Exodus 8

A Plague of Frogs

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go back to Pharaoh and announce to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so they can worship me.H3068H559H4872H935H6547H559H559H3068H5971H7971H56472If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs across your entire land.H3986H7971H5062H1366H68543The Nile River will swarm with frogs. They will come up out of the river and into your palace, even into your bedroom and onto your bed! They will enter the houses of your officials and your people. They will even jump into your ovens and your kneading bowls.H2975H8317H6854H8317H5927H935H1004H2315H4904H4296H1004H5650H5971H8574H48634Frogs will jump on you, your people, and all your officials.'"H6854H5927H5971H56505

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Raise the staff in your hand over all the rivers, canals, and ponds of Egypt, and bring up frogs over all the land.'"H3068H559H4872H559H175H5186H3027H4294H5104H2975H98H6854H5927H776H47146So Aaron raised his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs came up and covered the whole land!H175H5186H3027H4325H4714H6854H5927H3680H776H47147But the magicians were able to do the same thing with their magic. They, too, caused frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.H2748H6213H3909H5927H6854H776H47148Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and begged, "Plead with the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people. I will let your people go, so they can offer sacrifices to the LORD."H6547H7121H4872H175H559H6279H3068H5493H6854H5971H5971H7971H2076H30689"You set the time!" Moses replied. "Tell me when you want me to pray for you, your officials, and your people. Then you and your houses will be rid of the frogs. They will remain only in the Nile River."H4872H559H6547H6286H4970H6279H5650H5971H3772H6854H1004H7604H297510"Do it tomorrow," Pharaoh said. "All right," Moses replied, "it will be as you have said. Then you will know that there is no one like the LORD our God.H559H4279H559H1697H3045H3068H43011The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials, and your people. They will remain only in the Nile River."H6854H5493H1004H5650H5971H7604H297512So Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh's palace, and Moses cried out to the LORD about the frogs he had inflicted on Pharaoh.H4872H175H3318H6547H4872H6817H3068H1697H6854H7760H654713And the LORD did just what Moses had predicted. The frogs in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields all died.H3068H6213H1697H4872H6854H4191H1004H2691H770414The Egyptians piled them into great heaps, and a terrible stench filled the land.H6651H2563H776H88715But when Pharaoh saw that relief had come, he became stubborn

. He refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had predicted.H6547H7200H7309H3513H3820H8085H3068H1696

A Plague of Gnats

16So the LORD said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Raise your staff and strike the ground. The dust will turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.'"H3068H559H4872H559H175H5186H4294H5221H6083H776H3654H776H471417So Moses and Aaron did just as the LORD had commanded them. When Aaron raised his hand and struck the ground with his staff, gnats infested the entire land, covering the Egyptians and their animals. All the dust in the land of Egypt turned into gnats.H6213H175H5186H3027H4294H5221H6083H776H3654H120H929H6083H776H3654H776H471418Pharaoh's magicians tried to do the same thing with their secret arts, but this time they failed. And the gnats covered everyone, people and animals alike.H2748H6213H3909H3318H3654H3201H3654H120H92919"This is the finger of God!" the magicians exclaimed to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh's heart remained hard. He wouldn't listen to them, just as the LORD had predicted.H2748H559H6547H676H430H6547H3820H2388H8085H3068H1696

A Plague of Flies

20Then the LORD told Moses, "Get up early in the morning and stand in Pharaoh's way as he goes down to the river. Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, so they can worship me.H3068H559H4872H7925H1242H3320H6440H6547H3318H4325H559H559H3068H5971H7971H564721If you refuse, then I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, your people, and all the houses. The Egyptian homes will be filled with flies, and the ground will be covered with them.H5971H7971H7971H6157H5650H5971H1004H1004H4714H4390H6157H12722But this time I will spare the region of Goshen, where my people live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am the LORD and that I am present even in the heart of your land.H6395H3117H776H1657H5971H5975H1115H6157H1961H4616H3045H3068H7130H77623I will make a clear distinction between

my people and your people. This miraculous sign will happen tomorrow.'"H7760H6304H5971H5971H4279H22624And the LORD did just as he had said. A thick swarm of flies filled Pharaoh's palace and the houses of his officials. The whole land of Egypt was thrown into chaos by the flies.H3068H6213H935H3515H6157H1004H6547H5650H1004H776H4714H776H7843H6440H615725Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron. "All right! Go ahead and offer sacrifices to your God," he said. "But do it here in this land."H6547H7121H413H4872H175H559H3212H2076H430H77626But Moses replied, "That wouldn't be right. The Egyptians detest the sacrifices that we offer to the LORD our God. Look, if we offer our sacrifices here where the Egyptians can see us, they will stone us.H4872H559H3559H6213H2005H2076H8441H4714H3068H430H2076H8441H4714H5869H561927We must take a three-day trip into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God, just as he has commanded us."H3212H7969H3117H1870H4057H2076H3068H430H55928"All right, go ahead," Pharaoh replied. "I will let you go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD your God. But don't go too far away. Now hurry and pray for me."H6547H559H7971H2076H3068H430H4057H3212H7368H7368H6279H115729Moses answered, "As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the LORD, and tomorrow the swarms of flies will disappear from you and your officials and all your people. But I am warning you, Pharaoh, don't lie to us again and refuse to let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD."H4872H559H3318H6279H3068H6157H5493H6547H5650H5971H4279H7535H6547H2048H3254H1115H5971H7971H2076H306830So Moses left Pharaoh's palace and pleaded with the LORD to remove all the flies.H4872H3318H6547H6279H306831And the LORD did as Moses asked and caused the swarms of flies to disappear from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. Not a single fly remained.H3068H6213H1697H4872H5493H6157H6547H5650H5971H7604H25932But Pharaoh again became stubborn and refused to let the people go.H6547H3513H3820H6471H5971H7971