8. After Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh’s presence, Moses cried out to the Lord on account of the frogs that he had inflicted on Pharaoh;
9. and the Lord did as Moses had asked. The frogs died off in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields.
10. Heaps of them were piled up, and the land stank.
11. But when Pharaoh saw there was a respite, he became obstinate and would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.
12. Thereupon the Lord spoke to Moses: Speak to Aaron: Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, and it will turn into gnats throughout the land of Egypt.
13. They did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and gnats came upon human being and beast alike. All the dust of the earth turned into gnats throughout the land of Egypt.
14. Though the magicians did the same thing to produce gnats by their magic arts, they could not do so. The gnats were on human being and beast alike,
15. and the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” Yet Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.
16. Then the Lord spoke to Moses: Early tomorrow morning present yourself to Pharaoh when he sets out toward the water, and say to him: Thus says the Lord: Let my people go to serve me.
17. For if you do not let my people go, I will send swarms of flies upon you and your servants and your people and your houses. The houses of the Egyptians and the very ground on which they stand will be filled with swarms of flies.
18. But on that day I will make an exception of the land of Goshen, where my people are, and no swarms of flies will be there, so that you may know that I the Lord am in the midst of the land.
19. I will make a distinction between my people and your people. This sign will take place tomorrow.
20. This the Lord did. Thick swarms of flies entered the house of Pharaoh and the houses of his servants; throughout Egypt the land was devastated on account of the swarms of flies.
21. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go sacrifice to your God within the land.”
22. But Moses replied, “It is not right to do so, for what we sacrifice to the Lord, our God, is abhorrent to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice what is abhorrent to the Egyptians before their very eyes, will they not stone us?
23. We must go a three days’ journey in the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord, our God, as he commands us.”