Exodus 10

10 ¹ Then our Father told Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for I hardened his heart and his servants' hearts, to put my signs among them," ² Tell your son and grandson how I mocked the Egyptians and set my signs among them, so you know I am your Father.

³ Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said, "This is what our Father, the Father of the Hebrews, says: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go to serve me.'" ⁴ For if you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I'll bring locusts into your territory. ⁵ They will cover the land's surface, hiding the ground, eat what hail left you, and eat every tree growing for you in the field. ⁶ They'll fill your houses, your servants', all Egyptians' — as your fathers and grandfathers never saw, from their days on earth until now." Then he turned and left Pharaoh.

⁷ Pharaoh's officials said, "How long will this man trap us? Send the men to serve their God. Don't you know yet Egypt is ruined?"

⁸ Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. "Go, serve God," he said. "But who's going?"

⁹ Moses said, "With our young and old we'll go; sons, daughters, flocks, herds — we'll go, for we have a feast to our Father."

¹⁰ He said, 'God be with you—as if I'd let you and your little ones go! See, evil is before you.' ¹¹ No! You men go serve God, since that's what you want." So Pharaoh drove them from his presence.

¹² Then our Father said to Moses, "Stretch your hand over Egypt for locusts to come up over Egypt and eat every plant of the land the hail left."

¹³ Moses stretched his staff over Egypt, and our Father drove an east wind across the land all day and all night; by morning it carried in the locusts. ¹⁴ Locusts came up over all Egypt, settling across its whole territory — so severe, none like them before, nor ever will be again. ¹⁵ They covered the whole land's surface, darkening it, and ate every land plant, all tree fruit the hail spared—no green left on tree or field plant in all the land of Egypt. ¹⁶ So Pharaoh quickly called Moses and Aaron, saying, "I have sinned against your God and against you." ¹⁷ Forgive my sin only this once, and beg your God to remove only this death from me.

¹⁸ So Moses went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with our Father. ¹⁹ Then our Father turned the wind into a very strong west wind that lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea; not one locust remained in all Egypt's territory. ²⁰ But our Father hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let the people of Israel go.

Three Days of Darkness

²¹ Then our Father told Moses, 'Stretch out your hand toward the sky, so darkness covers the land of Egypt — darkness thick enough to feel.'

²² Moses stretched his hand toward the sky; thick darkness covered all the land of Egypt three days. ²³ No one saw another or left his place three days, but all Israelites had light in their homes.

²⁴ Pharaoh called Moses and said, "Go, serve your God. Even your children may go—only leave your flocks and herds behind."

²⁵ Moses said, "You must also give us sacrifices and burnt offerings to offer to our Father." ²⁶ Our livestock must go with us too — not a hoof stays behind. We'll take some to serve our Father; we won't know what we need to serve him until we arrive there.

²⁷ But our Father hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he was not willing to let them go. ²⁸ Pharaoh said to him, "Leave me! Careful—don't see my face again, for the day you see it, you die."

²⁹ Moses said, "You have spoken rightly. I will never see your face again."