Exodus 8:1-15

New Catholic Bible

Chapter 8

¹ The Lord said to Moses, “Command Aaron: ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the waters, over the canals and pools, and make frogs come out all over the land of Egypt.’ ”

² Aaron extended his hand over the waters of Egypt and frogs came out and covered the land of Egypt. ³ But the magicians, with their magic, did the same thing and made frogs to come up out all over the land of Egypt.

⁴ Pharaoh had Moses and Aaron summoned and said, “Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me, and my people and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.”

⁵ Moses said to Pharaoh, “Do me the honor of telling me when I should pray for you and your ministers and your people, to free you and your house from frogs, so that they only remain in the waters of the Nile.”

⁶ He answered, “Tomorrow.” Then Moses said, “As you say. In order that you may know that there is no equal to the Lord, our God, ⁷ the frogs will leave your house and those of your servants and of your people, remaining only in the Nile.”

⁸ Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, and Moses beseeched the Lord concerning the frogs that he had sent against Pharaoh. ⁹ The Lord did as Moses had said and the frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards, and in the fields. ¹⁰ They piled them up in heaps and the land stank. ¹¹ But Pharaoh saw that there was a moment of relief, and he became stubborn and did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

¹² Third Plague: The Gnats.^[a] Then the Lord said to Moses, “Command Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth. It will change into gnats^[b] in all the land of Egypt.’ ” ¹³ This is what he did. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth changed into gnats throughout Egypt. ¹⁴ The magicians did the same thing with their magic to produce gnats, but they were not able to do it. The gnats were on man and beast. ¹⁵ The magicians said to Pharaoh, “It is the finger of God.” But the heart of Pharaoh was so hardened that he did not listen, just as the Lord had predicted.