< Exodus 8 >
1 The LORD spoke to Moses, Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, "This is what the LORD says, 'Let my people go, that they may serve me.
And this is what the Lord said to Moses: Go to Pharaoh and say to him, The Lord says, Let my people go so that they may give me worship.
2 If you refuse to let them go, look, I will plague all your borders with frogs:
And if you will not let them go, see, I will send frogs into every part of your land:
3 and the river shall swarm with frogs, which shall go up and come into your house, and into your bedchamber, and on your bed, and into the house of your servants, and on your people, and into your ovens, and into your kneading troughs:
The Nile will be full of frogs, and they will come up into your house and into your bedrooms and on your bed, and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and into your bread-basins.
4 and the frogs shall come up both on you, and on your people, and on all your servants.'"
The frogs will come up over you and your people and all your servants.
5 The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron your brother, 'Stretch forth your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the streams, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.'"
And the Lord said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Let the rod in your hand be stretched out over the streams and the waterways and the pools, causing frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.
6 Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.
And when Aaron put out his hand over the waters of Egypt, the frogs came up and all the land of Egypt was covered with them.
7 The magicians did in like manner with their secret arts, and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt.
And the wonder-workers did the same with their secret arts, making frogs come up over the land of Egypt.
8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, "Pray to the LORD, that he take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD."
Then Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said, Make prayer to the Lord that he will take away these frogs from me and my people; and I will let the people go and make their offering to the Lord.
9 Moses said to Pharaoh, "I give you the honor of setting the time that I should pray for you, and for your servants, and for your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, and remain in the river only."
And Moses said, I will let you have the honour of saying when I am to make prayer for you and your servants and your people, that the frogs may be sent away from you and your houses, and be only in the Nile.
10 He said, "Tomorrow." He said, "Be it according to your word, that you may know that there is none like the LORD our God.
And he said, By tomorrow. And he said, Let it be as you say: so that you may see that there is no other like the Lord our God.
11 The frogs shall depart from you, and from your houses, and from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only."
And the frogs will be gone from you and from your houses and from your servants and from your people and will be only in the Nile.
12 Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD concerning the frogs which he had brought on Pharaoh.
Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh; and Moses made prayer to the Lord about the frogs which he had sent on Pharaoh.
13 The LORD did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courts, and out of the fields.
And the Lord did as Moses said; and there was an end of all the frogs in the houses and in the open spaces and in the fields.
14 They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank.
And they put them together in masses, and a bad smell went up from the land.
15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart, and did not listen to them, as the LORD had spoken.
But when Pharaoh saw that there was peace for a time, he made his heart hard and did not give ear to them, as the Lord had said.
16 The LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Stretch out your staff, and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.'"
And the Lord said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Let your rod be stretched out over the dust of the earth so that it may become insects through all the land of Egypt.
17 They did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth, and there were lice on man, and on animal; all the dust of the earth became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
And they did so; and Aaron, stretching out the rod in his hand, gave a touch to the dust of the earth, and insects came on man and on beast; all the dust of the earth was changed into insects through all the land of Egypt.
18 The magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth lice, but they couldn't. There were lice on man, and on animal.
And the wonder-workers with their secret arts, attempting to make insects, were unable to do so: and there were insects on man and on beast.
19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God:" and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them; as the LORD had spoken.
Then the wonder-workers said to Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: but Pharaoh's heart was hard, and he did not give ear to them, as the Lord had said.
20 The LORD said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; look, he comes forth to the water; and tell him, 'This is what the LORD says, "Let my people go, that they may serve me.
And the Lord said to Moses, Get up early in the morning and take your place before Pharaoh when he comes out to the water; and say to him, This is what the Lord says: Let my people go to give me worship.
21 Else, if you will not let my people go, look, I will send swarms of flies on you, and on your servants, and on your people, and into your houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.
For if you do not let my people go, see, I will send clouds of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and into their houses; and the houses of the Egyptians and the land where they are will be full of flies.
22 I will set apart in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.
And at that time I will make a division between your land and the land of Goshen where my people are, and no flies will be there; so that you may see that I am the Lord over all the earth.
23 I will put a division between my people and your people: by tomorrow shall this sign be."'"
And I will put a division between my people and your people; tomorrow this sign will be seen.
24 The LORD did so; and there came grievous swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses: and in all the land of Egypt the land was corrupted by reason of the swarms of flies.
And the Lord did so; and great clouds of flies came into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants' houses, and all the land of Egypt was made waste because of the flies.
25 Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God in the land."
And Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said, Go and make your offering to your God here in the land.
26 Moses said, "It isn't appropriate to do so; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God. Look, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and won't they stone us?
And Moses said, It is not right to do so; for we make our offerings of that to which the Egyptians give worship; and if we do so before their eyes, certainly we will be stoned.
27 We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us."
But we will go three days' journey into the waste land and make an offering to the Lord our God as he may give us orders.
28 Pharaoh said, "I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness, only you shall not go very far away. Pray for me."
Then Pharaoh said, I will let you go to make an offering to the Lord your God in the waste land; but do not go very far away, and make prayer for me.
29 Moses said, "Look, I go out from you, and I will pray to God that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow; only do not let Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD."
And Moses said, When I go out from you I will make prayer to the Lord that the cloud of flies may go away from Pharaoh and from his people and from his servants tomorrow: only let Pharaoh no longer by deceit keep back the people from making their offering to the Lord.
30 Moses went out from Pharaoh, and prayed to God.
Then Moses went out from Pharaoh and made prayer to the Lord.
31 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.
And the Lord did as Moses said, and took away the cloud of flies from Pharaoh and from his servants and from his people; not one was to be seen.
32 Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go.
But again Pharaoh made his heart hard and did not let the people go.