Exodus 10

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these signs of mine among them

وَقَالَ الرَّبُّ لِمُوسَى: «امْثُلْ أَمَامَ فِرْعَوْنَ لأَنَّنِي قَدْ قَسَّيْتُ قَلْبَهُ وَقُلُوبَ حَاشِيَتِهِ لِكَيْ أُجْرِيَ آيَاتِي هَذِهِ بَيْنَهُمْ،

that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.”

لِكَيْ تُخْبِرَ فِي مَسَامِعِ بَنِيكَ وَأَحْفَادِكَ عَمَّا ابْتَلَيْتُ بِهِ الْمِصْرِيِّينَ وَبِآيَاتِي الَّتِي أَجْرَيْتُهَا بَيْنَهُمْ فَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنِّي أَنَا الرَّبُّ».

So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and said to him, “This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so that they may worship me.

فَمَثَلَ مُوسَى وَهَرُونُ أَمَامَ فِرْعَوْنَ وَقَالا لَهُ: «هَذَا مَا يُعْلِنُهُ الرَّبُّ إِلَهُ الْعِبْرَانِيِّينَ: إِلَى مَتَى تَأْبَى أَنْ تَخْضَعَ لِي؟ أَطْلِقْ شَعْبِي لِيَعْبُدَنِي.

If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow.

وَإذَا أَبَيْتَ أَنْ تُطْلِقَ شَعْبِي، فَهَا أَنَا أَجْلِبُ غَداً الْجَرَادَ عَلَى تُخُومِكَ،

They will cover the face of the ground so that it cannot be seen. They will devour what little you have left after the hail, including every tree that is growing in your fields.

فَيُغَطِّي وَجْهَ الأَرْضِ، فَيَعْسُرُ عَلَى أَحَدٍ أَنْ يَرَاهَا، وَيَلْتَهِمُ الْبَقِيَّةَ الْمُتَخَلِّفَةَ لَكُمْ عَنِ الْبَرَدِ، وَكُلَّ شَجَرَةٍ نَابِتَةٍ لَكُمْ فِي الْحَقْلِ،

They will fill your houses and those of all your officials and all the Egyptians—something neither your parents nor your ancestors have ever seen from the day they settled in this land till now.’” Then Moses turned and left Pharaoh.

وَيَمْلأُ بُيُوتَكَ وَبُيُوتَ حَاشِيَتِكَ وَبُيُوتَ جَمِيعِ الْمِصْرِيِّينَ، الأَمْرُ الَّذِي لَمْ يَشْهَدْ مِثْلَهُ آبَاؤُكَ وَلا أَجْدَادُكَ مُنْذُ أَنِ اسْتَوْطَنُوا هَذِهِ الأَرْضَ إِلَى الآنَ». ثُمَّ تَحَوَّلَ وَانْصَرَفَ مِنْ لَدُنْ فِرْعَوْنَ.

Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, so that they may worship the Lord their God. Do you not yet realize that Egypt is ruined?”

فَقَالَتْ حَاشِيَةُ فِرْعَوْنَ لَهُ: «إِلَى مَتَى يَظَلُّ هَذَا الرَّجُلُ شَرَكاً لَنَا؟ أَطْلِقِ الشَّعْبَ لِيَعْبُدُوا الرَّبَّ إِلَهَهُمْ. أَلَمْ تَعْلَمْ أَنَّ مِصْرَ قَدْ عَمَّهَا الْخَرَابُ؟»

Then Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go, worship the Lord your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.”

فَاسْتُدْعِيَ مُوسَى وَهَرُونُ ثَانِيَةً لِلْمُثُولِ أَمَامَ فِرْعَوْنَ، وَقَالَ لَهُمَا: «امْضُوا وَاعْبُدُوا الرَّبَّ إِلَهَكُمْ، وَلَكِنْ مَنْ هُمُ الَّذِينَ سَيَذْهَبُونَ؟»

Moses answered, “We will go with our young and our old, with our sons and our daughters, and with our flocks and herds, because we are to celebrate a festival to the Lord.”

