The Scriptures (ISR 1998) 1And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, so that I show these signs of Mine before him, 2and that you relate in the hearing of your son and your son’s son what I have done in Mitsrayim, and My signs which I have done among them. And you shall know that I am יהוה.” 3And Mosheh and Aharon came in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus said יהוה Elohim of the Heḇrews, ‘Till when shall you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, so that they serve Me. 4‘Or else, if you refuse to let My people go, see, tomorrow I am bringing locusts within your borders. 5‘And they shall cover the surface of the land, so that no one is able to see the land. And they shall eat the rest of what has escaped, which remains to you from the hail, and they shall eat every tree which grows up for you out of the field. 6‘And they shall fill your houses, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Mitsrites, which neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.’ ” Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh. 7And Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “Till when would this one be a snare to us? Let the men go, so that they serve יהוה their Elohim. Do you not yet know that Mitsrayim is destroyed?” 8And Mosheh and Aharon were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve יהוה your Elohim. Who are the ones that are going?” 9And Mosheh said, “We are going with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds we are going, for we have a festival to יהוה.” 10And he said to them, “Let יהוה be with you as I let you and your little ones go! Watch, for evil is before your face! 11“Not so! You men go now, and serve יהוה, for that is what you desired.” And they were driven out from the presence of Pharaoh. 12And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Mitsrayim for the locusts to come upon the land of Mitsrayim, and eat every plant of the land – all that the hail has left.” 13And Mosheh stretched out his rod over the land of Mitsrayim, and יהוה brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. Morning came, and the east wind brought the locusts. 14And the locusts went up over all the land of Mitsrayim and settled within all the borders of Mitsrayim, very grievous. There had never been locusts like them before, nor would there again be like them. 15And they covered the surface of all the land, so that the land was darkened. And they ate every plant of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left, and no greenness was left on the trees or on the plants of the field, in all the land of Mitsrayim. 16Pharaoh then called for Mosheh and Aharon in haste, and said, “I have sinned against יהוה your Elohim and against you. 17“And now, please forgive my sin only this once, and pray to יהוה your Elohim, that He would only turn away this death from me.” 18And he went out from Pharaoh and prayed to יהוה. 19And יהוה turned a very strong west wind, which took the locusts away and blew them into the Sea of Reeds. Not one locust was left within all the border of Mitsrayim. 20However, יהוה hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not let the children of Yisra’ĕl go. 21And יהוה said to Mosheh, “Stretch out your hand toward the heavens, and let there be darkness over the land of Mitsrayim, even a darkness which is felt.” 22And Mosheh stretched out his hand toward the heavens, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Mitsrayim for three days. 23They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, while all the children of Yisra’ĕl had light in their dwellings. 24And Pharaoh called to Mosheh and said, “Go, serve יהוה, only leave your flocks and your herds behind. Let your little ones go with you too.” 25But Mosheh said, “You yourself are to provide us with slaughterings and burnt offerings, to prepare for יהוה our Elohim. 26“And our livestock are to go with us too, not a hoof is to be left behind, for we have to take some of them to serve יהוה our Elohim, and we ourselves do not know with what we are to serve יהוה until we come there.” 27However, יהוה hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he would not let them go. 28And Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me! Watch yourself and see my face no more, for in the day you see my face you die!” 29And Mosheh said, “You have spoken rightly – never again do I see your face!” |