A Plague of Darkness

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Lift your hand toward heaven, and a deep and terrifying darkness will descend on the land of Egypt." So Moses lifted his hand toward heaven, and there was deep darkness over the entire land for three days. During all that time the people scarcely moved, for they could not see. But there was light as usual where the people of Israel lived.

Then Pharaoh called for Moses. "Go and worship the LORD, "he said. "But let your flocks and herds stay here. You can even take your children with you."

No, "Moses said, 'we must take our flocks and herds for sacrifices and burnt offerings to the LORD our God. All our property must go with us; not a hoof can be left behind. We will have to choose our sacrifices for the LORD our God from among these animals. And we won't know which sacrifices he will require until we get there."

So the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart once more, and he would not let them go. Get out of here!" Pharaoh shouted at Moses. "Don't ever let me see you again! The day you do, you will die!"

Very well, "Moses replied. "I will never see you again."

A Plague of Locusts!

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Return to Pharaoh and again make your demands. I have made him and his officials stubborn so I can continue to display my power by performing miraculous signs among them. You will be able to tell wonderful stories to your children and grandchildren about the marvelous things I am doing among the Egyptians to prove that I am the LORD."

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said. "This is what the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: How long will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people go, so they can worship me. If you refuse, watch out! For tomorrow I will cover the whole country with locusts. There will be so many that you won't be able to see the ground. They will devour everything that escaped the hailstorm, including all the trees in the fields. They will overrun your palaces and the homes of your officials and all the houses of Egypt. Never in the history of Egypt has there been a plague like this one!" And with that, Moses turned and walked out.

The court officials now came to Pharaoh and appealed to him. "How long will you let these disasters go on? Please let the Israelites go to serve the LORD their God! Don't you realize that Egypt lies in ruins?"

So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. "All right, go and serve the LORD your God, "he said. "But tell me, just whom do you want to take along?"

Young and old, all of us will go, "Moses replied. "We will take our sons and daughters and our flocks and herds. We must all join together in a festival to the LORD."

Pharaoh retorted, "The LORD will certainly need to be with you if you try to take your little ones along! I can see through your wicked intentions. Never! Only the men may go and serve the LORD, for that is what you requested. "And Pharaoh threw them out of the palace.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Raise your hand over the land of Egypt to bring on the locusts. Let them cover the land and eat all the crops still left after the hailstorm."

So Moses raised his staff, and the LORD cause an east wind to blow all that day and through the night. When morning arrived, the east wind had brought the locusts. And the locusts swarmed over the land of Egypt from border to border. It was the worst locust plague in Egyptian history, and there has never again been one like it. For the locusts covered the surface of the whole country, making the ground look black. They ate all the plants and all the fruit on the trees that had survived the hailstorm. Not one green thing remained, neither tree nor plant, throughout the land of Egypt.

Pharaoh quickly sent for Moses and Aaron. "I confess my sin against the LORD your God and against you, "he said to them. Forgive my sin only this once, and plead with the LORD your God to take away this terrible plague."

So Moses left Pharaoh and pleaded with the LORD. The LORD responded by sending a strong west wind that blew the locusts out into the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained in all the land of Egypt. But the LORD made Pharaoh stubborn once again, and he did not let the people go.

A Plague of Hail!

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Get up early in the morning. Go to Pharaoh and tell him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so they can worship me. If you don't, I will send a plague that will really speak to you and your officials and all the Egyptian people. I will prove to you that there is no other God like me in all the earth. I could have killed you all by now. I could have attacked you with a plague that would have wiped you from the face of the earth. But I have let you live for this reason that you might see my power and that my fame might spread throughout the earth.

But you are still lording it over my people, and you refuse to let them go. So tomorrow at this time I will send a hailstorm worse than any in all of Egypt's history. Quick! Order your livestock and servants to come in from the fields. Every person or animal left outside will die beneath the hail.'"

Some of Pharaoh's officials believed what the LORD said. They immediately brought their livestock and servants in from the fields. But those who had no respect for the word of the LORD left them out in the open.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "Lift your hand toward the sky, and cause the hail to fall throughout Egypt, on the people, the animals, and the crops."

So Moses lifted his staff toward the sky, and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. The LORD sent a tremendous hailstorm against all the land of Egypt. Never in all the history of Egypt had there been a storm like that, with such severe hail and continuous lightning. It left all of Egypt in ruins. Everything left in the fields was destroyed people, animals, and crops alike. Even all the trees were destroyed. The only spot in all Egypt without hail that day was the land of Goshen, where the people of Israel lived.

Then Pharaoh urgently sent for Moses and Aaron. "I finally admit my fault, "he confessed. "The LORD is right, and my people and I are wrong. Please beg the LORD to end this terrifying thunder and hail. I will let you go at once."

All right, "Moses replied. "As soon as I leave the city, I will lift my hands and pray to the LORD. Then the thunder and hail will stop. This will prove to you that the earth belongs to the LORD. But as for you and your officials, I know that you still don not fear the LORD God as you should."

All the flax and barley were destroyed because the barley was ripe and the flax was in bloom. But the wheat and the spelt were not destroyed because they had not yet sprouted from the ground.

So Moses left Pharaoh and went out of the city. As he lifted his hands to the LORD, all at once the thunder and hail stopped, and the downpour ceased. When Pharaoh saw this, he and his officials sinned yet again by stubbornly refusing to do as they had promised. Pharaoh refused to let the people leave, just as the LORD had predicted.