The Eighth Plague: Locusts
1. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them,
2. and that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I made a mockery of the Egyptians and how I performed My signs among them, so that you may know that I am the LORD.”
3. So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told 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 worship Me.
4. But if you refuse to let My people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country.
5. They will cover the face of the land, so that no one will be able to see it. They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree growing in your fields.
6. They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians—something neither your fathers nor your forefathers have ever seen from the day they settled in this land until now.’” And Moses turned and left Pharaoh’s presence.
7. Pharaoh’s officials asked him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is in ruins?”
8. So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, worship the LORD your God. But who exactly will be going?”
9. Moses answered, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters; and with our flocks and herds we will go, because we must hold a feast to the LORD.”
10. Pharaoh replied, “The LORD indeed will be with you if I ever let you go along with your little ones. Clearly, you are bent on evil.
11. No, only the men may go and worship the LORD, for that is what you have been requesting.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
12. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, so that locusts may swarm over it and devour every plant in the land—everything that the hail has left behind.”
13. So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the LORD sent an east wind over the land all that day and all that night. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts.
14. And the locusts swarmed over the entire land of Egypt, settling in every corner of the country in great density. Never before had there been such a large number of locusts, nor would there ever be again.
15. They covered the face of all the land so that it was black. They devoured all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.
16. Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you.
17. Now please forgive my sin once more and appeal to the LORD your God, so that He may take this death away from me.”
18. Moses went out from Pharaoh and appealed to the LORD,
19. and the LORD changed the wind to a strong west wind, which carried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained in all the territory of Egypt.
20. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the Israelites go.
The Ninth Plague: Darkness
21. Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, and let darkness, darkness so thick it can be felt, cover the land of Egypt.”
22. So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness over all the land of Egypt for three days.
23. No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one could move about. Yet all the Israelites had light in their dwellings.
24. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the LORD. Even your little ones may go with you; only your flocks and herds must stay behind.”
25. But Moses replied, “You must also provide us with sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the LORD our God.
26. Our livestock must also go with us; not a hoof will be left behind. We must select for the LORD our God the animals for sacrifices and burnt offerings from our livestock.”
27. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was unwilling to let them go.
28. “Depart from me!” Pharaoh said to Moses. “Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die.”
29. “As you have said,” Moses replied, “I will never see your face again.”