³ And out of the smoke locusts^(A) came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions^(B) of the earth.

⁵ They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months.^(A) And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion^(B) when it strikes.

¹⁵ He led you through the vast and dreadful wilderness,^(A) that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes^(B) and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock.^(C)

¹⁰ They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months.^{(A) 11} They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss,^(B) whose name in Hebrew^(C) is Abaddon^(D) and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).

¹¹ My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.’”

¹² The Midianites, the Amalekites^(A) and all the other eastern peoples had settled in the valley, thick as locusts.^(B) Their camels^(C) could no more be counted than the sand on the seashore.^(D)

⁴ If you refuse^(A) to let them go, I will bring locusts^(B) into your country tomorrow. ⁵ They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left^(C) after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields.^{(D) 6} They will fill your houses^(E) 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.’”^(F) Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

⁷ Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a snare^(G) to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?”^(H)

⁸ Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship^(I) the Lord your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.”

⁹ 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^(J) 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^(K) 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^(L) 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;^{(M) 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,^(N) nor will there ever be again. ¹⁵ They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured^(O) 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.