Exodus 8 (JPS) · Opened

1(7-26) And the LORD spoke unto Moses: 'Go in unto Pharaoh, and say unto him: Thus saith the LORD: Let My people go, that they may serve 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.

2(7-27) And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs.But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.

3(7-28) And the river shall swarm with frogs, which shall go up and come into thy house, and into thy bed-chamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading-troughs.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.

4(7-29) And the frogs shall come up both upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.'The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”

5(8-1) And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Say unto Aaron: Stretch forth thy hand with thy rod over the rivers, over the canals, and over the pools, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of 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.’”

6(8-2) And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered 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.

7(8-3) And the magicians did in like manner with their secret arts, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.But the magicians did the same thing by their magic arts, and they also brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.

8(8-4) Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said: 'Entreat the LORD, that He take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice unto 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(8-5) And Moses said unto Pharaoh: 'Have thou this glory over me; against what time shall I entreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, that the frogs be destroyed from thee and thy houses, and remain in the river only?'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(8-6) And he said: 'Against to-morrow.' And he said: 'Be it according to thy word; that thou mayest know that there is none like unto 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.

11(8-7) And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only.'The frogs will depart from you and your houses and your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”

12(8-8) And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh; and Moses cried unto the LORD concerning the frogs, which He had brought upon 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.

13(8-9) And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courts, and out of the fields.And the LORD did as Moses requested, and the frogs in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields died.

14(8-10) And they gathered them together in heaps; and the land stank.They were piled into countless heaps, and there was a terrible stench in the land.

15(8-11) But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken.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.

16(8-12) And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Say unto Aaron: Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the earth, that it may become gnats throughout all the land of 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.’”

17(8-13) And they did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and there were gnats upon man, and upon beast; all the dust of the earth became gnats throughout all the land of Egypt.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.

18(8-14) And the magicians did so with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not; and there were gnats upon man, and upon beast.The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast.

19(8-15) Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh: 'This is the finger of God'; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken.“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.

20(8-16) And the LORD said unto Moses: 'Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him: Thus saith the LORD: Let My people go, that they may serve 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.

21(8-17) Else, if thou wilt not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses; and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.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.

22(8-18) And I will set apart in that day the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end that thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.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.

23(8-19) And I will put a division between My people and thy people — by to-morrow shall this sign be.'I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’”

24(8-20) And the LORD did so; and there came grievous swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses; and in all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by reason of the 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.

25(8-21) And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said: 'Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.'Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.”

26(8-22) And Moses said: 'It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God; lo, if we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not 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?

27(8-23) We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as He shall command us.'We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.”

28(8-24) And Pharaoh said: 'I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away; entreat for me.'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(8-25) And Moses said: 'Behold, I go out from thee, and I will entreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow; only let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice 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.”

30(8-26) And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the LORD.Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD,

31(8-27) And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one.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.

32(8-28) And Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and he did not let the people go.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