When Pha­raoh dared to vex the saints,
And thus pro­voked their God,
Moses was sent at their com­plaints,
Armed with his dread­ful rod.
He called for dark­ness; dark­ness came
Like an o’er­whelm­ing flood;
He turned each lake and ev­ery stream
To lakes and streams of blood.

He gave the sign, and nois­ome flies
Through the whole coun­try spread;
And frogs in croak­ing ar­mies rise
About the mon­arch’s bed.
Through fields, and towns, and pa­laces,
The ten­fold ven­geance flew;
Locusts in swarms de­voured their trees,
And hail their cat­tle slew.

Then by an an­gel’s mid­night stroke
The flow­er of Egypt died;
The strength of ev­ery house was broke,
Their glo­ry and their pride.
Now let the world for­bear its rage,
Nor put the church in fear;
Israel must live through ev­ery age,
And be th’Al­migh­ty’s care.