Exodus 8

2  Aharon held out his arm over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

3  But the magicians did the same with their spells, and brought frogs upon the land of Egypt.

4  Then Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon and said, “Plead with Hashem to remove the frogs from me and my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to Hashem.”

5  And Moshe said to Pharaoh, “You may have this triumph over me: for what time shall I plead in behalf of you and your courtiers and your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses, to remain only in the Nile?”

6  “For tomorrow,” he replied. And [Moshe] said, “As you say—that you may know that there is none like Hashem our God;

7  the frogs shall retreat from you and your courtiers and your people; they shall remain only in the Nile.”

8  Then Moshe and Aharon left Pharaoh’s presence, and Moshe cried out to Hashem in the matter of the frogs which He had inflicted upon Pharaoh.

9  And Hashem did as Moshe asked; the frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields.

10  And they piled them up in heaps, till the land stank.

11  But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he became stubborn and would not heed them, as Hashem had spoken.

12  Then Hashem said to Moshe, “Say to Aharon: Hold out your rod and strike the dust of the earth, and it shall turn to lice throughout the land of Egypt.”

13  And they did so. Aharon held out his arm with the rod and struck the dust of the earth, and vermin came upon man and beast; all the dust of the earth turned to lice throughout the land of Egypt.

14  The magicians did the like with their spells to produce lice, but they could not. The vermin remained upon man and beast;

15  and the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of Hashem!” But Pharaoh’s heart stiffened and he would not heed them, as Hashem had spoken.

16  And Hashem said to Moshe, “Early in the morning present yourself to Pharaoh, as he is coming out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says Hashem: Let My people go that they may worship Me.

17  For if you do not let My people go, I will let loose swarms of insects against you and your courtiers and your people and your houses; the houses of the Egyptians, and the very ground they stand on, shall be filled with swarms of insects.

18  But on that day I will set apart the region of Goshen, where My people dwell, so that no swarms of insects shall be there, that you may know that I Hashem am in the midst of the land.

19  And I will make a distinction between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall come to pass.’”

20  And Hashem did so. Heavy swarms of insects invaded Pharaoh’s palace and the houses of his courtiers; throughout the country of Egypt the land was ruined because of the swarms of insects.

21  Then Pharaoh summoned Moshe and Aharon and said, “Go and sacrifice to your God within the land.”

22  But Moshe replied, “It would not be right to do this, for what we sacrifice to Hashem our God is untouchable to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice that which is untouchable to the Egyptians before their very eyes, will they not stone us!

23  So we must go a distance of three days into the wilderness and sacrifice to Hashem our God as He may command us.”

24  Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to Hashem your God in the wilderness; but do not go very far. Plead, then, for me.”

25  And Moshe said, “When I leave your presence, I will plead with Hashem that the swarms of insects depart tomorrow from Pharaoh and his courtiers and his people; but let not Pharaoh again act deceitfully, not letting the people go to sacrifice to Hashem.”

26  So Moshe left Pharaoh’s presence and pleaded with Hashem.

27  And Hashem did as Moshe asked: He removed the swarms of insects from Pharaoh, from his courtiers, and from his people; not one remained.

28  But Pharaoh became stubborn this time also, and would not let the people go.