SHEMOTH 10 (Exodus 10)

1 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 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,

2 and 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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.”

3 And Mosheh and Aharon came in to Pharaoh and said to him, “Thus said 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim of the Iḇrim, ‘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.

7 And Pharaoh’s servants said to him, “Till when would this one be a snare to us? Let the men go, so that they serve 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 their Elohim. Do you not yet know that Mitsrayim is destroyed?”

8 And Mosheh and Aharon were brought back to Pharaoh, and he said to them, “Go, serve 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 your Elohim. Who are the ones that are going?”

9 And 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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.”

10 And he said to them, “Let 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, for that is what you desired.” And they were driven out from the presence of Pharaoh.

12 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 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.”

13 And Mosheh stretched out his rod over the land of Mitsrayim, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. Morning came, and the east wind brought the locusts.

14 And 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.

15 And 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.

16 Pharaoh then called for Mosheh and Aharon in haste, and said, “I have sinned against 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 your Elohim and against you.

17 “And now, please bear my sin only this once, and pray to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 your Elohim, that He would only turn away this death from me.”

18 And he went out from Pharaoh and prayed to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

19 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 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.

20 However, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not let the children of Yisra’ĕl go.

21 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said to Mosheh, “Stretch out your hand toward the shamayim, and let there be darkness over the land of Mitsrayim, even a darkness which is felt.”

22 And Mosheh stretched out his hand toward the shamayim, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Mitsrayim for three days.

23 They 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.

24 And Pharaoh called to Mosheh and said, “Go, serve 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, only leave your flocks and your herds behind. Let your little ones go with you too.”

25 But Mosheh said, “You yourself are to provide us with slaughterings and burnt offerings, to prepare for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 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 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 our Elohim, and we ourselves do not know with what we are to serve 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 until we come there.”

27 However, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he would not let them go.

28 And 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!”

29 And Mosheh said, “You have spoken rightly – never again do I see your face!”