Locusts
1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go and see the king. I have made him and his officials stubborn, in order that I may perform these miracles among them 2 and in order that you may be able to tell your children and grandchildren how I made fools of the Egyptians when I performed the miracles. All of you will know that I am the Lord.”
3 So Moses and Aaron went to the king and said to him, “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, ‘How much longer will you refuse to submit to me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me. 4 If you keep on refusing, then I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. 5 There will be so many that they will completely cover the ground. They will eat everything that the hail did not destroy, even the trees that are left. 6 They will fill your palaces and the houses of all your officials and all your people. They will be worse than anything your ancestors ever saw.’” Then Moses turned and left.
7 The king's officials said to him, “How long is this man going to give us trouble? Let the Israelite men go, so that they can worship the Lord their God. Don't you realize that Egypt is ruined?”
8 So Moses and Aaron were brought back to the king, and he said to them, “You may go and worship the Lord your God. But exactly who will go?”
9 Moses answered, “We will all go, including our children and our old people. We will take our sons and daughters, our sheep and goats, and our cattle, because we must hold a festival to honor the Lord.”
10 The king said, “I swear by the Lord that I will never let you take your women and children! It is clear that you are plotting to revolt. 11 No! Only the men may go and worship the Lord if that is what you want.” With that, Moses and Aaron were driven out of the king's presence.
12 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Raise your hand over the land of Egypt to bring the locusts. They will come and eat everything that grows, everything that has survived the hail.” 13 So Moses raised his stick, and the Lord caused a wind from the east to blow on the land all that day and all that night. By morning it had brought the locusts. 14 They came in swarms and settled over the whole country. It was the largest swarm of locusts that had ever been seen or that ever would be seen again. 15 They covered the ground until it was black with them; they ate everything that the hail had left, including all the fruit on the trees. Not a green thing was left on any tree or plant in all the land of Egypt.
16 Then the king hurriedly called Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. 17 Now forgive my sin this one time and pray to the Lord your God to take away this fatal punishment from me.” 18 Moses left the king and prayed to the Lord. 19 And the Lord changed the east wind into a very strong west wind, which picked up the locusts and blew them into the Gulf of Suez. Not one locust was left in all of Egypt. 20 But the Lord made the king stubborn, and he did not let the Israelites go.
Darkness
21 The Lord then said to Moses, “Raise your hand toward the sky, and a darkness thick enough to be felt will cover the land of Egypt.” 22 Moses raised his hand toward the sky, and there was total darkness throughout Egypt for three days. 23 The Egyptians could not see each other, and no one left his house during that time. But the Israelites had light where they were living.
24 The king called Moses and said, “You may go and worship the Lord; even your women and children may go with you. But your sheep, goats, and cattle must stay here.”
25 Moses answered, “Then you would have to provide us with animals for sacrifices and burnt offerings to offer to the Lord our God. 26 No, we will take our animals with us; not one will be left behind. We ourselves must select the animals with which to worship the Lord our God. And until we get there, we will not know what animals to sacrifice to him.”
27 The Lord made the king stubborn, and he would not let them go. 28 He said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Don't let me ever see you again! On the day I do, you will die!”
29 “You are right,” Moses answered. “You will never see me again.”
