The Message Bible MSG
English Standard Version ESV
1 God said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh and tell him, 'God's Message: Release my people so they can worship me.
1
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.
2 If you refuse to release them, I'm warning you, I'll hit the whole country with frogs.
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But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will plague all your country with frogs.
3 The Nile will swarm with frogs - they'll come up into your houses, into your bedrooms and into your beds, into your servants' quarters, among the people, into your ovens and pots and pans.
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The Nile shall swarm with frogs that shall come up into your house and into your bedroom and on your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and your kneading bowls.
4 They'll be all over you, all over everyone - frogs everywhere, on and in everything!'"
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The frogs shall come up on you and on your people and on all your servants. ”’”
5 God said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Wave your staff over the rivers and canals and ponds. Bring up frogs on the land of Egypt.'"
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And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt! ’”
6 Aaron stretched his staff over the waters of Egypt and a mob of frogs came up and covered the country.
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So Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.
7 But again the magicians did the same thing using their incantations - they also produced frogs in Egypt.
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But the magicians did the same by their secret arts and made frogs come up on the land of Egypt.
8 Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron and said, "Pray to God to rid us of these frogs. I'll release the people so that they can make their sacrifices and worship God."
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Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with the Lord to take away the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let the people go to sacrifice to the Lord. ”
9 Moses said to Pharaoh, "Certainly. Set the time. When do you want the frogs out of here, away from your servants and people and out of your houses? You'll be rid of frogs except for those in the Nile."
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Moses said to Pharaoh, “Be pleased to command me when I am to plead for you and for your servants and for your people, that the frogs be cut off from you and your houses and be left only in the Nile. ”
10 "Make it tomorrow."
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And he said, “Tomorrow. ” Moses said, “Be it as you say, so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God.
11 The frogs will be gone. You and your houses and your servants and your people, free of frogs. The only frogs left will be the ones in the Nile."
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The frogs shall go away from you and your houses and your servants and your people. They shall be left only in the Nile. ”
12 Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh, and Moses prayed to God about the frogs he had brought on Pharaoh.
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So Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh, and Moses cried to the Lord about the frogs, as he had agreed with Pharaoh.
13 God responded to Moses' prayer: The frogs died off - houses, courtyards, fields, all free of frogs.
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And the Lord did according to the word of Moses. The frogs died out in the houses, the courtyards, and the fields.
14 They piled the frogs in heaps. The country reeked of dead frogs.
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And they gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank.
15 But when Pharaoh saw that he had some breathing room, he got stubborn again and wouldn't listen to Moses and Aaron. Just as God had said. Strike Three: Gnats
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But when Pharaoh saw that there was a respite, he hardened his heart and would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
16 God said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your staff and strike the dust. The dust will turn into gnats all over Egypt.'"
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Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt. ’”
17 He did it. Aaron grabbed his staff and struck the dust of the Earth; it turned into gnats, gnats all over people and animals. All the dust of the Earth turned into gnats, gnats everywhere in Egypt.
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And they did so. Aaron stretched out his hand with his staff and struck the dust of the earth, and there were gnats on man and beast. All the dust of the earth became gnats in all the land of Egypt.
18 The magicians tried to produce gnats with their incantations but this time they couldn't do it. There were gnats everywhere, all over people and animals.
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The magicians tried by their secret arts to produce gnats, but they could not. So there were gnats on man and beast.
19 The magicians said to Pharaoh, "This is God's doing." But Pharaoh was stubborn and wouldn't listen. Just as God had said. Strike Four: Flies
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Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God. ” But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen to them, as the Lord had said.
20 God said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning and confront Pharaoh as he goes down to the water. Tell him, 'God's Message: Release my people so they can worship me.
20
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Rise up early in the morning and present yourself to Pharaoh, as he goes out to the water, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Let my people go, that they may serve me.
21 If you don't release my people, I'll release swarms of flies on you, your servants, your people, and your homes. The houses of the Egyptians and even the ground under their feet will be thick with flies.
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Or else, if you will not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants and your people, and into your houses. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand.
22 But when it happens, I'll set Goshen where my people live aside as a sanctuary - no flies in Goshen. That will show you that I am God in this land.
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But on that day I will set apart the land of Goshen, where my people dwell, so that no swarms of flies shall be there, that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the earth.
23 I'll make a sharp distinction between your people and mine. This sign will occur tomorrow.'"
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Thus I will put a division between my people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall happen. ”’”
24 And God did just that. Thick swarms of flies in Pharaoh's palace and the houses of his servants. All over Egypt, the country ruined by flies.
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And the Lord did so. There came great swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh and into his servants’ houses. Throughout all the land of Egypt the land was ruined by the swarms of flies.
25 Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron and said, "Go ahead. Sacrifice to your God - but do it here in this country."
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Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God within the land. ”
26 Moses said, "That would not be wise. What we sacrifice to our God would give great offense to Egyptians. If we openly sacrifice what is so deeply offensive to Egyptians, they'll kill us.
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But Moses said, “It would not be right to do so, for the offerings we shall sacrifice to the Lord our God are an abomination to the Egyptians. If we sacrifice offerings abominable to the Egyptians before their eyes, will they not stone us?
27 Let us go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to our God, just as he instructed us."
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We must go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as he tells us. ”
28 Pharaoh said, "All right. I'll release you to go and sacrifice to your God in the wilderness. Only don't go too far. Now pray for me."
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So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go to sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you must not go very far away. Plead for me. ”
29 Moses said, "As soon as I leave here, I will pray to God that tomorrow the flies will leave Pharaoh, his servants, and his people. But don't play games with us and change your mind about releasing us to sacrifice to God."
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Then Moses said, “Behold, I am going out from you and I will plead with the Lord that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, tomorrow. Only let not Pharaoh cheat again by not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord. ”
30 Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to God.
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So Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.
31 God did what Moses asked. He got rid of the flies from Pharaoh and his servants and his people. There wasn't a fly left.
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And the Lord did as Moses asked, and removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; not one remained.
32 But Pharaoh became stubborn once again and wouldn't release the people.
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But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version® (ESV®) © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved. ESV Text Edition: 2025