The Plague of Locusts
1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh. I have made him stubborn. I have also made his officials stubborn so I can perform my signs among them. 2Then you will be able to tell your children and grandchildren how hard I was on the Egyptians. You can tell them I performed my signs among the people of Egypt. And all of you will know that I am the Lord.”
3So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They said to him, “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, ‘How long will you refuse to obey me? Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me. 4If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. 5They will cover the ground so that it can’t be seen. They will eat what little you have left after the hail. That includes every tree growing in your fields. 6They will fill your houses. They will be in the homes of all your officials and your people. Your parents and your people before them have never seen anything like it as long as they have lived here.’ ” Then Moses turned around and left Pharaoh.
7Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a trap for us? Let the people go. Then they’ll be able to worship the Lord their God. After everything that’s happened, don’t you realize that Egypt is destroyed?”
8Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go. Worship the Lord your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.”
9Moses answered, “We’ll go with our young people and old people. We’ll go with our sons and daughters. We’ll take our flocks and herds. We are supposed to hold a feast to honor the Lord.”
10Pharaoh said, “Suppose I ever let you go, along with your women and children. Then the Lord really will be with all of you! Clearly you are planning to do something bad. 11No! I’ll only allow the men to go and worship the Lord. After all, that’s what you have been asking for.” Then Pharaoh drove Moses and Aaron out of his sight.
12The Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand over Egypt so that locusts cover the land. They will eat up everything growing in the fields. They will eat up everything left by the hail.”
13So Moses reached out his walking stick over Egypt. Then the Lord made an east wind blow across the land. It blew all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts. 14Large numbers of them came down in every part of Egypt. There had never been a plague of locusts like it before. And there will never be one like it again. 15The locusts covered the ground until it was black. They ate up everything left after the hail. They ate up everything growing in the fields. They ate up the fruit on the trees. There was nothing green left on any tree or plant in the whole land of Egypt.
16Pharaoh quickly sent for Moses and Aaron. He said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God. I’ve also sinned against you. 17Now forgive my sin one more time. Pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”
18After Moses left Pharaoh, he prayed to the Lord. 19The Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind. It picked up the locusts. It blew them into the Red Sea. Not even one locust was left anywhere in Egypt. 20But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn. So Pharaoh wouldn’t let the people of Israel go.
The Plague of Darkness
21The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Reach out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt. It will be so dark that people can feel it.” 22So Moses reached out his hand toward the sky. Then complete darkness covered Egypt for three days. 23No one could see anyone else or go anywhere for three days. But all the people of Israel had light where they lived.
24Then Pharaoh sent for Moses. He said to him, “Go. Worship the Lord. Even your women and children can go with you. Just leave your flocks and herds behind.”
25But Moses said, “You must allow us to take our animals. We need to offer them as sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord our God. 26Our livestock must also go with us. We have to use some of them to worship the Lord our God. We can’t leave even one animal behind. Until we get there, we won’t know what we are supposed to use to worship the Lord.”
27But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn. So he wouldn’t let the people go. 28Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you don’t come to see me again! If you do, you will die.”
29“I’ll do just as you say,” Moses replied. “I will never come to see you again.”
Pigo La Nane: Nzige
110:1 Kut 4:21; 3:19; 7:3; Yos 24:17; Neh 9:10; Za 74:9; 105:26-30Ndipo Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Nenda kwa Farao, kwa kuwa nimeufanya moyo wake kuwa mgumu na mioyo ya maafisa wake ili kwamba nipate kutenda ishara hizi zangu za ajabu miongoni mwao 210:2 Kut 12:26-27; 13:8, 14; Kum 4:9; 6:20; 32:7; Yos 4:6; Za 71:18; 78:4-5; Kut 6:2ili upate kuwaeleza watoto wako na wajukuu wako jinsi nilivyowatendea Wamisri kwa ukali na jinsi nilivyofanya ishara zangu miongoni mwao, nanyi mpate kujua kuwa Mimi ndimi Bwana.”
310:3 1Fal 21:29; 2Fal 22:19; 2Nya 7:14; 12:7; 33:23; 34:27; Ay 42:6; Isa 58:3; Dan 5:22; Yak 4:10; 1Pet 5:6Kwa hiyo Mose na Aroni wakaenda kwa Farao na kumwambia, “Hili ndilo Bwana, Mungu wa Waebrania, asemalo: ‘Utaendelea hata lini kukataa kunyenyekea mbele yangu? Waachie watu wangu waende, ili wapate kuniabudu. 410:4 Kut 8:2; 9:2; Kum 28:38; Za 105:34; Mit 30:27; Yoe 1:4; Ufu 9:3Kama ukikataa kuwaachia waende, kesho nitaleta nzige katika nchi yako. 510:5 Kut 9:32; Yoe 1:4Nao watafunika uso wa ardhi hata usionekane. Watatafuna mabaki machache yaliyobakizwa baada ya ile mvua ya mawe, yaani pamoja na kila mti unaoota katika mashamba yenu. 610:6 Yoe 2:9; Kut 9:18Nzige hao watajaza nyumba zako, za maafisa wako wote na za Wamisri wote. Jambo ambalo baba zenu wala babu zenu hawajapata kuona tangu siku ile walipoanza kuishi katika nchi hii mpaka leo hii.’ ” Ndipo Mose akageuka na kumwacha Farao.
710:7 Kut 23:33; 34:12; Kum 7:16; 12:30; 20:18; Yos 23:13; Amu 2:3; 8:27; 16:5; 1Sam 18:21; Za 106:36; Mhu 7:26; Mwa 20:3; Kut 8:19Maafisa wa Farao wakamwambia, “Mpaka lini huyu mtu atakuwa tanzi kwetu? Waachie hao watu waende zao, ili wapate kumwabudu Bwana Mungu wao. Je, bado hutambui kuwa Misri imeangamia?”
