2. Do not refuse to let them go. Do not keep holding them back.
3. " ' "If you refuse, my powerful hand will bring a terrible plague on you. I will strike your livestock in the fields. I will strike your horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, sheep and goats.
4. But I will treat Israel's livestock differently from yours. No animal that belongs to the people of Israel will die." ' "
5. The Lord set a time for the plague. He said, "Tomorrow I will send it on the land."
6. So the next day the Lord sent it. All of the livestock of the Egyptians died. But not one animal that belonged to the Israelites died.
7. Pharaoh sent people to find out what had happened. They discovered that not even one animal that belonged to the Israelites had died. But his heart was still very stubborn. He wouldn't let the people go.
8. Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron. He said, "Take handfuls of ashes from a furnace. Have Moses toss them into the air in front of Pharaoh.
9. The ashes will turn into fine dust all over the whole land of Egypt. Then boils will break out on people and animals all over the land. Their bodies will be covered with them."