Exodus 8

Revised Geneva Translation

8 Afterward, the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Let my people go, so that they may serve Me.

² “And if you will not let them go, behold, I will strike all your country with frogs.

³ “And the river shall crawl full of frogs; which shall go up and come into your house, and into your chamber where you sleep, and upon your bed, and into the house of your servants, and upon your people, and into your ovens, and into your kneading troughs.

⁴ “Indeed, the frogs shall climb up upon you, and on your people, and upon all your servants.”’”

⁵ Also the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your rod upon the streams, upon the rivers, and upon the ponds,’ and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.”

⁶ Then, Aaron stretched out his hand upon the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

⁷ And the sorcerers did likewise with their sorceries and brought frogs up upon the land of Egypt.

⁸ Then, Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Pray to the LORD, that He may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, so that they may do sacrifice to the LORD.”

⁹ And Moses said to Pharaoh, “It is your glory to command—when I shall pray for you and for your servants and for your people to destroy the frogs from you and from your houses—that they may remain in the river only.”

¹⁰ Then he said, “Tomorrow.” And he answered, “May it be as you have said, so that you may know that there is none like the LORD our God.

¹¹ “So the frogs shall depart from you, and from your houses, and from your servants, and from your people. They shall only remain in the river.”

¹² Then, Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. And Moses cried to the LORD concerning the frogs which he had sent to Pharaoh.

¹³ And the LORD did according to the saying of Moses. So, the frogs died in the houses, in the towns, and the fields.

¹⁴ And they gathered them together by heaps. And the land stank.

¹⁵ But when Pharaoh saw that he had rest, he hardened his heart; and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said.

¹⁶ Again, the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your rod and strike the dust of the earth,’ so that it may be turned to lice throughout all the land of Egypt.”

¹⁷ And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth. And lice came upon man and upon beast. All the dust of the earth was lice, throughout all the land of Egypt.

¹⁸ Now the enchanters did likewise with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. So, the lice were upon man and upon beast.

¹⁹ Then the enchanters said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart remained obstinate; and he did not listen to them (as the LORD had said).

²⁰ Moreover, the LORD said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh (lo, he will come forth to the water) and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.

²¹ “And if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon you, and upon your servants, and upon your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

²² “But the land of Goshen, where My people are, I will cause to be wonderful on that day, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, and so that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the Earth.

²³ “And I will make a deliverance of My people from your people.”’ This miracle shall be tomorrow.”

²⁴ And the LORD did so. For there came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants’ houses, so that the Earth was corrupted by the swarms of flies, throughout all the land of Egypt.

²⁵ Then, Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Go. Do sacrifice to your God in this land!”

²⁶ And Moses answered, “It is not right to do so. For we would be offering to the LORD our God that which is an abomination to the Egyptians. Lo, can we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes and not have them stone us?

²⁷ “Let us go three days’ journey in the desert and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as He has commanded us.”

²⁸ And Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, so that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness. But do not go far away. Pray for me.”

²⁹ And Moses said, “Behold, I will go out from you and pray to the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow. But henceforth, let Pharaoh not deceive anymore in not letting the people sacrifice to the LORD.”

³⁰ So, Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD.

³¹ And the LORD did according to the saying of Moses. And the swarms of flies departed from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained.

³² Yet Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also and did not let the people go.