Exodus, 10

1. Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Go to Pharaoh, for I have made him and his officials stubborn, to display these signs of mine among them;

1. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these signs of mine among them,

2. so that you can tell your sons and your grandsons how I made fools of the Egyptians and what signs I performed among them, so that you would know that I am Yahweh.'

2. and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your son's son how I have made sport of the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them; that you may know that I am the LORD."

3. Moses and Aaron then went to Pharaoh and said to him, 'Yahweh, God of the Hebrews, says this, "How much longer will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people go and worship me.

3. So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and said to him, "Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, `How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.

4. Or, if you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I shall send locusts into your country.

4. For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,

5. They will cover the surface of the soil so that the soil cannot be seen. They will devour the remainder of what has escaped, of what you have been left after the hail; they will devour all your trees growing in the fields;

5. and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land; and they shall eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours which grows in the field,

6. they will fill your houses, all your officials' houses and all the Egyptians' houses -- something your ancestors and your ancestors' ancestors have never seen from the day they first appeared on earth until now." ' Then he turned on his heel and left Pharaoh's presence.

6. and they shall fill your houses, and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians; as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.'" Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

7. At which, Pharaoh's officials said to him, 'How much longer are we to be tricked by this fellow? Let the people go and worship Yahweh their God. Do you not finally realise that Egypt is on the brink of ruin?'

7. And Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God; do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?"

8. So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh who said to them, 'Go and worship Yahweh your God. But who are to go?'

8. So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh; and he said to them, "Go, serve the LORD your God; but who are to go?"

9. Moses replied, 'We shall take our young men and our old men, we shall take our sons and daughters, our flocks and our herds, since we are going to hold a feast in Yahweh's honour.'

9. And Moses said, "We will go with our young and our old; we will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD."

10. Pharaoh said, 'So I must let you go with your wives and children! May Yahweh preserve you! Plainly, you are up to no good!

10. And he said to them, "The LORD be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Look, you have some evil purpose in mind.

11. Oh no! You men may go and worship Yahweh, since that was your original request.' With that, they were driven from Pharaoh's presence.

11. No! Go, the men among you, and serve the LORD, for that is what you desire." And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.

12. Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand over Egypt for the locusts. Let them invade Egypt and devour whatever is growing in the country, whatever the hail has left!'

12. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come upon the land of Egypt, and eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left."

13. Moses stretched his staff over Egypt, and over the country Yahweh sent an east wind which blew all that day and night. By morning, the east wind had brought the locusts.

13. So Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night; and when it was morning the east wind had brought the locusts.

14. The locusts invaded the whole of Egypt and settled all over Egypt, in great swarms; never had there been so many locusts before, nor would there be again.

14. And the locusts came up over all the land of Egypt, and settled on the whole country of Egypt, such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever shall be again.

15. They covered the surface of the ground till the land was devastated. They devoured whatever was growing in the fields and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left. No green was left on tree or plant in the fields anywhere in Egypt.

15. For they covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left; not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

16. Pharaoh sent urgently for Moses and Aaron and said, 'I have sinned against Yahweh your God and against you.

16. Then Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.

17. Now forgive my sin, I implore you, just this once, and entreat Yahweh your God to turn this deadly thing away from me.'

17. Now therefore, forgive my sin, I pray you, only this once, and entreat the LORD your God only to remove this death from me."

18. When Moses left Pharaoh's presence he prayed to Yahweh,

18. So he went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the LORD.

19. and Yahweh changed the wind into a west wind, very strong, which carried the locusts away and swept them into the Sea of Reeds. There was not one locust left in the whole of Egypt.

19. And the LORD turned a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea; not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt.

20. But Yahweh made Pharaoh stubborn, and he did not let the Israelites go.

20. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.

21. Yahweh then said to Moses, 'Stretch out your hand towards heaven, and let darkness, darkness so thick that it can be felt, cover Egypt.'

21. Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt."

22. So Moses stretched out his hand towards heaven, and for three days there was thick darkness over the whole of Egypt.

22. So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days;

23. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days, but all the Israelites did have light where they were living.

23. they did not see one another, nor did any rise from his place for three days; but all the people of Israel had light where they dwelt.

24. Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, 'Go and worship Yahweh, but your flocks and herds are to stay here. Your wives and children can go with you too.'

24. Then Pharaoh called Moses, and said, "Go, serve the LORD; your children also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind."

25. Moses said, 'But now you must give us sacrifices and burnt offerings to offer to Yahweh our God.

25. But Moses said, "You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.

26. And our livestock will go with us too; not a hoof will be left behind; for we may need animals from these to worship Yahweh our God; for until we get there we ourselves cannot tell how we are to worship Yahweh.'

26. Our cattle also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take of them to serve the LORD our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the LORD until we arrive there."

27. But Yahweh made Pharaoh stubborn, and he refused to let them go.

27. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.

28. Pharaoh said to Moses, 'Out of my sight! Be sure you never see my face again, for the next time you see my face you die!'

28. Then Pharaoh said to him, "Get away from me; take heed to yourself; never see my face again; for in the day you see my face you shall die."

29. Moses then said, 'You yourself have said it. I shall never see your face again.'

29. Moses said, "As you say! I will not see your face again."