2 For example, those lawless Egyptians thought that your chosen people were under their power. But they themselves became prisoners in their very own homes for a long, dark night, because they were not under the protection of your eternal care.
3-4 They thought that you had forgotten and that their secret sins were hidden behind a curtain of darkness, when gruesome creatures seemed to appear. Nowhere in their homes were they safe from the fear of terrifying noises and the frightening faces of gloomy ghosts.
5 On that miserable night, the darkness was so thick that neither flaming lamps nor bright stars could be seen.
6 And when lightning flashed, the fearsome sight was worse than the darkness.
7 The Egyptians had depended on their magical powers and had boasted about their great wisdom, but all of this proved useless.
8 There were some who said they could cure the fears and worries of sick minds, but they themselves became sick with foolish fear.
9 Even if nothing else frightened them, they were terrified by the sounds of wild animals outside and by hissing snakes.