Exodus 8

1Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals, and over the pools, and bring up the frogs over the land of Egypt.’”

2So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

3And the magicians did the same by their secret arts, and they brought up the frogs over the land of Egypt.

4Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to Yahweh, that he may remove the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go, so that they may sacrifice to Yahweh.”

5And Moses said to Pharaoh, “Have this honor over me: when shall I plead for you, for your servants, and for your people, to cut off the frogs from you and from your houses? Only in the Nile shall they remain.”

6He said, “Tomorrow.” And he said, “According to your word, so that you may know that there is no one like Yahweh our God.”

7And the frogs will depart from you, and from your houses, and from your servants, and from your people; only in the Nile will they remain.

8So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried out to Yahweh concerning the frogs that he had set upon Pharaoh.

9And the LORD did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields.

10And they piled them up in heap after heap, and the land stank.

11But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, just as Yahweh had said.

12Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, and it will become gnats throughout all the land of Egypt.’”

13And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and the gnats came upon man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats throughout all the land of Egypt.

14And the magicians did the same by their secret arts to bring out the gnats, but they were not able; and the gnats were on man and on beast.

15Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as Yahweh had spoken.

16Then the LORD said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and station yourself before Pharaoh. Look, he is going out to the water, and you shall say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: Let my people go, so that they may serve me.’”

17For if you do not let my people go, behold, I am sending the swarm upon you, upon your servants, upon your people, and into your houses. The houses of Egypt will be filled with the swarm, and also the ground on which they are.

18But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarm will be there, in order that you may know that I am Yahweh in the midst of the land.

19And I will make a distinction between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will happen.

20And Yahweh did so, and a heavy swarm came into Pharaoh’s house and into his servants’ houses, and throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined because of the swarm.

21Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.”

22But Moses said, “It would not be right to do so, because we would sacrifice to Yahweh our God what is detestable to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is detestable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us?”

23We will go a three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to Yahweh our God, just as he tells us.

24Then Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, so that you may sacrifice to Yahweh your God in the wilderness. Only, you must not go very far away. Plead for me.”

25And Moses said, “Look, I am going out from you, and I will plead with Yahweh, and the swarm will depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow. Only let Pharaoh not continue to mock by not letting the people go to sacrifice to Yahweh.”

26So Moses went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with Yahweh.

27And Yahweh did according to Moses' word, and removed the swarm from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained.

28But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.