ExodusChapter 8

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¹Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh. Tell him that this is what the LORD says: 'Let my people go, so they can worship me. ²But if you refuse to let them go, I will strike your whole country with frogs. ³The Nile will be full of frogs. They will come into your palace. They will go up into your bedroom and onto your bed. They will get into the houses of your officials and your people. They will even get into your ovens and your bowls for making bread. ⁴The frogs will jump up on you and your people and all your officials.'" ⁵And the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Hold out your hand with your staff over the rivers, canals, and ponds. Make the frogs come up onto the land of Egypt.'" ⁶So Aaron held out his hand over the waters of Egypt. The frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. ⁷But the magicians did the same thing with their secret magic. They also made frogs come up onto the land of Egypt. ⁸Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron. He said, "Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go, so they can offer sacrifices to the LORD." ⁹Moses said to Pharaoh, "You may choose the time. When should I pray for you and your officials and your people? Then the frogs will be taken away from you and your houses. Only the ones in the Nile will stay." ¹⁰"Tomorrow," Pharaoh answered. Moses replied, "It will be just as you say. Then you will know that there is no one like the LORD our God. ¹¹The frogs will leave you and your houses and your officials and your people. They will stay only in the Nile." ¹²Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh. Then Moses cried out to the LORD for help about the frogs he had sent against Pharaoh. ¹³And the LORD did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, the yards, and the fields. ¹⁴The people piled them up in more heaps than anyone could count. The whole land smelled terrible. ¹⁵But when Pharaoh saw that the trouble was over, he made his heart hard. He would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said. ¹⁶Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Hold out your staff and strike the dust of the ground. It will turn into swarms of gnats all over the land of Egypt.'" ¹⁷So they did this. Aaron held out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the ground. Then gnats came on people and animals. All the dust of the ground turned into gnats all over the land of Egypt. ¹⁸The magicians tried to make gnats with their secret magic, but they could not. And the gnats stayed on people and animals. ¹⁹The magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." But Pharaoh's heart was hardened. He would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said. ²⁰Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning. When Pharaoh goes out to the water, stand in front of him. Tell him that this is what the LORD says: 'Let my people go, so they can worship me. ²¹But if you will not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials and your people. I will send them into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies. Even the ground they stand on will be covered. ²²But on that day I will treat the land of Goshen in a special way. That is where my people live. No swarms of flies will be found there. Then you will know that I, the LORD, am here in this land. ²³I will make a difference between my people and your people. This sign will happen tomorrow.'" ²⁴And the LORD did just that. Thick swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh's palace and into the houses of his officials. All over Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies. ²⁵Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron. He said, "Go and offer sacrifices to your God here in this land." ²⁶But Moses replied, "It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be disgusting to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices they hate right in front of them, won't they stone us? ²⁷We must travel three days into the wilderness. There we will offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, as he commands us." ²⁸Pharaoh answered, "I will let you go and offer sacrifices to the LORD your God in the wilderness. But you must not go very far. Now pray for me." ²⁹Moses said, "As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the LORD. Then tomorrow the swarms of flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. But Pharaoh must not trick us again. He must not refuse to let the people go to offer sacrifices to the LORD." ³⁰Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD, ³¹and the LORD did what Moses asked. He took the swarms of flies away from Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Not one fly was left. ³²But this time too Pharaoh made his heart hard. He would not let the people go.