New International Reader's Version

Exodus 8:4-19 New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

4. The frogs will be on you, your people and all of your officials." ' "

5. Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Tell Aaron, 'Reach your hand out. Hold your staff over the streams, waterways and ponds. Make frogs come up on the land of Egypt.' "

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

7. But the magicians did the same things by doing their magic tricks. They also made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.

8. Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. He said to them, "Pray to the Lord to take the frogs away from me and my people. Then I'll let your people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord."

9. Moses said to Pharaoh, "You can have the honor of setting the time for me to pray. I will pray for you, your officials and your people. I'll pray that the frogs will leave you and your homes. The only frogs left will be the ones in the Nile River."

10. "Tomorrow," Pharaoh said. Moses replied, "It will happen just as you say. Then you will know that there is no one like the Lord our God.

11. The frogs will leave you and your houses. They will leave your officials and your people. They will remain only in the Nile River."

12. Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh. Then Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh.

13. And the Lord did what Moses asked. The frogs died in the houses, courtyards and fields.

14. The Egyptians piled them up. The land smelled very bad because of them.

15. But when Pharaoh saw that the frogs were dead, his heart became stubborn. He wouldn't listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.

16. Then the Lord spoke to Moses. He said, "Tell Aaron, 'Reach your wooden staff out. Strike the dust on the ground with it.' Then all over the land of Egypt the dust will turn into gnats."

17. So they did it. Aaron reached out the staff that was in his hand. He struck the dust on the ground with it. The dust all over the land of Egypt turned into gnats. They landed on people and animals alike.

18. The magicians tried to produce gnats by doing their magic tricks. But they couldn't. The gnats stayed on people and animals alike.

19. The magicians said to Pharaoh, "God's powerful finger has done this." But Pharaoh's heart was stubborn. He wouldn't listen, just as the Lord had said.