Plague Nine: Darkness

²¹ And Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the heavens so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt and so that a person can feel darkness.” ²² And Moses stretched out his hand toward the heavens, and there was darkness of night in all the land of Egypt for three days. ²³ No one could see his brother, and because of it no one could move from where they were^[a] for three days, but there was light for the Israelites^[b] in their dwellings.

²⁴ And Pharaoh called Moses and said, “Go, serve Yahweh. Only your sheep and goats and your cattle must be left behind. Your dependents^[c] may also go with you.” ²⁵ And Moses said, “Even if you yourself put into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings and we offer them to Yahweh our God, ²⁶ our livestock must also go with us. Not a hoof can be left because we must take from them to serve Yahweh our God. And we will not know with what we are to serve Yahweh until we come there.” ²⁷ And Yahweh hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to release them. ²⁸ And Pharaoh said to him, “Go from me. Be careful^[d] not to see my face again, because on the day of your seeing my face you will die.” ²⁹ And Moses said, “That is right.^[e] I will not again see your face.”^[f]