The Plague of Locusts
1Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs of mine among them 2that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.”
3So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 4If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. 5They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields. 6They will fill your houses 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.’ ” Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.
7Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?”
8Then Moses 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 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 to the Lord.”
10Pharaoh said, “The Lord be with you—if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil.10:10 Or Be careful, trouble is in store for you! 11No! 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.
12And the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over Egypt so that locusts swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail.”
13So Moses stretched out his staff 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; 14they 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, nor will there ever be again. 15They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured 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.
16Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. 17Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”
18Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. 19And the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea.10:19 Or the Sea of Reeds Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt. 20But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.
The Plague of Darkness
21Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” 22So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. 23No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.
24Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the Lord. Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.”
25But Moses said, “You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the Lord our God. 26Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the Lord our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the Lord.”
27But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go. 28Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die.”
29“Just as you say,” Moses replied. “I will never appear before you again.”
蝗虫之灾
1耶和华对摩西说：“你去见法老，我已使他和他臣仆的心刚硬，好在他们当中行我这些神迹。 2这样，你就可以把我如何严惩埃及人以及我在他们当中所行的神迹告诉你的子孙，好叫你们知道我是耶和华。”
3摩西和亚伦便去见法老，对他说：“希伯来人的上帝耶和华说，‘你要到什么时候才肯在我面前谦卑下来？放我的子民走，他们好事奉我。 4你若再不答应，明天我要使蝗虫飞入你的国境。 5它们铺天盖地，要吃光冰雹过后田间所剩的，包括一切树木。 6你的王宫及臣仆和所有埃及人的房屋都要布满蝗虫，这是你祖祖辈辈从未见过的蝗灾。’”摩西说完，便转身离开法老。
7臣仆对法老说：“这个人害我们要到什么时候呢？让他们离开去事奉他们的上帝耶和华吧！埃及快被毁灭了，你不知道吗？” 8法老便召回摩西和亚伦，对他们说：“你们去事奉你们的上帝耶和华吧！但你们谁要去呢？” 9摩西回答说：“我们男女老幼都要去，还有我们的牛群和羊群，因为我们要去守耶和华的节期。” 10法老听后，说：“我若让你们带走妇女和孩子，最好耶和华能保护你们！你们真是居心叵测。 11不行！只有男子可以去事奉耶和华，这是你们一直要求的。”法老说完，便下令把他们赶出去。
12耶和华对摩西说：“你向埃及伸杖，使蝗虫飞来吃尽冰雹过后田野剩下的一切植物。” 13摩西就向埃及伸杖。耶和华使东风在埃及境内刮了整整一天一夜，到早晨，东风带来了蝗虫。 14埃及到处都布满了蝗虫，数目之多实在是空前绝后。 15蝗虫遍布整个埃及，地上一片黑暗。这些蝗虫吃尽了冰雹过后剩下的农作物和树上的果子，没有留下一点青绿。 16法老急忙召见摩西和亚伦，对他们说：“我得罪了你们的上帝耶和华，又得罪了你们。 17现在求你饶恕我的罪，就这一次，为我祈求你们的上帝耶和华撤去这场死亡之灾吧！” 18摩西就离开法老出去祈求耶和华， 19耶和华就把风向倒转，变成猛烈的西风，把蝗虫刮走，吹进红海。埃及境内一只蝗虫也没留下。 20可是，耶和华又使法老心硬，他不让以色列人离开埃及。
黑暗之灾
21耶和华对摩西说：“你向天伸杖，使埃及全境漆黑一片，那黑暗浓得甚至可以摸到。” 22摩西向天伸杖，埃及全境便漆黑了三天之久。 23埃及人彼此看不见，谁也不敢移动半步。可是，以色列人住的地方却有光。 24法老把摩西召来，对他说：“去事奉耶和华吧，你们的妇女和孩子也可以去，但你们要把牛羊留下。” 25摩西回答说：“你得允许我们有祭物和燔祭牲献给我们的上帝耶和华。 26我们要带走所有的牲畜，一只蹄子也不留下，因为我们要从其中选一些来献给我们的上帝耶和华。我们抵达目的地前，还不知道把哪些献给祂。” 27但耶和华使法老的心刚硬，他不肯让以色列百姓离开。 28法老对摩西说：“给我退下！不要再让我见到你，因为你再见我面之日必死。” 29摩西回答说：“你说得好，我必不再见你的面。”
