Catholic liturgical translation

 1Hospodin řekl Mojžíšovi: „Řekni Áronovi: ‚Vztáhni svou ruku s holí nad řeky, nad nilská ramena a nad bažiny, vyveď žáby na egyptskou zemi.’“  2Áron vztáhl ruku nad egyptské vody, žáby vylezly a pokryly egyptskou zemi.  3Ale kouzelníci svým tajným uměním udělali totéž a přivedli žáby na egyptskou zemi.  4Ale faraon zavolal Mojžíše a Árona a řekl: „Proste Hospodina, aby mě i můj lid zbavil žab, a propustím lid, aby obětoval Hospodinu.“  5Mojžíš řekl faraonovi: „Urči mi laskavě, kdy mám prosit za tebe, za tvé služebníky a za tvůj lid, abyste byli ty i tvůj dům zbaveni žab. Ty zůstanou jen v Nilu.“  6Faraon odpověděl: „Zítra.“ Mojžíš řekl: „Stane se podle tvého slova, abys poznal, že nikdo není jako Hospodin, náš Bůh.  7Budeš zbaven ty, tvé paláce, tvoji služebníci i tvůj lid žab, zůstanou jen v Nilu.“  8Když Mojžíš a Áron vyšli od faraona, Mojžíš prosebně volal k Hospodinu kvůli žábám, kterými stihl faraona.  9Hospodin splnil Mojžíšovu prosbu a žáby v domech, nádvořích i polích pošly.  10Nakupili je na hromady, takže zápach naplnil zemi.  11Faraon viděl, že nastala úleva, zatvrdil své srdce a nevyslyšel je, jak Hospodin předpověděl.  12Hospodin řekl Mojžíšovi: „Řekni Áronovi: ‚Vztáhni svou hůl a udeř do prachu země.’ A změní se v komáry po celé egyptské zemi.“  13Udělali tak. Áron vztáhl ruku s holí a udeřil do prachu země. Komáři byli na lidech i zvířatech. Všechen prach země se změnil v komáry po celé egyptské zemi.  14Také čarodějové se pokoušeli svými kouzly vyvést komáry, ale nezdařilo se jim to. Komáři byli na lidech i zvířatech.  15Čarodějové řekli faraonovi: „Je to Boží prst!“ Ale faraonovo srdce se zatvrdilo a nevyslyšel je, jak předpověděl Hospodin. 16Hospodin řekl Mojžíšovi: „Vstaň časně ráno a předstup před faraona, až vyjde k vodě. Řekneš mu: Tak praví Hospodin: ‚Propusť můj lid, aby mi obětoval! 17Jestliže nepropustíš můj lid, pošlu na tebe, na tvé služebníky, na tvůj lid a na tvé paláce mouchy. Domy Egypťanů i půda, na které žiji, budou plné much. 18V ten den oddělím zemi Gošen, kde přebývá můj lid, aby tam mouchy nebyly, a tak poznáš, že já, Hospodin, jsem uprostřed země. 19Oddělím svůj lid od lidu tvého. Zítra se to znamení stane.’“ 20A Hospodin tak učinil. Dotěrné mouchy napadly faraonův palác, domy jeho služebníků a celý Egypt. Země utrpěla od much velkou škodu. 21Faraon zavolal Mojžíše a Árona a řekl: „Jděte a obětujte svému Bohu tady v zemi!“ 22Mojžíš odpověděl: „To nemůžeme udělat; neboť přinášíme Hospodinu, našemu Bohu, obětní zvířata a to je u Egypťanů ohavné. Copak nás Egypťané neukamenují, když budeme před nimi přinášet oběti, které oni mají v ohavnosti? 23Musíme jít cestu tří dnů do pouště a budeme obětovat Hospodinu, našemu Bohu, jak nám poručil.“ 24Faraon řekl: „Propustím vás a budete obětovat Hospodinu, svému Bohu; jen se nevzdalujte daleko a proste za mě.“ 25Mojžíš odpověděl: „Až vyjdu od tebe, budu prosit Hospodina a zítra odežene mouchy od faraona, od jeho služebníků a od jeho lidu. Jen ať nás faraon znovu neoklame, že by nepropustil lid, aby obětoval Hospodinu.“ 26Když Mojžíš vyšel od faraona, prosil Hospodina 27a ten splnil jeho prosbu: zahnal mouchy od faraona, jeho služebníků a jeho lidu, takže nezůstala ani jedna. 28Ale faraon zatvrdil své srdce i tentokrát a lid nepropustil.


Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary
 1   PLAGUE OF FROGS. (Exod 8:1-Exod 8:15)
the Lord spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh--The duration of the first plague for a whole week must have satisfied all that it was produced not by any accidental causes, but by the agency of omnipotent power. As a judgment of God, however, it produced no good effect, and Moses was commanded to wait on the king and threaten him, in the event of his continued obstinacy, with the infliction of a new and different plague. As Pharaoh's answer is not given, it may be inferred to have been unfavorable, for the rod was again raised.

 2   I will smite all thy borders with frogs--Those animals, though the natural spawn of the river, and therefore objects familiar to the people, were on this occasion miraculously multiplied to an amazing extent, and it is probable that the ova of the frogs, which had been previously deposited in the mire and marshes, were miraculously brought to perfection at once.

 3   bedchamber . . . bed--mats strewed on the floor as well as more sumptuous divans of the rich.
ovens--holes made in the ground and the sides of which are plastered with mortar.
kneading-troughs--Those used in Egypt were bowls of wicker or rush work. What must have been the state of the people when they could find no means of escape from the cold, damp touch and unsightly presence of the frogs, as they alighted on every article and vessel of food!

 5   Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, &c. The miracle consisted in the reptiles leaving their marshes at the very time he commanded them.

 7   the magicians did so with their enchantments--required no great art to make the offensive reptiles appear on any small spot of ground. What they undertook to do already existed in abundance all around. They would better have shown their power by removing the frogs.

 8   Pharaoh called, . . . Intreat the Lord, that he may take away the frogs from me--The frog, which was now used as an instrument of affliction, whether from reverence or abhorrence, was an object of national superstition with the Egyptians, the god Ptha being represented with a frog's head. But the vast numbers, together with their stench, made them an intolerable nuisance so that the king was so far humbled as to promise that, if Moses would intercede for their removal, he would consent to the departure of Israel, and in compliance with this appeal, they were withdrawn at the very hour named by the monarch himself. But many, while suffering the consequences of their sins, make promises of amendment and obedience which they afterwards forget; and so Pharaoh, when he saw there was a respite, was again hardened [Exod 8:15].

 16   PLAGUE OF LICE. (Exod 8:16-Exod 8:19)
smite the dust of the land, &c.--Aaron's rod, by the direction of Moses, who was commanded by God, was again raised, and the land was filled with gnats, mosquitoes--that is the proper meaning of the original term. In ordinary circumstances they embitter life in Eastern countries, and therefore the terrible nature of this infliction on Egypt may be imagined when no precautions could preserve from their painful sting. The very smallness and insignificance of these fierce insects made them a dreadful scourge. The magicians never attempted any imitation, and what neither the blood of the river nor the nuisance of the frogs had done, the visitation of this tiny enemy constrained them to acknowledge "this is the finger of God"--properly "gods," for they spoke as heathens.

 20   PLAGUE OF FLIES. (Exod 8:20-Exod 8:32)
Rise up early . . . Pharaoh; lo, he cometh forth to the water, &c.--Pharaoh still appearing obdurate, Moses was ordered to meet him while walking on the banks of the Nile and repeat his request for the liberation of Israel, threatening in case of continued refusal to cover every house from the palace to the cottage with swarms of flies--while, as a proof of the power that accomplished this judgment, the land of Goshen should be exempted from the calamity. The appeal was equally vain as before, and the predicted evil overtook the country in the form of what was not "flies," such as we are accustomed to, but divers sorts of flies (Ps 78:45), the gad fly, the cockroach, the Egyptian beetle, for all these are mentioned by different writers. They are very destructive, some of them inflicting severe bites on animals, others destroying clothes, books, plants, every thing. The worship of flies, particularly of the beetle, was a prominent part of the religion of the ancient Egyptians. The employment of these winged deities to chastise them must have been painful and humiliating to the Egyptians while it must at the same time have strengthened the faith of the Israelites in the God of their fathers as the only object of worship.

 25   Pharaoh called for Moses, . . . Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land, &c.--Between impatient anxiety to be freed from this scourge and a reluctance on the part of the Hebrew bondsmen, the king followed the course of expediency; he proposed to let them free to engage in their religious rites within any part of the kingdom. But true to his instructions, Moses would accede to no such arrangement; he stated a most valid reason to show the danger of it, and the king having yielded so far as to allow them a brief holiday across the border, annexed to this concession a request that Moses would entreat with Jehovah for the removal of the plague. He promised to do so, and it was removed the following day. But no sooner was the pressure over than the spirit of Pharaoh, like a bent bow, sprang back to its wonted obduracy, and, regardless of his promise, he refused to let the people depart.