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, 2 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.”

3 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. 4 For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. 5 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. 6 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. 7 ^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?” 8 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?” 9 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.” 10 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. 11 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.

12 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.” 13 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. 14 ^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. 15 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. 16 Then Pharaoh hurriedly ^acalled for Moses and Aaron, and he said, “^bI have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. 17 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.” 18 ^aHe went out from Pharaoh and made supplication to the LORD. 19 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. 20 But ^athe LORD ¹hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go.

21 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.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was ^athick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. 23 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. 24 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.” 25 But Moses said, “You must also ¹let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may ²sacrifice them to the LORD our God. 26 ^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.” 27 But ^athe LORD ¹hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go. 28 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!” 29 Moses said, “You are right; ^aI shall never see your face again!”

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for ^aI have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants making them determined and unresponsive, so that I may exhibit My signs of divine power ¹among them, 2 and ^athat you may recount and explain in the hearing of your son, and your grandson, what I have done repeatedly to make a mockery of the Egyptians—My signs of divine power which I have done among them—^bso that you may know without any doubt and recognize clearly that I am the LORD.”

3 So 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, so that they may serve Me. 4 For if you refuse to let My people go, then hear this: tomorrow I will bring migratory locusts into your country. 5 They shall cover the visible surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the ground, and ^athey will eat the rest of what has remained—that is, the vegetation left after the hail—and they will eat every one of your trees that grows in the field; 6 ^ayour houses and those of all your servants and of all the Egyptians shall be filled with locusts, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from their birth until this day.’” Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh. 7 ^aPharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be ^ba trap to us? Let the men go, so that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not realize that Egypt is destroyed?” 8 So Moses and Aaron ^awere brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “^bGo, serve the LORD your God! Who specifically are the ones that are going?” 9 Moses said, “^aWe will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, ^bwith our flocks and our herds all of us and all that we have, for we must hold a feast to the LORD.” 10 Pharaoh said to them, “The LORD be with you to help you, if I ever let you go with your children because you will never return! Look be forewarned, ¹you have an ²evil plan in mind. 11 No! Go now, you who are men, without your families and serve the LORD, if that is what you want.” So Moses and Aaron ^awere driven from Pharaoh’s presence.

12 Then the LORD said to Moses, “^aStretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come up on the land of Egypt and ^beat all the plants of the land, all that the hail has left.” 13 So Moses stretched out his staff 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 had brought the swarms of ^alocusts. 14 ^aThe locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled down in the whole territory, a very dreadful mass of them; never before were there such locusts as these, nor will there ever be again. 15 For they covered the visible surface of the land, so that the ground was darkened; and they ^aate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. There remained not a green thing on the trees or the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt. 16 Then Pharaoh hurried to ^acall for Moses and Aaron, and he said, “^bI have sinned against the LORD your God and against you. 17 Now therefore, please forgive my sin only this once more, and ^apray and entreat the LORD your God, so that He will remove this plague of death from me.” 18 ^aMoses left Pharaoh and entreated the LORD. 19 So the LORD shifted the wind to a violent west wind which lifted up the locusts and drove them into the ¹Red Sea; not one locust remained within the border of Egypt. 20 But ^athe LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that it was even more resolved and obstinate, and he did not let the Israelites go.

21 Then the LORD said to Moses, “^aStretch out your hand toward the sky, so that ¹darkness may come over the land of Egypt, a darkness ^bwhich is so awful that it may be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and for three days a ^athick darkness was all over the land of Egypt no sun, no moon, no stars. 23 The Egyptians could not see one another, nor did anyone leave his place for three days, ^abut all the Israelites had supernatural light in their dwellings. 24 Then Pharaoh ^acalled to Moses, and said, “Go, serve the LORD; only your flocks and your herds must be left behind. Even ^byour children may go with you.” 25 But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, so that we may sacrifice them to the LORD our God. 26 ^aTherefore, our livestock must also go with us; not one hoof shall be left behind, for we must take some of them to serve the LORD our God. Even we do not know with what we will serve the LORD until we arrive there.” 27 But ^athe LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go. 28 Then Pharaoh said to Moses, “^aGet away from me! See that you never enter my presence again, for on the day that you see my face again you will die!” 29 Then Moses said, “You are correct; ^aI will never see your face again!”