Exodus 12

The First Passover

(Numbers 9:1–14)

1Now the LORDH3068 saidH559 toH413 MosesH4872H413 and AaronH175 in the landH776 of EgyptH4714H559, 2“ThisH2088 monthH2320 is the beginningH7218 of monthsH2320 for you; itH1931 shall be the firstH7223 monthH2320 of your yearH8141.

3TellH1696H413 the wholeH3605 congregationH5712 of IsraelH3478H559 that on the tenthH6218 day of thisH2088 monthH2320 each manH376 must selectH3947 a lambH77161 for his familyH1H1004, oneH7716 per householdH1004. 4IfH518 the householdH1004H1961 is too smallH4591 for a whole lambH7716, they are toH1931 share withH3947 the nearestH7138 neighborH7934H413H1004 based on the numberH4373 of peopleH5315, and apportionH3699H5921 the lambH7716 accordinglyH376.

5Your lambH7716 must beH1961 an unblemishedH8549 year-oldH1121H8141 maleH2145, and you may takeH3947 it fromH4480 the sheepH3532H4480 or the goatsH5795. 6You mustH1961 keepH4931 it untilH5704 the fourteenthH702H6240 dayH3117 of theH2088 monthH2320, when the wholeH3605 assemblyH6951 of the congregationH5712 of IsraelH3478 will slaughterH7819 the animals atH996 twilightH6153.2 7They are to takeH3947 some ofH4480 the bloodH1818 and putH5414 it onH5921 the sidesH8147H4201 andH5921 tops of the doorframesH49473 ofH5921 the housesH1004 whereH834 they eatH398 the lambs.

8They are to eatH398 the meatH1320 thatH2088 nightH3915, roastedH6748 over the fireH784, along with unleavened breadH4682H5921 and bitter herbsH4844.

9Do notH408 eatH398 any ofH4480 the meat rawH4995 or cookedH1310 in boilingH1311 waterH4325, but onlyH3588H518 roastedH6748 over the fireH784—its headH7218 andH5921 legsH3767H5921 and inner partsH7130. 10Do notH3808 leaveH3498 any of itH4480 untilH5704 morningH1242; beforeH5704 the morningH1242 you must burn upH784H8313 any partH4480 that is left overH3498.

11This is howH3602 you are to eat itH398: You must be fully dressed for travelH4975H2296,4 with your sandalsH5275 on your feetH7272 and your staffH4731 in your handH3027. You are to eatH398 in hasteH2649; itH1931 is the LORD’sH3068 PassoverH6453.

12On thatH2088 nightH3915 I will passH5674 through the landH776 of EgyptH4714 and strike downH5221 everyH3605 firstborn maleH1060, both manH120 andH5704 beastH929, and I will executeH6213 judgmentH8201 against allH3605 the godsH430 of EgyptH4714. IH589 am the LORDH3068. 13The bloodH1818 onH5921 the housesH1004 whereH834 youH859 are stayingH8033 will beH1961 a signH226; when I seeH7200 the bloodH1818, I will passH6452 over youH5921. NoH3808 plagueH5063 will fallH1961 on you to destroy youH4889 when I strikeH5221 the landH776 of EgyptH4714.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread

(Leviticus 23:4–8; Numbers 28:16–25; Deuteronomy 16:1–8)

14And thisH2088 dayH3117 will beH1961 a memorialH2146 for you, and you are to celebrateH2287 itH853 as a feastH2282 to the LORDH3068, as a permanentH5769 statuteH2708 for the generations to comeH1755. 15For sevenH7651 daysH3117 you must eatH398H389 unleavened breadH4682. On the firstH7223 dayH3117 you are to removeH7673 the leavenH7603 from your housesH1004H3588. WhoeverH3605 eatsH398 anything leavenedH2557 from the firstH7223 dayH3117 throughH5704 the seventhH7637H3117 must be cut offH3772H5315H1931 from IsraelH3478.

16On the firstH7223 dayH3117 you are to holdH1961 a sacredH6944 assemblyH4744, and anotherH6944H4744 on the seventhH7637 dayH3117. You must notH3808 doH6213 any workH4399 on those daysH389, except to prepareH834 the mealsH398—thatH1931 is allH905 you may doH6213.

