OET-RV EXO chapter 8

This is still a very early look into the unfinished text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.

8 and he said to Mosheh, “Go to Far’oh and tell him, ‘Yahweh says that you must let my people go so they can serve me.[fn] 2 But if you refuse to let them go, then look, I’m about to pound your entire territory with frogs. 3 The frogs will swarm in the river, then they’ll climb out and go into your house and in your bedroom and onto your bed. They’ll go into your servants’ houses and among your people, and in your cooking bowls and into your ovens. 4 They’ll climb on you and on your people and on all your servants.’ ”

5 Then Yahweh said to Mosheh, “Tell Aharon: Hold your staff out over the canals, the streams, and the pools, and cause the frogs to come up onto the land of Egypt.” 6 So Aharon reached out his hand over the Egyptian water supplies and frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. 7 But the sorcerers did the same with their magic, and they too brought up frogs over the land of Egypt.

8 Then Far’oh called for Mosheh and Aharon, and told them, “Ask Yahweh to take the frogs away from me and from my people. Then I’ll let your people go, and they can sacrifice to Yahweh.”

9 Mosheh answered, “I’ll pray for you and your servants and your people, praying that the frogs will keep away from you and your homes and only be left in the river. And I’ll give you the honour of specifying when it’ll happen.”

“Just as you say,” Mosheh responded, “so that you’ll know that there’s no one else like our God Yahweh. 11 Tomorrow the frogs will leave you and go away from your houses, and from your servants and your people. They’ll only be left in the river.” 12 Then Mosheh and Aharon left Far’oh and Mosheh called out to Yahweh concerning the retraction of the frogs that he’d sent against the king. 13 So Yahweh did what Mosheh had requested and the frogs died off from the houses and the courtyards, and from the fields. 14 The people collected them into many piles and the whole country stank. 15 But when Far’oh saw that there was relief from the frogs, he firmed his resolve and didn’t listen to Mosheh and Aharon, just as Yahweh had said previously.

8:16 Plague 3: Lice

16 Then Yahweh said to Mosheh, “Tell Aharon: Stretch out your staff and strike the dust on the ground, and it will turn into lice[fn] all over Egypt.” 17 So Aharon held out his staff and struck the dust with it, and the dust became lice on the people and on the animals. All over Egypt, the dust turned into lice 18 and the sorcerers tried to do the same with their magic but they were unable to. So there were lice on people and animals 19 and the magicians said to Far’oh, “This is God’s finger.” But Far’oh was stubborn and he didn’t listen to them, just as Yahweh had said previously.[ref]

8:20 Plague 4: The swarm

20 Then Yahweh said to Mosheh, “Get up early in the morning and when you see Far’oh coming down to the river, station yourself in front of him and tell him, ‘Yahweh saw that you must let my people go so they can serve me. 21 Certainly if you don’t release my people immediately, then take note: I’m about to send the swarm[fn] at you and your servants and at your people and into your houses. The Egyptians’ houses will be full of the swarm and even the ground that they’re on. 22 But when it happens, I’ll distinguish the Goshen region where my people live so the swarm won’t be there, so that you’ll be able to see that I’m Yahweh and I’m right here in this land. 23 This sign will happen tomorrow and you’ll see how I plan to set my people free from your people.’ ” 24 So Yahweh did what he’d said and a heavy swarm came to Far’oh’s house and the houses of his servants and all the Egyptians—the country was ruined by the arrival of the swarm.

25 Then Far’oh called for Mosheh and to Aharon and told them, “Go and sacrifice to the God of you all, but here in Egypt.”

26 “It wouldn’t be right to do that,” Mosheh replied, “because our sacrifices to Yahweh our God would be offensive to Egyptians. Listen, if we made sacrifices in front of the Egyptians that are repulsive to them, wouldn’t they throw rocks at us to try to kill us? 27 We need to travel into the wilderness for three days, then we’ll sacrifice to our God Yahweh there, just like he’s telling us to.”

28 So Far’oh relented, “I’ll let you all go into the wilderness and sacrifice to Yahweh your God—except you definitely can’t go very far. Now, ask God for me for the plague to stop.”

29 “Listen, I’m about to leave now,” Mosheh responded, “and I’ll pray to Yahweh and he’ll withdraw the swarm from Far’oh tomorrow, and from his servants and his people. But may Far’oh not be dishonest again and fail to let our people go to sacrifice to Yahweh.”

30 Then Mosheh left Far’oh and prayed to Yahweh 31 and Yahweh did what Mosheh asked him and he withdrew the swarm from Far’oh, and from his servants and his people. Not one remained. 32 But Far’oh changed his mind and remained stubborn and he wouldn’t let the Israelis leave.

8:1 This is 7:26 in some versifications (and the following three verses are 7:27, 28, & 29).

8:16 The Hebrew word ‘כֵּן/כִּנִּם’ (kēn/kinnim) could refer to either lice, gnats, or fleas. However, unlike lice, gnats don’t usually reside on people and animals (which seems to be implied by the text).

8:21 The Hebrew word ‘עָרֹב’ (ˊārov) probably meaning ‘mixture’ is sometimes translated as ‘swarm’. This plague could have been anything from flies to other insects (hornets or mosquitoes???) all the way to a mixture of wild animals.

OET-RV EXO Chapter 8