The Ten Plagues Story - Bible

Moses and his brother Aaron went to Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. They said, 'This is what the Lord God says: 'Let my people go, so they can worship me in the desert.''

But Pharaoh shook his head. 'Who is the Lord? I do not know Him. I will not let Israel go!' So God sent ten plagues to show His great power.

The First Plague - Water Turned to Blood: Aaron lifted his staff and struck the Nile River. All the water turned into blood. The fish died, and the river smelled terrible. But Pharaoh's heart remained hard.

The Second Plague - Frogs: Frogs came out of the river. They covered the land. They were in houses, in beds, and even in ovens. Pharaoh begged Moses to take the frogs away. But when the frogs died, Pharaoh changed his mind again.

The Third Plague - Gnats: Aaron struck the ground with his staff. Tiny gnats covered every person and animal. The magicians told Pharaoh, 'This is the finger of God!' But Pharaoh would not listen.

The Fourth Plague - Flies: Swarms of flies filled the land. They went into every house. But God protected the land of Goshen where His people lived. There were no flies there. Still, Pharaoh would not let the people go.

The Fifth Plague - Sickness on Livestock: All the animals of the Egyptians became sick and died. But not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. Pharaoh checked and saw this was true. Yet his heart was still hard.

The Sixth Plague - Boils: Moses threw ashes into the air. Painful boils broke out on all the Egyptians and their animals. The magicians could not even stand before Moses because of the boils. But Pharaoh would not listen.

The Seventh Plague - Hail: Moses stretched his staff toward the sky. Thunder boomed, lightning flashed, and huge hail fell. It beat down everything in the fields. The hail was so terrible that nothing like it had ever happened before. Pharaoh said, 'I have sinned. Pray to the Lord.' But when the hail stopped, he sinned again.

The Eighth Plague - Locusts: Moses stretched his hand over Egypt. The Lord sent a strong east wind that blew all day and all night. By morning, the wind had brought thousands of locusts. They covered the ground until it turned black. They ate every plant and every fruit left on the trees. Nothing green remained. Pharaoh begged for forgiveness, but when the locusts were gone, his heart became hard again.

The Ninth Plague - Darkness: Moses stretched his hand toward the sky. Total darkness covered Egypt for three days. The Egyptians could not see each other. No one left their house. But all the Israelites had light where they lived. Pharaoh said, 'Go worship the Lord, but leave your sheep and cattle.' Moses said no. Pharaoh became angry and said, 'Leave my sight! If you come back, you will die!'

Then God told Moses about the Tenth Plague. This would be the worst one of all.

The Tenth Plague - Death of the Firstborn: God said, 'On that night, I will go through Egypt. Every firstborn son will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh to the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon. But when I see the blood on your doorposts, I will pass over your homes.'

Moses told the Israelites to take a lamb without any flaws. They were to kill the lamb and put its blood on the sides and tops of their doorframes. Then they were to roast the lamb and eat it with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast. They had to eat it ready to leave, with their sandals on their feet and their staffs in their hands.

That night, God went through Egypt. Every Egyptian family lost their firstborn son. There was loud crying everywhere because someone had died in every home.

But when God saw the blood on the Israelite doors, He passed over those homes. No one died inside. God protected His people.

Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron that night. He said, 'Get up! Leave my people! Go and worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds and go!'

The Egyptians hurried the Israelites to leave. They gave them silver, gold, and clothing. After 430 years in Egypt, God's people were finally free!

Every year since then, God's people celebrate Passover to remember how God passed over their homes and saved them from slavery.

The Ten Plagues story shows Gods power and justice. It teaches that oppression leads to consequences. This story highlights faith and deliverance.