< Exodus 12 >

1 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying:
Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,
2 'This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.
“This month is the beginning of months for you; it shall be the first month of your year.
3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying: In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household;
Tell the whole congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man must select a lamb for his family, one per household.
4 and if the household be too little for a lamb, then shall he and his neighbour next unto his house take one according to the number of the souls; according to every man's eating ye shall make your count for the lamb.
If the household is too small for a whole lamb, they are to share with the nearest neighbor based on the number of people, and apportion the lamb accordingly.
5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year; ye shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats;
Your lamb must be an unblemished year-old male, and you may take it from the sheep or the goats.
6 and ye shall keep it unto the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at dusk.
You must keep it until the fourteenth day of the month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel will slaughter the animals at twilight.
7 And they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side-posts and on the lintel, upon the houses wherein they shall eat it.
They are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs.
8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
They are to eat the meat that night, roasted over the fire, along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; its head with its legs and with the inwards thereof.
Do not eat any of the meat raw or cooked in boiling water, but only roasted over the fire—its head and legs and inner parts.
10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; but that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
Do not leave any of it until morning; before the morning you must burn up any part that is left over.
11 And thus shall ye eat it: with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste — it is the LORD'S passover.
This is how you are to eat it: You must be fully dressed for travel, with your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. You are to eat in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover.
12 For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.
On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn male, both man and beast, and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.
13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and there shall no plague be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
The blood on the houses where you are staying will distinguish them; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will fall on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
And this day will be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD, as a permanent statute for the generations to come.
15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; howbeit the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses; for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
For seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you are to remove the leaven from your houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel.
16 And in the first day there shall be to you a holy convocation, and in the seventh day a holy convocation; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done by you.
On the first day you are to hold a sacred assembly, and another on the seventh day. You must not do any work on those days, except to prepare the meals—that is all you may do.
17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore shall ye observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance for ever.
So you are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. You must keep this day as a permanent statute for the generations to come.
18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.
In the first month you are to eat unleavened bread, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day.
19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses; for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a sojourner, or one that is born in the land.
For seven days there must be no leaven found in your houses. If anyone eats something leavened, that person, whether a foreigner or native of the land, must be cut off from the congregation of Israel.
20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.'
You are not to eat anything leavened; eat unleavened bread in all your homes.”
21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them: 'Draw out, and take you lambs according to your families, and kill the passover lamb.
Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and told them, “Go at once and select for yourselves a lamb for each family, and slaughter the Passover lamb.
22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side-posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.
Take a cluster of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin, and brush the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out the door of his house until morning.
23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side-posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
When the LORD passes through to strike down the Egyptians, He will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway; so He will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.
24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.
And you are to keep this command as a permanent statute for you and your descendants.
25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as He hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.
When you enter the land that the LORD will give you as He promised, you are to keep this service.
26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you: What mean ye by this service?
When your children ask you, ‘What does this service mean to you?’
27 that ye shall say: It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, for that He passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when He smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses.' And the people bowed the head and worshipped.
you are to reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when He struck down the Egyptians and spared our homes.’” Then the people bowed down and worshiped.
28 And the children of Israel went and did so; as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
And the Israelites went and did just what the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron.
29 And it came to pass at midnight, that the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the first-born of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the first-born of cattle.
Now at midnight the LORD struck down every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon, as well as all the firstborn among the livestock.
30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
During the night Pharaoh got up—he and all his officials and all the Egyptians—and there was loud wailing in Egypt; for there was no house without someone dead.
31 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night and said: 'Rise up, get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said.
Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Get up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, worship the LORD as you have requested.
32 Take both your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.'
Take your flocks and herds as well, just as you have said, and depart! And bless me also.”
33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, to send them out of the land in haste; for they said: 'We are all dead men.'
And in order to send them out of the land quickly, the Egyptians urged the people on. “For otherwise,” they said, “we are all going to die!”
34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading-troughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.
So the people took their dough before it was leavened, carrying it on their shoulders in kneading bowls wrapped in clothing.
35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they asked of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment.
Furthermore, the Israelites acted on Moses’ word and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold, and for clothing.
36 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. And they despoiled the Egyptians.
And the LORD gave the people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians that they granted their request. In this way they plundered the Egyptians.
37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, beside children.
The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Succoth with about 600,000 men on foot, besides women and children.
38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.
And a mixed multitude also went up with them, along with great droves of livestock, both flocks and herds.
39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.
Since their dough had no leaven, the people baked what they had brought out of Egypt into unleavened loaves. For when they had been driven out of Egypt, they could not delay and had not prepared any provisions for themselves.
40 Now the time that the children of Israel dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.
Now the duration of the Israelites’ stay in Egypt was 430 years.
41 And it came to pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the host of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.
At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the LORD’s divisions went out of the land of Egypt.
42 It was a night of watching unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt; this same night is a night of watching unto the LORD for all the children of Israel throughout their generations.
Because the LORD kept a vigil that night to bring them out of the land of Egypt, this same night is to be a vigil to the LORD, to be observed by all the Israelites for the generations to come.
43 And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron: 'This is the ordinance of the passover: there shall no alien eat thereof;
And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: No foreigner is to eat of it.
44 but every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.
But any slave who has been purchased may eat of it, after you have circumcised him.
45 A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat thereof.
A temporary resident or hired hand shall not eat the Passover.
46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth aught of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.
It must be eaten inside one house. You are not to take any of the meat outside the house, and you may not break any of the bones.
47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.
The whole congregation of Israel must celebrate it.
48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land; but no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
If a foreigner resides with you and wants to celebrate the LORD’s Passover, all the males in the household must be circumcised; then he may come near to celebrate it, and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised man may eat of it.
49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.'
The same law shall apply to both the native and the foreigner who resides among you.”
50 Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
Then all the Israelites did this—they did just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron.
51 And it came to pass the selfsame day that the LORD did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.
And on that very day the LORD brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt by their divisions.

< Exodus 12 >