¹Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: “^aLet My people go, so that they may serve Me. 2 But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I am going to strike your entire territory with frogs. 3 The Nile will ^aswarm with frogs, which will come up and go 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 kneading bowls. 4 So the frogs will come up on you, your people, and on all your servants.”’” 5 ¹Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘^aExtend your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the ²streams, and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’” 6 So Aaron extended his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the ^1afrogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 However, ^athe soothsayer priests did the same with their secret arts, ¹making frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

8 Then Pharaoh ^acalled for Moses and Aaron and said, “^bPlead with the LORD ¹to remove the frogs from me and from my people; and ^cI will let the people go, so that they may sacrifice to the LORD.” 9 And Moses said to Pharaoh, “¹The honor is yours to tell me: when shall I plead for you and your servants and your people, ²that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, that they be left only in the Nile?”

10 Then he said, “Tomorrow.” So he said, “May it be according to your word, so that you may know that there is ^ano one like the LORD our God. 11 The ^afrogs will depart from you and your houses, and from your servants and your people; they will be left only in the Nile.” 12 Then Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and ^aMoses cried out to the LORD concerning the frogs which He had ¹inflicted upon Pharaoh. 13 The LORD did according to the word of Moses, and the frogs died out of the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. 14 So they piled them in heaps, and the land stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he ¹hardened his heart and ^adid not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Extend your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may turn into ¹gnats through all the land of Egypt.’” 17 They did so; and Aaron extended his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were ¹gnats on every ²person and animal. All the dust of the earth turned into ^3agnats through all the land of Egypt. 18 The soothsayer priests tried with their secret arts to produce ¹gnats, but ^athey could not; so there were ²gnats on every person and animal. 19 Then the soothsayer priests said to Pharaoh, “^aThis is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was ¹hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

20 Then the LORD said to Moses, “^aRise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, ¹as ^bhe comes out to the water; and say to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: “^cLet My people go, so that they may serve Me. 21 For if you are not going to 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 live. 22 ^aBut on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are ¹living, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that ^2bI, the LORD, am in the midst of the land. 23 I will ¹put a division between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will occur.”’” 24 Then the LORD did so. And ¹thick swarms of flies entered the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants, and the land was ^alaid waste because of the swarms of flies in all the land of Egypt.

25 Then Pharaoh ^acalled for Moses and Aaron and said, “^bGo, sacrifice to your God within the land.” 26 But Moses said, “It is not permissible for us to do so, because we will sacrifice to the LORD our God ¹that which is ^aan abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice ²that which is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? 27 We must go a ^athree days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God, just as He ¹commands us.” 28 Pharaoh said, “^aI will let you go, so that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. ^bPlead for me.” 29 Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going to leave you, and I will plead with the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow; only do not let Pharaoh ^adeal deceitfully again in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.”

30 So ^aMoses left Pharaoh and pleaded with the LORD. 31 The LORD did ¹as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. 32 But Pharaoh ¹hardened his heart this time also, and ^ahe did not let the people go.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “^aLet My people go, so that they may serve Me. 2 However, if you refuse to let them go, hear this: I am going to strike your entire land with frogs. 3 The Nile will ^aswarm with frogs, which will come up and go into your home, into your bedroom and on to your bed, and into the houses of your servants and on your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls. 4 So the frogs will come up on you and on your people and all your servants.”’” 5 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘^aStretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the streams and canals, over the pools among the reeds, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.’” 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff over the waters of Egypt, and the ^afrogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 But ^athe magicians (soothsayer-priests) did the same thing with their secret arts and enchantments, and ¹brought up more frogs on the land of Egypt.

8 Then Pharaoh ^acalled for Moses and Aaron and said, “^bPlead with the LORD that He may take away the frogs from me and my people; and ^cI will let the people go, so that they may sacrifice to the LORD.” 9 And Moses said to Pharaoh, “I am entirely at your service: when shall I plead with the Lord for you and your servants and your people, so that the frogs may leave you and your houses and remain only in the Nile?”

10 Then Pharaoh said, “¹Tomorrow.” Moses replied, “May it be as you say, so that you may know without any doubt and acknowledge that there is ^ano one like the LORD our God. 11 The ^afrogs will leave you and your houses and leave your servants and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.” 12 So Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, and ^aMoses cried out to the LORD as he had agreed to do concerning the frogs which God had inflicted on Pharaoh. 13 The LORD did as Moses asked, and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards and villages, and out of the fields. 14 So they piled them up in heaps, and the land was detestable and stank. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was temporary relief, he hardened his heart and ^awould not listen or pay attention to them, just as the LORD had said.

16 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground, and it will become biting gnats (lice) throughout the land of Egypt.’” 17 They did so; Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were biting gnats on man and animal. All the dust of the land became ^agnats through all the land of Egypt. 18 The magicians (soothsayer-priests) tried by their secret arts and enchantments to create gnats, but ^athey could not; and there were gnats on man and animal. 19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “^aThis is the supernatural finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

20 Now the LORD said to Moses, “^aGet up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as ^bhe is coming out to the water of the Nile, and say to him, ‘Thus says the LORD, “^cLet My people go, so that they may serve Me. 21 For if you do not let My people go, hear this: I will send swarms of bloodsucking insects 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 insects, as well as the ground on which they stand. 22 ^aBut on that day I will separate and set apart the land of Goshen, where My people are living, so that no swarms of insects will be there, so that you may know without any doubt and acknowledge that ^bI, the LORD, am in the midst of the earth. 23 I will ¹put a division (distinction) between My people and your people. By tomorrow this sign shall be in evidence.”’” 24 Then the LORD did so. And there came heavy and oppressive swarms of bloodsucking insects into the house of Pharaoh and his servants’ houses; in all the land of Egypt the land was ^acorrupted and ruined because of the great invasion of insects.

25 Then Pharaoh ^acalled for Moses and Aaron and said, “^bGo, sacrifice to your God here in the land of Egypt.” 26 But Moses said, “It is not right or even possible to do that, for we will sacrifice to the LORD our God what is ^arepulsive and unacceptable to the Egyptians that is, animals that the Egyptians consider sacred. If we sacrifice what is repulsive and unacceptable to the Egyptians, will they not riot and stone us? 27 We must go a ^athree days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.” 28 So Pharaoh said, “^aI will let you go, so that you may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. ^bPlead with your God for me.” 29 Moses said, “I am going to leave you, and I will urgently petition (pray, entreat) the LORD that the swarms of insects may leave Pharaoh, his servants, and his people tomorrow; only do not let Pharaoh ^aact deceitfully again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.”

30 So ^aMoses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD on behalf of Pharaoh. 31 The LORD did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of bloodsucking insects from Pharaoh, from his servants and from his people; not one remained. 32 But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, ^aand he did not let the people go.