Study Desk

Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Plead with the LORD to remove the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, so that they may sacrifice to the LORD."

And Moses said to Pharaoh, "The honor is yours to tell me: when shall I plead for you and your servants and your people, that the frogs be destroyed from you and your houses, that they be left only in the Nile?"

"The frogs will depart from you and your houses, and from your servants and your people; they will be left only in the Nile."

So they piled them in heaps, and the land stank.

They did so; and Aaron extended his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on every person and animal. All the dust of the earth turned into gnats through all the land of Egypt.

The soothsayer priests tried with their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not; so there were gnats on every person and animal.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Rise early in the morning and present yourself before Pharaoh, as he comes out to the water; and say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: "Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.

"For if you are not going to let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and on your servants and on your people, and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they live.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and speak to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews says: "Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.

And Pharaoh sent men, and they learned that, behold, not even one of the livestock of Israel was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

So they took soot from a kiln, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses tossed it toward the sky, and it became boils breaking out with sores on every person and animal.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh and say to him, 'This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews says: "Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.

But the wheat and the spelt were not ruined, for they ripen late.)

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, "This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews says: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.

'And they will cover the surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the land. They will also eat the rest of what has survived—what is left to you from the hail—and they will eat every tree of yours which grows in the field.

'Then your houses will be filled with them, together with the houses of all your servants and the houses of all the Egyptians, something which neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day that they came upon the earth until this day.'" And he turned and left Pharaoh.

"Not so! Go now, but only the men among you, and serve the LORD, since that is what you desire." So they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Reach out with your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come up on the land of Egypt and eat every plant of the land, everything that the hail has left."

The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled in all the territory of Egypt; they were very numerous. There had never been so many locusts, nor would there be so many again.

For they covered the surface of the whole land, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Therefore nothing green was left on tree or plant of the field throughout the land of Egypt.