1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have Lit made heavyhardened his heart and the heart of his servants, so that I may Lit putperform these signs of Mine Lit in his midstamong them,

2and that you may tell in the Lit earspresence of your son, and of your grandson, how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I Lit putperformed My signs among them, so that you may know that I am the Lord.”

3So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may serve Me.

4For if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.

5And they will cover the surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the land. They will also eat the rest of what has survived—what is left to you from the hail—and they will eat every tree of yours which grows Lit fromin the field.

6Then your houses will be filled with them, Lit and thetogether with 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 Lit werecame upon the earth until this day.’ ” And he turned and left Pharaoh.

7Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the Or menpeople go, so that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet Lit knowrealize that Egypt is destroyed?”

8So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve the Lord your God! Lit Who and who areWho specifically are the ones who are going?”

9Moses said, “We shall go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds we shall go, for we Lit have a feastmust hold a feast to the Lord.”

10Then he said to them, “So may the Lord be with you, when I let you and your little ones go! Watch out, for evil is Lit before your faceon your mind!

11Not so! Go now, but only the men among you, and serve the Lord, since Lit you desire itthat is what you desire.” So they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

12Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out with your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come up on the land of Egypt and eat every plant of the land, everything that the hail has left.”

13So Moses reached out with 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 Lit carriedbrought the locusts.

14The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled in all the territory of Egypt; they were very Lit heavynumerous. There had never been so many Lit locusts like them before themlocusts, nor would there be so many Lit after themagain.

15For they covered the surface of the whole land, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Therefore nothing green was left on tree or plant of the field throughout the land of Egypt.

16Then Pharaoh hurriedly called for Moses and Aaron, and he said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you.

17So now, please forgive my sin only this once, and plead with the Lord your God, that He would only remove this death from me.”

18Then he left Pharaoh and pleaded with the Lord.

19So the Lord shifted the wind to a very strong west wind, which picked up the locusts and drove them into the Lit Sea of ReedsRed Sea; not one locust was left in all the territory of Egypt.

20But the Lord Lit made stronghardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go.

21Then the Lord said to Moses, “Reach out with your hand toward the sky, so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness which may be felt.”

22So Moses reached out with his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.

23They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings.

24Then Pharaoh called for Moses, and said, “Go, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be left behind. Even your little ones may go with you.”

25But Moses said, “You must also Lit hand overlet us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, so that we may Lit make them forsacrifice them to the Lord our God.

26Therefore, 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.”

27But the Lord Lit made stronghardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go.

28Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Lit Take care for yourselfBe careful, do not see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you shall die!”

29Moses said, “You have spoken correctly; I shall never see your face again!”