The Lord said to Moses, "Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I might perform My signs among them. This will be something you will tell your children and grandchildren—how I dealt with Egypt, and that they may know I am the Lord."
So Moses and Aaron went before Pharaoh and declared, "The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may worship Me. If you refuse, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your land. They will cover the ground so it cannot be seen, devouring all that remains after the hail—every tree and every crop. They will fill your houses, the houses of your officials, and every place in Egypt, something never seen before in all your history.'" With that, Moses turned and left Pharaoh.
Pharaoh's officials pleaded with him: "How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go to worship the Lord their God! Do you not yet realize Egypt is ruined?"
So Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron again and said, "Go, worship the Lord your God. But tell me—who exactly will go?"
Moses answered, "We will go with our young and old, with our sons and daughters, with our flocks and herds, for we must hold a festival to the Lord."
But Pharaoh replied, "The Lord be with you if I let you take your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil. No! Only the men may go and worship the Lord." Then Moses and Aaron were driven out of his presence.
At the Lord's command, Moses stretched out his staff, and an east wind blew all that day and night, bringing a vast swarm of locusts.
They invaded Egypt in such numbers as had never been seen before. They covered the ground until it was black and devoured everything left by the hail—every crop and every piece of fruit. Nothing green remained in all of Egypt.
In desperation, Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron. "I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you," he said. "Forgive my sin once more, and pray to the Lord to remove this deadly plague."
Moses prayed, and the Lord sent a strong west wind that carried every locust into the Red Sea. Not one remained in Egypt. But again the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he refused to let the people go.
Then the Lord told Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky, and darkness that can be felt will cover Egypt." Moses obeyed, and for three days total darkness fell over the land. No one could see another person or move from their place. Yet in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites lived, there was light.
Pharaoh summoned Moses once more. "Go, worship the Lord. Take even your women and children—but leave your flocks and herds behind."
But Moses answered, "You must allow us to take our livestock, for we need them to present sacrifices to the Lord our God. We will not leave even a hoof behind, because we do not yet know what the Lord will require of us in worship."
The Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart again, and he would not yield. In anger, Pharaoh shouted, "Get out of my sight! The day you see my face again, you will die."
Moses calmly replied, "Just as you say—I will never appear before you again."