The Plague of Flies

²⁰The LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. Look, he is coming out to the water. Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Let my people go, that they may serve me.'" ²¹"Otherwise, if you will not let my people go, look, I will send swarms of flies on you, your servants, your people, and into your houses; and the houses of the Egyptians will be full of swarms of flies, as will the ground where they are." ²²"And on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people live, so that no swarms of flies will be there, so that you may know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth." ²³I will make a clear distinction between my people and your people. This sign will happen tomorrow."'" ²⁴The LORD did exactly that. Terrible swarms of flies poured into Pharaoh's palace, into his servants' houses, and across all of Egypt. The flies devastated the land. ²⁵Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Go, sacrifice to your God in the land." ²⁶Moses said, "It is not appropriate to do so, for we will sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God. Look, if we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us?" ²⁷"We will go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he will command us." ²⁸Pharaoh said, "All right, I'll let you go sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness — just don't go too far. And pray for me." ²⁹Moses said, "As soon as I leave you, I'll pray to the LORD, and tomorrow the swarms of flies will leave you, your servants, and your people. But Pharaoh must not deceive us again by refusing to let the people go to sacrifice to the LORD." ³⁰Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the LORD. ³¹The LORD did what Moses asked. He removed every last fly from Pharaoh, his servants, and his people — not a single one remained. ³²But once again, Pharaoh hardened his heart and refused to let the people go.