The Ninth Plague: Darkness

²¹ Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt.”^{(A) 22} So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was dense darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.^{(B) 23} People could not see one another, and for three days they could not move from where they were, but all the Israelites had light where they lived. ²⁴ Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, serve the Lord. Only your flocks and your herds shall remain behind. Even your little ones may go with you.”^{(C) 25} But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings to sacrifice to the Lord our God. ²⁶ Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must choose some of them to serve the Lord our God, and we will not know what to use to serve the Lord until we arrive there.”^{(D) 27} But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was unwilling to let them go.^{(E) 28} Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Take care that you do not see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.”^{(F) 29} Moses said, “Just as you say! I will never see your face again.”^(G)