Exodus 12:18-36

18In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, you will eat bread made without yeast until the twenty-first day of the month in the evening.

19For seven days yeast must not be found in your houses, for whoever eats what is made with yeast – that person will be cut off from the community of Israel, whether a foreigner or one born in the land.

20You will not eat anything made with yeast; in all the places where you live you must eat bread made without yeast.’”

21Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel, and told them, “Go and select for yourselves a lamb or young goat for your families, and kill the Passover animals.

22Take a branch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and apply to the top of the doorframe and the two side posts some of the blood that is in the basin. Not one of you is to go out the door of his house until morning.

23For the Lord will pass through to strike Egypt, and when he sees the blood on the top of the doorframe and the two side posts, then the Lord will pass over the door, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.

24You must observe this event as an ordinance for you and for your children forever.

25When you enter the land that the Lord will give to you, just as he said, you must observe this ceremony.

26When your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ –

27then you will say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, when he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt, when he struck Egypt and delivered our households.’” The people bowed down low to the ground,

28and the Israelites went away and did exactly as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.

29It happened at midnight – the Lord attacked all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the prison, and all the firstborn of the cattle.

30Pharaoh got up in the night, along with all his servants and all Egypt, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no house in which there was not someone dead.

31Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron in the night and said, “Get up, get out from among my people, both you and the Israelites! Go, serve the Lord as you have requested!

32Also, take your flocks and your herds, just as you have requested, and leave. But bless me also.”

33The Egyptians were urging the people on, in order to send them out of the land quickly, for they were saying, “We are all dead!”

34So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, with their kneading troughs bound up in their clothing on their shoulders.

35Now the Israelites had done as Moses told them – they had requested from the Egyptians silver and gold items and clothing.

36The Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, and they gave them whatever they wanted, and so they plundered Egypt.