10GOD said to Moses: "Go to Pharaoh. I've made him stubborn, him and his servants, so that I can force him to look at these signsH3068H559H4872H935H6547H3513H3820H3820H5650H7896H226H71302and so you'll be able to tell your children and grandchildren how I toyed with the Egyptians, like a cat with a mouse; you'll tell them the stories of the signs that I brought down on them, so that you'll all know that I am GOD."H5608H241H1121H1121H1121H5953H4714H226H7760H3045H30683Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, "GOD, the God of the Hebrews, says, 'How long are you going to refuse to knuckle under? Release my people so that they can worship me.H4872H175H935H6547H559H559H3068H430H5680H4970H3985H6031H6440H5971H7971H56474If you refuse to release my people, watch out; tomorrow I'm bringing locusts into your country.H3588H3986H5971H7971H4279H935H697H13665They'll cover every square inch of ground; no one will be able to see the ground. They'll devour everything left over from the hailstorm, even the saplings out in the fields—they'll clear-cut the trees.H3680H5869H776H3201H7200H776H398H3499H6413H7604H1259H398H6086H6779H77046And they'll invade your houses, filling the houses of your servants, filling every house in Egypt. Nobody will have ever seen anything like this, from the time your ancestors first set foot on this soil until today.'" Then he turned on his heel and left Pharaoh.H4390H1004H1004H5650H1004H4714H1H1H1H7200H3117H127H3117H6437H3318H65477Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long are you going to let this man harass us? Let these people go and worship their GOD. Can't you see that Egypt is on its last legs?"H6547H5650H559H4170H582H7971H5647H3068H430H3045H2962H4714H68So Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. He said to them, "Go ahead then. Go worship your GOD. But just who exactly is going with you?"H4872H175H7725H6547H559H3212H5647H3068H430H19809Moses said, "We're taking young and old, sons and daughters, flocks and herds—this is our worship-celebration of GOD."H4872H559H3212H5288H2205H1121H1323H6629H1241H3212H2282H306810He said, "I'd sooner send you off with GOD's blessings than let you go with your children. Look, you're up to no good—it's written all over your faces.H559H3068H7971H2945H7200H7451H644011Nothing doing. Just the men are going—go ahead and worship GOD. That's what you want so badly." And they were thrown out of Pharaoh's presence.H3212H1397H5647H3068H1245H1644H6547H644012GOD said to Moses: "Stretch your hand over Egypt and signal the locusts to cover the land of Egypt, devouring every blade of grass in the country, everything that the hail didn't get."H3068H559H4872H5186H3027H776H4714H697H5927H776H4714H398H6212H776H1259H760413Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt. GOD let loose an east wind. It blew that day and night. By morning the east wind had brought in the locusts.H4872H5186H4294H776H4714H3068H5090H6921H7307H776H3117H3915H1242H6921H7307H5375H69714The locusts covered the country of Egypt, settling over every square inch of Egypt; the place was thick with locusts. There never was an invasion of locusts like it in the past, and never will be again.H697H5927H776H4714H5117H1366H4714H3966H3515H6440H3651H697H31015The ground was completely covered, black with locusts. They ate everything, every blade of grass, every piece of fruit, anything that the hail didn't get. Nothing left but bare trees and bare fields—not a sign of green in the whole land of Egypt.H3680H5869H776H776H2821H398H6212H776H6529H6086H1259H3498H3498H3418H6086H6212H7704H776H471416Pharaoh had Moses and Aaron back in no time. He said, "I've sinned against your GOD and against you.H6547H7121H4872H175H4116H559H2398H3068H43017Overlook my sin one more time. Pray to your GOD to get me out of this—get death out of here!"H5375H2403H6471H6279H3068H430H5493H419418Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to GOD.H3318H6547H6279H306819GOD reversed the wind—a powerful west wind took the locusts and dumped them into the Red Sea. There wasn't a single locust left in the whole country of Egypt.H3068H2015H3966H2389H3220H7307H5375H697H8628H5488H3220H7604H259H697H1366H471420But GOD made Pharaoh stubborn as ever. He still didn't release the Israelites.H3068H2388H6547H3820H1121H3478H7971
Strike Nine: Darkness
21GOD said to Moses: "Stretch your hand to the skies. Let darkness descend on the land of Egypt—a darkness so dark you can touch it."H3068H559H4872H5186H3027H8064H2822H776H4714H2822H495922Moses stretched out his hand to the skies. Thick darkness descended on the land of Egypt for three days.H4872H5186H3027H8064H653H2822H776H4714H7969H311723Nobody could see anybody. For three days no one could so much as move. Except for the Israelites: they had light where they were living.H7200H376H251H6965H376H7969H3117H1121H3478H216H418624Pharaoh called in Moses: "Go and worship GOD. Leave your flocks and herds behind. But go ahead and take your children."H6547H7121H4872H559H3212H5647H3068H6629H1241H3322H2945H321225But Moses said, "You have to let us take our sacrificial animals and offerings with us so we can sacrifice them in worship to our GOD.H4872H559H5414H3027H2077H5930H6213H3068H43026Our livestock has to go with us with not a hoof left behind; they are part of the worship of our GOD. And we don't know just what will be needed until we get there."H4735H3212H6541H7604H3947H5647H3068H430H3045H5647H3068H93527But GOD kept Pharaoh stubborn as ever. He wouldn't agree to release them.H3068H2388H6547H3820H14H797128Pharaoh said to Moses: "Get out of my sight! And watch your step. I don't want to ever see you again. If I lay eyes on you again, you're dead."H6547H559H3212H8104H7200H6440H3254H3117H7200H6440H419129Moses said, "Have it your way. You won't see my face again."H4872H559H1696H3651H7200H6440H3254
Dublin, OH
