The Second Plague: Frogs
1. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
2. But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your territory with frogs.
3. The 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.
4. The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”
5. And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, canals, and ponds, and cause the frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.’”
6. So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.
7. But the magicians did the same things by their magic arts, and they also brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.
8. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go, so that they may sacrifice to the LORD.”
9. “You decide when I am to plead for you, your officials, and your people,” Moses replied, “that the frogs may be taken away from you and your houses, and remain only in the Nile.”
10. “Tomorrow,” Pharaoh answered. So Moses replied, “As you say, so you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God,
11. The frogs will depart from you and your houses, your officials, and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”
12. After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the LORD about the frogs He had brought upon Pharaoh.
13. And the LORD did as Moses requested, and the frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards, and in the fields.
14. They piled them in countless heaps, and the land reeked.
15. But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.
The Third Plague: Gnats
16. Then the LORD 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.’”
17. And they did this. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff, and when he 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.
18. But when the magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, they could not. 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 the LORD had said.
The Fourth Plague: Flies
20. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he goes to the water, and tell him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.
21. But if you refuse to let My people go, then I will send swarms of flies upon you, your officials, your people, and your houses. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground where they stand will be full of flies.
22. But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where My people dwell, so that no swarms of flies will be there, in order that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the land.
23. I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’”
24. And the LORD did this. Thick swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials; throughout Egypt the land was ruined by swarms of flies.
25. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.”
26. But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, for the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us?
27. We must go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.”
28. Pharaoh answered, “I will let you go to sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.”
29. “As soon as I leave you,” Moses said, “I will pray to the LORD that the swarms of flies will depart tomorrow from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. But Pharaoh must not deceive us again by refusing to let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.”
30. So Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD,
31. and the LORD did as Moses requested; He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people; not one fly remained.
32. But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also and did not let the people go.