The eighth plague of the locusts. The ninth, of darkness: Pharao is still hardened.

¹ And the Lord said to Moses: “Enter to Pharaoh. For I have hardened his heart, and that of his servants, so that I may accomplish these, my signs, in him,

² and so that you may describe to the ears of your sons and your grandsons how often I opposed the Egyptians and wrought my signs among them, and so that you may know that I am the Lord.”

³ Therefore, Moses and Aaron entered to Pharaoh, and they said to him: “Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: How long will you be unwilling to be subject to me? Release my people to sacrifice to me.

⁴ But if you resist, and you are unwilling to release them, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your borders.¹

1. 10:4Note that ‘fines’ is used here to mean ‘parts,’ not ‘ends,’ just as in some of the Psalms (e.g. Psalm 4:1).(Conte)

⁵ And they shall cover the face of the earth, lest any part of it be seen. Yes, and what remains from the hail shall be eaten. For they will gnaw away all the trees that spring up in the fields.

⁶ And they will fill your houses, and those of your servants and of all the Egyptians: so many as your fathers and ancestors have not seen, from the time that they rose up over the earth, even until this present day.” And he turned himself away, and he departed from Pharaoh.

⁷ Then the servants of Pharaoh said to him: “How long must we endure this scandal? Release the men, in order to sacrifice to the Lord their God. Do you not see that Egypt is perishing?”

⁸ And they called back Moses and Aaron to Pharaoh, who said to them: “Go, sacrifice to the Lord your God. Who are they who would go?”

⁹ Moses said: “We will travel with our little ones and our elderly, with our sons and daughters, with our sheep and herds. For it is a solemnity of the Lord our God.”

¹⁰ And Pharaoh responded: “So let the Lord be with you. But if I were to release you and your little ones, who would doubt that you intend some great wickedness?

¹¹ It will not be so. However, go only with the men, and sacrifice to the Lord. For this, too, is what you yourselves requested.” And immediately they were cast out from the sight of Pharaoh.

¹² Then the Lord said to Moses: “Extend your hand over the land of Egypt, toward the locusts, so that they may rise up over it, and devour every plant which remains from the hail.”

¹³ And Moses extended his staff over the land of Egypt. And the Lord brought a burning wind all that day and night. And when morning came, the burning wind lifted up the locusts.

¹⁴ And they ascended over the entire land of Egypt. And they settled into all the parts of the Egyptians: innumerable, such as had not been before that time, nor ever would be thereafter.

¹⁵ And they covered the entire face of the land, laying waste to all things. And the plants of the land were devoured, along with whatever fruits were on the trees, which the hail had left behind. And nothing at all of the greenery remained on the trees or on the plants of the earth in all of Egypt.

¹⁶ For this reason, Pharaoh hurriedly called Moses and Aaron, and he said to them: “I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you.

¹⁷ But now, release me from my sin even this time, and petition the Lord your God, so that he may take this death away from me.”

¹⁸ And Moses, departing from the sight of Pharaoh, prayed to the Lord.

¹⁹ And he caused a very strong wind to blow from the west, and, seizing the locusts, it cast them into the Red Sea. There remained not so much as one in all the parts of Egypt.

²⁰ And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh; neither did he release the sons of Israel.

²¹ Then the Lord said to Moses: “Extend your hand into the sky. And let there be a darkness over the land of Egypt, so dense that they may be able to feel it.”¹

1. 10:21Darkness upon the land of Egypt, so thick that it may be felt: By means of the gross exhalations, which were to cause and accompany the darkness.(Challoner)

²² And Moses extended his hand into the sky. And there came a horrible darkness in the entire land of Egypt for three days.¹

1. 10:22This historical event was a foreshadowing of the three hours of darkness when Jesus hung upon the Cross.(Conte)

²³ No one saw his brother, nor moved himself out of the place where he was. But wherever the sons of Israel were living, there was light.

²⁴ And Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and he said to them: “Go, sacrifice to the Lord. Only let your sheep and herds remain behind. Your little ones may go with you.”

²⁵ Moses said: “You must also permit us victims and holocausts, which we may offer to the Lord our God.

²⁶ All the flocks shall travel with us. Not one hoof of them shall remain behind. For they are necessary for the worship of the Lord our God, especially since we do not know what ought to be immolated, until we arrive at the very place.”

²⁷ But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he was not willing to release them.

²⁸ And Pharaoh said to Moses: “Withdraw from me, and beware that you no longer see my face. On whatever day you will appear in my sight, you shall die.”

²⁹ Moses responded: “So be it, just as you have said. I will no longer see your face.”