Exodus 8:20-32

New King James Version

The Fourth Plague: Flies

²⁰And the Lord said to Moses, ^(A)“Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Then say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: ^(B)“Let My people go, that they may serve Me. ²¹Or 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. ²²And in that day ^(C)I will set apart the land of ^(D)Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may ^(E)know that I am the Lord in the midst of the ^(F)land. ²³I will ^[a]make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this ^(G)sign shall be.” ’ ” ²⁴And the Lord did so. ^(H)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.

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

²⁶And Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we would be sacrificing ^(I)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 ^[b]stone us? ²⁷We will go ^(J)three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as ^(K)He will command us.”

²⁸So 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. ^(L)Intercede for me.”

²⁹Then 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 ^(M)deal deceitfully anymore in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.”

³⁰So Moses went out from Pharaoh and ^(N)entreated the Lord. ³¹And 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. ³²But Pharaoh ^(O)hardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go.

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Footnotes

Exodus 8:23 Lit. set a ransom, Ex. 9:4; 11:7
Exodus 8:26 Put us to death by stoning

שמות 8:20-28

The Westminster Leningrad Codex

²⁰וַיַּ֤עַשׂ יְהוָה֙ כֵּ֔ן וַיָּבֹא֙ עָרֹ֣ב כָּבֵ֔ד בֵּ֥יתָה פַרְעֹ֖ה וּבֵ֣ית עֲבָדָ֑יו וּבְכָל־אֶ֧רֶץ מִצְרַ֛יִם תִּשָּׁחֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ מִפְּנֵ֥י הֶעָרֹֽב׃

²¹וַיִּקְרָ֣א פַרְעֹ֔ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֖ה וּֽלְאַהֲרֹ֑ן וַיֹּ֗אמֶר לְכ֛וּ זִבְח֥וּ לֵֽאלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

²²וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֗ה לֹ֤א נָכוֹן֙ לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת כֵּ֔ן כִּ֚י תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת מִצְרַ֔יִם נִזְבַּ֖ח לַיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ הֵ֣ן נִזְבַּ֞ח אֶת־תּוֹעֲבַ֥ת מִצְרַ֛יִם לְעֵינֵיהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֥א יִסְקְלֻֽנוּ׃

²³דֶּ֚רֶךְ שְׁלֹ֣שֶׁת יָמִ֔ים נֵלֵ֖ךְ בַּמִּדְבָּ֑ר וְזָבַ֙חְנוּ֙ לַֽיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר יֹאמַ֥ר אֵלֵֽינוּ׃

²⁴וַיֹּ֣אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֗ה אָנֹכִ֞י אֲשַׁלַּ֤ח אֶתְכֶם֙ וּזְבַחְתֶּ֞ם לַיהוָ֤ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶם֙ בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר רַ֛ק הַרְחֵ֥ק לֹא־תַרְחִ֖יקוּ לָלֶ֑כֶת הַעְתִּ֖ירוּ בַּעֲדִֽי׃

²⁵וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֗ה הִנֵּ֨ה אָנֹכִ֜י יוֹצֵ֤א מֵֽעִמָּךְ֙ וְהַעְתַּרְתִּ֣י אֶל־יְהוָ֔ה וְסָ֣ר הֶעָרֹ֗ב מִפַּרְעֹ֛ה מֵעֲבָדָ֥יו וּמֵעַמּ֖וֹ מָחָ֑ר רַ֗ק אַל־יֹסֵ֤ף פַּרְעֹה֙ הָתֵ֔ל לְבִלְתִּי֙ שַׁלַּ֣ח אֶת־הָעָ֔ם לִזְבֹּ֖חַ לַֽיהוָֽה׃

²⁶וַיֵּצֵ֥א מֹשֶׁ֖ה מֵעִ֣ם פַּרְעֹ֑ה וַיֶּעְתַּ֖ר אֶל־יְהוָֽה׃

²⁷וַיַּ֤עַשׂ יְהוָה֙ כִּדְבַ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֔ה וַיָּ֙סַר֙ הֶעָרֹ֔ב מִפַּרְעֹ֖ה מֵעֲבָדָ֣יו וּמֵעַמּ֑וֹ לֹ֥א נִשְׁאַ֖ר אֶחָֽד׃

²⁸וַיַּכְבֵּ֤ד פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶת־לִבּ֔וֹ גַּ֖ם בַּפַּ֣עַם הַזֹּ֑את וְלֹ֥א שִׁלַּ֖ח אֶת־הָעָֽם׃ פ

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Exodus 8:20-32

Young's Literal Translation

²⁰And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Rise early in the morning, and station thyself before Pharaoh, lo, he is going out to the waters, and thou hast said unto him, Thus said Jehovah, Send My people away, and they serve Me;

²¹for, if thou art not sending My people away, lo, I am sending against thee, and against thy servants, and against thy people, and against thy houses, the beetle, and the houses of the Egyptians have been full of the beetle, and also the ground on which they are.

²²`And I have separated in that day the land of Goshen, in which My people are staying, that the beetle is not there, so that thou knowest that I [am] Jehovah in the midst of the land,

²³and I have put a division between My people and thy people: to-morrow is this sign.'

²⁴And Jehovah doth so, and the grievous beetle entereth the house of Pharaoh, and the house of his servants, and in all the land of Egypt the land is corrupted from the presence of the beetle.

²⁵And Pharaoh calleth unto Moses and to Aaron, and saith, `Go, sacrifice to your God in the land;'

²⁶and Moses saith, `Not right to do so, for the abomination of the Egyptians we do sacrifice to Jehovah our God; lo, we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes -- and they do not stone us!

²⁷A journey of three days we go into the wilderness, and have sacrificed to Jehovah our God, as He saith unto us.'

²⁸And Pharaoh saith, `I send you away, and ye have sacrificed to Jehovah your God in the wilderness, only go not very far off; make ye supplication for me;'

²⁹and Moses saith, `Lo, I am going out from thee, and have made supplication unto Jehovah, and the beetle hath turned aside from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people -- to-morrow, only let not Pharaoh add to deceive -- in not sending the people away to sacrifice to Jehovah.'

³⁰And Moses goeth out from Pharaoh, and maketh supplication unto Jehovah,

³¹and Jehovah doth according to the word of Moses, and turneth aside the beetle from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people -- there hath not been left one;

³²and Pharaoh hardeneth his heart also at this time, and hath not sent the people away.

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Exodus 8:20-32

New American Standard Bible

²⁰Then the Lord said to Moses, “^(A)Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, ^[a]as ^(B)he comes out to the water; and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “^(C)Let My people go, so that they may serve Me. ²¹For if you are not going to 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 live. ²²^(D)But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are ^[b]living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that ^[c]^(E)I, the Lord, am in the midst of the land. ²³I will ^[d]put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur.”’” ²⁴Then the Lord did so. And ^[e]thick swarms of flies entered 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.

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

³⁰So ^(N)Moses left Pharaoh and pleaded with the Lord. ³¹The Lord did ^[i]as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. ³²But Pharaoh ^[j]hardened his heart this time also, and ^(O)he did not let the people go.