Exodus 12

The First Passover

12While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the LORD gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron.H3068H559H4872H175H776H4714H5592"From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you.H2320H7218H2320H7223H2320H81413Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household.H1696H5712H3478H559H6218H2320H3947H376H7716H1004H1H7716H10044If a family is too small to eat a whole animal, let them share with another family in the neighborhood. Divide the animal according to the size of each family and how much they can eat.H1004H1961H4591H7716H7934H7138H1004H3947H4373H5315H376H6310H400H3699H77165The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects.H7716H8549H2145H1121H8141H3947H3532H57956"Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight.H4931H702H6240H3117H2320H3605H6951H5712H3478H7819H996H61537They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal.H3947H1818H5414H8147H4201H4947H1004H3988That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast.H398H1320H3915H6748H784H4682H4844H3989Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water. The whole animal—including the head, legs, and internal organs—must be roasted over a fire.H398H4995H1310H1311H4325H6748H784H7218H3767H713010Do not leave any of it until the next morning. Burn whatever is not eaten before morning.H3498H1242H3498H1242H8313H78411"These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed

, wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the LORD's Passover.H3602H398H4975H2296H5275H7272H4731H3027H398H2649H3068H645312On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD!H5674H776H4714H3915H5221H1060H776H4714H120H929H430H4714H6213H8201H306813But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.H1818H226H1004H7200H1818H6452H5063H4889H5221H776H471414"This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the LORD. This is a law for all time.H3117H2146H2287H2282H3068H1755H2287H2708H576915For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. On the first day of the festival, remove every trace of yeast from your homes. Anyone who eats bread made with yeast during the seven days of the festival will be cut off from the community of Israel.H7651H3117H398H4682H389H7223H3117H7673H7603H1004H398H2557H7223H3117H7637H3117H5315H3772H347816On the first day of the festival and again on the seventh day, all the people must observe an official day for holy assembly. No work of any kind may be done on these days except in the preparation of food.H7223H3117H6944H4744H7637H3117H6944H4744H4399H6213H389H5315H398H621317"Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread, for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day. This festival will be a permanent law for you; celebrate this day from generation to generation.H8104H4682H6106H3117H3318H6635H776H4714H8104H3117H1755H2708H576918The bread you eat must be made without yeast from the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day of that month.H7223H6240H702H3117H2320H6153H398H4682H259H6242H3117H2320H615319During those seven days, there must be no trace of yeast in your homes. Anyone who eats anything made with yeast during this week will be cut off from the community of Israel. These regulations apply both to the foreigners living among you and to the native-born Israelites.H7651H3117H7603H4672H1004H398H2556H5315H3772H5712H3478H1616H249H77620During those days you must not eat anything made with yeast. Wherever you live, eat only bread made without yeast."H398H2556H4186H398H468221Then Moses called all the elders of Israel together and said to them, "Go, pick out a lamb or young goat for each of your families, and slaughter the Passover animal.H4872H7121H2205H3478H559H4900H3947H6629H4940H7819H645322Drain the blood into a basin. Then take a bundle of hyssop branches and dip it into the blood. Brush the hyssop across the top and sides of the doorframes of your houses. And no one may go out through the door until morning.H3947H92H231H2881H1818H5592H5060H4947H8147H4201H1818H5592H376H3318H6607H1004H124223For the LORD will pass through the land to strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the LORD will pass over your home. He will not permit his death angel to enter your house and strike you down.H3068H5674H5062H4714H7200H1818H4947H8147H4201H3068H6452H6607H5414H7843H935H1004H506224"Remember, these instructions are a permanent law that you and your descendants must observe forever.H8104H1697H2706H1121H5704H576925When you enter the land the LORD has promised to give you, you will continue to observe this ceremony.H935H776H3068H5414H1696H8104H565626Then your children will ask, 'What does this ceremony mean?'H1121H559H565627And you will reply, 'It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. And though he struck the Egyptians, he spared our families.'" When Moses had finished speaking, all the people bowed down to the ground and worshiped.H559H2077H3068H6453H6452H1004H1121H3478H4714H5062H4714H5337H1004H5971H6915H781228So the people of Israel did just as the LORD had commanded through Moses and Aaron.H1121H3478H3212H6213H3068H6680H4872H175H621329And that night at midnight, the LORD struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed.H2677H3915H3068H5221H1060H776H4714H1060H6547H3427H3678H1060H7628H1004H953H1060H92930Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died.H6547H6965H3915H5650H4714H1419H6818H4714H1004H4191

