Exodus 8

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Say to Aaron, "Stretch out your hand with your staff, over the rivers, thecanals and the marshland, and bring the frogs up over the land of Egypt." '	1 The Lord also said to Moses: “Enter to Pharaoh, and you will say to him: ‘Thus says the Lord: Release my people in order to sacrifice to me.
2 So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the landof Egypt.	2 But if you are not willing to release them, behold, I will strike all your coasts with frogs.
3 But by their spel s the magicians did the same, bringing frogs over the land of Egypt.	3 And the river will seethe with frogs, which will go up and enter into your house, and your bedroom, and upon your bed, and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens, and into the remains of your foods.
4 Pharaoh then summoned Moses and Aaron and said, 'Entreat Yahweh to take the frogs away from meand my subjects, and I promise to let the people go and sacrifice to Yahweh.'	4 And to you, and to your people, and to all your servants, the frogs will enter.’ ”
5 Moses said to Pharaoh, 'You are the one to gain by it: when would you like me to pray for you, yourofficials and your subjects, so as to rid you and your houses of the frogs so that they wil be left only in theRiver?'	5 And the Lord said to Moses: “Say to Aaron: ‘Extend your hand over the rivers, and also over the streams and the marshes, and bring forth frogs over the land of Egypt.’ ”
6 'Tomorrow,' he said. Moses said, 'It shal be as you say, so that you wil know that there is no one likeYahweh our God.	6 And Aaron extended his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.
7 The frogs wil leave you, your houses, your officials and your subjects and wil be left only in the River.'	7 Then the sorcerers also, by their incantations, did similarly, and they brought forth frogs upon the land of Egypt.
8 Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh's presence, and Moses pleaded with Yahweh about the frogs which hehad inflicted on Pharaoh.	8 But Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and he said to them: “Pray to the Lord, so as to take away the frogs from me and from my people. And I will release the people, so as to sacrifice to the Lord.”
9 Yahweh did as Moses asked, and in house and courtyard and field the frogs died.	9 And Moses said to Pharaoh: “Appoint for me a time, when I should petition on behalf of you, and your servants, and your people, so that the frogs may be driven away from you, and from your house, and from your servants, and from your people, and so that they may remain only in the river.”
10 They piled them up in heaps and the country stank.	10 And he responded, “Tomorrow.” Then he said, “I will act according to your word, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God.
11 But once Pharaoh saw that there had been a respite, he became obstinate and, as Yahweh hadforetold, refused to listen to them.	11 And the frogs will withdraw from you, and from your house, and from your servants, and from your people. And they will remain only in the river.”
12 Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Say to Aaron, "Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, andit wil turn into mosquitoes throughout the whole of Egypt." '	12 And Moses and Aaron departed from Pharaoh. And Moses cried out to the Lord on behalf of the promise that he had made to Pharaoh concerning the frogs.
13 Aaron stretched out his hand, with his staff, and struck the dust of the earth, and there weremosquitoes on man and beast; al the dust of the earth turned into mosquitoes throughout the whole of Egypt.	13 And the Lord acted according to the word of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, and out of the villages, and out of the fields.
14 By their spel s the magicians tried to produce mosquitoes in the same way but failed, and there weremosquitoes on man and beast.	14 And they gathered them together into immense piles, and the land was polluted.
15 So the magicians said to Pharaoh, 'This is the finger of God.' But Pharaoh was obstinate and, asYahweh had foretold, refused to listen to them.	15 Then Pharaoh, seeing that relief had been provided, hardened his own heart, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had instructed.
16 Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he makes his wayto the water. Say to him, "Yahweh says this: Let my people go and worship me.	16 And the Lord said to Moses: “Say to Aaron: ‘Extend your staff and strike the dust of the earth. And let there be stinging insects throughout the entire the land of Egypt.’ ”
17 But if you wil not let my people go, I shal send horseflies on you, on your officials, your subjects andyour houses. The Egyptians' houses wil swarm with horseflies, and so wil the very ground they stand on.	17 And they did so. And Aaron extended his hand, holding the staff, and he struck the dust of the earth, and there came stinging insects upon men and upon beasts. All the dust of the earth was turned into stinging insects through all the land of Egypt.
18 But I shal exempt the region of Goshen, where my people are living, that day; there will be nohorseflies there, so that you will know that I am Yahweh, here in this country.	18 And the sorcerers, with their incantations, did similarly, in order to bring forth stinging insects, but they were not able. And there were stinging insects, as much on men as on beasts.
19 I shal make a distinction between my people and your people. This sign wil take place tomorrow." '	19 And the sorcerers said to Pharaoh: “This is the finger of God.” And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had instructed.
20 Yahweh did this, and great swarms of horseflies found their way into Pharaoh's palace, into hisofficials' houses and al over Egypt; the country was ruined by the horseflies.	20 The Lord also said to Moses: “Arise at first light, and stand in the sight of Pharaoh, for he will go out to the waters. And you will say to him: ‘Thus says the Lord: Release my people to sacrifice to me.
21 Pharaoh then summoned Moses and Aaron and said, 'Go and sacrifice to your God, inside thecountry.'	21 But if you will not release them, behold, I will send upon you, and upon your servants, and upon your people, and into your houses, diverse kinds of flies. And the houses of the Egyptians will be filled with diverse kinds of flies, as well as the whole land in which they will be.
22 'That would never do,' Moses said, 'since what we sacrifice to Yahweh our God is outrageous to theEgyptians. If the Egyptians see us offering sacrifices which outrage them, won't they stone us?	22 And in that day, I will cause a miracle in the land of Goshen, where my people are, so that flies will not be there. And you will know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.
23 We shal make a three-days' journey into the desert to sacrifice to Yahweh our God, as he has orderedus.'	23 And I will set a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign will be.’ ”
24 Pharaoh said, 'I wil let you go and sacrifice to Yahweh your God in the desert, provided you do not govery far. Pray for me.'	24 And the Lord did so. And there came very grievous flies into the houses of Pharaoh and of his servants, and into all the land of Egypt. And the land was polluted, in this way, by the flies.
25 'The moment I leave you,' Moses said, 'I shal pray to Yahweh. Tomorrow morning the horseflies willeave Pharaoh, his officials and his subjects. But Pharaoh must stop trifling with us by not al owing the people togo and sacrifice to Yahweh.'	25 And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and he said to them, “Go and sacrifice to your God in this land.”
26 Moses then left Pharaoh's presence and prayed to Yahweh,	26 And Moses said: “It cannot be so. For we will immolate the abominations of the Egyptians to the Lord our God. For if we slaughter those things which the Egyptians worship, in their presence, they will stone us.
27 and Yahweh did as Moses asked; the horseflies left Pharaoh, his officials and his subjects; not oneremained.	27 We will sojourn three days’ journey into the wilderness. And we will sacrifice to the Lord our God, just as he has instructed us.”
28 But Pharaoh became obstinate this time too and did not let the people go.	28 And Pharaoh said: “I will release you in order to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the desert. Yet you may only go so far. Petition for me.”
	29 And Moses said: “After departing from you, I will pray to the Lord. And the flies will withdraw from Pharaoh, and from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Yet do not be willing to deceive any longer, so that you would not release the people to sacrifice to the Lord.”
	30 And Moses, departing from Pharaoh, prayed to the Lord.
	31 And he acted according to his word. And he took away the flies from Pharaoh, and from his servants, and from his people. There was not even one left behind.
	32 And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, so that, even at this turn, he would not release the people.