The Lord said to Moses, "I will bring one more plague upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. After this, he will let you go. In fact, when he finally releases you, he will drive you out completely. Tell every man and woman among the Israelites to ask their Egyptian neighbors for silver and gold."
The Lord caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and Moses himself was highly respected in Egypt, both by Pharaoh's officials and by the people.
So Moses declared, "This is what the Lord says: 'About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn will die—the firstborn son of Pharaoh who sits on the throne, the firstborn son of the slave woman grinding at the mill, and even the firstborn of the cattle. There will be great wailing in Egypt, louder than anything before or after. But among the Israelites not even a dog will bark at man or beast. Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.'"
Moses continued, "All your officials will come and bow down before me, pleading, 'Leave, you and all the people who follow you!' And after that, I will go." Burning with anger, Moses left Pharaoh's presence.
The Lord had already said to Moses, "Pharaoh will not listen to you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in Egypt." And though Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he still would not let the Israelites leave his land.