Exodus 8:20-28

New Catholic Bible

²⁰ This is what the Lord did. A huge swarm of flies flew into the house of Pharaoh, the houses of his ministers, and all over the land of Egypt. The area was devastated because of the flies.

²¹ Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go and sacrifice to your God in the land.”

²² But Moses answered, “It would not work, for the sacrifice that we are going to make to the Lord, our God, is an abomination to the Egyptians. Could we perform a sacrifice that is an abomination to the Egyptians in their sight? Would they not stone us?^{[a] 23} We will go into the desert, a three days’ journey, and that is where we will sacrifice to the Lord, our God, just as he has ordered us.”

²⁴ So Pharaoh answered, “I will let you go and you can sacrifice to the Lord in the desert. Only do not go too far and pray for me.”

²⁵ Moses answered, “I will leave you and pray to the Lord. Tomorrow the flies will depart from Pharaoh, from his ministers, and from the people. Pharaoh, however, must not deceive us by not letting the people go to perform their sacrifice to the Lord.”

²⁶ Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. ²⁷ The Lord did as Moses said, and the flies departed from Pharaoh, from his ministers, and from his people. There was not even one left. ²⁸ But Pharaoh became stubborn and once again would not let the people go.