Exodus 11:4-6
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
4 Moses then said, “Thus says the Lord: About midnight I will go forth through Egypt.(A) 5 (B)Every firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the slave-girl who is at the handmill,[a] as well as all the firstborn of the animals. 6 Then there will be loud wailing throughout the land of Egypt, such as has never been, nor will ever be again.
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- 11:5 Handmill: two pieces of stone were used to grind grain. A smaller upper stone was moved back and forth over a larger stationary stone. This menial work was done by slaves and captives.
Numbers 33:4
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
4 while the Egyptians buried those whom the Lord had struck down, every firstborn; on their gods, too, the Lord executed judgments.(A)
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Psalm 78:51
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
51 He struck all the firstborn of Egypt,(A)
the first fruits of their vigor in the tents of Ham.
Psalm 105:36
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
36 He struck down every firstborn in the land,
the first fruits of all their vigor.
Psalm 136:10
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
Wisdom 18:10-16
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
10 But the discordant cry of their enemies echoed back,
and the piteous wail of mourning for children was borne to them.(A)
11 And the slave was smitten with the same retribution as the master;
even the commoner suffered the same as the king.(B)
12 And all alike by one common form of death
had countless dead;
For the living were not even sufficient for the burial,
since at a single instant their most valued offspring had been destroyed.(C)
13 For though they disbelieved at every turn on account of sorceries,
at the destruction of the firstborn they acknowledged that this people[a] was God’s son.(D)
14 [b]For when peaceful stillness encompassed everything
and the night in its swift course was half spent,
15 Your all-powerful word from heaven’s royal throne
leapt into the doomed land,(E)
16 a fierce warrior bearing the sharp sword of your inexorable decree,
And alighted, and filled every place with death,
and touched heaven, while standing upon the earth.(F)
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.