Exodus
Chapter 10
1 God said to Moses, “Go to the Pharaoh, because I have made his heart and his servants’ hearts stubborn, so I can display my miracles to them.”
2 So you can tell your son and grandson about what I did in Egypt, and the signs I showed them; so you will know that I am God.
3 Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, “God of the Hebrews asks, ‘How long will you not humble yourself before me? Let my people go to serve me.’”
4 If you don’t let my people go, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your land.
5 They will spread across the land so no one can see the ground. They will eat what’s left after the hail and consume every tree that grows in your fields.
6 They will fill your houses, the houses of your servants, and the houses of all Egyptians in a way your ancestors or their ancestors have never seen before. After saying this, he left Pharaoh’s presence.
7 Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man trap us? Let the men go to worship their God. Don’t you realize that Egypt is ruined?”
8 Moses and Aaron were taken back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, worship your God. But who will go?”
9 Moses said, “We will go with our young and old, our sons and daughters, and our animals; because we have to celebrate a feast for God.”
10 He told them, “May God be with you, like I will let you and your children go. Be careful; danger is ahead of you.”
11 No, only the men can go and worship God, as you asked. Then they were forced to leave Pharaoh’s presence.
12 God told Moses, “Reach out your hand over Egypt to bring locusts, so they can cover the land and eat every plant, including what the hail has spared.”
13 Moses held out his stick over Egypt, and God sent an east wind across the land all day and night; when morning came, the east wind brought locusts.
14 The locusts covered all of Egypt and settled everywhere. They were terrible; no other locusts like them had ever been seen before, nor would there ever be again.
15 They spread over the whole earth, making the land dark; they ate every plant and all the fruit the hail had left. There was no green left on the trees or plants in the fields in Egypt.
16 Then Pharaoh quickly called for Moses and Aaron; he said, “I have sinned against your God and against you.”
17 Please forgive my sin just this time, and ask God to stop this death from happening to me.
18 He left Pharaoh and prayed to God.
19 God sent a powerful west wind that blew the locusts away and into the Red Sea; not a single locust was left in Egypt.
20 God made Pharaoh’s heart stubborn, so he wouldn’t let the Israelites go.
21 God told Moses, “Reach out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt, a darkness that can be touched.”
22 Moses reached out his hand toward the sky, and there was a deep darkness over all of Egypt for three days.
23 They couldn’t see each other, and nobody left their spot for three days; but all the Israelites had light where they lived.
24 The Pharaoh called Moses and said, “Go and worship God; but leave your sheep and cattle behind. Take your children with you.”
25 And Moses said, You must give us sacrifices and burnt offerings so we can offer them to God.
26 We will take our animals with us; not a single hoof will be left behind; we need them to worship God; and we don’t know what we will need to worship God until we get there.
27 God made Pharaoh’s heart stubborn, and he refused to let them go.
28 Pharaoh said to him, “Go away from me, be careful, and don’t see me again; because the day you see my face, you will die.”
29 Moses said, “You’ve spoken well, I won’t see you again.”