha’ul the son of a Kena‘ani woman.
These are the clans of Shim‘on.
7. Va’era 2nd Portion (Exo 6)
16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their
generations: Gershon, and K’hat and M’rari. And the years of
the life of Levi were one hundred and thirty-seven.
17 The sons of Gershon were Livni and Shim‘i, according to their
clans.
8. Va’era 2nd Portion (Exo 6)
18 The sons of K’hat were ‘Amram, and Yitz’har, and Hevron and
‘Uzi’el. And the years of the life of K’hat were one hundred and
thirty-three.
19 The sons of M’rari were Machli and Mushi.
These are the clans of Levi according to their generations.
9. Va’era 2nd Portion (Exo 6)
20 ‘Amram took for himself Yokheved, his father’s sister, as wife,
and she bore him Aharon and Moshe. And the years of the life
of ‘Amram were one hundred and thirty-seven.
21 The sons of Yitz’har were Korach, and Nefeg and Zikhri.
22 The sons of ‘Uzi’el were Misha’el, and Eltzafan and Sitri.
10. Va’era 2nd Portion (Exo 6)
23 Aharon took to himself Elisheva, daughter of ‘Amminadav,
sister of Nachshon, as wife, and she bore him Nadav and
Avihu, El‘azar and Itamar.
24 And the sons of Korach were Asir, and Elkanah and Avi’asaf.
These are the clans of the Korchi.
11. Va’era 2nd Portion (Exo 6)
25 El’azar, Aharon’s son, took for himself one of the daughters of
Puti’el as wife, and she bore him Pinchas.
These are the heads of the fathers’ households of Levi according
to their clans.
26 These are the Aharon and Moshe to whom יהוה said, “Bring
out the children of Isra’el from the land of Mitsrayim according
to their divisions.”
12. Va’era 2nd Portion (Exo 6)
27 They are the ones who spoke to Pharaoh sovereign of
Mitsrayim about bringing out the children of Isra’el out of
Mitsrayim. These are the same Moshe and Aharon.
28 Now it came to pass on the day when יהוה spoke to Moshe in
the land of Mitsrayim,
13. Va’era 3rd Portion (Exo 6-7)
29 that יהוה spoke to Moshe, saying, “I am .יהוה Speak to
Pharaoh everything that I say to you.”
30 But Moshe said before ,יהוה “Behold, I am of uncircumcised
lips; so how will Pharaoh listen to me?”
1 Then יהוה said to Moshe, “See, I have made you an elohim to
Pharaoh, and your brother Aharon will be your prophet.
14. Va’era 3rd Portion (Exo 7)
2 You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother
Aharon shall speak to Pharaoh that he let the children of Isra’el
go out of his land. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and I
shall increase my signs and my wonders in the land of
Mitsrayim. 4 But Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I shall lay
my hand on Mitsrayim and I will bring out my divisions, and my
people the children of Isra’el, out of Mitsrayim with great
judgments.
15. Va’era 3rd Portion (Exo 7)
5 And the Mitsrites shall know that I am יהוה when I stretch out
my hand over Mitsrayim and I shall bring the children of Isra’el
out of their midst.”
6 Moshe and Aharon did as יהוה commanded them, so they did.
7 Moshe was eighty years old and Aharon eighty-three when
they spoke to Pharaoh.
16. Va’era 4th Portion (Exo 7)
8 יהוה spoke to Moshe and Aharon, saying, 9 “When Pharaoh
speaks to you, saying, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then you shall say
to Aharon, ‘Take your rod and throw it down before Pharaoh,’
and it will become a serpent.”
10 Moshe and Aharon went to Pharaoh and they did just as יהוה
had commanded. Aharon threw his rod down before Pharaoh
and his servants, and it became a serpent.
17. Va’era 4th Portion (Exo 7)
11 Then Pharaoh too called the wise men and the sorcerers, and
the magicians of Mitsrayim also did the same with their secret
arts: 12 Each one threw down his rod and they became
serpents. But Aharon’s rod swallowed up their rods. 13 Yet
Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them,
as יהוה had said.
