Exodus 8:16-32 ▼

16 And YHWH said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the land, and it shall become gnats in all the land of Egypt.’”

17 And they did so, and Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the land, and it became the gnat on the man and on the beast. All the dust of the land became gnats in all the land of Egypt.

18 And the magicians with their secret arts did so to bring forth the gnats, and they could not. And the gnat was on the man and on the beast.

19 And the magicians said to Pharaoh, “It is the finger of God.” And the heart of Pharaoh was strengthened, and he did not listen to them, as YHWH had spoken.

20 And YHWH said to Moses, “Rise early in the morning and stand before the face of Pharaoh—behold, he is going out to the water—and say to him, thus says YHWH: ‘Send out My people, that they may serve Me.

21 For if you will not send out My people, behold, I am sending on you and on your servants and on your people and into your houses the swarm. And the houses of Egypt shall be full of the swarm, and also the ground on which they are.

22 And I will set apart in that day the land of Goshen, in which My people are standing, that no swarm shall be there, in order that you may know that I, YHWH, am in the midst of the land.

23 And I will make a distinction between My people and between your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.’”

24 And YHWH did so, and heavy swarms came into the house of Pharaoh and the house of his servants, and into all the land of Egypt; the land was ruined from before the swarm.

25 And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your? God in the land.”

26 And Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for the abomination of Egypt we shall sacrifice to YHWH our God. Behold, shall we sacrifice the abomination of Egypt before their eyes, and will they not stone us?

27 A journey of three days we will go into the wilderness, and we will sacrifice to YHWH our God, as He says to us.”

28 And Pharaoh said, “I will send you? out, and you? shall sacrifice to YHWH your? God in the wilderness. Only you? shall not go very far away. Pray for me.”

29 And Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you, and I will pray to YHWH, and the swarm shall depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people tomorrow. Only let Pharaoh not again deal deceitfully in not sending out the people to sacrifice to YHWH.”

30 And Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to YHWH.

31 And YHWH did according to the word of Moses, and He removed the swarm from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained.

32 And Pharaoh made heavy his heart also at this time, and he did not send out the people.