1 O Senhor disse outra vez a Moisés: Vai ter com Faraó e diz-lhe: 'Jeová diz-te que deixes ir o seu povo para que o adore. Se recusares mandará montes de rãs por toda a terra duma extremidade à outra.3 O rio Nilo ficará cheio delas, que até virão às vossas habitações, penetrarão nos quartos, e achá-las-ão nas camas. Cada casa no Egipto estará repleta de rãs que virão poluir os fornos e as massadeiras.4 Tu e o teu povo ficarão mergulhados em rãs.'5 E continuou o Senhor: Diz a Arão que aponte a vara para os ribeiros, as torrentes e poços do Egipto de forma que haja rãs em todos os recantos da terra. Arão assim fez e as rãs cobriram literalmente todo o país. Mas os feiticeiros conseguiram fazer de novo o mesmo, e com os seus bruxedos fizeram aparecer rãs. Faraó convocou à pressa Moisés e Arão e rogou-lhes: Peçam ao Senhor que tire todas estas rãs daqui e deixarei o povo ir e sacrificar-lhe.9 Pois sim; diz-me só quando queres que peça ao Senhor, anuiu Moisés, e eu orarei para que as rãs morram por toda a parte, na altura que tu indicares, excepto do rio.10 Façam isso amanhã. Está bem, replicou Moisés, seja assim. E ficarás a saber que não há ninguém semelhante ao Senhor nosso Deus. Todas as rãs morrerão menos as do rio.12 Moisés e Arão sairam da presença de Faraó e Moisés intercedeu junto do Senhor quanto às rãs, e o Senhor fez conforme Moisés tinha prometido - a terra ficou coberta, agora de rãs mortas, nos campos e nas casas. As pessoas varreram-nas, fizeram montes delas, e a terra tinha um cheiro pestilento.15 Mas quando Faraó viu que as rãs tinham acabado, endureceu de novo o coração e recusou deixar ir o povo, tal como o Senhor dissera.16 Então o Senhor disse a Moisés: Diz a Arão que bata no pó da terra com a sua vara e o pó se fará em piolhos em todo o Egipto. Moisés e Arão fizeram assim como o Senhor lhes mandara; toda a nação ficou de repente infestada de piolhos; pessoas e animais estavam cheios deles. Os feiticeiros tentaram ainda desta vez fazer o mesmo com as suas artes e encantamentos, mas falharam. Desta feita há aqui o dedo de Deus!, exclamaram eles para Faraó. Mas este continou duro e teimoso sem querer ceder de forma nenhuma, aliás tal como o Senhor tinha dito que havia de ser.20 Falou o Senhor de novo a Moisés: Levanta-te de manhã cedo, vai ao encontro de Faraó quando vier banhar-se ao rio e diz-lhe: 'Jeová manda-te que deixes ir o seu povo para que lhe preste culto. Se recusares, enviará enxames de moscas por todo o Egipto. As casas ficarão cheias e o chão coberto de moscas. Mas na terra de Gosen onde vivem os israelitas será muito diferente. Não haverá lá moscas. Assim saberás que ele é o Senhor de toda a terra, porque fará uma distinção entre o teu povo e o seu. Isto tudo sucederá amanhã.'24 O Senhor fez como ele tinha dito, e terríveis enxames de moscas entraram por toda a parte, desde o palácio de Faraó até a cada uma das casas do Egipto.25 Faraó chamou apressadamente Moisés e Arão: Está bem, façam esse sacrifício ao vosso Deus, mas que seja aqui nesta terra. Não vão lá para o deserto. Moisés replicou: Isso não pode ser assim. O nosso culto é odiado pelos egípcios; se o fizermos aqui mesmo diante deles, matam-nos. Tem de ser a três dias de caminho no deserto que devemos prestar culto a Jeová o nosso Deus, tal como nos mandou.28 Pois sim, vão lá então, replicou Faraó, mas não vão longe. E agora roguem depressa ao Senhor em meu favor.29 Está bem, pedirei que os enxames de moscas desapareçam. Mas aviso-te de que não deves mais enganar-nos, prometendo-nos deixar ir o povo e depois voltando com a palavra atrás.30 Moisés deixou Faraó e orou ao Senhor que os libertasse das moscas. O Senhor respondeu à oração de Moisés e fez desaparecer as moscas, de tal forma que nem uma depois havia.32 Mas o certo é que Faraó tornou a endurecer-se e não deixou sair o povo!

1 And the LORD spoke to Moses, Go to Pharaoh, and say to him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go that they may serve me.2 And if thou shalt refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs:3 And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thy house, and into thy bed-chamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy ovens, and into thy kneading troughs:4 And the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants.5 And the LORD spoke to Moses, Say to Aaron, Stretch forth thy hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.6 And Aaron stretched his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt.7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Entreat the LORD that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people: and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice to the LORD.9 And Moses said to Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I entreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee, and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?10 And he said, To-morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word; that thou mayest know that there is none like the LORD our God.11 And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only.12 And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried to the LORD, because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh.13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses: and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.14 And they gathered them into heaps: and the land was offensive in smell.15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respit, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not to them, as the LORD had said.16 And the LORD said to Moses, Say to Aaron, Stretch out thy rod, and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.17 And they did so: for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice in man and in beast; all the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.18 And the magicians did so with their inchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: so there were lice upon man and upon beast.19 Then the magicians said to Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not to them; as the LORD had said.20 And the LORD said to Moses, Rise early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; (lo, he cometh forth to the water) and say to him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.21 Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they are.22 And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.23 And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to-morrow shall this sign be.24 And the LORD did so: and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses, and into all the land of Egypt: the land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.25 And Pharaoh called for Moses, and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land.26 And Moses said, It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God: Lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?27 We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God as he shall command us.28 And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away: entreat for me.29 And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will entreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to-morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more, in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD.30 And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the LORD:31 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one.32 And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.