Astotā mocība: siseņi
(Jl 1:2–4)1 Kungs teica Mozum: “Ej pie faraona, jo es esmu nocietinājis viņa un viņa kalpu sirdis, lai darītu pie tiem savas zīmes, 2 lai tu varētu stāstīt savam dēlam un dēla dēlam, ko esmu darījis Ēģiptei, par manām zīmēm, ko es pie tiem esmu darījis, – lai jūs zinātu, ka es esmu Kungs!” 3 Mozus un Ārons gāja pie faraona, un viņi tam teica: “Tā saka Kungs, ebreju Dievs: cik ilgi tu liegsies man atbildēt?! Atlaid manu tautu, lai tā man kalpo! 4 Ja tu liegsies laist manu tautu, tad, redzi, rīt tavām robežām es uzsūtīšu siseņus! 5 Tie apklās zemes plakstus, ka nevarēs redzēt, tie rīs visu, kas jums pēc krusas vēl palicis, un aprīs visus kokus, kas jums aug uz lauka. 6 Tie piepildīs tavu namu, visu tavu kalpu namus un visas Ēģiptes namus – neko tādu nav redzējuši ne jūsu tēvi, ne jūsu tēvutēvi, kopš dienas, kad tie radās virs zemes, līdz šai dienai!” Un viņš pagriezās un aizgāja no faraona. 7 Un faraona kalpi tam teica: “Cik ilgi šis vīrs būs mums par nelaimi?! Laid tos ļaudis, lai viņi kalpo Kungam, savam Dievam! Vai tu gribi sagaidīt, ka Ēģipte aiziet bojā?” 8 Tad Mozu un Āronu atkal aicināja pie faraona, un viņš tiem teica: “Ejiet, kalpojiet Kungam, savam Dievam! Kuri tad būs tie gājēji?” 9 Mozus teica: “Mēs iesim kopā ar mūsu zēniem un mūsu vecajiem, mēs iesim kopā ar dēliem, meitām, mēs iesim kopā ar mūsu avīm un vēršiem, jo mums ir svētki Kungam!” 10 Un viņš tiem teica: “Lai Kungs ar jums! Nelaidīšu jūs un jūsu mazos! Pieraugiet! Ļaunu jūs esat sadomājuši! 11 Tā ne! Lai iet tikai vīri un kalpo Kungam, jo to jūs gribējāt!” Un viņš aizdzina tos projām.
12 Un Kungs teica Mozum: “Izstiep savu roku pār Ēģiptes zemi, lai pār Ēģiptes zemi nāk siseņi un aprij ik lauka zāli – visu, kas palicis pāri pēc krusas!” 13 Mozus izstiepa savu spieķi pār Ēģiptes zemi – tad Kungs dzina pār zemi austrumu vēju visu dienu un visu nakti. Pienāca rīts, un austrumu vējš atnesa siseņus. 14 Siseņi nāca pār visu Ēģiptes zemi un apsēda pilnīgi visas Ēģiptes robežas – pirms tiem vēl nebija bijis tādu siseņu kā šie, un arī pēc tiem tādu vairs nebija. 15 Tie apklāja zemes virsu, zeme satumsa, un tie aprija ik lauka zāli un visus koku augļus, kas bija atlikuši pēc krusas. Visā Ēģiptes zemē nepalika ne zaļuma kokā, ne zāles uz lauka. 16 Tad faraons steidza saukt Mozu un Āronu un sacīja: “Es esmu grēkojis pret Kungu, jūsu Dievu, un pret jums! 17 Un nu – vēl tikai šoreiz piedodiet manu grēku, izlūdzieties Kungam, jūsu Dievam, lai noņem no manis šo nāvi!” 18 Un viņš aizgāja no faraona un pielūdza Kungu. 19 Tad Kungs iegrieza jo stipru jūras vēju, un tas pacēla siseņus un ietrieca tos Niedru jūrā. Visās Ēģiptes robežās nepalika neviena siseņa. 20 Bet Kungs nocietināja faraona sirdi, un viņš neatlaida Israēla dēlus.
Devītā mocība: tumsa
21 Un Kungs teica Mozum: “Izstiep savu roku uz debesīm, lai nāk pār Ēģiptes zemi tumsa, tāda tumsa, ka var sataustīt!” 22 Mozus izstiepa savu roku uz debesīm, un melna tumsa bija visā Ēģiptes zemē trīs dienas. 23 Tad viens otru nevarēja redzēt, trīs dienas neviens nekustēja no vietas, bet tur, kur dzīvoja Israēla dēli, bija gaisma. 24 Tad faraons sauca Mozu un teica: “Ejiet, kalpojiet Kungam, tikai jūsu avis un vērši lai paliek, – arī jūsu mazie var iet kopā ar jums!” 25 Bet Mozus teica: “Tu dosi mums arī lopus upuriem un sadedzināmajiem upuriem, ko mums upurēt Kungam, savam Dievam. 26 Arī mūsu ganāmpulki ies kopā ar mums, nepaliks ne naga, jo no tiem mēs ņemsim, lai kalpotu Kungam, mūsu Dievam, jo mēs nezinām, kā mums Kungam būs jākalpo, iekams būsim tur nonākuši!” 27 Bet Kungs nocietināja faraona sirdi, un viņš negribēja tos laist. 28 Un faraons viņam teica: “Ej prom no manis! Piesargies, lai es tevi vairs neredzētu, jo tajā dienā, kad tu mani redzēsi, tu mirsi!” 29 Un Mozus teica: “Kā tu saki – man tevi vairs nebūs jāredz!”
