1 he said to Moses:
Go to the palace and tell the king of Egypt that I order him to let my people go, so they can worship me. 2 If he refuses, I will cover his entire country with frogs. 3 Warn the king that the Nile will be full of frogs, and from there they will spread into the royal palace, including the king's bedroom and even his bed. Frogs will enter the homes of his officials and will find their way into ovens and into the bowls of bread dough. 4 Frogs will be crawling on everyone—the king, his officials, and every citizen of Egypt.
5 Moses, now command Aaron to hold his stick over the water. Then frogs will come from all rivers, canals, and ponds in Egypt, and they will cover the land.
6 Aaron obeyed, and suddenly frogs were everywhere in Egypt. 7 But the magicians used their secret powers to do the same thing.
8 The king sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, “If you ask the Lord to take these frogs away from me and my people, I will let your people go and offer sacrifices to him.”
9 “All right,” Moses answered. “You choose the time when I am to pray for the frogs to stop bothering you, your officials, and your people, and for them to leave your houses and be found only in the river.”
10 “Do it tomorrow!” the king replied.
“As you wish,” Moses agreed. “Then everyone will discover that there is no god like the Lord, 11 and frogs will no longer be found anywhere, except in the Nile.”
12 After Moses and Aaron left the palace, Moses begged the Lord to do something about the frogs he had sent as punishment for the king. 13 The Lord listened to Moses, and the frogs died everywhere—in houses, yards, and fields. 14 The dead frogs were placed in piles, and the whole country began to stink. 15 But when the king saw that things were now better, he again did just as the Lord had said he would and stubbornly refused to listen to Moses and Aaron.
Gnats
16 The Lord said to Moses, “Command Aaron to strike the ground with his walking stick, and everywhere in Egypt the dust will turn into gnats.” 17 They obeyed, and when Aaron struck the ground with the stick, gnats started swarming on people and animals. In fact, every speck of dust in Egypt turned into a gnat. 18 When the magicians tried to use their secret powers to do this, they failed, and gnats stayed on people and animals.
19 The magicians told the king, “God has done this.”
But, as the Lord had said, the king was too stubborn to listen.
Flies
20 The Lord said to Moses:
Early tomorrow morning, while the king is on his way to the river, go and say to him, “The Lord commands you to let his people go, so they can worship him. 21 If you don't, he will send swarms of flies to attack you, your officials, and every citizen of your country. Your houses will be full of flies, and the ground will crawl with them.
22-23 “The Lord's people in Goshen won't be bothered by flies, but your people in the rest of the country will be tormented by them. That's how you will know that the Lord is here in Egypt. This miracle will happen tomorrow.”
24 The Lord kept his promise—the palace and the homes of the royal officials swarmed with flies, and the rest of the country was infested with them as well. 25 Then the king sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, “Go ahead and sacrifice to your God, but stay here in Egypt.”
26 “That's impossible!” Moses replied. “Any sacrifices we offer to the Lord our God would disgust the Egyptians, and they would stone us to death. 27 No indeed! The Lord has ordered us to walk three days into the desert before offering sacrifices to him, and that's what we have to do.”
28 Then the king told him, “I'll let you go into the desert to offer sacrifices, if you don't go very far. But in the meantime, pray for me.”
29 “Your Majesty,” Moses replied, “I'll pray for you as soon as I leave, and by tomorrow the flies will stop bothering you, your officials, and the citizens of your country. Only make sure that you're telling the truth this time and that you really intend to let our people offer sacrifices to the Lord.”
30 After leaving the palace, Moses prayed, 31 and the Lord answered his prayer. Not a fly was left to pester the king, his officials, or anyone else in Egypt. 32 But the king turned stubborn again and would not let the people go.
