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Exodus 8:20-32
Lexham English Bible
Exodus 8:20-32
Lexham English Bible
Plague Four: Flies
20 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Start early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. Look, he is going out to the water, and you must say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Release my people so that they may serve me.” 21 But if you are not about to release my people, look, I am about to send out flies among you and among your servants and among your people and in your houses; and the houses of Egypt will fill up with the flies and also the ground that they are on. 22 But on that day I will distinguish[a] the land of Goshen, where my people are staying, by there not being flies there, so that you will know that I am Yahweh in the midst of the land. 23 And I will put a distinction between my people and your people; this sign will be tomorrow.’”
24 And Yahweh did so, and a severe[b] swarm of flies came to the house of Pharaoh and the house of his servants and in all the land of Egypt; the land was ruined because of the flies. 25 And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and he said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.” 26 And Moses said, “To do so is not right, because we will sacrifice to Yahweh our God a thing detestable to the Egyptians. Look, if we sacrifice before their eyes the thing detestable to the Egyptians, will they not stone us? 27 We will go a journey of three days into the desert, and we will sacrifice to Yahweh our God according to what he says to us.”
28 And Pharaoh said, “I myself will release you, and you will sacrifice to Yahweh your God in the desert. Only surely you must not go far. Pray for me.” 29 And Moses said, “Look, I am going out from you, and I will pray to Yahweh so that the flies depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh again deceive us by not releasing the people to sacrifice to Yahweh.”
30 And Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to Yahweh. 31 And Yahweh did according to the word of Moses and removed the flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one was left. 32 And Pharaoh made his heart insensitive[c] also this time, and he did not release the people.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Exodus 8:22 Or “deal differently with”
- Exodus 8:24 Literally “heavy”
- Exodus 8:32 Literally “heavy”
Exodus 8:20-32
New International Version
Exodus 8:20-32
New International Version
The Plague of Flies
20 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning(A) and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship(B) me. 21 If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.
22 “‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen,(C) where my people live;(D) no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know(E) that I, the Lord, am in this land. 23 I will make a distinction[a] between my people and your people.(F) This sign will occur tomorrow.’”
24 And the Lord did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials; throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies.(G)
25 Then Pharaoh summoned(H) Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”
26 But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians.(I) And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must take a three-day journey(J) into the wilderness to offer sacrifices(K) to the Lord our God, as he commands us.”
28 Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray(L) for me.”
29 Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only let Pharaoh be sure that he does not act deceitfully(M) again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”
30 Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord,(N) 31 and the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. 32 But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart(O) and would not let the people go.
Footnotes
- Exodus 8:23 Septuagint and Vulgate; Hebrew will put a deliverance
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