Exodus 8:20-32

The Fourth Plague: Flies

20Then the Lord said to Moses, a“Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, b“Let my people go, that they may serve me. 21Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. 22But on that day cI will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, dthat you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.
Or that I the Lord am in the land
23Thus I will put a division
Septuagint, Vulgate; Hebrew set redemption
between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen.”’”
24And the Lord did so. gThere came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servantshouses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.

25Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land.” 26But Moses said, “It would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the Lord our God are an habomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings iabominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us? 27We must go jthree daysjourney into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God kas he tells us.” 28So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away. lPlead for me.” 29Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you and I will plead with the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh mcheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.” 30So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. 31And the Lord did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained. 32But Pharaoh nhardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.

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