Add parallel Print Page Options

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in again to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Jehovah says, “Let my people go and worship me. If you refuse, I will send vast hordes of frogs across your land from one border to the other. 3-4 The Nile River will swarm with them, and they will come out into your houses, even into your bedrooms and right into your beds! Every home in Egypt will be filled with them. They will fill your ovens and your kneading bowls; you and your people will be immersed in them!”’”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Instruct Aaron to point the rod toward all the rivers, streams, and pools of Egypt, so that there will be frogs in every corner of the land.” Aaron did, and frogs covered the nation. But the magicians did the same with their secret arts, and they, too, caused frogs to come up on the land.

Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and begged, “Plead with God to take the frogs away, and I will let the people go and sacrifice to him.”

“Be so kind as to tell me when you want them to go,” Moses said, “and I will pray that the frogs will die at the time you specify, everywhere except in the river.”

10 “Do it tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.

“All right,” Moses replied, “it shall be as you have said; then you will know that there is no one like the Lord our God. 11 All the frogs will be destroyed, except those in the river.”

12 So Moses and Aaron went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and Moses pleaded with the Lord concerning the frogs he had sent. 13 And the Lord did as Moses promised—dead frogs covered the countryside and filled the nation’s homes. 14 They were piled into great heaps, making a terrible stench throughout the land. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that the frogs were gone, he hardened his heart and refused to let the people go, just as the Lord had predicted.

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron to strike the dust with his rod, and it will become lice, throughout all the land of Egypt.” 17 So Moses and Aaron did as God commanded, and suddenly lice infested the entire nation, covering the Egyptians and their animals. 18 Then the magicians tried to do the same thing with their secret arts, but this time they failed.

19 “This is the finger of God,” they exclaimed to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and stubborn, and he wouldn’t listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

20 Next the Lord told Moses, “Get up early in the morning and meet Pharaoh as he comes out to the river to bathe, and say to him, ‘Jehovah says, “Let my people go and worship me. 21 If you refuse I will send swarms of flies throughout Egypt. Your homes will be filled with them and the ground will be covered with them. 22 But it will be very different in the land of Goshen where the Israelis live. No flies will be there; thus you will know that I am the Lord God of all the earth, 23 for I will make a distinction between your people and my people. All this will happen tomorrow.”’”

24 And Jehovah did as he had said, so that there were terrible swarms of flies in Pharaoh’s palace and in every home in Egypt.

25 Pharaoh hastily summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “All right, go ahead and sacrifice to your God, but do it here in the land. Don’t go out into the wilderness.”

26 But Moses replied, “That won’t do! Our sacrifices to God are hated by the Egyptians, and if we do this right here before their eyes, they will kill us. 27 We must take a three-day trip into the wilderness and sacrifice there to Jehovah our God, as he commanded us.”

28 “All right, go ahead,” Pharaoh replied, “but don’t go too far away. Now, hurry and plead with God for me.”

29 “Yes,” Moses said, “I will ask him to cause the swarms of flies to disappear. But I am warning you that you must never again lie to us by promising to let the people go and then changing your mind.”

30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and asked the Lord to get rid of the flies. 31-32 And the Lord did as Moses asked and caused the swarms to disappear, so that not one remained. But Pharaoh hardened his heart again and did not let the people go!

[a]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship(A) me. If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs(B) on your whole country. The Nile will teem with frogs. They will come up into your palace and your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and on your people,(C) and into your ovens and kneading troughs.(D) The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff(E) over the streams and canals and ponds, and make frogs(F) come up on the land of Egypt.’”

So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs(G) came up and covered the land. But the magicians did the same things by their secret arts;(H) they also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray(I) to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people, and I will let your people go to offer sacrifices(J) to the Lord.”

Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor of setting the time(K) for me to pray for you and your officials and your people that you and your houses may be rid of the frogs, except for those that remain in the Nile.”

10 “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh said.

Moses replied, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like the Lord our God.(L) 11 The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”

12 After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh. 13 And the Lord did what Moses asked.(M) The frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards and in the fields. 14 They were piled into heaps, and the land reeked of them. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief,(N) he hardened his heart(O) and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Gnats

16 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff(P) and strike the dust of the ground,’ and throughout the land of Egypt the dust will become gnats.” 17 They did this, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with the staff and struck the dust of the ground, gnats(Q) came on people and animals. All the dust throughout the land of Egypt became gnats. 18 But when the magicians(R) tried to produce gnats by their secret arts,(S) they could not.

Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, 19 the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger(T) of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart(U) was hard and he would not listen,(V) just as the Lord had said.

The Plague of Flies

20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning(W) and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship(X) me. 21 If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.

22 “‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen,(Y) where my people live;(Z) no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know(AA) that I, the Lord, am in this land. 23 I will make a distinction[b] between my people and your people.(AB) This sign will occur tomorrow.’”

24 And the Lord did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials; throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies.(AC)

25 Then Pharaoh summoned(AD) Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”

26 But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians.(AE) And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must take a three-day journey(AF) into the wilderness to offer sacrifices(AG) to the Lord our God, as he commands us.”

28 Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray(AH) for me.”

29 Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only let Pharaoh be sure that he does not act deceitfully(AI) again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

30 Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord,(AJ) 31 and the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. 32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart(AK) and would not let the people go.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 8:1 In Hebrew texts 8:1-4 is numbered 7:26-29, and 8:5-32 is numbered 8:1-28.
  2. Exodus 8:23 Septuagint and Vulgate; Hebrew will put a deliverance