17So you are to keepH8104 the Feast of Unleavened BreadH4682,5 forH3588 on thisH2088 veryH6106 dayH3117 I broughtH3318 your divisionsH6635 out of the landH776 of EgyptH4714. You must keepH8104 thisH2088 dayH3117 as a permanentH5769 statuteH2708 for the generations to comeH1755. 18In the firstH7223 month you are to eatH398 unleavened breadH4682, from the eveningH6153 of the fourteenthH702H6240 dayH3117H2320 untilH5704 the eveningH6153 of the twenty-firstH259H6242H2320 dayH3117. 19For sevenH7651 daysH3117 there must be noH3808 leavenH7603 foundH4672 in your housesH1004. IfH3588 anyoneH3605 eatsH398 something leavenedH2557, thatH1931 personH5315, whether a foreignerH1616 or nativeH249 of the landH776, must be cut offH3772 from the congregationH5712 of IsraelH3478. 20You are notH3808 to eatH398 anythingH3605 leavenedH2557; eatH398 unleavened breadH4682 in allH3605 your homesH4186.”

21Then MosesH4872 summonedH7121 allH3605 the eldersH2205 of IsraelH3478 and toldH559 themH413, “Go at onceH4900 and selectH3947 for yourselves a lambH6629 for each familyH4940, and slaughterH7819 the Passover lambH6453. 22TakeH3947 a clusterH92 of hyssopH231, dipH2881 it into the bloodH1818 in the basinH5592, and brushH5060 the bloodH1818 onH413 the topH4947 andH413 sides of the doorframeH8147H4201. NoneH3808H376 of youH859 shall go outH3318 the doorH6607 of his houseH1004 untilH5704 morningH1242.

23When the LORDH3068 passes throughH5674 to strike downH5062 the EgyptiansH4714, He will seeH7200 the bloodH1818 onH5921 the topH4947 andH5921 sides of the doorframeH8147H4201 and will passH6452 overH5921 that doorwayH6607; so He will notH3808 allowH5414 the destroyerH7843 to enterH935H413 your housesH1004 and strike you downH5062.

24And you are to keepH8104 thisH2088 commandH1697 as aH5704 permanentH5769 statuteH2706 for you and your descendantsH1121. 25WhenH3588 you enterH935H413 the landH776 thatH834 the LORDH3068 will giveH5414 you asH834 He promisedH1696, you are to keepH8104 thisH2063 serviceH5656.

26

WhenH3588 your childrenH1121 ask youH559H413, ‘WhatH4100 does this serviceH5656 meanH2063 to you?’ 27you are to replyH559, ‘ItH1931 is the PassoverH6453 sacrificeH2077 to the LORDH3068, whoH834 passedH6452 overH5921 the housesH1004 of the IsraelitesH1121H3478 in EgyptH4714 when He struck downH5062 the EgyptiansH853 and sparedH5337 our homesH1004.’”

Then the peopleH5971 bowed downH6915 and worshipedH7812. 28And the IsraelitesH1121H3478 wentH1980 and didH6213 just whatH834 the LORDH3068 had commandedH6680 MosesH4872 and AaronH175.

The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn

29NowH1961 at midnightH2677H3915 the LORDH3068 struck downH5221 everyH3605 firstbornH1060 male in the landH776 of EgyptH4714, from the firstbornH1060 of PharaohH6547, who satH3427 onH5921 his throneH3678, toH5704 the firstbornH1060 of the prisonerH7628 in the dungeonH1004H953, as well as allH3605 the firstbornH1060 among the livestockH929.

30During the nightH3915 PharaohH6547 got upH6965—heH1931 and allH3605 his officialsH5650 and allH3605H4714 the EgyptiansH4714—and there wasH1961 loudH1419 wailingH6818 in EgyptH3588; for there was noH369 houseH1004 withoutH369H8033 someone deadH4191.

The Exodus Begins

31Then Pharaoh summonedH7121 MosesH4872 and AaronH175 by nightH3915 and saidH559, “Get upH6965, leaveH3318H8432 my peopleH5971, bothH1571 youH859 andH1571 the IsraelitesH1121H3478! GoH1980, worshipH5647 the LORDH3068 as you have requestedH1696. 32TakeH3947 your flocksH6629 andH1571 herdsH1241 as wellH1571, just asH834 you have saidH1696, and departH1980! And blessH1288 meH853 alsoH1571.”

