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Exodus 8

1Yahweh said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what Yahweh says: Let my people go so that they may serve me. 2If you refuse to let them go, look, I am going to strike your whole territory with frogs. 3The Nile will swarm with frogs. They will come up into your house, into your bedroom and onto your bed, into your servants' houses and among your people, into your ovens and your kneading bowls. 4The frogs will come up on you, on your people, and on all your servants.’” 5Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, the channels, and the pools, and bring up the frogs over the land of Egypt.’” 6Aaron stretched out his hand over Egypt's waters, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7The magicians did the same with their secret arts and brought up frogs over the land of Egypt.

8Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with Yahweh to remove the frogs from me and my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to Yahweh.” 9Moses said to Pharaoh, “You may have the honor: for when shall I plead for you, your servants, and your people, to cut off the frogs from you and your houses, leaving them only in the Nile?” 10He said, “Tomorrow.” He said, “It will be as you say, so that you may know there is no one like Yahweh our God. 11The frogs will leave you and your houses, your servants and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.” 12Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried out to Yahweh about the frogs he had brought upon Pharaoh. 13Yahweh did as Moses said, and the frogs died in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields. 14They piled them in heaps upon heaps, and the land stank. 15But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he made his heart heavy and did not listen to them, just as Yahweh had said.

16Yahweh said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the ground, so that it becomes gnats throughout the land of Egypt.’” 17They did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the ground, and gnats came upon humans and animals. All the dust of the ground became gnats throughout the land of Egypt. 18The magicians tried with their secret arts to bring forth gnats, but they could not. The gnats were on humans and animals. 19The magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh's heart grew firm, and he did not listen to them, just as Yahweh had said.

20Yahweh said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he goes out to the water. Say to him, ‘This is what Yahweh says: Let my people go so that they may serve me. 21For if you do not let my people go, look, I will send swarms upon you, your servants, your people, and your houses. The Egyptians' houses will be filled with the swarms, and so will the ground on which they stand. 22But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people live, so that no swarms will be there. Thus you will know that I, Yahweh, am in the midst of the land. 23I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will take place.’” 24Yahweh did so. Heavy swarms came into Pharaoh's house and his servants' houses. Throughout the land of Egypt, the land was being ruined by the swarms.

25Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” 26Moses said, “It would not be right to do so, for what we sacrifice to Yahweh our God is detestable to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is detestable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? 27We must go a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to Yahweh our God as he tells us.” 28Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Plead for me.” 29Moses said, “Look, I am going out from you, and I will plead with Yahweh. Tomorrow the swarms will leave Pharaoh, his servants, and his people. Only, Pharaoh must not deceive us again by refusing to let the people go to sacrifice to Yahweh.” 30Moses went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with Yahweh. 31Yahweh did as Moses said and removed the swarms from Pharaoh, his servants, and his people. Not one remained. 32But Pharaoh made his heart heavy this time also and did not let the people go.

Translation notes 7

8:1–32 — Numbering. Verses 1–4 correspond to Hebrew 7:26–29, and verses 5–32 to Hebrew 8:1–28. The reading text uses familiar English references throughout.

8:9 — You may have the honor. The Hebrew uses the verb for boasting or glorying, literally “over me.” In context Moses gives Pharaoh the privilege of naming the time for the frogs' removal.

8:16 — Gnats. The precise insect is uncertain. “Lice” and other biting insects have been proposed; the Hebrew does not supply a modern species identification.

8:19 — God. The magicians' expression could also mean “a god.” The text reports their acknowledgment of divine action without explaining how fully they understand Yahweh's identity.

8:21 — Swarms. The Hebrew does not specify what creatures form these swarms. Flies or other insects are commonly understood; the draft leaves the identification open.

8:23 — Division. The Hebrew noun usually concerns ransom or redemption; here it is understood as distinguishing or setting apart the two peoples. “Redemption” is a more literal alternative, but its precise force in this sentence is uncertain.

8:26 — Detestable. Moses speaks of Egyptian revulsion at Israel's sacrifices. Whether the objection is to killing animals Egyptians hold sacred or to the sacrifice more generally is not specified.