The Second Book of Moses: Exodus

⭑ Geneva Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 10 -

Againe the Lord saide vnto Moses, Goe to Pharaoh: for I haue hardened his heart, and the heart of his seruants, that I might worke these my miracles in the middes of his realme,

And that thou maist declare in the eares of thy sonne, and of thy sonnes sonne, what things I haue done in Egypt, and my miracles, which I haue done among them: that ye may knowe that I am the Lord.

Then came Moses and Aaron vnto Pharaoh, and they said vnto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Ebrewes, Howe long wilt thou refuse to humble thy selfe before me? Let my people goe, that they may serue me.

But if thou refuse to let my people go, beholde, to morowe will I bring grashoppers into thy coastes.

And they shall couer the face of the earth, that a man can not see the earth: and they shall eate the residue which remaineth vnto you, and hath escaped from the haile: and they shall eate all your trees that bud in the fielde.

And they shall fil thine houses, and all thy seruants houses, and the houses of all the Egyptians, as neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers fathers haue seene, since the time they were vpon the earth vnto this day. So he returned, and went out from Pharaoh.

Then Pharaohs seruants saide vnto him, How long shall he be an offence vnto vs? let the men go, that they may serue the Lord their God: wilt thou first knowe that Egypt is destroyed?

So Moses and Aaron were brought againe vnto Pharaoh, and he saide vnto them, Goe, serue the Lord your God, but who are they that shall goe?

And Moses answered, We will go with our yong and with our olde, with our sonnes and with our daughters, with our sheepe and with our cattell will we goe: for we must celebrate a feast vnto the Lord.

And he said vnto them, Let the Lord so be with you, as I will let you goe and your children: beholde, for euill is before your face.

It shall not be so: nowe goe ye that are men, and serue the Lord: for that was your desire. Then they were thrust out from Pharaohs presence.

After, the Lord said vnto Moses, Stretch out thine hande vpon the lande of Egypt for the grashoppers, that they may come vpon the lande of Egypt, and eate all the herbes of the land, euen all that the haile hath left.

Then Moses stretched foorth his rod vpon the lande of Egypt: and the Lord brought an East winde vpon the land all that day, and al that night: and in the morning the East wind brought the grashoppers.

So the grashoppers went vp vpon all the land of Egypt, and remained in all quarters of Egypt: so grieuous Grashoppers, like to these were neuer before, neither after them shalbe such.

For they couered all the face of the earth, so that the lande was darke: and they did eate all the herbes of the lande, and all the fruites of the trees, which the haile had left, so that there was no greene thing left vpon the trees, nor among the herbes of the fielde throughout all the lande of Egypt.

Therefore Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and sayde, I haue sinned against the Lord your God, and against you.

And nowe forgiue mee my sinne onely this once, and pray vnto the Lord your God, that hee may take away from me this death onely.

Moses then went out from Pharaoh, and prayed vnto the Lord.

And the Lord turned a mightie strong West winde, and tooke away the grashoppers, and violently cast them into the red Sea, so that there remained not one grashopper in all the coast of Egypt.

But the Lord hardened Pharaohs heart, and hee did not let the children of Israel goe.

The Ninth Plague: Darkness

Againe ye Lord said vnto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heauen, that there may be vpon the lande of Egypt darkenesse, euen darkenesse that may be felt.

Then Moses stretched forth his hande towarde heauen, and there was a blacke darkenesse in all the land of Egypt three daies.

No man saw an other, neither rose vp from ye place where he was for three dayes: but all the children of Israel had light where they dwelt.

The Pharaoh called for Moses and said, Go, serue the Lord: onely your sheepe and your cattel shall abide, and your children shall go with you.

And Moses sayd, Thou must giue vs also sacrifices, and burnt offrings that wee may doe sacrifice vnto the Lord our God.

Therefore our cattell also shall go with vs: there shall not an hoofe bee left, for thereof must we take to serue the Lord our God: neither doe wee knowe howe we shall serue the Lord, vntill we come thither.

(But the Lord hardened Pharaohs heart, and he would not let them goe)

And Pharaoh sayde vnto him, Get thee from mee: looke thou see my face no more: for whensoeuer thou commest in my sight, thou shalt dye.

Then Moses said, Thou hast said well: from henceforth will I see thy face no more.

The LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I may show these my signs among them;

and that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your son’s son, what things I have done to Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that you may know that I am the LORD.”

Moses and Aaron went in 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, that they may serve me.

Or else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,

and they shall cover the surface of the earth, so that one won’t be able to see the earth. They shall eat the residue of that which has escaped, which remains to you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which grows for you out of the field.

Your houses shall be filled, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.’” He turned, and went out from Pharaoh.

Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD, their God. Don’t you yet know that Egypt is destroyed?”

Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve the LORD your God; but who are those who will go?”

Moses said, “We will go with our young and with our old. We will go with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds; for we must hold a feast to the LORD.”

He said to them, “The LORD be with you if I let you go with your little ones! See, evil is clearly before your faces.

Not so! Go now you who are men, and serve the LORD; for that is what you desire!” Then they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

The LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail has left.”

Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind on the land all that day, and all night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt. They were very grievous. Before them there were no such locusts as they, nor will there ever be again.

For they covered the surface of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened, and they ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. There remained nothing green, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and he said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.

Now therefore please forgive my sin again, and pray to the LORD your God, that he may also take away from me this death.”

Moses went out from Pharaoh, and prayed to the LORD.

The LORD sent an exceedingly strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea.(a) There remained not one locust in all the borders of Egypt.

But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he didn’t let the children of Israel go.

The Ninth Plague: Darkness

The LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.”

Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days.

They didn’t see one another, and nobody rose from his place for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, “Go, serve the LORD. Only let your flocks and your herds stay behind. Let your little ones also go with you.”

Moses said, “You must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.

Our livestock also shall go with us. Not a hoof shall be left behind, for of it we must take to serve the LORD our God; and we don’t know with what we must serve the LORD, until we come there.”

But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he wouldn’t let them go.

Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Be careful to see my face no more; for in the day you see my face you shall die!”

Moses said, “You have spoken well. I will see your face again no more.”

Footnotes

(a)10:19 “Red Sea” is the translation for the Hebrew “Yam Suf”, which could be more literally translated “Sea of Reeds” or “Sea of Cattails”. It refers to the body of water currently known as the Red Sea, or possibly to one of the bodies of water connected to it or near it.