Even the Egyptians have long known that they obeyed the bidding of Moses and Aaron as the sheep follow the shepherd.

Have those who brought the terrible pestilence on so many guiltless human beings also wrought the miracle of blinding the minds of you and of your wife ?" The old man stretched out his hands to the soldier, and answered in a troubled voice and a tone of the most humble entreaty: "Oh, my lord, you are my master's first-born son, the greatest and loftiest of your race, if it is your pleasure you can trample me into the dust like a beetle, yet I must lift up my voice and say: 'You have heard false tales!' You were away in foreign lands when mighty things were done in our midst, and far from Zoan,--[The Hebrew name for Tanis]--as I hear, when the exodus took place.

Any son of our people who witnessed it would rather his tongue should wither than mock at the marvels the Lord permitted him to behold.

Ah, if you had patience to suffer me to tell the tale...." "Speak on!" cried Hosea, astonished at the old man's solemn fervor.
Eliab thanked him with an ardent glance, exclaiming: "Oh, would that Aaron, or Eleasar, or my lord your father were here in my stead, or would that Jehovah would bestow on me the might of their eloquence! But be it as it is! True, I imagine I can again see and hear everything as though it were happening once more before my eyes, but how am I to describe it?
How can such things be given in words?
Yet, with God's assistance, I will try." Here he paused and Hosea, noticing that the old man's hands and lips were trembling, gave him the cup of wine, and Eliab gratefully quaffed it to the dregs.

Then, half-closing his eyes, he began his story and his wrinkled features grew sharper as he went on: "My wife has already told you what occurred after the people learned the command that had been issued.