Locusts

12Yahweh 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.”

13Moses 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.

14The 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.

15For 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.

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

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

18He went out from Pharaoh, and prayed to Yahweh.

19Yahweh 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.

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

21Yahweh 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.”

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

23They 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.

24Pharaoh 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.”

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

26Our 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.”

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

28Pharaoh 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!”