Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, "I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only." And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the Lord. And the Lord turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea; there remained not one locust in all the border of Egypt. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go. 9. THE PLAGUE OF DARKNESS. And the Lord said to Moses, "Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt." And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days; they saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings. And Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, "Go ye, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you." And Moses said, "Thou must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God. Our cattle also shall go with us; there {172} shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God; and we know not with what we must serve the Lord, until we come thither." But the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. And Pharaoh said to him, "Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in the day thou seest my face thou shalt die." And Moses said, "Thou hast spoken well; I will see thy face again no more." And the Lord said to Moses, "Yet one plague more will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether. Speak now to the people, and let them ask every man of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold." And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people.