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The Plague of Flies

20 And Yahweh said to Moses, “(A)Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh [a]as (B)he comes out to the water, and you shall say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “(C)Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 21 For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. 22 (D)But on that day I will make a distinction for the land of Goshen, where My people are [b]living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, that you may know that [c](E)I, Yahweh, am in the midst of the land. 23 And I will [d]put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will happen.”’” 24 Then Yahweh did so. And there came heavy swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants, and the land was (F)laid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt.

25 And Pharaoh (G)called for Moses and Aaron and said, “(H)Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” 26 But Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we will sacrifice to Yahweh our God [e]what is (I)an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice [f]what is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not then stone us? 27 We must go a (J)three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to Yahweh our God as He says to us.” 28 And Pharaoh said, “(K)I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to Yahweh your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. (L)Entreat for me.” 29 Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you, and I shall entreat Yahweh that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow; only may Pharaoh not (M)deal deceitfully again in not letting the people go to sacrifice to Yahweh.”

30 So (N)Moses went out from Pharaoh and entreated Yahweh. 31 And Yahweh did according to the word of Moses and caused the swarms of flies to depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. 32 Then Pharaoh [g]hardened his heart with firmness this time also, and (O)he did not let the people go.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 8:20 Lit behold
  2. Exodus 8:22 Lit standing
  3. Exodus 8:22 Or I am Yahweh in the midst of the earth
  4. Exodus 8:23 Lit set redemption
  5. Exodus 8:26 Lit the abomination of Egypt
  6. Exodus 8:26 Lit the abomination of Egypt
  7. Exodus 8:32 Or glorified, cf. 14:4; lit made heavy

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.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 8:23 Septuagint and Vulgate; Hebrew will put a deliverance