Ten disasters sent on Egypt after Pharaoh refused to let Israel go, from Exodus 7–12 — quoted here from the King James Version, one at a time.
Each plague targets something Egypt worshiped or depended on — the Nile, the sun, the livestock, the firstborn — while Israel, living in Goshen, is repeatedly spared.
"all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood"Exodus 7:20–21, King James Version
Aaron strikes the Nile and it turns to blood; the fish die and the river stinks, leaving Egypt without drinking water.
"the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt"Exodus 8:6, King James Version
Frogs overrun homes, bedrooms, and even ovens and kneading troughs — an inescapable infestation.
"all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt"Exodus 8:17, King James Version
Dust turns to lice on people and animals alike; this is the first plague Pharaoh's magicians cannot replicate.
"there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh"Exodus 8:24, King James Version
Swarms of flies fill Egypt, but for the first time, God explicitly spares Goshen, where Israel lives, drawing a clear line between the two peoples.
"all the cattle of Egypt died: but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one"Exodus 9:6, King James Version
A plague strikes Egypt's horses, donkeys, camels, oxen, and sheep, while Israel's animals are untouched.
"it became a boil breaking forth with blains upon man, and upon beast"Exodus 9:10, King James Version
Ashes thrown into the air become festering boils on people and animals throughout Egypt — even Pharaoh's magicians can't stand before Moses because of it.
"the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field"Exodus 9:25, King James Version
A storm of hail mixed with fire destroys crops, trees, and anything left in the open — the worst storm Egypt had seen since it became a nation.
"they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened"Exodus 10:15, King James Version
An east wind brings a locust swarm so dense it blocks the sun, eating every plant the hail had left standing.
"there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days"Exodus 10:22, King James Version
A darkness “which may be felt” covers Egypt for three days — yet the Israelites have light where they live.
"there was not a house where there was not one dead"Exodus 12:30, King James Version
The final and most severe plague strikes every Egyptian household, from Pharaoh's own son to the lowest prisoner's, and finally breaks Pharaoh's resistance.
Many interpreters read the plagues as a direct challenge to specific Egyptian deities — the Nile plague against Hapi, the darkness against the sun god Ra, and so on.
Exodus repeatedly says Pharaoh's heart was hardened — sometimes by his own choice, sometimes described as God's doing — a detail that has fueled centuries of theological discussion.
The instructions given before the final plague — marking doorframes with lamb's blood so the destroyer would “pass over” that house — became the origin of the Jewish festival of Passover, still observed today.