Exodus 8

1Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘The LORD says this: “Release my people, so they can serve me. 2If you refuse to let them go, watch: I will strike your whole country with frogs. 3The Nile will swarm with frogs. They will climb out and get into your palace, into the room where you sleep and onto your bed, into your officials’ houses and onto your people, into your ovens and the bowls you knead dough in. 4On you, on your people, and on all your officials the frogs will climb.”’”

5The LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Hold out your hand with your staff over the rivers, the canals, and the pools, and bring the frogs up over the land of Egypt.’” 6So Aaron held his hand out over the waters of Egypt. The frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7The magicians matched this with their spells and brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt as well. 8Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with the LORD to rid me and my people of the frogs, and I will release the people so they can offer sacrifice to the LORD.” 9Moses said to Pharaoh, “The choice is yours, and the honor: say when I should pray for you, your officials, and your people, and the frogs will be cut off from you and your houses. They will stay only in the Nile.” 10Pharaoh answered, “Tomorrow.” Moses said, “Then it will be done at your word, and you will learn that the LORD our God has no equal. 11The frogs will go away from you, from your houses, from your officials, and from your people. Only in the Nile will any be left.” 12Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh’s presence, and Moses called out to the LORD about the frogs that he had sent against Pharaoh. 13The LORD granted Moses’ request. In the houses, the courtyards, and the fields, the frogs died off. 14People gathered them into great heaps, and the land stank. 15Once Pharaoh saw that he had breathing room, he hardened his heart. He would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

16The LORD told Moses, “Tell Aaron to hold out his staff and strike the dust on the ground. Throughout the land of Egypt the dust will turn into gnats.” 17So they did it. When Aaron raised his staff in his hand and struck the dust of the ground, gnats were on people and animals alike. Across the whole land of Egypt, all the dust turned into gnats. 18The magicians attempted the same with their spells, to bring out gnats, but they failed. And still the gnats were on people and animals. 19The magicians told Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God at work!” But Pharaoh’s heart stayed stubborn, and he refused to listen to them, as the LORD had said.

20The LORD said to Moses, “Be up early in the morning and take your stand in front of Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Say to him, ‘The LORD says this: Release my people so that they can serve me. 21If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies against you, your officials, your people, and your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be filled with the swarms, and so will the very ground where they live. 22On that day, though, I will set apart Goshen, the region where my people live: no flies will swarm there. That way you will learn that I, the LORD, am right here in the land. 23I will make a rescue that sets my people apart from your people. Tomorrow the sign will come.’” 24The LORD carried this out. Great swarms of flies invaded Pharaoh’s house and his officials’ houses. Across the whole land of Egypt, the flies brought ruin to the land. 25Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said, “Go and offer sacrifices to your God, but do it here in this land.” 26Moses answered, “It would not be fitting to do that. The sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God are offensive to the Egyptians. If we offered, right in front of them, sacrifices they find offensive, they would stone us, would they not? 27We will travel for three days into the wilderness, and there we will sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he instructs us.” 28Pharaoh said, “Very well, I will release you, and you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness. Just do not travel too far away. And pray on my behalf.” 29Moses said, “I am leaving you now, and I will plead with the LORD. Tomorrow the flies will depart from Pharaoh, from his officials, and from his people. But Pharaoh must not trick us again and keep the people from going to sacrifice to the LORD.” 30Moses went out from Pharaoh’s presence and prayed to the LORD. 31The LORD answered Moses’ request and took the flies away from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. Not a single one was left. 32Yet once again Pharaoh hardened his heart; he did not release the people.