810:8 Kut 8:8Ndipo Mose na Aroni wakaletwa kwa Farao. Farao akawaambia, “Nendeni, mkamwabudu Bwana Mungu wenu. Lakini ni nani hasa watakaokwenda?”
910:9 Kut 3:18Mose akajibu, “Tutakwenda na vijana wetu na wazee, pamoja na wana wetu na binti zetu, pia pamoja na kondoo zetu, ngʼombe, mbuzi, farasi na punda kwa sababu tutaadhimisha sikukuu kwa Bwana.”
10Farao akasema, “Bwana awe pamoja nanyi, kama nikiwaruhusu mwondoke pamoja na wanawake wenu na watoto wenu! Ni wazi kwamba mna makusudi mabaya. 11La hasha! Wanaume peke yao na waende, wakamwabudu Bwana, kwa kuwa hilo ndilo mmekuwa mkiomba.” Kwa hiyo Mose na Aroni wakaondolewa mbele ya Farao.
1210:12 Kut 7:19Basi Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Nyoosha mkono wako juu ya Misri ili kundi la nzige liweze kuingia juu ya nchi na kutafuna kila kitu kiotacho katika mashamba na kila kitu kilichosazwa na ile mvua ya mawe.”
1310:13 Kut 4:17; 8:5, 17; 9:23; 14:15-16, 26-27; 17:5; Hes 20:8; 1Fal 8:37; Za 78:46; 105:34; Amo 4:9; Nah 3:16Kwa hiyo Mose akanyoosha fimbo yake juu ya Misri, Bwana akauleta upepo wa mashariki ukavuma katika nchi yote mchana wote na usiku kucha, kufikia asubuhi upepo ukawa umeleta nzige. 1410:14 Kum 28:38; Za 78:45; Isa 33:4; Yoe 1:4; 2:1-11, 25; Amo 4:9Wakaivamia Misri yote na kukaa kila eneo la nchi kwa wingi. Kamwe hapajapata kuwepo pigo la nzige kama hilo, wala halitakuwepo tena. 1510:15 Kum 28:38; Za 105:34-35; Yoe 1:4; Amo 7:2; Mal 3:11Wakafunika ardhi yote mpaka ardhi ikawa nyeusi. Wakatafuna kile chote kilichokuwa kimebakizwa na ile mvua ya mawe, kila kitu kiotacho mashambani pamoja na matunda kwenye miti. Hakuna kitu chochote cha kijani kilichosalia katika miti au mmea katika nchi yote ya Misri.
1610:16 Kut 8:25; 9:27Farao akawaita Mose na Aroni kwa haraka na kuwaambia, “Nimetenda dhambi dhidi ya Bwana Mungu wenu na dhidi yenu pia. 1710:17 1Sam 15:25; Kut 8:8Sasa unisamehe dhambi yangu mara moja tena na umwombe Bwana Mungu wako aondoe pigo hili baya kwangu.”
1810:18 Kut 8:30Kisha Mose akaondoka kwa Farao akamwomba Bwana. 19Naye Bwana akaugeuza upepo ukavuma kutoka magharibi, wenye nguvu nyingi, ambao uliwaondoa wale nzige na kuwapeleka kwenye Bahari ya Shamu. Hakuna nzige hata mmoja aliyebaki popote katika nchi ya Misri. 2010:20 Kut 4:21; 11:10Lakini Bwana akaufanya moyo wa Farao kuwa mgumu, wala hakuwaachia Waisraeli waondoke.
Pigo La Tisa: Giza
2110:21 Kum 28:29Kisha Bwana akamwambia Mose, “Nyoosha mkono wako kuelekea angani ili giza litande katika nchi ya Misri, giza ambalo watu wanaweza kulipapasa na kulihisi.” 2210:22 Za 105:28; Isa 13:10; 45:7; 50:3; Ufu 16:10Kwa hiyo Mose akaunyoosha mkono wake kuelekea angani, na giza nene likafunika pote katika nchi ya Misri kwa muda wa siku tatu. 2310:23 Kut 8:22; Amo 4:7Hakuna mtu yeyote aliyeweza kumwona mwenzake, wala kuondoka mahali alipokuwa kwa muda wa siku tatu. Lakini Waisraeli wote walikuwa na mwanga katika maeneo yao waliyokuwa wanaishi.
2410:24 Kut 8:8; Mwa 45:10Ndipo Farao akamwita Mose na kusema, “Nendeni, mkamwabudu Bwana. Hata wanawake na watoto wenu mwaweza kwenda nao pia, lakini kondoo, mbuzi na ngʼombe wenu waacheni.”
2510:25 Mwa 8:20; Kut 18:12Lakini Mose akasema, “Huna budi kuturuhusu tuwe na dhabihu na sadaka za kuteketezwa za kutoa mbele za Bwana Mungu wetu. 26Sisi ni lazima tuondoke na mifugo yetu pia, wala hakuna ukwato utakaoachwa nyuma. Inatupasa kutumia baadhi ya hiyo mifugo katika kumwabudu Bwana Mungu wetu, kwa kuwa mpaka tutakapofika huko hatutakuwa tumefahamu ni nini tutakachotumia katika kumwabudu Bwana.”
2710:27 Kut 4:21; 10:20Lakini Bwana akaufanya moyo wa Farao kuwa mgumu, hakuwa radhi kuwaachia waondoke. 28Farao akamwambia Mose, “Ondoka mbele yangu! Hakikisha kuwa hutakuja mbele yangu tena! Siku ile utakapouona uso wangu utakufa.”
2910:29 Kut 11:8; Ebr 11:27Mose akamjibu, “Iwe kama ulivyosema! Kamwe sitauona uso wako tena.”
