The Third Plague: Lice

¹⁶ So the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it may become ^[a]lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’ ” ¹⁷ And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and ^(A)it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

¹⁸ Now ^(B)the magicians so worked with their ^[b]enchantments to bring forth lice, but they ^(C)could not. So there were lice on man and beast. ¹⁹ Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is ^(D)the^[c] finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s ^(E)heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.

The Fourth Plague: Flies

²⁰ And the Lord said to Moses, ^(F)“Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Then say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: ^(G)“Let My people go, that they may serve Me. ²¹ Or else, if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. ²² And in that day ^(H)I will set apart the land of ^(I)Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may ^(J)know that I am the Lord in the midst of the ^(K)land. ²³ I will ^[d]make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this ^(L)sign shall be.” ’ ” ²⁴ And the Lord did so. ^(M)Thick swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh, into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt. The land was corrupted because of the swarms of flies.

²⁵ Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.”

²⁶ And Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we would be sacrificing ^(N)the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God. If we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, then will they not ^[e]stone us? ²⁷ We will go ^(O)three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as ^(P)He will command us.”

²⁸ So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. ^(Q)Intercede for me.”

²⁹ Then Moses said, “Indeed I am going out from you, and I will entreat the Lord, that the swarms of flies may depart tomorrow from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. But let Pharaoh not ^(R)deal deceitfully anymore in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.”

³⁰ So Moses went out from Pharaoh and ^(S)entreated the Lord. ³¹ And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained. ³² But Pharaoh ^(T)hardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go.

¹⁹ Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(A)the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner. ²⁰ For ^(B)the Father loves the Son, and ^(C)shows Him all things that He Himself does; and He will show Him greater works than these, that you may marvel. ²¹ For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, ^(D)even so the Son gives life to whom He will. ²² For the Father judges no one, but ^(E)has committed all judgment to the Son, ²³ that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. ^(F)He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.

Life and Judgment Are Through the Son

²⁴ “Most assuredly, I say to you, ^(G)he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, ^(H)but has passed from death into life. ²⁵ Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when ^(I)the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live. ²⁶ For ^(J)as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have ^(K)life in Himself, ²⁷ and ^(L)has given Him authority to execute judgment also, ^(M)because He is the Son of Man. ²⁸ Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will ^(N)hear His voice ^29 (O)and come forth—^(P)those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

The Faithful Church

⁷ “And to the ^[a]angel of the church in Philadelphia write,

‘These things says ^(A)He who is holy, ^(B)He who is true, ^(C)“He who has the key of David, ^(D)He who opens and no one shuts, and ^(E)shuts and no one opens”: ^8 (F)“I know your works. See, I have set before you ^(G)an open door, ^[b]and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name. ⁹ Indeed I will make ^(H)those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie—indeed ^(I)I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. ¹⁰ Because you have kept ^[c]My command to persevere, ^(J)I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon ^(K)the whole world, to test those who dwell ^(L)on the earth. ^11 [d]Behold, ^(M)I am coming quickly! ^(N)Hold fast what you have, that no one may take ^(O)your crown. ¹² He who overcomes, I will make him ^(P)a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall ^(Q)go out no more. ^(R)I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the ^(S)New Jerusalem, which ^(T)comes down out of heaven from My God. ^(U)And I will write on him My new name.

^13 (V)“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

The Lukewarm Church

¹⁴ “And to the ^[e]angel of the church ^[f]of the Laodiceans write,

^(W)‘These things says the Amen, ^(X)the Faithful and True Witness, ^(Y)the Beginning of the creation of God: ^15 (Z)“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. ¹⁶ So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither ^[g]cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. ¹⁷ Because you say, ^(AA)‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— ¹⁸ I counsel you ^(AB)to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and ^(AC)white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. ^19 (AD)As many as I love, I rebuke and ^(AE)chasten.^[h] Therefore be ^[i]zealous and repent. ²⁰ Behold, ^(AF)I stand at the door and knock. ^(AG)If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, ^(AH)I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. ²¹ To him who overcomes ^(AI)I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

^22 (AJ)“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”