1 Afterward the Lord sayde vnto Moses, Goe vnto Pharaoh, and tell him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people goe, that they may serue me: 2 And if thou wilt not let them goe, beholde, I will smite all thy countrey with frogges: 3 And the riuer shall scral ful of frogges, which shall goe vp and come into thine house, and into thy chamber, where thou sleepest, and vpon thy bed, and into the house of thy seruants, and vpon thy people, and into thine ouens, and into thy kneading troughes. 4 Yea, the frogges shall climbe vp vpon thee, and on thy people, and vpon all thy seruants. 5 Also the Lord said vnto Moses, Say thou vnto Aaron, Stretch out thine hande with thy rod vpon the streames, vpon the riuers, and vpon the ponds, and cause frogs to come vp vpon the land of Egypt. 6 Then Aaron stretched out his hand vpon the waters of Egypt, and the frogges came vp, and couered the land of Egypt. 7 And the sorcerers did likewise with their sorceries, and brought frogges vp vpon the land of Egypt. 8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Pray ye vnto the Lord, that hee may take away the frogges from mee, and from my people, and I will let the people goe, that they may doe sacrifice vnto the Lord. 9 And Moses said vnto Pharaoh, Concerning me, euen command when I shall pray for thee, and for thy seruants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogges from thee and from thine houses, that they may remaine in the riuer only. 10 Then he said, To morowe. And he answered, Be it as thou hast said, that thou maiest know, that there is none like vnto the Lord our God. 11 So the frogges shall depart from thee, and from thine houses, and from thy seruantes, and from thy people: onely they shall remaine in the riuer. 12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cryed vnto the Lord concerning the frogges, which hee had sent vnto Pharaoh. 13 And the Lord did according to the saying of Moses: so the frogges died in the houses, in the townes, and in the fieldes. 14 And they gathered the together by heaps, and the land stanke of them. 15 But when Pharaoh sawe that hee had rest giuen him, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not vnto them, as the Lord had said. 16 Againe the Lord sayd vnto Moses, Say vnto Aaron, Stretche out the rod, and smite the dust of the earth, that it may bee turned to lyce throughout all the land of Egypt. 17 And they did so: for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth: and lyce came vpon man and vpon beast: all the dust of the earth was lyce throughout all the land of Egypt. 18 Nowe the enchanters assaied likewise with their enchantments to bring forth lyce, but they could not. So the lyce were vpon man and vpon beast. 19 Then saide the enchanters vnto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God. But Pharaohs heart remained obstinate, and hee hearkened not vnto them, as the Lord had said. 20 Moreouer the Lord sayd to Moses, Rise vp earely in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh (lo, hee will come forth vnto the water) and say vnto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serue me. 21 Els, if thou wilt not let my people goe, behold, I will send swarmes of flies both vpon thee, and vpon thy seruants, and vpon thy people, and into thine houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shalbe full of swarmes of flies, and the ground also whereon they are. 22 But ye land of Goshe, where my people are, wil I cause to be wonderfull in that day, so that no swarmes of flies shalbe there, that thou maiest know that I am the Lord in the middes of the earth. 23 And I will make a deliuerance of my people from thy people: to morowe shall this miracle be. 24 And the Lord did so: for there came great swarmes of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his seruants houses, so that through all the lande of Egypt, the earth was corrupt by the swarmes of flies. 25 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and saide, Goe, doe sacrifice vnto your God in this lande. 26 But Moses answered, It is not meete to do so: for then we shoulde offer vnto the Lord our God that, which is an abomination vnto the Egyptians. Loe, can we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and they not stone vs? 27 Let vs go three dayes iourney in the desert, and sacrifice vnto the Lord our God, as he hath commanded vs. 28 And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice vnto the Lord your God in the wildernesse: but goe not farre away, pray for me. 29 And Moses said, Behold, I will go out from thee, and pray vnto the Lord, that the swarmes of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his seruants, and from his people to morowe: but let Pharaoh from hencefoorth deceiue no more, in not suffering the people to sacrifice vnto the Lord. 30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed vnto the Lord. 31 And the Lord did according to the saying of Moses, and the swarmes of flies departed from Pharaoh, from his seruants, and from his people, and there remained not one. 32 Yet Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, and did not let the people goe.