The Eighth Plague: Locusts

1Then the LORD {YHWH} said to Moses (drawn out), “Go to Pharaoh (great house), for I have hardened (made heavy)a his heart and the hearts of his officials, that I may perform these miraculous signs of Mine among them, 2and that you may tell your children and grandchildren how severely I dealt with the Egyptians (land of bondage) when I performed miraculous signs among them, so that all of you⁺ may know that I am the LORD {YHWH}.”

3So Moses (drawn out) and Aaron (light bringer) went to Pharaoh (great house) and told him, “This is what the LORD, the God {YHWH Elohe} of the Hebrews (those from beyond), says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they may worship Me. 4But if you refuse to let My people go, I will bring locusts into your territory tomorrow. 5They will cover the face of the land so that no one can see it. They will devour whatever is left after the hail and eat every tree that grows in your⁺ fields. 6They will fill your houses and the houses of all your officials and every Egyptian (double straits)—something neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen since the day they came into this land.’”

Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh’s presence (great house).

7Pharaoh’s (great house) officials asked him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the LORD their God {YHWH Elohehem}. Do you not yet realize that Egypt (land of bondage) lies in ruins?”

8So Moses (drawn out) and Aaron (light bringer) were brought back to Pharaoh (great house). “Go, worship the LORD your⁺ God {YHWH Eloheikem},” he said. “But who exactly will be going?”

9“We will go with our young and old,” Moses (drawn out) replied. “We will go with our sons and daughters, and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD {YHWH}.”

10Then Pharaoh told them, “May the LORD {YHWH} be with you⁺ if I ever let you⁺ go with your⁺ little ones. Clearly you⁺ are bent on evil. 11No, only the men may go and worship the LORD {YHWH}, since that is what you⁺ have been requesting.” And Moses and Aaron were driven from Pharaoh’s (great house) presence.

12Then the LORD {YHWH} said to Moses (drawn out), “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt (land of bondage), so that the locusts may swarm over it and devour every plant in the land—everything that the hail has left behind.”

13So Moses (drawn out) stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt (land of bondage), and throughout that day and night the LORD {YHWH} sent an east wind {ruach} across the land. By morning the east wind had brought the locusts.

14The locusts swarmed across the land (land of bondage) and settled over the entire territory of Egypt. Never before had there been so many locusts, and never again will there be. 15They covered the face of all the land until it was black, and they consumed all the plants on the ground and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left behind. Nothing green was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt (land of bondage).

16Pharaoh (great house) quickly summoned Moses (drawn out) and Aaron (light bringer) and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your⁺ God {YHWH Eloheikem} and against you⁺. 17Now please forgive my sin once more and appeal to the LORD your⁺ God {YHWH Eloheikem}, that He may remove this death from me.”

18So Moses left Pharaoh’s (great house) presence and appealed to the LORD {YHWH}. 19And the LORD {YHWH} changed the wind to a very strong west wind {ruach} that carried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea (the Sea of Reeds).b Not a single locust remained anywhere in Egypt (land of bondage).

20But the LORD {YHWH} hardened (stiffened)c Pharaoh’s (great house) heart, and he would not let the Israelites (God prevails) go.

The Ninth Plague: Darkness

21Then the LORD {YHWH} said to Moses (drawn out), “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, so that darkness may spread over the land of Egypt (land of bondage)—a palpable darkness.”

22So Moses (drawn out) stretched out his hand toward heaven, and total darkness covered all the land of Egypt (land of bondage) for three days. 23No one could see anyone else, and for three days no one left his place. Yet all the Israelites (God prevails) had light in their dwellings.

24Then Pharaoh (great house) summoned Moses (drawn out) and said, “Go, worship the LORD {YHWH}. Even your⁺ little ones may go with you⁺; only your⁺ flocks and herds must stay behind.”

25But Moses (drawn out) replied, “You must also provide us with sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the LORD our God {YHWH Elohenu}. 26Even our livestock must go with us; not a hoof will be left behind, for we will need some of them to worship the LORD our God {YHWH Elohenu}, and we will not know how we are to worship the LORD until we arrive.”

27But the LORD {YHWH} hardened Pharaoh’s (great house) heart, and he was unwilling to let them go. 28“Depart from me!” Pharaoh (great house) said to Moses. “Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die.”

29“As you say,” Moses (drawn out) replied, “I will never see your face again.”