The Plague of Insects

¹⁶ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Extend your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may turn into ^[a]gnats through all the land of Egypt.’” ¹⁷ They did so; and Aaron extended his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were ^[b]gnats on every ^[c]person and animal. All the dust of the earth turned into ^[d](A)gnats through all the land of Egypt. ¹⁸ The soothsayer priests tried with their secret arts to produce ^[e]gnats, but ^(B)they could not; so there were ^[f]gnats on every person and animal. ¹⁹ Then the soothsayer priests said to Pharaoh, “^(C)This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was ^[g]hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.