Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, ‘Appeal to the Lord to remove the frogs from me and my people. Then I will let the people go and they can sacrifice to the Lord.’
Then the king responded to the man of God, ‘Plead for the favour of the Lord your God and pray for me so that my hand may be restored to me.’ So the man of God pleaded for the favour of the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it had been at first.
The people then came to Moses and said, ‘We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Intercede with the Lord so that he will take the snakes away from us.’ And Moses interceded for the people.
They pleaded with Samuel, ‘Pray to the Lord your God for your servants so we won’t die! For we have added to all our sins the evil of requesting a king for ourselves.’
When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said, ‘What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.’
Moses said to Pharaoh, ‘You may have the honour of choosing. When should I appeal on behalf of you, your officials, and your people, that the frogs be taken away from you and your houses, and remain only in the Nile? ’
‘As soon as I leave you,’ Moses said, ‘I will appeal to the Lord, and tomorrow the swarms of flies will depart from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. But Pharaoh must not act deceptively again by refusing to let the people go and sacrifice to the Lord.’
But Moses sought the favour of the Lord his God: ‘Lord, why does your anger burn against your people you brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a strong hand?