Exodus 8

1 Then said Yahweh unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, —then shalt thou say unto him—Thus, saith Yahweh, —Let my people go, that they may serve me.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.

2 But if thou art, refusing, to let them go, lo! I, am plaguing all thy boundaries with frogs;

But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.

3 so shall the river swarm with frogs, and they shall come up, and enter into thy house, and into thy bedchamber and upon thy couch, —and into the house of thy servants and among thy people, and into thine ovens and into thy kneading-troughs:

The Nile will teem with frogs, and they will come into your palace and up to your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and your people, and into your ovens and kneading bowls.

4 both against thee, and against thy people, and against all thy servants, shall come up the frogs.

The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”

5 Then said Yahweh unto Moses, Say unto Aaron—Stretch forth thy hand with thy staff, over the streams over the rivers and over the pools, —and bring up the frogs, over the land of Egypt.

And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers and canals and ponds, and cause the frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.’”

6 So Aaron stretched forth his hand, over the waters of Egypt, —and the frog came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

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

7 And the sacred scribes did in like manner, with their secret arts, —and brought up frogs over the land of Egypt.

But the magicians did the same thing by their magic arts, and they also brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.

8 Then called Pharaoh for Moses and for Aaron and said—Make entreaty unto Yahweh, that he take away the frogs from me and from my people, —and I must let the people go that they may sacrifice to Yahweh.

Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.”

9 And Moses said to Pharaoh—Explain thyself unto me: For what time, shall I make entreaty for thee and for thy servants and for thy people, to cause the frogs to be cut off, from thee and from thy houses, —only in the river, shall they remain?

Moses said to Pharaoh, “You may have the honor over me. When shall I pray for you and your officials and your people that the frogs (except for those in the Nile) may be taken away from you and your houses?”

10 And he said—For to-morrow. And he said—According to thy word! that thou mayest know that there is none like Yahweh, our God:

“Tomorrow,” Pharaoh answered. “May it be as you say,” Moses replied, “so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God.

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

The frogs will depart from you and your houses and your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”

12 Then went forth Moses and Aaron from Pharaoh, —and Moses made outcry unto Yahweh, over the matter of the frogs which he had appointed for Pharaoh.

After Moses and Aaron had left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the LORD for help with the frogs that He had brought against Pharaoh.

13 And Yahweh did according to the word of Moses, —and the frogs died, out of the houses and out of the yards, and out of the fields;

And the LORD did as Moses requested, and the frogs in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields died.

14 and they piled them up, heaps—heaps, —and the land became loathsome.

They were piled into countless heaps, and there was a terrible stench in the land.

15 But when Pharaoh saw that there had come a respite, then made he his heart dull and hearkened not unto them, —as spake Yahweh.

When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, however, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

16 Then said Yahweh unto Moses, Say unto Aaron—Stretch forth thy staff, and smite the dust of the land, —so shall it become gnats in all the land of Egypt.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.’”

17 And they did so, and Aaron stretched forth his hand with his staff and smote the dust of the land, and there canto to be gnats, among men and among beasts, —all the dust of the land, became gnats, in all the land of Egypt.

This they did, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, gnats came upon man and beast. All the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the land of Egypt.

18 And the sacred scribes did in like manner with their secret arts, to bring forth the gnats, but they could not. So there came to be gnats, among men and among beasts.

The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast.

19 Then said the sacred scribes unto Pharaoh, The finger of God, it is! But the heart of Pharaoh waxed bold and he hearkened not unto them, as spake Yahweh.

“This is the finger of God,” the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

20 Then said Yahweh unto Moses—Rise thou early in the morning, and station thyself before Pharaoh, lo! he is coming forth to the waters, —then shalt thou say unto him—Thus, saith Yahweh: Let my people go, that they may serve me.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, and when Pharaoh goes out to the water, stand before him and tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.

21 But if thou art not letting my people go, behold me! sending forth—against thee, and against thy servants, and against thy people, and against thy houses the gad-fly, —and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of the gad-fly, moreover also the ground whereon, they are:

But if you will not let My people go, I will send swarms of flies upon you and your officials and your people and your houses. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground where they stand will be full of flies.

22 then will I make to differ on that day, the land of Goshen wherein my people do dwell, so that there shall not be there a gad-fly! in order that thou mayest know, that I, Yahweh, am in the midst of the land;

But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I, the LORD, am in the land.

23 so will I put a separation betwixt my people and thy people. By to-morrow, shall come to pass this sign.

I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’”

24 And Yahweh did so, and brought a grievous gad-fly unto the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants and in all the land of Egypt, and the land was laid waste by reason of the gad-fly.

And the LORD did so. Thick swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials. Throughout Egypt the land was ruined by swarms of flies.

25 Then did Pharaoh cry out—unto Moses and to Aaron, —and said-Go your way, sacrifice to your God, in the land.

Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.”

26 And Moses said: Not meet, is it, to do thus, for, an abomination to the Egyptians, we should sacrifice to Yahweh our God. Lo! could we sacrifice that which is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes and they not stone us?

But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us?

27 A journey of three days, must we go, in the desert, —then will we sacrifice to Yahweh our God, as, Yahweh, hath said unto us.

We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.”

28 Then said Pharaoh: I, will let you go—so shall ye sacrifice to Yahweh your God in the desert, only ye shall not go a, very long, journey, —make ye entreaty for me.

Pharaoh answered, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.”

29 And Moses said: Lo! I, am going out from thee and will make entreaty unto Yahweh, so will he take away the gad-fly—from Pharaoh from his servants, and from his people tomorrow, —only let not Pharaoh again deceive, in not letting the people go, to sacrifice to Yahweh.

“As soon as I leave you,” Moses said, “I will pray to the LORD, so that tomorrow the swarms of flies will depart from Pharaoh and his officials and his people. But Pharaoh must not act deceitfully again by refusing to let the people go and sacrifice to the LORD.”

30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh, —and made entreaty unto Yahweh.

Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD,

31 And Yahweh did according to the word of Moses, and took away the gad-fly, from Pharaoh from his servants and from his people, —there remained not, one.

and the LORD did as Moses requested. He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not one fly remained.

32 And Pharaoh made his heart dull, this time also, —and did not let the people go.

But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time as well, and he would not let the people go.