Chapter 8
1Then AO said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and [have Aaron] tell him that this is what AO says: ‘Let My people go so that they may worship Me.
2But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.
3The 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.
4The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.”
5And AO 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 [Moses] stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.
7But the magicians did the same thing by their magic arts and they also brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.
8Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to AO to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go that they may sacrifice to worship AO.”
9Moses [Aaron] said to Pharaoh, “You may have the honor over me. When shall I [Moses] pray for you and your officials and your people that the frogs may be taken away from you and your houses? (except for those in the Nile)”
10“Tomorrow,” [Pharaoh] answered. “[May it be] as you say,” Moses [Aaron] replied, “so that you may know that there is no one like AO, our God.
11The frogs will depart from you and your houses and your officials and your people, they will remain only in the Nile.”
12After Moses and Aaron had left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to AO for help with the frogs that He had brought against Pharaoh.
13And AO did as Moses requested and the frogs died in the houses, the courtyards and the fields.
14They were piled into countless heaps and there was a terrible stench in the land.
15When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, however, he hardened his heart and would not listen to [Moses and Aaron] just as AO had said.
16Then AO 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.’”
17This they did and when Aaron [Moses] 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 tried using their magic arts to produce gnats but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast.
19“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 AO had said.
20Then AO said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and when Pharaoh goes out to the water, stand before him and [have Aaron] tell him that this is what AO says: ‘Let My people go so that they may worship Me.
21But if you will not let My people go, I will send upon you and your officials and your people and your houses swarms [of flies]. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies and even the ground where they [stand].
22But on that day, I will give special 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, AO, am in the land.
23I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’”
24And AO did so. Thick swarms [of flies] poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials. Throughout the land, Egypt was ruined by swarms [of flies].
25Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go sacrifice to worship your God within this land.”
26But Moses [Aaron] replied, “It would not be right to do that because the sacrifices offerings we offer to AO our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices offerings that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us?
27We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to worship AO our God as He commands us.”
28Pharaoh answered, “I will let you go and sacrifice to worship AO your God in the wilderness but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.”
29“As soon as I [we] leave you,” Moses [Aaron] said, “I [Moses] will pray to AO 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 worship AO.”
30Then Moses [and Aaron] left Pharaoh and [Moses] prayed to AO
31and AO did as Moses requested. He removed the swarms [of flies] from Pharaoh and his people; not one [fly] remained.
32But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time as well and he would not let the people go.