rods. And Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken.

95

14 And the LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is stubborn, he refuseth to let the people go. Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning; lo, he goeth out unto the water; and thou shalt stand by the river's brink to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand. And 100 thou shalt say unto him, The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, hath sent me unto thee, saying, Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness: and, behold, hitherto thou hast not hearkened. Thus saith the LORD, In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: behold, I will smite upon the waters 105 which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that is in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe1 to drink water from the river. And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Take thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the waters of Egypt, over their 110 rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their ponds of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone. And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote 115 the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink water from the river; and the blood was throughout all the 120 land of Egypt. And all the Egyptians digged round about the river for water to drink; for they could not drink of the water of the river. And seven days were fulfilled, after that the LORD had smitten the river.

8 1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh, 125 and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me. And if thou refuse to let them go, behold,

1 For loathe read weary themselves.

2 For ponds read cisterns.

I will smite all thy borders with frogs and the river shall swarm with frogs, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of 130 thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneadingtroughs: and the frogs shall come up both upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the rivers, over the streams, and 135 over the pools, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did in like manner with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt. Then Pharaoh 140 called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the LORD, that he take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice unto the LORD. And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Have thou this glory over me: against what time shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for 145 thy people, that the frogs be destroyed from thee and thy houses, and remain in the river only? And he said, Against to-morrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God. And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy 150 houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only. And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh and Moses cried unto the LORD concerning the frogs which he had brought upon Pharaoh. And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of 155 the houses, out of the courts, and out of the fields. And they gathered them together in heaps: and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart.

16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch 160 out thy rod, and smite the dust of the earth, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And they did so; and Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the earth, and there were lice upon man, and upon beast;

165 all the dust of the earth became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not: and there were lice upon man, and upon beast. Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was 170 hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had spoken.

LESSON XVII

THE PLAGUES OF EGYPT

Plagues of flies, of murrain, of boils, of hail, of locusts, and of darkness fail to induce Pharaoh to let the people go.

EXODUS VIII. 20--XI. 8

And I will sever in that day

8 20 And the LORD said unto Moses, Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me. Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy 5 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 whereon they are. 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 IO am the LORD in the midst of the earth. And I will put a division between my people and thy people by to-morrow shall this sign be. And the LORD did so; and there came grievous swarms of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses : and in all the land of Egypt the land was corrupted' by reason 15 of the swarms of flies. And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron, and said, Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land. 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, 20 and will they not stone us? We will go three days' journey into the wilderness, and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as he shall command us. And Pharaoh said, I will let you go, that