14 Then יהוה said to Moshe, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding; he
refuses to let the people go.
18. Va’era 4th Portion (Exo 7)
15 Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he goes out to the water, and
you shall stand opposite him on the bank of the river, and you
shall take in your hand the rod that was turned into a serpent.
16 And you shall say to him, ‘,יהוה the Elohim of the Hebrews,
has sent me to you, saying: Let my people go, so that they may
serve me in the wilderness. But behold, until now you have not
listened.
19. Va’era 4th Portion (Exo 7)
17 So says :יהוה By this you will know that I am :יהוה Behold, I
will strike with the rod that is in my hand the water that is in the
river, and it shall be turned to blood. 18 The fish that are in the
river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Mitsrites will
weary to drink water from the river.’ ”
20. Va’era 4th Portion (Exo 7)
19 יהוה spoke to Moshe, “Say to Aharon, ‘Take your rod and
stretch out your hand over the waters of Mitsrayim—over their
streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their
pools of water—and they will become blood, and that there
shall be blood throughout the entire land of Mitsrayim, even in
buckets of wood and in containers of stone.”
21. Va’era 4th Portion (Exo 7)
20 Moshe and Aharon did so, as יהוה had commanded. And he
raised the rod and struck the water that was in the river in the
presence of Pharaoh and in the presence of his servants and
all the water that was in the river was turned to blood. 21 The
fish that were in the river died, and the river became putrid; so
that the Mitsrites could not drink water from the river. And the
blood was throughout the entire land of Mitsrayim.
22. Va’era 4th Portion (Exo 7)
22 But the magicians of Mitsrayim did the same with their secret
arts, and Pharaoh’s heart was steadfast; and he would not
listen to them, as יהוה had said. 23 Pharaoh turned and went
into his house, and he paid no heed even to this. 24 And all the
Mitsrites dug around the river for water to drink because they
could not drink from the water of the river.
25 Seven days passed after יהוה had struck the river.
23. Va’era 4th Portion (Exo 7)
26 Then יהוה spoke to Moshe, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him,
‘Thus says :יהוה Let my people go, so that they may serve me.
27 But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague your
whole border with frogs.
24. Va’era 4th Portion (Exo 7)
28 The river shall swarm with frogs. And they shall go up and
come into your house and into your bedroom and upon your
bed, and into the houses of your servants and on your people,
and into your ovens and into your kneading bowls. 29 And the
frogs shall come up on you and your people and all your
servants.’ ”
25. Va’era 4th Portion (Exo 8)
1 Then יהוה said to Moshe, “Say to Aharon, ‘Stretch out your
hand with your rod over the streams, over the rivers and over
the ponds, and make frogs come up on the land of Mitsrayim.’ ”
2 So Aharon stretched out his hand over the waters of Mitsrayim,
and the frogs came up and covered the land of Mitsrayim. 3
And the magicians did the same with their secret arts, making
frogs come up on the land of Mitsrayim.
26. Va’era 4th Portion (Exo 8)
4 Thereupon, Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon and said,
“Entreat יהוה that he take away the frogs from me and from my
people, and I shall let the people go so that they may offer
sacrifice to ADONAI.”
27. Va’era 4th Portion (Exo 8)
5 Moshe said to Pharaoh, “The honor is yours to tell me: when
shall I pray for you and your servants and your people that the
frogs be rid from you and your houses, that they should remain
only in the river?”
6 And he said, “Tomorrow.”
And he said, “May it be according to your word, that you may
know that there is no one like יהוה our Elohim.
28. Va’era 5th Portion (Exo 8)
7 The frogs shall depart from you and your houses and from your
servants and your people; they shall remain only in the river.”
8 And Moshe and Aharon went away from Pharaoh, and Moshe
cried out to יהוה concerning the frogs that he had brought
upon Pharaoh. 9 And יהוה did according to Moshe’s word. And
the frogs died from the houses, from the courtyards and from
the fields. 10 They piled them into many heaps, and the land
stank.
