The Second Plague: Frogs

¹Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.

²But if you refuse to let them go, I will plague your whole country with frogs.

³The Nile will teem with frogs, and they will come into your palace and up to your bedroom and onto your bed, into the houses of your officials and your people, and into your ovens and kneading bowls.

⁴The frogs will come up on you and your people and all your officials.’”

⁵And the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers and canals and ponds, and cause the frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.’”

⁶So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

⁷But the magicians did the same thing by their magic arts, and they also brought frogs up onto the land of Egypt.

⁸Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Pray to the LORD to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I will let your people go, that they may sacrifice to the LORD.”

⁹Moses said to Pharaoh, “You may have the honor over me. When shall I pray for you and your officials and your people that the frogs (except for those in the Nile) may be taken away from you and your houses?”

¹⁰“Tomorrow,” Pharaoh answered.“May it be as you say,” Moses replied, “so that you may know that there is no one like the LORD our God.

¹¹The frogs will depart from you and your houses and your officials and your people; they will remain only in the Nile.”

¹²After Moses and Aaron had left Pharaoh, Moses cried out to the LORD for help with the frogs that He had brought against Pharaoh.

¹³And the LORD did as Moses requested, and the frogs in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields died.

¹⁴They were piled into countless heaps, and there was a terrible stench in the land.

¹⁵When Pharaoh saw that there was relief, however, he hardenedhis heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD had said.

The Third Plague: Gnats

¹⁶Then the LORD said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, that it may turn into swarms of gnats throughout the land of Egypt.’”

¹⁷This they did, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, gnats came upon man and beast. All the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the land of Egypt.

¹⁸The magicians tried to produce gnats using their magic arts, but they could not. And the gnats remained on man and beast.

¹⁹“This is the finger of God,” the magicians said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened,and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said.

The Fourth Plague: Flies

²⁰Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, and when Pharaoh goes out to the water, stand before him and tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.

²¹But if you will not let My people go, I will send swarms of fliesupon you and your officials and your people and your houses. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground where they stand will be full of flies.

²²But on that day I will give special treatment to the land of Goshen, where My people live; no swarms of flies will be found there. In this way you will know that I, the LORD, am in the land.

²³I will make a distinctionbetween My people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.’”

²⁴And the LORD did so. Thick swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials. Throughout Egypt the land was ruined by swarms of flies.

²⁵Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within this land.”

²⁶But Moses replied, “It would not be right to do that, because the sacrifices we offer to the LORD our God would be detestable to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices that are detestable before the Egyptians, will they not stone us?

²⁷We must make a three-day journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God as He commands us.”

²⁸Pharaoh answered, “I will let you go and sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray for me.”

²⁹“As soon as I leave you,” Moses said, “I will pray to the LORD, so that tomorrow the swarms of flies will depart from Pharaoh and his officials and his people. But Pharaoh must not act deceitfully again by refusing to let the people go and sacrifice to the LORD.”

³⁰Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD,

³¹and the LORD did as Moses requested. He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not one fly remained.

³²But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time as well, and he would not let the people go.

The Fifth Plague: Livestock

¹Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.

²But if you continue to restrain them and refuse to let them go,

³then the hand of the LORD will bring a severe plague on your livestock in the field—on your horses, donkeys, camels, herds, and flocks.

⁴But the LORD will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt, so that no animal belonging to the Israelites will die.’”

⁵The LORD set a time, saying, “Tomorrow the LORD will do this in the land.”

⁶And the next day the LORD did just that. All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died.

⁷Pharaoh sent officials and found that none of the livestock of the Israelites had died. But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened,and he would not let the people go.

The Sixth Plague: Boils

⁸Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from the furnace; in the sight of Pharaoh, Moses is to toss it into the air.

⁹It will become fine dust over all the land of Egypt, and festering boils will break out on man and beast throughout the land.”

¹⁰So they took soot from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh. Moses tossed it into the air, and festering boils broke out on man and beast.

¹¹The magicians could not stand before Moses, because the boils had broken out on them and on all the Egyptians.

