The Eighth Plague: Locusts

1And the Lord said to Moses, Go in to Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might show these My signs before him:

2And that you may tell in the ears of your son, and of your son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them; that you^p may know how that I am the Lord.   worked

3And Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh, and said to him, Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? let My people go, that they may serve Me.

4Else, if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow will I bring the locusts into your coast:   territory

5And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remains to you^p from the hail, and shall eat every tree which grows for you^p out of the field:

6And they shall fill your houses, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither your fathers, nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth to this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.

7And 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: know you not yet that Egypt is destroyed?

8And Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh: and he said to them, Go, serve the Lord your^p God: but who are they that shall go?

9And 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 the Lord.

10And he said to them, Let the Lord be so with you^p, as I will let you^p go, and your^p little ones: look to it; for evil is before you^p.

11Not so: go now you^p that are men, and serve the Lord; for that you^p did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

12And the Lord said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail has left.

13And 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 brought the locusts.

14And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.   numerous

15For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.   plant

16Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your^p God, and against you^p.

17Now therefore forgive, I pray you, my sin only this once, and entreat the Lord your^p God, that He may take away from me this death only.   implore

18And he went out from Pharaoh, and entreated the Lord.

19And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.

20But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.