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The Eighth Plague: Locusts

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I might show these signs of Mine before him, in order that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your son’s son, what things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.”

Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me. For if you refuse to let My people go, indeed, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. And they shall cover the face of the earth, such that no one will be able to see the earth. What’s more, they shall eat the remainder of that which has escaped—that which remains to you from the hail—and shall eat every tree which grows for you out of the field. And 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 on the earth until this day.’ ” And he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, so that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?”

So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve the Lord your God! But who are the ones that shall go?”

And Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds will we go, for we must hold a feast to the Lord.”

10 Then he said to them, “The Lord indeed be with you when I let you and your little ones go. Beware, for evil is before you. 11 Not so! Go now, you that are men, and serve the Lord, for that is what you desire.” Then they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

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

13 So Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt; then 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. 14 The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and settled down in all the territory of Egypt. They were very grievous. Never before had there been such locusts as they, nor would there be such ever again. 15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened, and they ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. As a result, nothing green remained there in the trees or herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste and said, “I have sinned against the Lord, your God, and against you. 17 Now therefore please forgive my sin only this once, and entreat the Lord your God, so that He may take away from me this death only.”

18 So he went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. 19 Then the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts and threw them into the Red Sea. Not one locust remained in all the territory of Egypt. 20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.

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10 And the Lord said unto Moses, “Go in unto Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I might show these My signs before him;

and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son and of thy son’s son what things I have wrought in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that ye may know that I am the Lord.”

And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh and said unto him, “Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews: ‘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, behold, tomorrow will I bring the locusts into thy border.

And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one shall not be able to see the earth; and they shall eat the residue of that which has escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field.

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

And Pharaoh’s servants said unto him, “How long shall this man be a snare unto us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?”

And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh; and he said unto them, “Go, serve the Lord your God. But who are they that shall go?”

And 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 unto the Lord.”

10 And he said unto them, “Let the Lord be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones. Look to it, for evil is before you.

11 Not so! Go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord, for that ye did desire.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

12 And the Lord said unto Moses, “Stretch out thine 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 hath left.”

13 And 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.

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

15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they ate 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.

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

17 Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and entreat the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only.”

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

19 And 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 borders of Egypt.

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

Read full chapter