Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.

God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

to govern the day and the night, and to separate light from darkness. And God saw that it was good.

As the sun was setting, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a thick and dreadful darkness came over him.

When the sun had set and darkness had fallen, a smoking firepot with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces.

The Plague of Darkness

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.”

So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days.

coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.

The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was.

“Sovereign Lord, you have begun to show to your servant your greatness and your strong hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do the deeds and mighty works you do?

You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain while it blazed with fire to the very heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness.

These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me.

When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leaders of your tribes and your elders came to me.

However, you may cut down trees that you know are not fruit trees and use them to build siege works until the city at war with you falls.

He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.

He will guard the feet of his faithful servants, but the wicked will be silenced in the place of darkness. “It is not by strength that one prevails;

He made darkness his canopy around him— the dark rain clouds of the sky.

You, Lord, are my lamp; the Lord turns my darkness into light.

So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it.

That day—may it turn to darkness; may God above not care about it; may no light shine on it.

May gloom and utter darkness claim it once more; may a cloud settle over it; may blackness overwhelm it.

That night—may thick darkness seize it; may it not be included among the days of the year nor be entered in any of the months.

Darkness comes upon them in the daytime; at noon they grope as in the night.