20 And the Lord said to Moses, a“Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Then say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: b“Let My people go, that they may serve Me.
21 Or else, if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms offlies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms offlies, and also the ground on which they stand.
22 And in that day aI will set apart the land of bGoshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms offlies shall be there, in order that you may cknow that I am the Lord in the midst of the dland.
23 I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this asign shall be.” ’ ”
24 And the Lord did so. aThick swarms offlies came into the house of Pharaoh, into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt. The land was corrupted because of the swarms offlies.
25 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.”
26 And Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we would be sacrificing athe abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God. If we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, then will they not1 stone us?
27 We will go athree days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as bHe will command us.”
28 So Pharaoh said, “I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. aIntercede for me.”
29 Then Moses said, “Indeed I am going out from you, and I will entreat the Lord, that the swarms offlies may depart tomorrow from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. But let Pharaoh not adeal deceitfully anymore in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.”
30 So Moses went out from Pharaoh and aentreated the Lord.
31 And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; He removed the swarms offlies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained.
32 But Pharaoh ahardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go.
