Episode 27: Frogs, lice, and flies

(Exodus 8)

The second plague: Frogs

8 ¹ God said to Moses,

Go to the Pharaoh and say to him,

This is what God says,

Let my people go, so they can serve me.

² If you refuse, I'll smite your land with frogs.

Frogs will come into your house, your bed, your people, and your ovens.

⁵ God said to Moses,

Say to Aaron,

Stretch your hand over the waters and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.

⁶ Aaron did that, and frogs came up over the land of Egypt.

⁷ After Aaron brought frogs up all over Egypt, the Pharaoh's magicians did the exact same thing.

⁸ Then the Pharaoh said to Aaron and Moses,

If you ask God to get rid of the frogs, I'll let the people go sacrifice to him.

⁹ Moses said to him, "When would you like me to ask God to do that?"

¹⁰ Pharaoh said, "Tomorrow."

Moses said, "OK. I'll ask him to get rid of the frogs tomorrow."

¹² So the next day, Moses cried out to God about the frogs. And God killed the frogs in the houses, farms, and among the people, keeping them alive only in the river.

¹⁴ After God killed the frogs, their bodies were gathered together into piles, and the land stank.

¹⁵ But the Pharaoh hardened his heart (just like God said he would).

The third plague: Lice

¹⁶ God said to Moses,

Tell Aaron to smite the dust with his rod to create lice everywhere in Egypt.

¹⁷ So Aaron smote the dust with his rod, and the dust became lice in man and beast throughout Egypt.

¹⁸ Pharaoh's magicians tried but couldn't create lice with their enchantments.

¹⁹ So they said to the Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God."

The fourth plague: Flies

²⁰ God said to Moses,

Get up early tomorrow and say to the Pharaoh,

Let my people go, so they can serve me, ²¹ or I'll send swarms of flies on you, your people, your houses, and the ground.

²² (Except in the land of Goshen, where my people live. There won't be any flies there.

²³ I discriminate between my people and everyone else. That way everyone will know that I am God.)

²⁴ So God sent flies on everyone in Egypt. The whole land was corrupted because of the flies.

25 The Pharaoh called Moses and said to him, "Go sacrifice to your God."

³⁰ So Moses asked God to remove the flies. ³¹And God removed the flies from Egypt.

³² But the Pharaoh hardened his heart and wouldn't let the people go.