33And in order to send themH7971 out ofH4480 the landH776 quicklyH4116, the EgyptiansH4714H5921 urgedH2388 the people onH5971. “ForH3588 otherwise,” they saidH559, “we are allH3605 going to dieH4191!” 34So the peopleH5971 tookH5375 their doughH1217 beforeH2962 it was leavenedH2556, carrying it onH5921 their shouldersH7926 in kneading bowlsH4863 wrappedH6887 in clothingH8071.

35Furthermore, the IsraelitesH1121H3478 actedH6213 on MosesH4872’ wordH1697 and askedH7592 the EgyptiansH4714 for articlesH3627 of silverH3701 andH3627 goldH2091, and for clothingH8071. 36And the LORDH3068 gaveH5414 the peopleH5971 such favorH2580 in the sightH5869 of the EgyptiansH4714 that they granted their requestH7592. In this way they plunderedH5337 the EgyptiansH4714.

37The IsraelitesH1121H3478 journeyedH5265 from RamesesH7486 to SuccothH55236 with about 600,000H8337H3967H505 menH1397 on footH7273, besidesH905 women and childrenH2945. 38And a mixedH6154 multitudeH7227 alsoH1571 went upH5927 with themH854, along with great droves ofH3515H3966 livestockH4735, both flocksH6629 and herdsH1241.

39SinceH3588 their doughH1217 had noH3808 leavenH2556, the people bakedH644 what they had broughtH3318 out of EgyptH4714 into unleavenedH4682 loavesH5692. ForH3588 when they had been driven outH1644 of EgyptH4714, they couldH3201 notH3808 delayH4102 andH1571 had notH3808 preparedH6213 any provisionsH6720 for themselves.

40Now the durationH4186 of the IsraelitesH1121H3478’ stayH3427 in EgyptH47147 was 430H7970H702H3967H8141 yearsH8141. 41At the endH7093 of the 430H7970H702H3967H8141H1961 yearsH8141, to theH2088 veryH6106 dayH3117, allH3605 the LORD’sH3068 divisionsH6635 went outH3318 of the landH776 of EgyptH4714. 42Because the LORDH3068 kept a vigilH8107 thatH1931 nightH3915 to bring themH3318 out of the landH776 of EgyptH4714H1931, this sameH2088 nightH3915 is to be a vigil to the LORDH3068, to be observedH8107 by allH3605 the IsraelitesH1121H3478 for the generations to comeH1755.

Instructions for the Passover

43And the LORDH3068 saidH559 toH413 MosesH4872 and AaronH175, “ThisH2063 is the statuteH2708 of the PassoverH6453: NoH3605H3808 foreignerH1121H5236 is to eatH398 of it. 44But anyH3605 slaveH5650 who has been purchasedH376H4736H3701 may eatH398 of it, after you have circumcised himH4135. 45A temporary residentH8453 or hired handH7916 shall notH3808 eatH398 the Passover.

46It must be eatenH398 inside oneH259 houseH1004. You are notH3808 to takeH3318 any ofH4480 the meatH1320 outsideH4480H2351 the houseH1004, and you may notH3808 breakH7665 any of the bonesH6106.

47The wholeH3605 congregationH5712 of IsraelH3478 must celebrateH6213 itH853. 48IfH3588 a foreignerH1616 residesH1481 withH854 you and wants to celebrateH6213 the LORD’sH3068 PassoverH6453, all theH3605 malesH2145 in the household must be circumcisedH4135; thenH227 he may come nearH7126 to celebrate itH6213, and he shall beH1961 like a nativeH249 of the landH776H3605. But noH3808 uncircumcised manH6189 may eatH398 of it. 49The sameH259 lawH8451 shall applyH1961 to both the nativeH249 and the foreignerH1616 who residesH1481 among youH8432.”

50Then allH3605 the IsraelitesH1121H3478 didH6213 thisH3651—they didH6213 just asH834 the LORDH3068 had commandedH6680 MosesH4872 and AaronH175. 51AndH1961 on thatH2088 veryH6106 dayH3117 the LORDH3068 broughtH3318 the IsraelitesH1121H3478 out of the landH776 of EgyptH4714 byH5921 their divisionsH6635.