29. Va’era 5th Portion (Exo 8)
11 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his
heart and would not listen to them, as יהוה had said.
12 Then יהוה said to Moshe, “Say to Aharon, ‘Stretch out your
rod and strike the dust of the land,’ and it will become gnats
throughout the entire land of Mitsrayim.”
30. Va’era 5th Portion (Exo 8)
13 They did so, and Aharon stretched out his hand with his rod
and struck the dust of the earth, and the gnats were upon man
and beast. All the dust of the land became gnats throughout
the entire land of Mitsrayim. 14 And the magicians tried with
their secret arts to bring out the gnats, but they could not.
And the gnats were on man and beast.
31. Va’era 5th Portion (Exo 8)
15 So the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of
Elohim.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not
listen to them, just as יהוה had said.
16 And יהוה said to Moshe, “Arise early in the morning and stand
before Pharaoh, behold, he is going out to the water, and you
shall say to him, ‘So said :יהוה Let my people go out and serve
me.
32. Va’era 5th Portion (Exo 8)
17 For if you do not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms
of flies on you and on your servants, and on your people and
into your houses. And the houses of the Mitsrites shall be filled
with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.
18 “‘ But on that day I shall separate the land of Goshen, upon
which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there,
in order that you know that I am יהוה in the midst of the land.
33. Va’era 6th Portion (Exo 8)
19 I shall put a distinction between my people and your people.
This sign will occur tomorrow.’ ”
20 And יהוה did so. And thick swarms of flies came into
Pharaoh’s house and into the houses of his servants, and
throughout the entire land of Mitsrayim, the land was ruined
because of the swarms of flies.
34. Va’era 6th Portion (Exo 8)
21 Thereupon, Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon and said,
“Go, slaughter to your Elohim in the land.”
22 But Moshe said, “It is not right to do so, for we will sacrifice to
יהוה our Elohim what is an abomination to the Mitsrites. If we
slaughter the abomination of the Mitsrites before their eyes, will
they not then stone us?
35. Va’era 6th Portion (Exo 8)
23 We must take a three day journey into the wilderness and
slaughter to יהוה our Elohim, as he commands us.”
24 And Pharaoh said, “I will let you go out, and you shall
slaughter to יהוה your Elohim in the wilderness, but you must
not go very far away. Pray for me.”
36. Va’era 6th Portion (Exo 8)
25 Moshe said, “Behold, I am going away from you, and I shall
make supplication to ,יהוה and the swarms of flies shall depart
from Pharaoh, from his servants and from his people tomorrow.
Only let Pharaoh not act deceitfully again in not letting the
people go to slaughter to ”.יהוה
26 So Moshe went away from Pharaoh and made supplication to
,יהוה
37. Va’era 6th Portion (Exo 8-9)
27 and יהוה did as Moshe asked, and he removed the swarms of
flies from Pharaoh, from his servants and from his people; not
one remained. 28 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time
also and he did not let the people go.
1 Then יהוה said to Moshe, “Go to Pharaoh and speak to him,
‘Thus says יהוה Elohim of the Hebrews: “Let my people go,
that they may serve me.”
38. Va’era 6th Portion (Exo 9)
2 For if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them, 3
behold, the hand of יהוה will be on your livestock that is in the
field—on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the
cattle and on the sheep, there shall be a very grievous
pestilence. 4 But יהוה shall make a distinction between the
livestock of Isra’el and the livestock of Mitsrayim, so that
nothing of all that is the children’s of Isra’el will die.’ ”
39. Va’era 6th Portion (Exo 9)
5 יהוה set an appointed time, saying, “Tomorrow יהוה will do this
word in the land.” 6 And יהוה did this word on the next day:
And all the livestock of the Mitsrites died, but of the livestock of
the children of Isra’el not one died. 7 Pharaoh sent, and
behold, not even one of the livestock of Isra’el died. But
Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he did not let the people
go.
