Exodus

8 Then said Yahweh unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh,—then shalt thou say unto him—Thus saith Yahweh,—Let my people go that they may serve me.

2 But if thou art refusing to let them go, lo! I am plaguing all thy boundaries with frogs;

3 so shall the river swarm with frogs, and they shall come up and enter into thy house, and into thy bedchamber and upon thy couch,—and into the house of thy servants and among thy people, and into thine ovens and into thy kneading-troughs:

4 both against thee and against thy people and against all thy servants shall come up the frogs.

5 Then said Yahweh unto Moses, Say unto Aaron—Stretch forth thy hand with thy staff, over the streams, over the rivers, and over the pools,—and bring up the frogs over the land of Egypt.

6 So Aaron stretched forth his hand, over the waters of Egypt,—and the frog came up, and covered the land of Egypt.

7 And the sacred scribes did in like manner with their secret arts,—and brought up frogs over the land of Egypt.

8 Then called Pharaoh for Moses and for Aaron and said—Make entreaty unto Yahweh, that he take away the frogs from me and from my people,—and I must let the people go that they may sacrifice to Yahweh.

9 And Moses said to Pharaoh—Explain thyself unto me: For what time shall I make entreaty for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to cause the frogs to be cut off, from thee and from thy houses,—only in the river shall they remain?

10 And he said—For to-morrow. And he said—According to thy word! that thou mayest know that there is none like Yahweh our God:

11 so the frogs shall depart—from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people,—only in the river shall they remain.

12 Then went forth Moses and Aaron from Pharaoh,—and Moses made outcry unto Yahweh, over the matter of the frogs which he had appointed for Pharaoh.

13 And Yahweh did according to the word of Moses,—and the frogs died, out of the houses, and out of the yards, and out of the fields;

14 and they piled them up, heaps—heaps,—and the land became loathsome.

15 But when Pharaoh saw that there had come a respite, then made he his heart dull and hearkened not unto them,—as spake Yahweh.

16 Then said Yahweh unto Moses, Say unto Aaron—Stretch forth thy staff, and smite the dust of the land,—so shall it become gnats in all the land of Egypt.

17 And they did so, and Aaron stretched forth his hand with his staff and smote the dust of the land, and there came to be gnats, among men and among beasts,—all the dust of the land became gnats, in all the land of Egypt.

18 And the sacred scribes did in like manner with their secret arts to bring forth the gnats, but they could not. So there came to be gnats, among men and among beasts.

19 Then said the sacred scribes unto Pharaoh, The finger of God it is! But the heart of Pharaoh waxed bold, and he hearkened not unto them, as spake Yahweh.

20 Then said Yahweh unto Moses—Rise thou early in the morning and station thyself before Pharaoh, lo! he is coming forth to the waters,—then shalt thou say unto him—Thus saith Yahweh: Let my people go, that they may serve me.

21 But if thou art not letting my people go, behold me! sending forth—against thee, and against thy servants, and against thy people, and against thy houses, the gad-fly,—and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of the gad-fly, moreover also the ground whereon they are:

22 then will I make to differ on that day the land of Goshen, wherein my people do dwell, so that there shall not be there a gad-fly! in order that thou mayest know, that I, Yahweh, am in the midst of the land;

23 so will I put a separation betwixt my people and thy people. By to-morrow shall come to pass this sign.

24 And Yahweh did so, and brought a grievous gad-fly unto the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants, and in all the land of Egypt, and the land was laid waste by reason of the gad-fly.

25 Then did Pharaoh cry out—unto Moses and to Aaron,—and said—Go your way, sacrifice to your God in the land.

26 And Moses said: Not meet is it to do thus, for an abomination to the Egyptians we should sacrifice to Yahweh our God. Lo! could we sacrifice that which is an abomination to the Egyptians before their eyes, and they not stone us?

27 A journey of three days must we go in the desert,—then will we sacrifice to Yahweh our God, as Yahweh hath said unto us.

28 Then said Pharaoh: I will let you go—so shall ye sacrifice to Yahweh your God in the desert, only ye shall not go a very long journey,—make ye entreaty for me.

29 And Moses said: Lo! I am going out from thee, and will make entreaty unto Yahweh, so will he take away the gad-fly—from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to-morrow,—only let not Pharaoh again deceive, in not letting the people go, to sacrifice to Yahweh.

30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh,—and made entreaty unto Yahweh.

31 And Yahweh did according to the word of Moses, and took away the gad-fly, from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people,—there remained not one.

32 And Pharaoh made his heart dull, this time also,—and did not let the people go.