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The Plague of Locusts

¹ Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for ^(C1)I have ^(F1)hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, so that I may ^(F2)perform these signs of Mine ^(F3)among them,² and ^(C1)that you may tell in the ^(F1)presence of your son, and of your grandson, how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I ^(F2)performed My signs among them, ^(C2)so that you may know that I am the LORD."

³ So 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 ^(C1)humble yourself before Me? ^(C2)Let My people go, so 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 'And they will cover the surface of the land, so that no one will be able to see the land. ^(C1)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 ^(F1)in the field.⁶ 'Then ^(C1)your houses will be filled with them, ^(F1)together 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 ^(F2)came upon the earth until this day.'" And he turned and left Pharaoh.⁷ Then ^(C1)Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long shall this man be ^(C2)a snare to us? Let the ^(F1)people go, so that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not yet ^(F2)realize that Egypt is destroyed?"⁸ So Moses and Aaron ^(C1)were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, "^(C2)Go, serve the LORD your God! ^(F1)Who specifically are the ones who are going?"⁹ Moses said, "^(C1)We shall go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, ^(C2)with our flocks and our herds we shall go, for we ^(F1)must hold a feast to the LORD."¹⁰ Then 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 ^(F1)on your mind!¹¹ "Not so! Go now, but only the men among you, and serve the LORD, since ^(F1)that is what you desire." So ^(C1)they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.

¹² Then the LORD said to Moses, "^(C1)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 ^(C2)eat every plant of the land, everything that the hail has left."¹³ So 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 ^(F1)brought the ^(C1)locusts.^14 (C1)The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled in all the territory of Egypt; they were very ^(F1)numerous. There had never been so many ^(F2)locusts, nor would there be so many ^(F3)again.¹⁵ For they covered the surface of the whole land, so that the land was darkened; and they ^(C1)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.¹⁶ Then Pharaoh hurriedly ^(C1)called for Moses and Aaron, and he said, "^(C2)I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you.¹⁷ "So now, please forgive my sin only this once, and ^(C1)plead with the LORD your God, that He would only remove this death from me."¹⁸ Then ^(C1)he left Pharaoh and pleaded with the LORD.¹⁹ So the LORD shifted the wind to a very strong west wind, which picked up the locusts and drove them into the ^(F1)Red Sea; not one locust was left in all the territory of Egypt.²⁰ But ^(C1)the LORD ^(F1)hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the sons of Israel go.

Darkness over the Land

²¹ Then the LORD said to Moses, "^(C1)Reach out with your hand toward the sky, so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even a darkness ^(C2)which may be felt."²² So Moses reached out with his hand toward the sky, and there was ^(C1)thick 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, ^(C1)but all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings.²⁴ Then Pharaoh ^(C1)called for Moses, and said, "Go, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be left behind. Even ^(C2)your little ones may go with you."²⁵ But Moses said, "You must also ^(F1)let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, so that we may ^(F2)sacrifice them to the LORD our God.²⁶ "^(C1)Therefore, 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 ^(C1)the LORD ^(F1)hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he was not willing to let them go.²⁸ Then Pharaoh said to him, "^(C1)Get away from me! ^(F1)Be careful, do not see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you shall die!"²⁹ Moses said, "You have spoken correctly; ^(C1)I shall never see your face again!"