Israel’s Exodus from Egypt

31Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron during the night. "Get out!" he ordered. "Leave my people—and take the rest of the Israelites with you! Go and worship the LORD as you have requested.H7121H4872H175H3915H559H6965H3318H8432H5971H1121H3478H3212H5647H3068H169632Take your flocks and herds, as you said, and be gone. Go, but bless me as you leave."H3947H6629H1241H1696H3212H128833All the Egyptians urged the people of Israel to get out of the land as quickly as possible, for they thought, "We will all die!"H4714H2388H5971H7971H776H4116H559H419134The Israelites took their bread dough before yeast was added. They wrapped their kneading boards in their cloaks and carried them on their shoulders.H5971H5375H1217H2556H4863H6887H8071H792635And the people of Israel did as Moses had instructed; they asked the Egyptians for clothing and articles of silver and gold.H1121H3478H6213H1697H4872H7592H4714H3627H3701H3627H2091H807136The LORD caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth!H3068H5414H5971H2580H5869H4714H7592H5337H471437That night the people of Israel left Rameses and started for Succoth. There were about 600,000 men

, plus all the women and children.H1121H3478H5265H7486H5523H8337H3967H505H7273H1397H905H294538A rabble of non-Israelites went with them, along with great flocks and herds of livestock.H6154H7227H5927H6629H1241H3966H3515H473539For bread they baked flat cakes from the dough without yeast they had brought from Egypt. It was made without yeast because the people were driven out of Egypt in such a hurry that they had no time to prepare the bread or other food.H644H4682H5692H1217H3318H4714H2556H1644H4714H3201H4102H6213H672040The people of Israel had lived in Egypt

for 430 years.H4186H1121H3478H3427H4714H702H3967H8141H7970H814141In fact, it was on the last day of the 430th year that all the LORD's forces left the land.H7093H702H3967H8141H7970H8141H6106H3117H6635H3068H3318H776H471442On this night the LORD kept his promise to bring his people out of the land of Egypt. So this night belongs to him, and it must be commemorated every year by all the Israelites, from generation to generation.H3915H8107H3068H3318H776H4714H3915H3068H8107H1121H3478H1755

Instructions for the Passover

43Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, "These are the instructions for the festival of Passover. No outsiders are allowed to eat the Passover meal.H3068H559H4872H175H2708H6453H1121H5236H39844But any slave who has been purchased may eat it if he has been circumcised.H376H5650H4736H3701H4135H39845Temporary residents and hired servants may not eat it.H8453H7916H39846Each Passover lamb must be eaten in one house. Do not carry any of its meat outside, and do not break any of its bones.H259H1004H398H3318H1320H2351H1004H7665H610647The whole community of Israel must celebrate this Passover festival.H5712H3478H621348"If there are foreigners living among you who want to celebrate the LORD's Passover, let all their males be circumcised. Only then may they celebrate the Passover with you like any native-born Israelite. But no uncircumcised male may ever eat the Passover meal.H1616H1481H6213H6453H3068H2145H4135H7126H6213H249H776H6189H39849This instruction applies to everyone, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner living among you."H259H8451H249H1616H1481H843250So all the people of Israel followed all the LORD's commands to Moses and Aaron.H6213H1121H3478H3068H6680H4872H175H621351On that very day the LORD brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt like an army.H6106H3117H3068H3318H1121H3478H776H4714H6635