فَأَجَابَ مُوسَى: «نَذْهَبُ بِفِتْيَانِنَا وَشُيُوخِنَا. نَذْهَبُ بِبَنِينَا وَبَنَاتِنَا، بِمَوَاشِينَا وَقُطْعَانِنَا لأَنَّهُ يَجِبُ أَنْ نُقِيمَ عِيداً لِلرَّبِّ».

Pharaoh said, “The Lord be with you—if I let you go, along with your women and children! Clearly you are bent on evil.^[a]

فَقَالَ فِرْعَوْنُ: «لِيَكُنِ الرَّبُّ بِعَوْنِكُمْ إنْ أَنَا أَطْلَقْتُكُمْ مَعَ نِسَائِكُمْ وَأَوْلادِكُمْ. فَمِنَ الْجَلِيِّ أَنَّكُمْ عَازِمُونَ عَلَى الشَّرِّ.

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.

لا، فَلْيَمْضِ الرِّجَالُ فَقَطْ لِعِبَادَةِ الرَّبِّ، لأَنَّ هَذَا هُوَ مَا تَطْلُبُونَهُ». ثُمَّ طُرِدَا مِنْ حَضْرَةِ فِرْعَوْنَ.

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.”

فَقَالَ الرَّبُّ لِمُوسَى: «ابْسُطْ يَدَكَ عَلَى أَرْضِ مِصْرَ لِتُبْتَلَى بِالجَّرَادِ، فَيُغَطِّي بِلادَ مِصْرَ وَيَلْتَهِمَ كُلَّ نَبَاتِ الأَرْضِ الْمُتَخَلِّفِ عَنِ الْبَرَدِ».

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;

فَمَدَّ مُوسَى عَصَاهُ عَلَى أَرْضِ مِصْرَ، فَأَرْسَلَ الرَّبُّ عَلَيْهِمْ رِيحاً شَرْقِيَّةً طَوَالَ ذَلِكَ النَّهَارِ وَاللَّيْلِ، وَمَا إِنْ أَقْبَلَ الصَّبَاحُ حَتَّى حَمَلَتِ الرِّيحُ الشَّرْقِيَّةُ الْجَرَادَ.

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.

فَانْتَشَرَ الْجَرَادُ فِي كُلِّ بِلادِ مِصْرَ، وَحَلَّ فِي جَمِيعِ تُخُومِهَا بِأَسْرَابٍ عَظِيمَةٍ، فَلَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ نَظِيرٌ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَلَنْ يَحْدُثَ مِثْلُهُ فِيمَا بَعْدُ.

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.

فَقَدْ غَطَّى وَجْهَ كُلِّ الأَرْضِ حَتَّى أَظْلَمَتْ، وَالْتَهَمَ كُلَّ عُشْبٍ فِيهَا وَكُلَّ أَثْمَارِ الأَشْجَارِ الَّتِي خَلَّفَهَا الْبَرَدُ، فَلَمْ يَبْقَ شَيْءٌ أَخْضَرُ لَا عَلَى الأَشْجَارِ وَلا فِي حُقُولِ الْمَزْرُوعَاتِ فِي كُلِّ أَرْجَاءِ مِصْرَ.

Pharaoh quickly summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you.

عِنْدَئِذٍ أَسْرَعَ فِرْعَوْنُ فَاسْتَدْعَى مُوسَى وَهَرُونَ قَائِلاً: «لَقَدْ أَخْطَأْتُ إِلَى الرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمْ وَإِلَيْكُمَا.

Now forgive my sin once more and pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”

فَاصْفَحَا هَذِهِ الْمَرَّةَ فَقَطْ عَنْ خَطِيئَتِي وَابْتَهِلا إِلَى الرَّبِّ إِلَهِكُمَا كَيْ يُزِيلَ عَنِّي هَذَا الْبَلاءَ الْمُمِيتَ».

Moses then left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord.

