Then the LORD said
to Moses
, "Go
to Pharaoh
, for aI have 1hardened
his heart
and the heart
of his servants
, that I may 2perform
these
signs
of Mine 3among
them,
and athat you may tell in the 1hearing
of your son
, and of your grandson
, how
I made
a mockery
of the Egyptians
and how
I 2performed
My signs
among them, bthat you may know
that I am the LORD
."
Moses and Aaron
went
to Pharaoh
and said
to him, "Thus
says
the LORD
, the God
of the Hebrews
, `How
long
will you refuse
to ahumble
yourself before
Me? bLet
My people
go
, that they may serve
Me.
`For if you refuse
to let
My people
go
, behold
, tomorrow
I will bring
locusts
into your territory
.
`They shall cover the surface
of the land
, so that no
one will be able
to see
the land
. aThey will also eat
the rest
of what
has escaped
--what is left
to you from the hail
--and they will eat
every
tree
which sprouts
for you out of the field
.
`Then ayour houses shall be filled
and the houses
of all
your servants
and the houses
of all
the Egyptians
, something which
neither
your fathers
nor
your grandfathers
have seen
, from the day
that they 1came
upon the earth
until
this
day
.' " And he turned
and went
out from Pharaoh
.
aPharaoh's servants
said
to him, "How
long
will this
man be ba snare
to us? Let
the men
go
, that they may serve
the LORD
their God
. Do you not 1realize
that Egypt
is destroyed
?"
So Moses and Aaron
awere brought
back
to Pharaoh
, and he said
to them, " bGo
, serve
the LORD
your God
! 1Who
are the ones that are going
?"
Moses said
, " aWe shall go
with our young
and our old
; with our sons
and our daughters
, bwith our flocks
and our herds
we shall go
, for we 1must hold a feast
to the LORD
."
Then he said to them, "Thus
may the LORD
be with you, 1if
ever
I let
you and your little
ones
go
! Take
heed
, for evil
is 2in your mind
.
"Not so! Go
now
, the men
among you, and serve
the LORD
, for 1that is what you desire
." So athey were driven
out from Pharaoh's
presence
.
Then the LORD said
to Moses
, " aStretch
out your hand
over
the land
of Egypt
for the locusts
, that they may come
up on the land
of Egypt
and beat
every
plant
of the land
, even all
that the hail
has left
."
So Moses stretched
out his staff
over
the land
of Egypt
, and the LORD
directed
an east
wind
on the land
all
that day
and all
that night
; and when it was morning
, the east
wind
1brought
the alocusts
.
aThe locusts came
up over
all
the land
of Egypt
and settled
in all
the territory
of Egypt
; they were very
1numerous
. There had never
been
so
many 2locusts
, nor
would there be so
many 3again
.
For they covered the surface
of the whole
land
, so that the land
was darkened
; and they aate
every
plant
of the land
and all
the fruit
of the trees
that the hail
had left
. Thus nothing
green
was left
on tree
or plant
of the field
through all
the land
of Egypt
.
Then Pharaoh hurriedly
acalled
for Moses
and Aaron
, and he said
, " bI have sinned
against the LORD
your God
and against you.
"Now therefore, please
forgive
my sin
only
this
once
, and amake
supplication
to the LORD
your God
, that He would only
remove
this
death
from me."
aHe went out from Pharaoh
and made
supplication
to the LORD
.
So the LORD shifted
the wind to a very
strong
west
wind
which took
up the locusts
and drove
them into the 1Red
Sea
; not one
locust
was left
in all
the territory
of Egypt
.
But athe LORD 1hardened
Pharaoh's
heart
, and he did not let
the sons
of Israel
go
.
Then the LORD said
to Moses
, " aStretch
out your hand
toward
the sky
, that there may be darkness
over
the land
of Egypt
, even a darkness
bwhich may be felt
."
So Moses stretched
out his hand
toward
the sky
, and there was athick
darkness
in all
the land
of Egypt
for three
days
.
They did not see one
another
, nor
did anyone
rise
from his place
for three
days
, abut all
the sons
of Israel
had
light
in their dwellings
.
Then Pharaoh acalled
to Moses
, and said
, "Go
, serve
the LORD
; only
let your flocks
and your herds
be detained
. Even
byour little
ones
may go
with you."
But Moses said
, "You must also
1let
us have
sacrifices
and burnt
offerings
, that we may 2sacrifice
them to the LORD
our God
.
" aTherefore, our livestock too
shall go
with us; not a hoof
shall be left
behind
, for we shall take
some
of them to serve
the LORD
our God
. And until
we arrive
there
, we ourselves
do not know
with what
we shall serve
the LORD
."
But athe LORD 1hardened
Pharaoh's
heart
, and he was not willing
to let
them go
.
Then Pharaoh said
to him, " aGet
away
from me! 1Beware
, do not see
my face
again
, for in the day
you see
my face
you shall die
!"
Moses said
, "You are right
; aI shall never
see
your face
again
!"