Shamuth (Exodus) — 10

A Plague of Locusts

1 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Musha, “Return to Phar'uh and make your demands again. I have made him and his officials stubborn so I can display my miraculous signs among them. 

2 I have also done it so you can tell your children and grandchildren about how I made a mockery of the Mitzraym and about the signs I displayed among them and so you will know that I am 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.”

3 So Musha and Aarun went to Phar'uh and said, “This is what 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, the 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH of the Abarym (Hebrews), Dabar: How long will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people go, so they can worship me. 

4 If you refuse, watch out! For tomorrow I will bring a swarm of locusts on your country. 

5 They will cover the land so that you won’t be able to see the ground. They will devour what little is left of your crops after the hailstorm, including all the trees growing in the fields. 

6 They will overrun your palaces and the homes of your officials and all the houses in Mitzraym. Never in the history of Mitzraym have your ancestors seen a plague like this one!” And with that, Musha turned and left Phar'uh.

7 Pharuh’s officials now came to Phar'uh and appealed to him. “How long will you let this man hold us hostage? Let the men go to worship 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, Do you not realize that Mitzraym lies in ruins?”

8 So Musha and Aarun were brought back to Phar'uh. “All right,” he told them, “go and worship 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH your 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, But who exactly will be going with you?”

9 Musha replied, “We will all go—young and old, our sons and daughters and our flocks and herds. We must all join together in celebrating a festival to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH.”

10 Pharuh retorted, “𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH will certainly need to be with you if I let you take your little ones! I can see through your evil plan. 

11 Never! Only the men may go and worship 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH, since that is what you requested.” And Phar'uh threw them out of the palace.

12 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH Dabar to Musha, “Raise your hand over the land of Mitzraym to bring on the locusts. Let them cover the land and devour every plant that survived the hailstorm.”

13 So Musha raised his staff over Mitzraym, and 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH caused an east wind to blow over the land all that day and through the night. When morning arrived, the east wind had brought the locusts. 

14 And the locusts swarmed over the whole land of Mitzraym, settling in dense swarms from one end of the country to the other. It was the worst locust plague in Mitzraym history and there has never been another one like it. 

15 For the locusts covered the whole country and darkened the land. They devoured every plant in the fields and all the fruit on the trees that had survived the hailstorm. Not a single leaf was left on the trees and plants throughout the land of Mitzraym.

16 Phar'uh quickly summoned Musha and Aarun. “I have sinned against 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH  your 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH and against you,” he confessed. 

17 “Forgive my sin, just this once and plead with 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH your 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH to take away this death from me.”

18 So Musha left Pharuh’s court and pleaded with the 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH. 

19 So 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH responded by shifting the wind and the strong west wind blew the locusts into the Red Sea. Not a single locust remained in all the land of Mitzraym. 

20 But 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH hardened Pharuh’s heart again, so he refused to let the people go.

A Plague of Darkness

21 Then 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH said to Musha, “Lift your hand toward Shamaym, and the land of Mitzraym will be covered with a darkness so thick you can feel it.” 

22 So Musha lifted his hand to the sky, and a deep darkness covered the entire land of Mitzraym for three days. 

23 During all that time the people could not see each other and no one moved. But there was light as usual where the people of Yashar'AL lived.

24 Finally, Pharuh called for Musha. “Go and worship 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH,” he said. “But leave your flocks and herds here. You may even take your little ones with you.”

25 “No,” Musha said, “you must provide us with animals for sacrifices and burnt offerings to 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH. 

26 All our livestock must go with us, too; not a hoof can be left behind. We must choose our sacrifices for 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH from among these animals. And we won’t know how we are to worship 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH until we get there.”

27 But 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH hardened Pharuh’s heart once more and he would not let them go. 

28 “Get out of here!” Phar'uh shouted at Musha. “I’m warning you. Never come back to see me again! The day you see my face, you will die!”

29 “Very well,” Musha replied. “I will never see your face again.”