فَانْصَرَفَ مُوسَى مِنْ لَدُنْ فِرْعَوْنَ وَابْتَهَلَ إِلَى الرَّبِّ،

And the Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind, which caught up the locusts and carried them into the Red Sea.^[b] Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt.

فَأَرْسَلَ الرَّبُّ رِيحاً غَرْبِيَّةً عَاصِفَةً حَمَلَتِ الْجَرَادَ وَطَرَحَتْهُ فِي الْبَحْرِ الأَحْمَرِ، فَلَمْ تَبْقَ جَرَادَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ فِي جَمِيعِ أَرْجَاءِ مِصْرَ.

But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let the Israelites go.

The Plague of Darkness

وَلَكِنَّ الرَّبَّ صَلَّبَ قَلْبَ فِرْعَوْنَ فَلَمْ يُطْلِقْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ.

ضربة الظلام

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.”

فَقَالَ الرَّبُّ لِمُوسَى: «ابْسُطْ يَدَكَ نَحْوَ السَّمَاءِ فَيَطْغَى ظَلامٌ عَلَى كُلِّ أَرْجَاءِ مِصْرَ حَتَّى يَكَادَ يُلْمَسُ لِكَثَافَتِهِ».

So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days.

فَبَسَطَ مُوسَى يَدَهُ نَحْوَ السَّمَاءِ، فَطَغَى ظَلامٌ كَثِيفٌ عَلَى كُلِّ أَرْجَاءِ أَرْضِ مِصْرَ لِمُدَّةِ ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ.

No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived.

فَلَمْ يَتَمَكَّنْ أَحَدٌ مِنْ أَنْ يَرَى أَخَاهُ، وَلا غَادَرَ أَحَدٌ مَكَانَهُ طَوَالَ ثَلاثَةِ أَيَّامٍ. غَيْرَ أَنَّ النُّورَ كَانَ يَغْمُرُ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فِي أَمَاكِنِ إِقَامَتِهِمْ.

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.”

فَاسْتَدْعَى فِرْعَوْنُ مُوسَى وَقَالَ: «اذْهَبُوا وَاعْبُدُوا الرَّبَّ، وَلَكِنِ اتْرُكُوا وَرَاءَكُمْ مَاشِيَتَكُمْ وَقُطْعَانَكُمْ: أَمَّا صِغَارُكُمْ فَلْيَمْضُوا مَعَكُمْ أَيْضاً».

But Moses said, “You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the Lord our God.

فَقَالَ مُوسَى: «عَلَيْكَ أَنْ تَسْمَحَ لَنَا بِأَخْذِ ذَبَائِحَ مُحْرَقَاتٍ لِنُقَدِّمَهَا لِلرَّبِّ إِلَهِنَا.

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.”

لِذَلِكَ تَذْهَبُ مَوَاشِينَا مَعْنَا أَيْضاً، فَلا يَبْقَى مِنْهَا ظِلْفٌ وَاحِدٌ، لأَنَّ عَلَيْنَا أَنْ نَخْتَارَ مِنْهَا لِعِبَادَةِ الرَّبِّ إِلَهِنَا، وَلا يُمْكِنُنَا أَنْ نَعْرِفَ مَاذَا نَخْتَارُ مِنْهَا لِنَعْبُدَ الرَّبَّ حَتَّى نَصِلَ إِلَى هُنَاكَ».

But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go.

وَلَكِنَّ الرَّبَّ صَلَّبَ قَلْبَ فِرْعَوْنَ فَلَمْ يُطْلِقْ سَرَاحَهُمْ.

Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die.”

وَقَالَ لَهُ فِرْعَوْنُ: «اذْهَبْ عَنِّي، وَاحْذَرْ لِنَفْسِكَ. لَا تَمْثُلْ أَمَامِي مَرَّةً أُخْرَى، فَيَوْمَ تَرَى وَجْهِي تَمُوتُ».

“Just as you say,” Moses replied. “I will never appear before you again.”

فَقَالَ مُوسَى: «حَسَناً قُلْتَ، فَأَنَا لَنْ أَرَى وَجْهَكَ مَرَّةً أُخْرَى».