This sheet on Exodus 6 was written by Yakov Azriel for 929 and can also be found here
"And the Lord said unto Moses, 'Now will you see what I will do unto Pharaoh, for by a mighty hand shall he let you go and by a mighty hand shall he drive you out of his land." (Exodus 6:1)
1. Blood
Blood dyes the river;
On red water float dead fish,
Dead squid, dead eels, death.
2. Frogs
Swarms of bull-frogs croak
In stoves, cribs, latrines, coffins;
Even rats shudder.
3. Lice
Adults and children
Scratch their heads and groins in shame
While the idols fall.
4. Insects
Bees and hornets sting;
Red ants and mosquitoes bite;
Bedbugs rule Egypt.
5. Livestock plague
Stench of dead cattle
In the temples of Hathor,
Former cow-goddess.
6. Boils
Boils of pus rupture
On the inflamed bodies of
Sacred crocodiles.
7. Hail
Sharp arrows of ice
In barrage upon barrage
Pierce pyramid walls.
8. Locusts
The eye of heaven
Blackens as hordes of locusts
Devour all the green.
9. Darkness
In deserted streets
Hands of darkness suffocate
The prostrate statues.
10. The Slaying of the First-Born
In the golden cradle
Of Pharaoh’s queen’s first-born son,
Only silence reigns.
Yakov Azriel is an English language poet who lives in Israel
929 is the number of chapters in the Tanakh, the Hebrew Bible, the formative text of the Jewish heritage. It is also the name of a cutting-edge project dedicated to creating a global Jewish conversation anchored in the Hebrew Bible. 929 English invites Jews everywhere to read and study Tanakh, one chapter a day, Sunday through Thursday together with a website with creative readings and pluralistic interpretations, including audio and video, by a wide range of writers, artists, rabbis, educators, scholars, students and more. As an outgrowth of the web-based platform, 929 English also offers classes, pop-up lectures, events and across North America. We invite you to learn along with us and be part of our dynamic community.
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