14. The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and settled down in all the territory of Egypt. It was very severe; there had been no locusts like them before, nor will there be such ever again.
15. They covered the surface of all the ground, so that the ground became dark with them, and they ate all the vegetation of the ground and all the fruit of the trees that the hail had left. Nothing green remained on the trees or on anything that grew in the fields throughout the whole land of Egypt.
16. Then Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you!
17. So now, forgive my sin this time only, and pray to the Lord your God that he would only take this death away from me.”
18. Moses went out from Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord,
19. and the Lord turned a very strong west wind, and it picked up the locusts and blew them into the Red Sea. Not one locust remained in all the territory of Egypt.
20. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not release the Israelites.
21. The Lord said to Moses, “Extend your hand toward heaven so that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness so thick it can be felt.”
22. So Moses extended his hand toward heaven, and there was absolute darkness throughout the land of Egypt for three days.
23. No one could see another person, and no one could rise from his place for three days. But the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.
24. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, serve the Lord – only your flocks and herds will be detained. Even your families may go with you.”
25. But Moses said, “Will you also provide us with sacrifices and burnt offerings that we may present them to the Lord our God?
26. Our livestock must also go with us! Not a hoof is to be left behind! For we must take these animals to serve the Lord our God. Until we arrive there, we do not know what we must use to serve the Lord.”
27. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to release them.
28. Pharaoh said to him, “Go from me! Watch out for yourself! Do not appear before me again, for when you see my face you will die!”