Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him,
‘Thus says the LORD, “Let my people go, that they may serve me. But
if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your
country with frogs. The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come
up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into
the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens
and your kneading bowls. The frogs shall come up on you and on your
people and on all your servants.”’” And the LORD said to Moses,
“Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the
rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up
on 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 by their secret arts and made
frogs come up on the land of Egypt.
Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with the
LORD to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will
let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.” Moses said to Pharaoh,
“Be pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and for your
servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you
and your houses and be left only in the Nile.” And he said,
“Tomorrow.” Moses said, “Be it as you say, so that you may know
that there is no one like the LORD our God. The frogs shall go away
from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They
shall be left only in the Nile.” So Moses and Aaron went out from
Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the LORD about the frogs, as he had
agreed with Pharaoh. And the LORD did according to the word of
Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the
fields. And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land
stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened
his heart and would not listen to them, as the LORD had said.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your
staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats
in all the land of Egypt.’” And they did so. Aaron stretched out
his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there
were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats
in all the land of Egypt. The magicians tried by their secret arts
to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man
and beast. Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger
of God.” But Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he would not listen
to them, as the LORD had said.
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and
present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say
to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “Let my people go, that they may serve
me. Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send
swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into
your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with
swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. But on
that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people
dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know
that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth. Thus I will put a
division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign
shall happen.”’” And the LORD did so. There came great swarms of
flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants' houses.
Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms
of flies.
Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to
your God within the land.” But Moses said, “It would not be right
to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the LORD our God
are an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings
abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone
us? We must go three days' journey into the wilderness and
sacrifice to the LORD our God as he tells us.” So Pharaoh said, “I
will let you go to sacrifice to the LORD your God in the
wilderness; only you must not go very far away. Plead for me.” Then
Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from 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 let not Pharaoh cheat
again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.” So
Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. And the LORD
did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh,
from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. But
Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the
people go.
