1 T hen the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh. For I have made his heart and the heart of his servants hard, so that I may do My powerful works among them.

Now the Lord said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him,

2 Y ou may tell your son and your grandson how I made it very hard for the Egyptians and how I did My powerful works among them. So you may know that I am the Lord.”

and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.”

3 M oses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They said to him, “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says this: ‘How long will you hold your pride before Me? Let My people go, so they may worship Me.

So Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

4 I f you will not let My people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country.

Or else, if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.

5 T hey will cover the land, so no one will be able to see the ground. They will eat what is left for you after the hail. They will eat every tree of yours that grows in the field.

And they shall cover the face of the earth, so that no one will be able to see the earth; and they shall eat the residue of what is left, which remains to you from the hail, and they shall eat every tree which grows up for you out of the field.

6 T hey will fill your houses, and the houses of your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians. Your fathers and your grandfathers have never seen such a thing from the day they were born until this day.’” Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

They shall fill your houses, the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians—which neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.’” And he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

7 P haraoh’s servants said to him, “How long will this man bring trouble to us? Let the men go, so they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is destroyed?”

Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?”

8 S o Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh. He said to them, “Go and worship the Lord your God. But who will be going?”

So Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve the Lord your God. Who are the ones that are going?”

9 M oses said, “We will go with our young and our old, our sons and our daughters, and our flocks and cattle. For we must make a special supper to the Lord.”

And Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds we will go, for we must hold a feast to the Lord.”

10 T hen Pharaoh said to them, “Let the Lord be with you if I ever let you go with your little ones! See, you have something bad in mind.

Then he said to them, “The Lord had better be with you when I let you and your little ones go! Beware, for evil is ahead of you.

11 N o! You men go and worship the Lord. For that is what you want.” And Moses and Aaron were sent away from Pharaoh.

Not so! Go now, you who are men, and serve the Lord, for that is what you desired.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

12 T hen the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts to come upon the land of Egypt. They will eat every plant of the land, all that the hail has left.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land—all that the hail has left.”

13 S o Moses put out his special stick over the land of Egypt. And the Lord sent an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

So Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

14 T he locusts came over all the land of Egypt and they stayed on the whole country of Egypt. There were very many. There had never been so many locusts. And there would never be so many again.

And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and rested on all the territory of Egypt. They were very severe; previously there had been no such locusts as they, nor shall there be such after them.

15 F or they covered the whole land and made it dark. They ate every plant of the land, and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant of the field through all the land of Egypt.

For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. So there remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt.

16 T hen Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in a hurry. He said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you.

Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you.

17 S o now forgive my sin only this once. Pray to the Lord your God to take this death away from me.”

Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once, and entreat the Lord your God, that He may take away from me this death only.”

18 S o Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.

So he went out from Pharaoh and entreated the Lord.

19 A nd the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind. It lifted the locusts and sent them into the Red Sea. Not one locust was left in all the country of Egypt.

And the Lord turned a very strong west wind, which took the locusts away and blew them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the territory of Egypt.

20 B ut the Lord made Pharaoh’s heart hard. He did not let the people of Israel go. Darkness Covers the Land

But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go. The Ninth Plague: Darkness

21 T hen the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand toward the sky. And there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness people will feel.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.”

22 S o Moses put out his hand toward the sky. And there was darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.

So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.

23 T he Egyptians did not see each other. No one got up from his place for three days. But all the people of Israel had light in their homes.

They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

24 T hen Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, “Go and worship the Lord. Your children may go with you also. Only let your flocks and your cattle stay.”

Then Pharaoh called to Moses and said, “Go, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be kept back. Let your little ones also go with you.”

25 B ut Moses said, “You must let us have gifts to give in worship and gifts for burning, so we may give them to the Lord our God.

But Moses said, “You must also give us sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.

26 S o our animals will go with us also. Not a foot of an animal will be left behind. For we will take some of them to use as we worship the Lord our God. And until we are there, we do not know which ones we will use in worshiping the Lord.”

Our livestock also shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind. For we must take some of them to serve the Lord our God, and even we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there.”

27 B ut the Lord made Pharaoh’s heart hard. He was not willing to let them go.

But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.

28 P haraoh said to Moses, “Go away from me! Make sure that you do not see my face again! For the day you see my face again, you will die!”

Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Take heed to yourself and see my face no more! For in the day you see my face you shall die!”

29 M oses said, “You are right. I will never see your face again.”

So Moses said, “You have spoken well. I will never see your face again.”