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. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, `Thus says 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. But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs;

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

3. the Nile shall swarm with frogs which shall come up into your house, and into your bedchamber and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants and of your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls;

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. the frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your 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 said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, `Stretch out your hand with your rod over the rivers, over the canals, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come 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. So 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. But the magicians did the same by their secret arts, and brought 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 Moses and Aaron, and said, "Entreat the LORD to take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD."

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

9. Moses said to Pharaoh, "Be pleased to command me when I am to entreat, for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile."

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

10. And he said, "Tomorrow." Moses said, "Be it as you say, that you may know that there is no one like 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. The frogs shall depart from you and your houses and your servants and your people; they shall be left only in the Nile."

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. So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh; and Moses cried to the LORD concerning the frogs, as he had agreed with 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; the frogs died out of the houses and courtyards 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 in 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 a respite, he hardened his heart, and would not listen to 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. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Say to Aaron, `Stretch out your rod and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become gnats 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; Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and struck the dust of the earth, and there came gnats on man and beast; all the dust of the earth became gnats 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. The magicians tried by their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast.

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

19. And the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen to 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. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and wait for Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, `Thus says 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 you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.

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. But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there; that you may 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. Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. By tomorrow 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; there came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants' houses, and in all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by reason of the 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. Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God within the land."

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

26. But Moses said, "It would not be right to do so; for we shall sacrifice to the LORD our God offerings abominable to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, 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 must go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as he will command us."

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

28. So Pharaoh said, "I will let you go, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Make entreaty for me."

29.

29. Then Moses said, "Behold, I am going out from you and I will pray to the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow; only let not Pharaoh deal falsely again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD."

30.

30. So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD.

31.

31. And the LORD did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained.

32.

32. But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.