蝗虫之灾

10 耶和华对摩西说:“你去见法老,我已使他和他臣仆的心刚硬,好在他们当中行我这些神迹。 这样,你就可以把我如何严惩埃及人以及我在他们当中所行的神迹告诉你的子孙,好叫你们知道我是耶和华。”

摩西和亚伦便进宫去见法老,对他说:“希伯来人的上帝耶和华说,‘你要到什么时候才肯在我面前谦卑下来,让我的子民离开这里去事奉我? 这次你若再不答应,明天我要使蝗虫飞入你的国境。 它们铺天盖地,要吃光冰雹过后田间所剩的,包括一切树木。 你的王宫及臣仆和所有埃及人的房屋都要布满蝗虫,这是你祖祖辈辈从未见过的蝗灾。’”摩西说完,便转身离开法老。

臣仆对法老说:“这个人还要给我们添多少麻烦呢?让他们离开去事奉他们的上帝耶和华吧!埃及已经快崩溃了,你不知道吗?” 法老便召摩西和亚伦进宫,对他们说:“你们去事奉你们的上帝耶和华吧!但你们谁要去呢?” 摩西回答说:“我们男女老幼都要去,还有我们的牛群和羊群,因为我们要去守耶和华的节期,向祂献祭。” 10 法老听后,说:“我若让你们带走妇女和孩子,最好耶和华能保护你们!你们真是居心叵测。 11 不行!只有男子可以去事奉耶和华,这是你们一直要求的。”法老说完,便下令把他们赶出去。

12 耶和华对摩西说:“你向埃及伸杖,使蝗虫飞来吃尽冰雹过后剩下的植物。” 13 摩西就向埃及伸杖。耶和华使东风在埃及境内刮了整整一天一夜,到早晨,东风带来了蝗虫。 14 埃及到处都布满了蝗虫,数目之多实在是空前绝后。 15 整个埃及铺满蝗虫,地上一片黑暗。这些蝗虫吃尽了冰雹过后剩下的农作物和树上的果子,没有留下一点青绿。 16 法老急忙召见摩西和亚伦,对他们说:“我得罪了你们的上帝耶和华,又得罪了你们。 17 现在求你饶恕我的罪,就这一次,为我祈求你们的上帝耶和华撤去这场死亡之灾吧!” 18 摩西就离开法老出去祈求耶和华, 19 耶和华就把风向倒转,变成猛烈的西风,把蝗虫刮走,吹进红海。埃及境内一只蝗虫也没留下。 20 可是,耶和华又使法老心硬,不让以色列人离开埃及。

黑暗之灾

21 耶和华对摩西说:“你向天伸杖,使埃及全境漆黑一片,那黑暗浓得甚至可以摸到。” 22 摩西向天伸杖,埃及全境便漆黑了三天之久。 23 埃及人彼此看不见,谁也不敢移动半步。可是,以色列人住的地方却有光。 24 法老把摩西召来,对他说:“去吧,带着你们的妇女和孩子去事奉耶和华吧,但你们要把牛羊留下。” 25 摩西回答说:“你要让我们带走牛羊,因为它们是献给我们上帝耶和华的祭物和燔祭牲。 26 我们要带走所有的牲畜,一只蹄子也不留下,因为我们要从其中选一些来献给我们的上帝耶和华。我们抵达目的地前,还不知道把哪些献给祂。” 27 但耶和华使法老的心刚硬,不肯让以色列百姓离开。 28 法老对摩西说:“给我滚出去!不要再让我见到你,因为你再见我面之日必死。” 29 摩西回答说:“你说得好,我必不再见你的面。”

The Plague of Locusts

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart(A) and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs(B) of mine among them that you may tell your children(C) and grandchildren how I dealt harshly(D) with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.”(E)

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble(F) yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. If you refuse(G) to let them go, I will bring locusts(H) into your country tomorrow. They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left(I) after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields.(J) They will fill your houses(K) and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians—something neither your parents nor your ancestors have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.’”(L) Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a snare(M) to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?”(N)

Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship(O) the Lord your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.”

Moses answered, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival(P) to the Lord.”

10 Pharaoh said, “The Lord be with you—if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil.[a] 11 No! Have only the men go and worship the Lord, since that’s what you have been asking for.” Then Moses and Aaron were driven out of Pharaoh’s presence.

12 And the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand(Q) over Egypt so that locusts swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail.”

13 So Moses stretched out his staff(R) over Egypt, and the Lord made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts;(S) 14 they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts,(T) nor will there ever be again. 15 They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured(U) all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.

