Christian Standard Bible

English Standard Version

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 do these miraculous signs of mine among them,

1Then 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 signs of mine among them,

2and so that you may tell your son and grandson how severely I dealt with the Egyptians and performed miraculous signs among them, and you will know that I am the LORD."

2and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and of your grandson how I have dealt harshly with the Egyptians and what signs I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.”

3So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and told 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 worship me.

3So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus says the LORD, the God of the Hebrews, ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.

4But if you refuse to let my people go, then tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory.

4For if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,

5They will cover the surface of the land so that no one will be able to see the land. They will eat the remainder left to you that escaped the hail; they will eat every tree you have growing in the fields.

5and they shall cover the face of the land, so that no one can see the land. And they shall eat what is left to you after the hail, and they shall eat every tree of yours that grows in the field,

6They will fill your houses, all your officials' houses, and the houses of all the Egyptians--something your fathers and grandfathers never saw since the time they occupied the land until today." Then he turned and left Pharaoh's presence.

6and they shall fill your houses and the houses of all your servants and of all the Egyptians, as neither your fathers nor your grandfathers have seen, from the day they came on earth to this day.’” Then he turned and went out from Pharaoh.

7Pharaoh's officials asked him, "How long must this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, so that they may worship the LORD their God. Don't you realize yet that Egypt is devastated?"

7Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God. Do you not yet understand that Egypt is ruined?”

8So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. "Go, worship the LORD your God," Pharaoh said. "But exactly who will be going?"

8So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. And he said to them, “Go, serve the LORD your God. But which ones are to go?”

9Moses replied, "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 because we must hold the LORD's festival."

9Moses said, “We will go with our young and our old. We will go with our sons and daughters and with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a feast to the LORD.”

10He said to them, "The Lord would have to be with you if I would ever let you and your families go! Look out--you're heading for trouble.

10But he said to them, “The LORD be with you, if ever I let you and your little ones go! Look, you have some evil purpose in mind.

11No, go--just able-bodied men--worship the LORD, since that's what you want." And they were driven from Pharaoh's presence.

11No! Go, the men among you, and serve the LORD, for that is what you are asking.” And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.

12The LORD then said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt, and the locusts will come up over it and eat every plant in the land, everything that the hail left."

12Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, so that they may come upon the land of Egypt and eat every plant in the land, all that the hail has left.”

13So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the LORD sent an east wind over the land all that day and through the night. By morning the east wind had brought in the locusts.

13So Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind had brought the locusts.

14The locusts went up over the entire land of Egypt and settled on the whole territory of Egypt. Never before had there been such a large number of locusts, and there never will be again.

14The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled on the whole country of Egypt, such a dense swarm of locusts as had never been before, nor ever will be again.

15They covered the surface of the whole land so that the land was black, and they consumed all the plants on the ground and all the fruit on the trees that the hail had left. Nothing green was left on the trees or the plants in the field throughout the land of Egypt.

15They covered the face of the whole land, so that the land was darkened, and they ate all the plants in the land and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Not a green thing remained, neither tree nor plant of the field, through all the land of Egypt.

16Pharaoh urgently sent for Moses and Aaron and said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God and against you.

16Then Pharaoh hastily called Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.

17Please forgive my sin once more and make an appeal to the LORD your God, so that he will just take this death away from me."

17Now therefore, forgive my sin, please, only this once, and plead with the LORD your God only to remove this death from me.”

18Moses left Pharaoh's presence and appealed to the LORD.

18So he went out from Pharaoh and pleaded with the LORD.

19Then the LORD changed the wind to a strong west wind, and it carried off the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the territory of Egypt.

19And the LORD turned the wind into a very strong west wind, which lifted the locusts and drove them into the Red Sea. Not a single locust was left in all the country of Egypt.

20But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the Israelites go.

20But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the people of Israel go.

21Then the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward heaven, and there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt."

21Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness to be felt.”

22So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt for three days.

22So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was pitch darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.

23One person could not see another, and for three days they did not move from where they were. Yet all the Israelites had light where they lived.

23They did not see one another, nor did anyone rise from his place for three days, but all the people of Israel had light where they lived.

24Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, "Go, worship the LORD. Even your families may go with you; only your flocks and herds must stay behind."

24Then Pharaoh called Moses and said, “Go, serve the LORD; your little ones also may go with you; only let your flocks and your herds remain behind.”

25Moses responded, "You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings to prepare for the LORD our God.

25But Moses said, “You must also let us have sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.

26Even our livestock must go with us; not a hoof will be left behind because we will take some of them to worship the LORD our God. We will not know what we will use to worship the LORD until we get there."

26Our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take of them to serve the LORD our God, and we do not know with what we must serve the LORD until we arrive there.”

27But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he was unwilling to let them go.

27But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.

28Pharaoh said to him, "Leave me! Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die."

28Then Pharaoh said to him, “Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.”

29"As you have said," Moses replied, "I will never see your face again."

29Moses said, “As you say! I will not see your face again.”

The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.