Exodus 10

Warning of Locusts Exodus 10:3–6

³Verse 3. Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and said to him, “This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me. ⁴Verse 4. Or else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country, ⁵Verse 5. and they shall cover the surface of the earth, so that one won’t be able to see the earth. They shall eat the residue of that which has escaped, which remains to you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which grows for you out of the field.

⁶Verse 6. Your houses shall be filled, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; as neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.’” He turned, and went out from Pharaoh.

Pharaoh's Resistance Exodus 10:7–11

⁷Verse 7. Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve Yahweh, their God. Don’t you yet know that Egypt is destroyed?” ⁸Verse 8. Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve Yahweh your God; but who are those who will go?” ⁹Verse 9. Moses said, “We will go with our young and with our old; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast to Yahweh.” ¹⁰Verse 10. He said to them, “Yahweh be with you if I will let you go with your little ones! See, evil is clearly before your faces.

¹¹Verse 11. Not so! Go now you who are men, and serve Yahweh; for that is what you desire!” They were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

The Locust Plague Exodus 10:12–15

¹²Verse 12. Yahweh 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.” ¹³Verse 13. Moses 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. ¹⁴Verse 14. The 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.

¹⁵Verse 15. For 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.

Pharaoh's Confession and Relent Exodus 10:16–20

¹⁶Verse 16. Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and he said, “I have sinned against Yahweh your God, and against you. ¹⁷Verse 17. Now therefore please forgive my sin again, and pray to Yahweh your God, that he may also take away from me this death.” ¹⁸Verse 18. He went out from Pharaoh, and prayed to Yahweh. ¹⁹Verse 19. Yahweh 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. ²⁰Verse 20. But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he didn’t let the children of Israel go.

The Plague of Darkness Exodus 10:21–23

²¹Verse 21. Yahweh 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.” ²²Verse 22. Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. ²³Verse 23. They 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.

Final Confrontation Exodus 10:24–29

²⁴Verse 24. Pharaoh 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.” ²⁵Verse 25. Moses said, “You must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God. ²⁶Verse 26. Our 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.” ²⁷Verse 27. But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he wouldn’t let them go. ²⁸Verse 28. Pharaoh 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!”

²⁹Verse 29. Moses said, “You have spoken well. I will see your face again no more.”