16 Pharaoh quickly summoned(V) Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned(W) against the Lord your God and against you. 17 Now forgive(X) my sin once more and pray(Y) to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”

18 Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.(Z) 19 And the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea.[b] Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt. 20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,(AA) and he would not let the Israelites go.

The Plague of Darkness

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness(AB) spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness(AC) covered all Egypt for three days. 23 No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.(AD)

24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go,(AE) worship the Lord. Even your women and children(AF) may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.”(AG)

25 But Moses said, “You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings(AH) to present to the Lord our God. 26 Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the Lord our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the Lord.”

27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,(AI) and he was not willing to let them go. 28 Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die.”

29 “Just as you say,” Moses replied. “I will never appear(AJ) before you again.”

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 10:10 Or Be careful, trouble is in store for you!
  2. Exodus 10:19 Or the Sea of Reeds

[BO]

10 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Go in unto Pharaoh; for I have hardened his lev, and the lev of his avadim, that I might show these My otot before him;

And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy ben, and of thy ben’s ben, what things I have wrought in Mitzrayim, and My otot which I have done among them; that ye may have da’as that I am Hashem.

And Moshe and Aharon came in unto Pharaoh,and said unto him, Thus saith Hashem Elohei HaIvrim, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

Else, if thou refuse to let My people go, hineni, tomorrow will I bring the arbeh into thy border;

And they shall cover the face of ha’aretz, that one cannot be able to see ha’aretz; and they shall devour the remnant of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the barad, and shall eat kol haetz which groweth for you out of the sadeh;

And they shall fill thy batim (houses), and the batim (houses) of all thy avadim, and the batim (houses) of kol Mitzrayim; which neither thy avot, nor the avot of thy avot have seen, since the day that they were upon ha’aretz unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.

And Pharaoh’s avadim said unto him, How long shall this man be a mokesh (snare) unto us? Let the anashim go, that they may serve Hashem Eloheihem; knowest thou not yet that Mitzrayim is destroyed?

And Moshe and Aharon were brought again unto Pharaoh; and he said unto them, Go, serve Hashem Eloheichem; but who are they that shall go?

And Moshe said, We will go with ne’areinu and with zekeinu, with baneinu and with benoteinu, with tzoneinu and with bekareinu (our herds) will we go; for Chag Hashem lanu.

10 And he said unto them, Hashem will indeed be with you, if ever I let you go, and your little ones; look to it, evil [intent] is before you.

11 Not so; go now ye that are gevarim, and serve Hashem; for that ye did request. And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

12 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Stretch out thine yad over Eretz Mitzrayim for the arbeh, that they may come up upon Eretz Mitzrayim, and devour kol esev ha’aretz, even all that the barad hath left as remnant.

13 And Moshe stretched forth his matteh over Eretz Mitzrayim, and Hashem brought a ruach kadim upon the land all that yom, and all that lailah; and when it was boker, the ruach hakadim brought the arbeh.

14 And the arbeh went up over kol Eretz Mitzrayim, and rested on the entire border of Mitzrayim: very grievous were they; before them there were no such arbeh as they, neither after them shall be such.

15 For they covered the kol ha’aretz, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat kol esev ha’aretz, and kol p’ri haetz which the barad had left as remnant; and there remained not any yerek baetz, or in the esev hasadeh, through kol Eretz Mitzrayim.

16 Then Pharaoh called for Moshe and Aharon in haste; and he said, chatati (I have sinned) against Hashem Eloheichem, and against you.

17 Therefore forgive, now, my sin only this once, and entreat Hashem Eloheichem, that He would only take away from me this mavet.

18 And he went out from Pharaoh, and entreated Hashem.

19 And Hashem turned a west ruach chazak me’od, which took away the arbeh, and cast them into the Yam Suf; there remained not one arbeh in all the borders of Mitzrayim.

20 But Hashem hardened lev Pharaoh, so that he would not let the Bnei Yisroel go.

21 And Hashem said unto Moshe, Stretch out thine yad toward Shomayim, that there may be choshech over Eretz Mitzrayim, even choshech which he can feel.

22 And Moshe stretched forth his yad toward Shomayim; and there was a thick choshech in kol Eretz Mitzrayim shloshet yamim;

23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for shloshet yamim; but kol Bnei Yisroel had Ohr in their dwellings.

24 And Pharaoh called unto Moshe, and said, Go ye, serve Hashem; only let your tzon and your herds remain behind; let your little ones also go with you.

25 And Moshe said, Thou must give us also zevakhim and olot, that we may sacrifice unto Hashem Eloheinu.

26 Also mikneinu shall go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve Hashem Eloheinu; and we know not with what we must serve Hashem, until we come to there.

27 But Hashem hardened lev Pharaoh, and he would not let them go.

28 And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.

29 And Moshe said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.