Exodus 10 · Parashat Bo

And the Lord said to Moshe, Go in to Par῾o: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might show these my signs before him:

and that thou mayst tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have done in Miżrayim, and my signs which I have done among them; that you may know that I am the Lord.

And Moshe and Aharon came to Par῾o and said to him, Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.

Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring the locusts into thy border:

and they shall cover the face of the earth, so that it will not be possible to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remains to you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which grows for you out of the field:

and they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all Miżrayim; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth to this day. And he turned, and went out from Par῾o.

And Par῾o’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: knowst thou not yet that Miżrayim is destroyed?

And Moshe and Aharon were brought back to Par῾o: and he said to them, Go, serve the Lord your God: but who are they that shall go?

And Moshe said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast to the Lord.

And he said to them, Let the Lord be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you.

Not so: go now you that are men, and serve the Lord; for that is what you desire. And they were driven out from Par῾o’s presence.

And the Lord said to Moshe, Stretch out thy hand over the land of Miżrayim for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Miżrayim, and eat every plant of the land, all that the hail has left.

So Moshe stretched out his rod over the land of Miżrayim, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

And the locusts went up over all the land of Miżrayim, and rested in all the borders of Miżrayim: very grievous they were; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall there be such.

For they covered the surface of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every plant of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained no green thing in the trees, or in the plants of the field, through all the land of Miżrayim.

Then Par῾o called for Moshe and Aharon in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you.

Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and entreat the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only.

And he went out from Par῾o, and entreated the Lord.

And the Lord turned a very strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Sea of Suf; there remained not one locust in all the borders of Miżrayim.

But the Lord hardened Par῾o’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Yisra᾽el go.

And the Lord said to Moshe, Stretch out thy hand towards heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Miżrayim, darkness which may be felt.

And Moshe stretched out his hand towards heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Miżrayim three days:

they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Yisra᾽el had light in their dwellings.

And Par῾o called to Moshe and said, Go, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds stay behind: let your little ones also go with you.

And Moshe said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.

Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind; for of them must we take to serve the Lord our God; and we know not with what we must serve the Lord, until we come there.

But the Lord hardened Par῾o’s heart, and he would not let them go.

And Par῾o said to him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in the day thou seest my face thou shalt die.

And Moshe said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.