40. Va’era 6th Portion (Exo 9)
8 Then יהוה said to Moshe and Aharon, “Take yourselves
handfuls of furnace soot and let Moshe cast it heavenward
before Pharaoh’s eyes. 9 It shall become fine dust over the
whole land of Mitsrayim, and it shall become boils, breaking out
with sores on man and beast throughout the entire land of
Mitsrayim.”
41. Va’era 6th Portion (Exo 9)
10 So they took furnace soot, and they stood before Pharaoh,
and Moshe cast it heavenward, and it became boils breaking
out into sores upon man and upon beast. 11 And the magicians
could not stand before Moshe because of the boils, for the
boils were upon the magicians and upon all Mitsrayim. 12 But
יהוה hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not listen to them,
as יהוה spoke to Moshe.
42. Va’era 6th Portion (Exo 9)
13 יהוה said to Moshe, “Rise early in the morning and stand
erect before Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘So said יהוה Elohim of
the Hebrews: Let my people go, so that they may serve me. 14
Because this time, I am sending all my plagues into your heart
and into your servants and into your people, in order that you
know that there is none like me in the entire earth.
43. Va’era 6th Portion (Exo 9)
15 For if now I had stretched forth my hand, and I had struck you
and your people with pestilence, you would have been
annihilated from the earth. 16 But, for this reason I have
allowed you to stand, in order to show you my power and in
order to declare my name all over the earth.
44. Va’era 7th Portion (Exo 9)
17 If you still tread upon my people, not letting them out, 18
behold, I am going to rain down at this time tomorrow a very
heavy hail, the likes of which has never been in Mitsrayim from
the day of its being founded until now. 19 And now send,
gather in your livestock and all that you have in the field, any
man or beast that is found in the field and not brought into the
house the hail shall fall on them, and they shall die.’”
45. Va’era 7th Portion (Exo 9)
20 He who feared the word of יהוה of Pharaoh’s servants drove
his servants and his livestock into the houses. 21 But he who
did not pay attention to the word of יהוה left his servants and
his livestock in the field.
46. Va’era 7th Portion (Exo 9)
22 יהוה said to Moshe, “Stretch forth your hand heavenward, and
hail will be upon the entire land of Mitsrayim—upon man and
upon beast and upon all the vegetation of the field in the land
of Mitsrayim.” 23 So Moshe stretched forth his rod
heavenward, and יהוה gave forth thunder and hail, and fire
came down to the earth. And יהוה rained down hail upon the
land of Mitsrayim.
47. Va’era 7th Portion (Exo 9)
24 And there was hail, and fire flaming within the hail, very heavy,
the likes of which had never been throughout the entire land of
Mitsrayim since it had become a nation. 25 The hail struck
throughout the entire land of Mitsrayim, all that was in the field
—both man and beast, and the hail struck all the vegetation of
the field, and it broke all the trees of the field. 26 Only in the
land of Goshen, where the children of Isra’el were, there was
no hail.
48. Va’era 7th Portion (Exo 9)
27 So Pharaoh sent and summoned Moshe and Aharon and said
to them, “I have sinned this time. יהוה is the righteous One,
and I and my people are the guilty ones. 28 Entreat ,יהוה and
let it be enough of Elohim’s thunder and hail, and I will let you
go, and you shall not continue to stay.”
49. Va’era 7th Portion (Exo 9)
29 And Moshe said to him, “When I leave the city, I will spread my
hands to .יהוה The thunder will cease, and there will be no
more hail, in order that you know that the earth is the ’יהוהs.
30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you do not yet
fear יהוה Elohim.”
31 (Now the flax and the barley were smitten, for the barley was
in the head and the flax was in bud.
50. Va’era 7th Portion (Exo 9)
32 But the wheat and the spelt were not smitten, for they ripen
late.)
33 Moshe went out of the city from Pharaoh and spread out his
hands to ;יהוה and the thunder and the hail ceased, and rain
no longer poured on the earth. 34 And Pharaoh saw that the
rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased; so he continued to
sin, and he hardened his heart, he and his servants.
51. Va’era 7th Portion (Exo 9)
35 And Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not let the
children of Isra’el go, as יהוה had said through the hand of
Moshe.