The Second Plague: Frogs

8 ^[a]Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and tell him: This is what Yahweh says: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.^{(A) 2} But if you refuse to let them go, then I will plague all your territory with frogs.^{(B) 3} The Nile will swarm with frogs; they will come up and go into your palace, into your bedroom and on your bed, into the houses of your officials and your people, and into your ovens and kneading bowls. ⁴ The frogs will come up on you, your people, and all your officials.”

^5 [b]The Lord then said to Moses, “Tell Aaron: Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, canals, and ponds, and cause the frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.”^{(C) 6} When Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, the frogs^(D) came up and covered the land of Egypt. ⁷ But the magicians did the same thing by their occult practices and brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.

⁸ Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Ask^(E) Yahweh to remove the frogs from me and my people. Then I will let the people go and they can sacrifice to Yahweh.”

⁹ Moses said to Pharaoh, “You make the choice rather than me. When should I ask on behalf of you, your officials, and your people, that the frogs be taken away from you and your houses, and remain only in the Nile?”

¹⁰ “Tomorrow,” he answered.

Moses replied, “As you have said, so you may know there is no one like Yahweh our God,^{(F) 11} the frogs will go away from you, your houses, your officials, and your people. The frogs will remain only in the Nile.” ¹² After Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the Lord for help concerning the frogs that He had brought against^[c] Pharaoh. ¹³ The Lord did as Moses had said: the frogs in the houses, courtyards, and fields died. ¹⁴ They piled them in countless heaps, and there was a terrible odor in the land. ¹⁵ But when Pharaoh saw there was relief, he hardened his heart^(G) and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.