1 Y ahweh said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may show these my signs among them,

Then 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.

2 a nd that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your son’s son, what things I have done to Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that you may know that I am Yahweh.”

You 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.”

3 M oses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and said to him, “This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.

Moses 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.

4 O r else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,

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

5 a nd they shall cover the surface of the earth, so that one won’t be able to see the earth. They shall eat the residue of that which has escaped, which remains to you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which grows for you out of the field.

They 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.

6 Y our houses shall be filled, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; as neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.’” He turned, and went out from Pharaoh.

They 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.

7 P haraoh’s servants said to him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve Yahweh, their God. Don’t you yet know that Egypt is destroyed?”

Pharaoh’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?”

8 M oses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve Yahweh your God; but who are those who will go?”

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

9 M oses said, “We will go with our young and with our old; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast to Yahweh.”

Moses 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.”

10 H e said to them, “Yahweh be with you if I will let you go with your little ones! See, evil is clearly before your faces.

Then 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.

11 N ot so! Go now you who are men, and serve Yahweh; for that is what you desire!” They were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

No! You men go and worship the Lord. For that is what you want.” And Moses and Aaron were sent away from Pharaoh.

12 Y ahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail has left.”

Then 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.”

13 M oses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and Yahweh brought an east wind on the land all that day, and all night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

So 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.

14 T he locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt. They were very grievous. Before them there were no such locusts as they, nor will there ever be again.

The 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.

15 F or they covered the surface 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. There remained nothing green, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

For 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.

16 T hen Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and he said, “I have sinned against Yahweh your God, and against you.

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

17 N ow therefore please forgive my sin again, and pray to Yahweh your God, that he may also take away from me this death.”

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

18 H e went out from Pharaoh, and prayed to Yahweh.

So Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.

19 Y ahweh turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the borders of Egypt.

And 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.

20 B ut Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he didn’t let the children of Israel go.

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

21 Y ahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.”

Then 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.”

22 M oses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.

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

23 T hey didn’t see one another, and nobody rose from his place for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

The 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.

24 P haraoh called to Moses, and said, “Go, serve Yahweh. Only let your flocks and your herds stay behind. Let your little ones also go with you.”

Then 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.”

25 M oses said, “You must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God.

But 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.

26 O ur livestock also shall go with us. Not a hoof shall be left behind, for of it we must take to serve Yahweh our God; and we don’t know with what we must serve Yahweh, until we come there.”

So 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.”

27 B ut Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he wouldn’t let them go.

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

28 P haraoh said to him, “Get away from me! Be careful to see my face no more; for in the day you see my face you shall die!”

Pharaoh 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!”

29 M oses said, “You have spoken well. I will see your face again no more.”

Moses said, “You are right. I will never see your face again.”