11. No! Have only the men go and worship the Lord, since that’s what you have been asking for.” Then Moses and Aaron were driven out of Pharaoh’s presence.
12. And the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over Egypt so that locusts swarm over the land and devour everything growing in the fields, everything left by the hail.”
13. So Moses stretched out his staff over Egypt, and the Lord made an east wind blow across the land all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts;
14. they invaded all Egypt and settled down in every area of the country in great numbers. Never before had there been such a plague of locusts, nor will there ever be again.
15. They covered all the ground until it was black. They devoured all that was left after the hail—everything growing in the fields and the fruit on the trees. Nothing green remained on tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.
16. Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you.
17. Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”
18. Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.
19. And the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea. Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt.
20. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.
21. Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.”
22. So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days.
23. No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.
24. Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the Lord. Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.”
25. But Moses said, “You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the Lord our God.
26. Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the Lord our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the Lord.”