Shamuth (Exodus) — 8

A Plague of Frogs

1 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Musha, “Go back to Phar'uh and announce to him, ‘This is what 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. 

2 If you refuse to let them go, I will send a plague of frogs across your entire land. 

3 The Nila River will swarm with frogs. They will come up out of the river and into your palace, even into your bedroom and onto your bed! They will enter the houses of your officials and your people. They will even jump into your ovens and your kneading bowls. 

4 Frogs will jump on you, your people and all your officials.’”

5 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Musha, “Tell Aarun, ‘Raise the staff in your hand over all the rivers, canals and ponds of Mitzraym and bring up frogs over all the land.’” 

6 So Aarun raised his hand over the waters of Mitzraym and frogs came up and covered the whole land! 

7 But the magicians were able to do the same thing with their magic. They too, caused frogs to come up on the land of Mitzraym.

8 Then Phar'uh summoned Musha and Aarun and begged, “Plead with 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH to take the frogs away from me and my people. I will let your people go, so they can offer sacrifices to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.”

9 “You set the time!” Musha replied. “Tell me when you want me to pray for you, your officials and your people. Then you and your houses will be rid of the frogs. They will remain only in the Nila River.”

10 “And Phar'uh said Do it tomorrow, “All right,” Musha replied, “it will be as you have said. Then you will know that there is no one like 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH. 

11 The frogs will leave you and your houses, your officials and your people. They will remain only in the Nila River.”

12 So Musha and Aarun left Pharuh’s palace, and Musha cried out to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH about the frogs he had inflicted on Pharuh. 

13 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH did just what Musha had said. The frogs in the houses, the courtyards and the fields all died. 

14 The Mitzraym piled them into great heaps, and a terrible stench filled the land. 

15 But when Pharuh saw that relief had come, he became stubborn. He refused to listen to Musha and Aarun, just as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  had said.

A Plague of Gnats

16 So 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Musha, “Tell Aarun, ‘Raise your staff and strike the ground. The dust will turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Mitzraym.’” 

17 So Musha and Aarun did just as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had commanded them. When Aarun raised his hand and struck the ground with his staff, gnats infested the entire land, covering the Mitzraym and their animals. All the dust in the land of Mitzraym turned into gnats. 

18 Pharuh’s magicians tried to do the same thing with their secret arts, but this time they failed, and the gnats covered everyone, people and animals alike.

19 “This is the finger of 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH (AL'Mighty ONE)!” the magicians exclaimed to Phar'uh. But Pharuh’s heart remained hard. He wouldn’t listen to them, just as 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had said to Musha.

A Plague of Flies

20 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Musha, “Get up early in the morning and stand in Pharuh’s way as he goes down to the river. Say to him, ‘This is what 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. 

21 If you refuse, then I will send swarms of flies on you, your officials, your people, and all the houses. The Mitzraym homes will be filled with flies and the ground will be covered with them. 

22 But this time I will spare the region of Gushan, where my people live. No flies will be found there. Then you will know that I am 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH and that I am present even in the heart of your land. 

23 I will make a clear distinction between my people and your people. This miraculous sign will happen tomorrow.’”

24 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH did just as he had Dabar. A thick swarm of flies filled Pharuh’s palace and the houses of his officials. The whole land of Mitzraym was thrown into chaos by the flies.

25 Phar'uh called for Musha and Aarun. “All right! Go ahead and offer sacrifices to your 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, “But do it here in this land.”

26 But Musha replied, “That wouldn’t be right. The Mitzraym detest the sacrifices that we offer to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH. Look, if we offer our sacrifices here where the Mitzraym can see us, they will stone us. 

27 We must take a three-day trip into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, just as he has commanded us.”

28 “All right, go ahead,” Phar'uh replied. “I will let you go into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH your  𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH. But don’t go too far away. Now hurry and pray for me.”

29 Musha answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH and tomorrow the swarms of flies will disappear from you and your officials and all your people. But I am warning you Pharuh, don’t lie to us again and refuse to let the people go to sacrifice to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.”

30 So Musha left Pharuh’s palace and pleaded with 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH to remove all the flies. 

31 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH did as Musha asked and caused the swarms of flies to disappear from Pharuh, his officials, and his people. Not a single fly remained. 

32 But Pharuh again became stubborn and refused to let the people go.