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The Plague of Frogs

[a]Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Come to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “(A)Let My people go, that they may serve Me. But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I [b]will smite your whole territory with frogs. And the Nile will (B)swarm with frogs, and they will go up and come into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and on your people and into your ovens and into your kneading bowls. So the frogs will come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.”’” [c]Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘(C)Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the [d]streams and over the pools, and cause the frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.’” So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the [e](D)frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. (E)And the [f]magicians did [g]the same with their secret arts; they caused the frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.

Then Pharaoh (F)called for Moses and Aaron and said, “(G)Entreat Yahweh that He may cause the frogs to depart from me and from my people; and (H)I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to Yahweh.” And Moses said to Pharaoh, “[h]May the honor be yours to tell me: when shall I entreat for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses, that they may remain only in the Nile?”

10 Then he said, “Tomorrow.” So he said, “May it be according to your word, that you may know that there is (I)no one like Yahweh our God. 11 And the (J)frogs will depart from you and your houses and your servants and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.” 12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and (K)Moses cried out to Yahweh concerning the frogs which He had set upon Pharaoh. 13 So Yahweh did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, the courts, and the fields. 14 So they piled them in heaps, and the land [i]became foul. 15 Then Pharaoh saw that there was relief, and he [j]hardened his heart with firmness and (L)did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.

The Plague of Gnats

16 Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become [k]gnats through all the land of Egypt.’” 17 And they did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were [l]gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became [m](M)gnats through all the land of Egypt. 18 Then [n]the magicians did the same with their secret arts in order to bring forth [o]gnats, but (N)they could not; so there were [p]gnats on man and beast. 19 And the [q]magicians said to Pharaoh, “(O)This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was [r]hardened with strength, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.

The Plague of Flies

20 And Yahweh said to Moses, “(P)Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh [s]as (Q)he comes out to the water, and you shall say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “(R)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 (S)But on that day I will make a distinction for the land of Goshen, where My people are [t]living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, that you may know that [u](T)I, Yahweh, am in the midst of the land. 23 And I will [v]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 (U)laid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt.

25 And Pharaoh (V)called for Moses and Aaron and said, “(W)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 [w]what is (X)an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice [x]what is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not then stone us? 27 We must go a (Y)three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to Yahweh our God as He says to us.” 28 And Pharaoh said, “(Z)I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to Yahweh your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. (AA)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 (AB)deal deceitfully again in not letting the people go to sacrifice to Yahweh.”

30 So (AC)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 [y]hardened his heart with firmness this time also, and (AD)he did not let the people go.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 8:1 Ch 7:26 in Heb
  2. Exodus 8:2 Or am about to, cf. 3:13; 7:17
  3. Exodus 8:5 Ch 8:1 in Heb
  4. Exodus 8:5 Or canals
  5. Exodus 8:6 Lit frog
  6. Exodus 8:7 Or soothsayer priests
  7. Exodus 8:7 Lit thus
  8. Exodus 8:9 Lit Glory over me
  9. Exodus 8:14 Had a bad smell
  10. Exodus 8:15 Or glorified, cf. 14:4; lit made heavy
  11. Exodus 8:16 Or lice
  12. Exodus 8:17 Or lice
  13. Exodus 8:17 Or lice
  14. Exodus 8:18 Or soothsayer priests
  15. Exodus 8:18 Or lice
  16. Exodus 8:18 Or lice
  17. Exodus 8:19 Or soothsayer priests
  18. Exodus 8:19 Lit strengthened
  19. Exodus 8:20 Lit behold
  20. Exodus 8:22 Lit standing
  21. Exodus 8:22 Or I am Yahweh in the midst of the earth
  22. Exodus 8:23 Lit set redemption
  23. Exodus 8:26 Lit the abomination of Egypt
  24. Exodus 8:26 Lit the abomination of Egypt
  25. Exodus 8:32 Or glorified, cf. 14:4; lit made heavy

Plague Two: Frogs

[a] And Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Release my people so that they may serve me.” And if you are refusing to release, look, I am going to plague all of your territory with frogs. And the Nile will swarm with frogs, and they will go up and come into your house and into your bedroom[b] and onto your bed and into the house of your servants and among your people and into your ovens and into your kneading troughs. And the frogs will go up against you and against your people and against all of your servants.’”

And Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals, and over the pools, and bring up the frogs on the land of Egypt.’” And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs went up and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did likewise with their secret arts, and they brought up frogs over the land of Egypt.

And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to Yahweh, and let him remove the frogs from me and from my people, and let me release the people so that they can sacrifice to Yahweh.” And Moses said to Pharaoh, “I leave to you the honor[c] over me. When shall I pray for you and for your servants and for your people to cut off the frogs from you and from your houses? They will be left only in the Nile.” 10 And he said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “Let it be according to your word so that you will know that there is no one like Yahweh our God. 11 And the frogs will depart from you and from your house and from your servants. They will be left only in the Nile.”

12 And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried out to Yahweh over the matter of the frogs that he had brought on Pharaoh. 13 And Yahweh did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died from the houses, from the courtyards, and from the fields. 14 And they piled them in countless heaps,[d] and the land stank. 15 And Pharaoh saw that there was relief, and he made his heart insensitive,[e] and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.

Plague Three: Gnats

16 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the land, and it will become gnats[f] in all the land of Egypt.’” 17 And he did so, and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and he struck the dust of the land, and it became gnats on the humans and on the animals; all of the dust of the land became gnats in all the land of Egypt. 18 And the magicians did so with their secret arts to bring out the gnats, but they were not able, and the gnats were on the humans and on the animals. 19 And the magicians said to Pharaoh, “It is the finger of God.” But the heart of Pharaoh was hard, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.

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[g] 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[h] 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[i] also this time, and he did not release the people.

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 8:1 Exodus 8:1–32 in the English Bible is 7:26–8:28 in the Hebrew Bible
  2. Exodus 8:3 Literally “the inner room of your bed”
  3. Exodus 8:9 Literally “glorify yourself”
  4. Exodus 8:14 Literally “heaps, heaps”
  5. Exodus 8:15 Literally “heavy”
  6. Exodus 8:16 Exactly what troublesome insect is uncertain
  7. Exodus 8:22 Or “deal differently with”
  8. Exodus 8:24 Literally “heavy”
  9. Exodus 8:32 Literally “heavy”