¹²But the LORD hardenedPharaoh’s heart, and he would not listen to them, just as the LORD had said to Moses.

The Seventh Plague: Hail

¹³Then the LORD said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, stand before Pharaoh, and tell him that this is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘Let My people go, so that they may worship Me.

¹⁴Otherwise, I will send all My plagues against youand your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like Me in all the earth.

¹⁵For by this time I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague to wipe you off the earth.

¹⁶But I have raised you upfor this very purpose, that I might display My power to you,and that My name might be proclaimed in all the earth.

¹⁷Still, you lord it over My people and do not allow them to go.

¹⁸Behold, at this time tomorrow I will rain down the worst hail that has ever fallen on Egypt, from the day it was founded until now.

¹⁹So give orders now to shelter your livestock and everything you have in the field. Every man or beast that remains in the field and is not brought inside will die when the hail comes down upon them.’”

²⁰Those among Pharaoh’s officials who feared the word of the LORD hurried to bring their servants and livestock to shelter,

²¹but those who disregarded the word of the LORD left their servants and livestock in the field.

²²Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that hail may fall on all the land of Egypt—on man and beast and every plant of the field throughout the land of Egypt.”

²³So Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. So the LORD rained down hail upon the land of Egypt.

²⁴The hail fell and the lightning continued flashing through it. The hail was so severe that nothing like it had ever been seen in all the land of Egypt from the time it became a nation.

²⁵Throughout the land of Egypt, the hail struck down everything in the field, both man and beast; it beat down every plant of the field and stripped every tree.

²⁶The only place where it did not hail was in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived.

²⁷Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron. “This time I have sinned,” he said. “The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

²⁸Pray to the LORD, for there has been enough of God’s thunder and hail. I will let you go; you do not need to stay any longer.”

²⁹Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.

³⁰But as for you and your officials, I know that you still do not fear the LORD our God.”

³¹(Now the flax and barley were destroyed, since the barley was ripe and the flax was in bloom;

³²but the wheat and spelt were not destroyed, because they are late crops.)

³³Then Moses departed from Pharaoh, went out of the city, and spread out his hands to the LORD. The thunder and hail ceased, and the rain no longer poured down on the land.

³⁴When Pharaoh saw that the rain and hail and thunder had ceased, he sinned again and hardened his heart—he and his officials.

³⁵So Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not let the Israelites go, just as the LORD had said through Moses.

The Eighth Plague: Locusts

¹Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardenedhis heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them,

²and that you may tell your children and grandchildren how severely I dealt with the Egyptians when I performed miraculous signs among them, so that all of you may know that I am the LORD.”

³So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told 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 worship Me.

⁴But if you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow.

⁵They will cover the face of the land so that no one can see it. They will devour whatever is left after the hail and eat every tree that grows in your fields.

⁶They will fill your houses and the houses of all your officials and every Egyptian—something neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen since the day they came into this land.’”Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh’s presence.

⁷Pharaoh’s officials asked him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt lies in ruins?”

⁸So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the LORD your God,” he said. “But who exactly will be going?”

⁹“We will go with our young and old,” Moses replied. “We will go with our sons and daughters, and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD.”

¹⁰Then Pharaoh told them, “May the LORD be with you if I ever let you go with your little ones. Clearly you are bent on evil.

¹¹No, only the men may go and worship the LORD, since that is what you have been requesting.” And Moses and Aaron were driven from Pharaoh’s presence.

¹²Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, so that the locusts may swarm over it and devour every plant in the land—everything that the hail has left behind.”

¹³So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and throughout that day and night the LORD sent an east wind across the land. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts.

¹⁴The locusts swarmed across the land and settled over the entire territory of Egypt. Never before had there been so many locusts, and never again will there be.

¹⁵They covered the face of all the land until it was black, and they consumed all the plants on the ground and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left behind. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.

¹⁶Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you.

¹⁷Now please forgive my sin once more and appeal to the LORD your God, that He may remove this death from me.”

