Exodus 8

1 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Moses [the Israelite leader], “Go to Pharaoh [the ruler of Egypt] and tell him that this is what the LORD [the supreme God] says: ‘Let My people [the Israelites, My chosen ones] go, so that they may worship [serve, give reverence to] Me [the one true God]. word study 2 But if you refuse [to release them] to let them go, I will plague [strike, smite, send a punishment] your whole country [all thy borders, every part of your land] with frogs [the marsh-leaping animal]. word study 3 The Nile [river of Egypt, lifeblood of the land] will teem [swarm, be filled] with frogs [marsh-leaping animals, a plague], and they will come into your palace [royal residence, seat of power] and up to your bedroom [chamber, private quarters] and onto your bed [place of rest, throne], into the houses [homes, dwellings] of your officials [servants, attendants] and your people [nation, subjects], and into your ovens [places of baking, kitchens] and kneading bowls [vessels for mixing, preparation areas]. word study 4 The frogs [marsh-leaping animals, a plague] will come up [climb, jump] on you [Pharaoh, the ruler] and your people [nation, Israel] and all your officials [servants, leaders].’” word study 5 And the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand [in faith and obedience] with your staff over the rivers [streams, waterways] and canals [artificial watercourses] and ponds [pools, reservoirs], and cause the frogs [hopping creatures, plague] to come up onto the land [earth, territory] of Egypt [the oppressive kingdom].’” word study 6 So Aaron stretched out his hand [in faith and obedience] over the waters [rivers, streams, and canals] of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered [overwhelmed and infested] the land [the entire territory] of Egypt. word study 7 But the magicians [sorcerers, wonder-workers] did the same thing [in like manner, with their secret arts] by their magic arts [enchantments, sorceries], and they also brought [caused to come up] frogs [marsh-leaping animals] up onto the land [dwelling place, territory] of Egypt. word study 8 Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] summoned Moses [the Israelite leader, born to Amram and Jochebed] and Aaron [the brother of Moses and the first high priest of the Israelites] and said, “Pray [entreat, make supplication] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] to take the frogs [marsh-leaping animals, a plague] away from me and my people [my nation, those under my rule]. Then I will let your people go [release, set free], that they may sacrifice [offer, do sacrifice] to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God].” word study 9 Moses [the Israelite leader, a servant of God] said to Pharaoh, “You may have the honor [glory, prestige] over me. When shall I pray [entreat, intercede] for you and your officials [servants, attendants] and your people that the frogs [the marsh-leaping animals, a plague] (except for those in the Nile [the river]) may be taken away [destroyed, removed] from you and your houses [dwelling places, homes]?” word study 10 “Tomorrow [at a later time, the next day],” Pharaoh answered. “May it be as you say [according to your word, as you have requested],” Moses replied, “so that you may know [understand, recognize] that there is no one [none, no other] like the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] our God [Elohim, the supreme deity]. word study 11 The frogs [will leave, depart from] will depart from you and your houses [your dwellings, homes] and your officials [servants, attendants] and your people; they will remain [stay, be left] only [exclusively, solely] in the Nile [river, waterway].” word study 12 After Moses [the Israelite leader] and Aaron [the first high priest] had left Pharaoh, Moses cried out [pleaded, made prayer] to the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] for help with the frogs [a plague of small flying insects] that He had brought [sent, brought upon] against Pharaoh [the ruler of Egypt]. word study 13 And the LORD [the supreme God, Yehovah] did as Moses requested [according to the word of Moses], and the frogs [small flying insects, a plague] in the houses [dwellings, homes], the courtyards [open areas, yards], and the fields [lands, territories] died [came to an end, perished]. word study 14 They were piled [gathered together, heaped up] into countless [immense, innumerable] heaps, and there was a terrible [foul, offensive] stench [bad smell, corruption] in the land [the earth, the region]. word study 15 When Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] saw that there was relief [respite, a temporary reprieve], however, he hardened [made stubborn, strengthened] his heart [the center of feelings, will, and intellect] and would not listen [hear, obey] to Moses and Aaron, just as the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] had said [spoken, commanded]. word study 16 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff [rod, walking stick] and strike the dust [fine particles, powder] of the earth, that it may turn into swarms [multitudes, large numbers] of gnats [lice, tiny insects] throughout the land [territory, region] of Egypt [the Egyptian kingdom].’” word study 17 This they