CHAPTER 8
Then the LORD
said
to
Moses,
“Go
to
Pharaoh
and tell him that
this is what
the LORD
says:
‘Let My people
go,
so that they may worship Me.
The Nile
will teem
with frogs,
and they will come
into your palace
and up to your bedroom
and onto
your bed,
into the houses
of your officials
and your people,
and into your ovens
and kneading bowls.
And the LORD
said
to
Moses,
“Tell
Aaron,
‘Stretch out
your hand
with your staff
over
the rivers
and canals
and ponds,
and cause the frogs
to come up
onto
the land
of Egypt.’”
So Aaron
stretched out
his hand
over
the waters
of Egypt,
and the frogs
came up
and covered
the land
of Egypt.
But the magicians
did
the same thing
by their magic arts,
and they also brought frogs
up
onto
the land
of Egypt.
Pharaoh
summoned
Moses
and Aaron
and said,
“Pray
to
the LORD
to take
the frogs
away from
me and my people.
Then I will let your people
go,
that they may sacrifice
to the LORD.”
Moses
said
to Pharaoh,
“You may have the honor
over me.
When
shall I pray
for you
and your officials
and your people
that the frogs
(except for those
in the Nile)
may be taken away
from
you and your houses?”
“Tomorrow,”
Pharaoh answered.
“It will be as you say,”
Moses replied,
“so that
you may know
that
there is no one
like the LORD
our God.
The frogs
will depart
from you
and your houses
and your officials
and your people;
they will remain
only
in the Nile.”
After Moses
and Aaron
had left
Pharaoh,
Moses
cried out to
the LORD
for help
with
the frogs
that
He had brought
against Pharaoh.
And the LORD
did
as Moses
requested,
and the frogs
in
the houses,
the courtyards,
and the fields
died.
When Pharaoh
saw
there was
relief, however,
he hardened
his heart
and would not
listen
to Moses and Aaron,
just as
the LORD
had said.
Then the LORD
said
to
Moses,
“Tell
Aaron,
‘Stretch out
your staff
and strike
the dust
of the earth,
that it may turn into
swarms of gnats
throughout
the land
of Egypt.’”
This they did,
and when Aaron
stretched out
his hand
with his staff
and struck
the dust
of the earth,
gnats
came upon
man
and beast.
All
the dust
of the earth
turned into
gnats
throughout
the land
of Egypt.
The magicians
tried
to produce
gnats
using their magic arts,
but they could
not.
And the gnats
remained
on man
and beast.
“This
is the finger
of God,”
the magicians
said
to
Pharaoh.
But Pharaoh’s
heart
was hardened,
and he would not
listen
to them,
just as
the LORD
had said.
Then the LORD
said
to
Moses,
“Get up early
in the morning,
and when Pharaoh
goes out
to the water,
stand
before him
and tell
him that
this is what
the LORD
says:
‘Let My people
go,
so that they may worship Me.
But
if
you will not
let My people
go,
I will send
swarms of flies
upon you
and your officials
and your people
and your houses.
The houses
of the Egyptians
and even
the ground
where they stand
will be full
of flies.
But on that
day
I will give special treatment
to the land
of Goshen,
where
My people
live;
no
swarms of flies
will be found
there.
In this way
you will know
that
I,
the LORD,
am in
the land.
I will make
a distinction
between
My people
and your people.
This
sign
will take place
tomorrow.’”
And the LORD
did
so.
Thick
swarms of flies
poured
into Pharaoh’s
palace
and into the houses
of his officials.
Throughout
Egypt
the land
was ruined
by
swarms of flies.
But Moses
replied,
“It would not
be right
to do
that,
because
the sacrifices we offer
to the LORD
our God
would be detestable
to the Egyptians.
If
we offer sacrifices
that are
detestable
before
the Egyptians,
will they not
stone us?
We must make
a three-day
journey
into the wilderness
and sacrifice
to the LORD
our God
as
He commands us.”
Pharaoh
answered,
“I
will let you go
and sacrifice
to the LORD
your God
in the wilderness,
but
you must not
go
very far.
Now pray
for me.”
“As soon as I
leave you,”
Moses
said,
“I will pray
to
the LORD,
so that tomorrow
the swarms of flies
will depart
from Pharaoh
and his officials
and his people.
But
Pharaoh
must not
act deceitfully
again
by refusing
to let the people
go
and sacrifice
to the LORD.”
and the LORD
did
as Moses
requested.
He removed
the swarms of flies
from Pharaoh
and his officials
and his people;
not
one fly
remained.