¹⁸So Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and appealed to the LORD.

¹⁹And the LORD changed the wind to a very strong west wind that carried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea.Not a single locust remained anywhere in Egypt.

²⁰But the LORD hardenedPharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.

The Ninth Plague: Darkness

²¹Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness may spread over the land of Egypt—a palpable darkness.”

²²So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and total darkness covered all the land of Egypt for three days.

²³No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.

²⁴Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the LORD. Even your little ones may go with you; only your flocks and herds must stay behind.”

²⁵But Moses replied, “You must also provide us with sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the LORD our God.

²⁶Even our livestock must go with us; not a hoof will be left behind, for we will need some of them to worship the LORD our God, and we will not know how we are to worship the LORD until we arrive.”

²⁷But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was unwilling to let them go.

²⁸“Depart from me!” Pharaoh said to Moses. “Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die.”

²⁹“As you say,” Moses replied, “I will never see your face again.”

Tell of His Wonders

¹Give thanks to the LORD, call upon His name;make known His deeds among the nations.

²Sing to Him, sing praises to Him;tell of all His wonders.

³Glory in His holy name;let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

⁴Seek out the LORD and His strength;seek His face always.

⁵Remember the wonders He has done,His marvels, and the judgments He has pronounced,

⁶O offspring of His servant Abraham,O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones.

⁷He is the LORD our God;His judgments carry throughout the earth.

⁸He remembers His covenant forever,the word He ordained for a thousand generations—

⁹the covenant He made with Abraham,and the oath He swore to Isaac.

¹⁰He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,to Israel as an everlasting covenant:

¹¹“I will give you the land of Canaanas the portion of your inheritance.”

¹²When they were few in number,few indeed, and strangers in the land,

¹³they wandered from nation to nation,from one kingdom to another.

¹⁴He let no man oppress them;He rebuked kings on their behalf:

¹⁵“Do not touch My anointed ones!Do no harm to My prophets!”

¹⁶He called down famine on the landand cut off all their suppliesof food.

¹⁷He sent a man before them—Joseph, sold as a slave.

¹⁸They bruised his feet with shacklesand placed his neck in irons,

¹⁹until his prediction came trueand the word of the LORD proved him right.

²⁰The king sent and released him;the ruler of peoples set him free.

²¹He made him master of his household,ruler over all his substance,

²²to instructhis princes as he pleasedand teach his elders wisdom.

²³Then Israel entered Egypt;Jacob dwelt in the land of Ham.

²⁴And the LORD made His people very fruitful,more numerous than their foes,

²⁵whose hearts He turned to hate His people,to conspire against His servants.

²⁶He sent Moses His servant,and Aaron, whom He had chosen.

²⁷They performed His miraculous signs among them,and wonders in the land of Ham.

²⁸He sent darkness, and it became dark—yet they defied His words.

²⁹He turned their waters to bloodand caused their fish to die.

³⁰Their land teemed with frogs,even in their royal chambers.

³¹He spoke, and insects swarmed—gnats throughout their country.

³²He gave them hail for rain,with lightning throughout their land.

³³He struck their vines and fig treesand shattered the trees of their country.

³⁴He spoke, and the locusts came—young locusts without number.

³⁵They devoured every plant in their landand consumed the produce of their soil.

³⁶Then He struck all the firstborn in their land,the firstfruits of all their vigor.

³⁷He brought Israel out with silver and gold,and none among His tribes stumbled.

³⁸Egypt was glad when they departed,for the dread of Israel had fallen on them.

³⁹He spread a cloud as a coveringand a fire to light up the night.

⁴⁰They asked, and He brought quailand satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

⁴¹He opened a rock, and water gushed out;it flowed like a river in the desert.

⁴²For He remembered His holy promiseto Abraham His servant.

⁴³He brought forth His people with rejoicing,His chosen with shouts of joy.

⁴⁴He gave them the lands of the nations,that they might inherit the fruit of others’ labor,

⁴⁵that they might keep His statutesand obey His laws.Hallelujah!