Eternal One (to Moses): Go visit Pharaoh and give him My message: “The Eternal says to you, ‘Release My people, so that they may serve Me. 2 If you do not release them, I will send an infestation of frogs across your entire land. 3 The Nile will swarm with frogs. They will hop up from the river to assault your palace, make their way into your bedroom, and even crawl into your bed. The frogs will crowd into the houses of your servants and eventually of all your people. They will find their way into your ovens and kneading bowls. 4 Mark My words, these frogs will be all over you, your people, and all your servants.’” 5 Give this message to Aaron: “Take your staff in hand and raise it over the rivers, canals, and ponds, and call forth the frogs to invade Egypt.” 6 Aaron reached out with his staff over all the waters of Egypt, and countless frogs came forth and soon covered the land. They were everywhere. 7 The most talented magicians in Pharaoh’s Egypt were called to perform the same act with their incantations and they, too, called forth the frogs into Egypt. Pharaoh’s magicians may be able to conjure up frogs, but they can’t make them leave. 8 Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. Pharaoh: Plead with the Eternal to remove the frogs from my land, from my house, and from the houses of my people. If He does this, I will release the people so that they can go sacrifice to the Eternal One. Moses: 9 You may have the honor of naming the time when I plead for you, your servants, and your people and ask God to get rid of the frogs that are plaguing you and your houses. There will be no frogs left except in the Nile. Pharaoh: 10 Tomorrow. Moses: Then tomorrow it is—just as you have requested—so that you will know that there is no one like the Eternal our God. 11 The frogs will leave you, your houses, your servants, and all your people. After tomorrow, there will be no frogs anywhere except those in the Nile. 12 Moses and Aaron then left Pharaoh, and Moses pled with the Eternal about the frogs, which He had brought upon Pharaoh, that He would rid the land of them. 13 He did as Moses asked of Him, and all the frogs that had infested the houses, streets, and fields died. 14 The Egyptians gathered up all the dead frogs and made great piles of them, and the land took on a rotten stench. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that the infestation of frogs had ended, he was relieved; and he hardened his own heart and refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Eternal had said. Eternal One (to Moses): 16 Give this message to Aaron: “Raise your staff and strike the dust of the earth and the land of Egypt will be overrun with swarms of gnats.” 17 They did exactly as God had instructed. When Aaron reached out and struck the dust of the earth with his staff, swarms of gnats flew up from the dust and covered the people and animals. It seemed as if all the dust in the land of Egypt turned into gnats. 18 The most talented magicians in Pharaoh’s Egypt tried to perform this same act with their incantations, but none could do it. So the gnats continued to swarm all over the people and their animals. Magicians (to Pharaoh): 19 This must be the finger of God. If God can do this with a finger, what must His whole hand be able to accomplish? But Pharaoh’s heart was as hard as stone, and he refused to pay any attention to Moses and Aaron, just as the Eternal One had said. |
Daily Prayer > Old Testament >