did, and when Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff [rod] and struck the dust of the earth [land, ground], gnats [lice, swarm of insects] came upon man [humans, people] and beast [animals, livestock]. All the dust of the earth [ground, land] turned into gnats [a swarm, a multitude] throughout the land [region, territory] of Egypt [the Egyptian empire, a nation]. word study 18 The magicians [sorcerers, wonder-workers] tried to produce gnats [lice, insects] using their magic arts [enchantments, secret powers], but they could not [were unable, failed]. And the gnats [insects, swarm] remained on man [people, humanity] and beast [animals, livestock]. word study 19 “This [wonder, miraculous sign] is the finger [power, authority] of God [the Almighty, Creator],” the magicians [enchanters, sorcerers] said to Pharaoh. But Pharaoh’s heart [mind, will] was hardened [made stubborn, obstinate], and he would not listen [hear, obey] to them, just as the LORD [Yehovah, the Covenant God] had said. word study 20 Then the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Moses, “Get up early [at dawn, before sunrise] in the morning, and when Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] goes out to the water, stand before him and tell him that this is what the LORD [the supreme God] says: ‘Let My people go [release them from bondage, set them free], so that they may worship [serve, honor] Me [as their God, in spirit and truth]. word study 21 But if you will not let My people [chosen nation, Israel] go, I will send swarms [clouds, multitudes] of flies [beetle, a type of insect] upon you and your officials [servants, leaders] and your people [nation, citizens] and your houses [homes, dwellings]. The houses of the Egyptians [Egyptian homes, palaces] and even the ground [land, earth] where they stand will be full [completely filled, overflowing] of flies [swarms of insects]. word study 22 But on that day I will give special treatment [set apart, sever] to the land of Goshen, where My people [My chosen ones, Israel] live; no swarms of flies [beetle, plague of insects] will be found there. In this way [thus, so] you will know that I, the LORD [Yehovah, the one true God], am in the land [present, dwelling among My people]. word study 23 I will make a distinction [set apart, put a division] between My people [those who belong to Me, My chosen ones] and your people [those who follow you, your nation]. This sign [miracle, wonder] will take place [happen, occur] tomorrow [by the next day, in the near future].’” word study 24 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] did so. Thick swarms [great clouds, grievous] of flies poured into Pharaoh’s [the king of Egypt] palace and into the houses of his officials [servants]. Throughout Egypt the land was ruined [corrupted, devastated] by swarms [a grievous swarm] of flies [beetle, a type of flying insect]. word study 25 Then Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] summoned Moses [the Israelite leader, a servant of God] and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice [to slaughter an animal, usually for a religious offering] to your God [Elohim, the supreme God] within [in the midst of, surrounded by] this land [the territory, the region].” word study 26 But Moses [the Israelite leader, a servant of God] replied, “It would not be right [not meet, inappropriate] to do that, because the sacrifices [offerings, acts of worship] we offer to the LORD [Yehovah] our God would be detestable [an abomination, extremely offensive] to the Egyptians. If we offer sacrifices [acts of worship, offerings] that are detestable [offensive, disgusting] before the Egyptians, will they not stone [kill by throwing stones, punish severely] us? word study 27 We must make [undertake, initiate] a three-day journey [a distance requiring three days to travel] into the wilderness [a desert, uninhabited region] and sacrifice [offer, give up] to the LORD [Yehovah, the self-existent God] our God [the one true God, our sovereign] as He commands [instructs, gives direction] us [as His people, servants].” word study 28 Pharaoh [the king of Egypt, a powerful leader] answered, “I will let you go [release, set free] and sacrifice [offer worship, make an offering] to the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] your God [the supreme Being, Creator] in the wilderness [a desert, uninhabited area], but you must not go very far [a long distance, to a remote place]. Now pray [make supplication, entreat] for me [on my behalf, for my benefit].” word study 29 “As soon as I leave you,” Moses said, “I will pray [entreat, make supplication] to the LORD [Yehovah], so that tomorrow the swarms of flies [beetle, cloud of flies] will depart from Pharaoh and his officials [servants] and his people. But Pharaoh must not act deceitfully [deal deceitfully, add to deceive] again by refusing to let the people go and sacrifice [offer] to the LORD.” word study 30 Then Moses left Pharaoh [the king, ruler] and prayed [made supplication, entreated] to the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God], word study 32 But Pharaoh hardened [made stubborn, strengthened] his heart [spirit, resolve] this time [again, also] as well, and he would not [refused, did not] let the people go [depart, leave]. word study