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.

The Lord also said to Moses: “Enter to Pharaoh, and you will say to him: ‘Thus says the Lord: Release my people in order to sacrifice to me.

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

But if you are not willing to release them, behold, I will strike all your coasts 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:

And the river will seethe with frogs, which will go up and enter into your house, and your bedroom, and upon your bed, and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens, and into the remains of your foods.

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

And to you, and to your people, and to all your servants, the frogs will enter.’”

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: “Say to Aaron: ‘Extend your hand over the rivers, and also over the streams and the marshes, and bring forth frogs over 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.

And Aaron extended 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.

Then the sorcerers also, by their incantations, did similarly, and they brought forth frogs upon 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.

But Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and he said to them: “Pray to the Lord, so as to take away the frogs from me and from my people. And I will release the people, so as to 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?

And Moses said to Pharaoh: “Appoint for me a time, when I should petition on behalf of you, and your servants, and your people, so that the frogs may be driven away from you, and from your house, and from your servants, and from your people, and so that they may remain only in the river.”

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:

And he responded, “Tomorrow.” Then he said, “I will act according to your word, 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.

And the frogs will withdraw from you, and from your house, and from your servants, and from your people. And they will remain only in the river.”

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.

And Moses and Aaron departed from Pharaoh. And Moses cried out to the Lord on behalf of the promise that he had made to Pharaoh concerning the frogs.

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 acted according to the word of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, and out of the villages, and out of the fields.

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

And they gathered them together into immense piles, and the land was polluted.

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.

Then Pharaoh, seeing that relief had been provided, hardened his own heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had instructed.

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.

And the Lord said to Moses: “Say to Aaron: ‘Extend your staff and strike the dust of the earth. And let there be stinging insects throughout the entire 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.

And they did so. And Aaron extended his hand, holding the staff, and he struck the dust of the earth, and there came stinging insects upon men and upon beasts. All the dust of the earth was turned into stinging insects through all 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.

And the sorcerers, with their incantations, did similarly, in order to bring forth stinging insects, but they were not able. And there were stinging insects, as much on men as on beasts.

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.

And the sorcerers said to Pharaoh: “This is the finger of God.” And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had instructed.

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.

The Lord also said to Moses: “Arise at first light, and stand in the sight of Pharaoh, for he will go out to the waters. And you will say to him: ‘Thus says the Lord: Release my people to sacrifice to 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 release them, behold, I will send upon you, and upon your servants, and upon your people, and into your houses, diverse kinds of flies. And the houses of the Egyptians will be filled with diverse kinds of flies, as well as the whole land in which they will be.

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;

And in that day, I will cause a miracle in the land of Goshen, where my people are, so that flies will not be there. And you will know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.

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

And I will set a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will be.’”

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. And there came very grievous flies into the houses of Pharaoh and of his servants, and into all the land of Egypt. And the land was polluted, in this way, by the flies.

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

And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and he said to them, “Go and sacrifice to your God in 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?

And Moses said: “It cannot be so. For we will immolate the abominations of the Egyptians to the Lord our God. For if we slaughter those things which the Egyptians worship, in their presence, they will 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 will sojourn three days’ journey into the wilderness. And we will sacrifice to the Lord our God, just as he has instructed 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.

And Pharaoh said: “I will release you in order to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the desert. Yet you may only go so far. Petition 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.

And Moses said: “After departing from you, I will pray to the Lord. And the flies will withdraw from Pharaoh, and from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Yet do not be willing to deceive any longer, so that you would not release the people to sacrifice to the Lord.”

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

And Moses, departing from Pharaoh, 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 he acted according to his word. And he took away the flies from Pharaoh, and from his servants, and from his people. There was not even one left behind.

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

And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, so that, even at this turn, he would not release the people.