Exodus 8 (FBV) · Opened

1Then the Lord told Moses, “Go and see Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they can worship me.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.

2If you refuse to let them leave, I will send a plague of frogs all over your country.But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.

3They will swarm out of the Nile, and they will enter your palace and get into your bedroom and jump onto your bed. They will get into the houses of your officials and jump around your people—even into your ovens and breadmaking bowls.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.

4Frogs will jump all over you, your people, and all your officials.’”The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”

5The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Hold out your walking stick in your hand over the rivers and canals and ponds, and make frogs spread over Egypt.’”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.’”

6So Aaron held out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and frogs came up and covered the land.So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

7But the Egyptian magicians did the same thing using their magic arts. They brought up frogs in Egypt.But the magicians did the same thing by their magic arts, and they also brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.

8Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and pleaded with them, “Pray to the Lord, and ask him to take away the frogs from me and my people. Then I will let your people go so they can offer sacrifices to the Lord.”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.”

9“You may have the honor of deciding when I'll pray for you, your officials, and your people that the frogs will be removed from you and your houses. They will remain only in the Nile.”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?”

10“Do it tomorrow,” Pharaoh replied. Moses said, “It will happen as you have requested so you will know that there is no one like the Lord our God.“Tomorrow,” Pharaoh answered. “May it be as you say,” Moses replied, “so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God.

11The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people, and they will remain only in the Nile.”The frogs will depart from you and your houses and your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”

12Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, and Moses pleaded with the Lord about the frogs he had sent against Pharaoh.After Moses and Aaron had left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the LORD for help with the frogs that He had brought against Pharaoh.

13The Lord did as Moses asked. The frogs in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields died.And the LORD did as Moses requested, and the frogs in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields died.

14The people collected them in pile upon pile, and the whole country smelled terrible.They were piled into countless heaps, and there was a terrible stench in the land.

15But when Pharaoh realized the plague had passed, he chose to become hard and stubborn again, and wouldn't listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had predicted.When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, however, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

16The Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Pick up your walking stick and hit the dust of the ground. The dust will become gnats swarming all over Egypt.’”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.’”

17They did what the Lord said. When Aaron lifted up his walking stick and hit the dust of the earth, gnats swarmed over both people and animals. The dust in the whole of Egypt turned into gnats.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.

18The magicians also tried to make gnats using their magic arts, but they couldn't. The gnats stayed on both people and animals.The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast.

19“This is an act of God,” the magicians told Pharaoh. But Pharaoh chose to be stubbornly hard-hearted, and he wouldn't listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had predicted.“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.

20The Lord told Moses, “Tomorrow morning get up early and block Pharaoh's way as he walks down to the river. Tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they can worship me.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.

21If you don't let my people leave, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, and on your people and your houses. Every Egyptian house and even the ground on which they stand will be filled with swarms of flies.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.

22However, on this occasion I will treat the land of Goshen differently—that's where my people live—there won't be any swarms of flies there. This is how you will know that I, the Lord, am here in your country.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.

23I will distinguish my people from your people. You will see this sign that confirms it tomorrow.’”I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’”

24The Lord did what he had said. Huge swarms of flies swept into Pharaoh's palace and into the houses of his officials. The whole of Egypt was devastated because of these swarms of flies.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.

25Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and told them, “Go and offer sacrifices to your God here in this country.”Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.”

26“No, that wouldn't be the right thing to do,” Moses replied. “The sacrifices we offer to the Lord our God would be offensive to Egyptians. If we went ahead and offered sacrifices offensive to Egyptians, they'd stone us!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?

27We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness and offer sacrifices there to the Lord our God as he has told us.”We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.”

28“I'll let you go and offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the desert, but don't go very far,” Pharaoh answered. “Now pray for me that this plague ends.”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.”

29“As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord,” Moses replied, “and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. But Pharaoh should be sure not to be deceitful again and refuse to let the people go and offer sacrifices to the Lord.”“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.”

30Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord,Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD,

31and the Lord did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Not a single fly remained.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.

32But once again Pharaoh chose to be stubbornly hard-hearted and would not let the people leave.But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time as well, and he would not let the people go.

The Second Plague: Frogs

The Third Plague: Gnats

The Fourth Plague: Flies

You’ve read Exodus 8

Go deeper

The Second Plague: Frogs

The Third Plague: Gnats

The Fourth Plague: Flies

You’ve read Exodus 8

Go deeper