Exodus 8:20–32

The Plague of Flies

²⁰Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning^r and confront Pharaoh as he goes to the river and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Let my people go, so that they may worship^s me. ²¹If you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies on you and your officials, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians will be full of flies; even the ground will be covered with them.

²²“ ‘But on that day I will deal differently with the land of Goshen,^t where my people live;^u no swarms of flies will be there, so that you will know^v that I, the Lord, am in this land. ²³I will make a distinction^b between my people and your people.^w This sign will occur tomorrow.’ ”

²⁴And the Lord did this. Dense swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh’s palace and into the houses of his officials; throughout Egypt the land was ruined by the flies.^x

²⁵Then Pharaoh summoned^y Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land.”

²⁶But Moses said, “That would not be right. The sacrifices we offer the Lord our God would be detestable to the Egyptians.^z And if we offer sacrifices that are detestable in their eyes, will they not stone us? ²⁷We must take a three-day journey^a into the wilderness to offer sacrifices^b to the Lord our God, as he commands us.”

²⁸Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the wilderness, but you must not go very far. Now pray^c for me.”

²⁹Moses answered, “As soon as I leave you, I will pray to the Lord, and tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh and his officials and his people. Only let Pharaoh be sure that he does not act deceitfully^d again by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

³⁰Then Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord,^{e 31}and the Lord did what Moses asked. The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people; not a fly remained. ³²But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart^f and would not let the people go.