Exodus, 8

1. Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Say to Aaron, "Stretch out your hand with your staff, over the rivers, the canals and the marshland, and bring the frogs up over the land of Egypt." '

1. And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

2. So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

2. And if thou refuse to let [them] go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:

3. But by their spells the magicians did the same, bringing frogs over the land of Egypt.

3. And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs:

4. Pharaoh then summoned Moses and Aaron and said, 'Entreat Yahweh to take the frogs away from me and my subjects, and I promise to let the people go and sacrifice to Yahweh.'

4. And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.

5. Moses said to Pharaoh, 'You are the one to gain by it: when would you like me to pray for you, your officials and your subjects, so as to rid you and your houses of the frogs so that they will be left only in the River?'

5. And the LORD spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.

6. 'Tomorrow,' he said. Moses said, 'It shall be as you say, so that you will know that there is no one like Yahweh our God.

6. And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

7. The frogs will leave you, your houses, your officials and your subjects and will be left only in the River.'

7. And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

8. Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh's presence, and Moses pleaded with Yahweh about the frogs which he had inflicted on Pharaoh.

8. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD.

9. Yahweh did as Moses asked, and in house and courtyard and field the frogs died.

9. And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, [that] they may remain in the river only?

10. They piled them up in heaps and the country stank.

10. And he said, To morrow. And he said, [Be it] according to thy word: that thou mayest know that [there is] none like unto the LORD our God.

11. But once Pharaoh saw that there had been a respite, he became obstinate and, as Yahweh had foretold, refused to listen to them.

11. And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only.

12. Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Say to Aaron, "Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, and it will turn into mosquitoes throughout the whole of Egypt." '

12. And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.

13. Aaron stretched out his hand, with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were mosquitoes on man and beast; all the dust of the earth turned into mosquitoes throughout the whole of Egypt.

13. And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.

14. By their spells the magicians tried to produce mosquitoes in the same way but failed, and there were mosquitoes on man and beast.

14. And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank.

15. So the magicians said to Pharaoh, 'This is the finger of God.' But Pharaoh was obstinate and, as Yahweh had foretold, refused to listen to them.

15. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

16. Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he makes his way to the water. Say to him, "Yahweh says this: Let my people go and worship me.

16. And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

17. But if you will not let my people go, I shall send horseflies on you, on your officials, your subjects and your houses. The Egyptians' houses will swarm with horseflies, and so will the very ground they stand on.

17. And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

18. But I shall exempt the region of Goshen, where my people are living, that day; there will be no horseflies there, so that you will know that I am Yahweh, here in this country.

18. And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.

19. I shall make a distinction between my people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow." '

19. Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This [is] the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

20. Yahweh did this, and great swarms of horseflies found their way into Pharaoh's palace, into his officials' houses and all over Egypt; the country was ruined by the horseflies.

20. And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.

21. Pharaoh then summoned Moses and Aaron and said, 'Go and sacrifice to your God, inside the country.'

21. Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms [of flies] upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms [of flies], and also the ground whereon they [are].

22. 'That would never do,' Moses said, 'since what we sacrifice to Yahweh our God is outrageous to the Egyptians. If the Egyptians see us offering sacrifices which outrage them, won't they stone us?

22. And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms [of flies] shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I [am] the LORD in the midst of the earth.

23. We shall make a three-days' journey into the desert to sacrifice to Yahweh our God, as he has ordered us.'

23. And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.

24. Pharaoh said, 'I will let you go and sacrifice to Yahweh your God in the desert, provided you do not go very far. Pray for me.'

24. And the LORD did so; and there came a grievous swarm [of flies] into the house of Pharaoh, and [into] his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm [of flies].

25. 'The moment I leave you,' Moses said, 'I shall pray to Yahweh. Tomorrow morning the horseflies will leave Pharaoh, his officials and his subjects. But Pharaoh must stop trifling with us by not allowing the people to go and sacrifice to Yahweh.'

25. And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.

26. Moses then left Pharaoh's presence and prayed to Yahweh,

26. And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?

27. and Yahweh did as Moses asked; the horseflies left Pharaoh, his officials and his subjects; not one remained.

27. We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us.

28. But Pharaoh became obstinate this time too and did not let the people go.

28. And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: intreat for me.

29.

29. And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the LORD that the swarms [of flies] may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.

30.

30. And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the LORD.

31.

31. And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms [of flies] from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one.

32.

32. And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.