The Plague of Frogs

1[†]Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Come to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 2But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I [†]will smite your whole territory with frogs. 3And the Nile will swarm with frogs, and they will go up and come into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and on your people and into your ovens and into your kneading bowls. 4So the frogs will come up on you and on your people and on all your servants.”’” 5[†]Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the [†]streams and over the pools, and cause the frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.’” 6So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the [†]frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7And the [†]magicians did [†]the same with their secret arts; they caused the frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.

8Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Entreat Yahweh that He may cause the frogs to depart from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to Yahweh.” 9And Moses said to Pharaoh, “[†]May the honor be yours to tell me: when shall I entreat for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses, that they may remain only in the Nile?”

10Then he said, “Tomorrow.” So he said, “May it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like Yahweh our God. 11And the frogs will depart from you and your houses and your servants and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.” 12Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried out to Yahweh concerning the frogs which He had set upon Pharaoh. 13So Yahweh did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, the courts, and the fields. 14So they piled them in heaps, and the land [†]became foul. 15Then Pharaoh saw that there was relief, and he [†]hardened his heart with firmness and did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.

The Plague of Gnats

16Then Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may become [†]gnats through all the land of Egypt.’” 17And they did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were [†]gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became [†]gnats through all the land of Egypt. 18Then [†]the magicians did the same with their secret arts in order to bring forth [†]gnats, but they could not; so there were [†]gnats on man and beast. 19And the [†]magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was [†]hardened with strength, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken.

The Plague of Flies

20And Yahweh said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh [†]as he comes out to the water, and you shall say to him, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Let My people go, that they may serve Me. 21For if you do not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. 22But on that day I will make a distinction for the land of Goshen, where My people are [†]living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, that you may know that [†]I, Yahweh, am in the midst of the land. 23And I will [†]put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will happen.”’” 24Then Yahweh did so. And there came heavy swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants, and the land was laid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt.

25And Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” 26But Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we will sacrifice to Yahweh our God [†]what is an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice [†]what is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not then stone us? 27We must go a three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to Yahweh our God as He says to us.” 28And Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to Yahweh your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Entreat for me.” 29Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you, and I shall entreat Yahweh that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow; only may Pharaoh not deal deceitfully again in not letting the people go to sacrifice to Yahweh.”

30So Moses went out from Pharaoh and entreated Yahweh. 31And Yahweh did according to the word of Moses and caused the swarms of flies to depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. 32Then Pharaoh [†]hardened his heart with firmness this time also, and he did not let the people go.