Exodus 12
12
The First Passover Sacrifice
1The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in Egypt. 2He said, “From now on, this month will be your first month. Each of your years will begin with it. 3Speak to the whole community of Israel. Tell them that on the tenth day of this month each man must get a lamb from his flock. A lamb should be chosen for each family and home. 4Suppose there are not enough people in your family to eat a whole lamb. Then you must share some of it with your nearest neighbor. You must add up the total number of people there are. You must decide how much lamb is needed for each person. 5The animals you choose must be males that are a year old. They must not have any flaws. You may choose either sheep or goats. 6Take care of them until the 14th day of the month. Then the whole community of Israel must kill them when the sun goes down. 7Take some of the blood. Put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where you eat the lambs. 8That same night eat the meat cooked over a fire. Also eat bitter plants. And eat bread made without yeast. 9Do not eat the meat when it is raw. Don’t boil it in water. Instead, cook it over a fire. Cook the head, legs and inside parts. 10Do not leave any of it until morning. If some is left over until morning, burn it up. 11Eat the meat while your coat is tucked into your belt. Put your sandals on your feet. Take your walking stick in your hand. Eat the food quickly. It is the Lord’s Passover.
12“That same night I will pass through Egypt. I will strike down all those born first among the people and animals. And I will judge all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13The blood on your houses will be a sign for you. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. No deadly plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.
14“Always remember this day. You and your children after you must celebrate this day as a feast to honor the Lord. You must do this for all time to come. It is a law that will last forever. 15For seven days eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your homes. For the next seven days, anyone who eats anything with yeast in it must be separated from Israel. 16On the first and seventh days, come together for a sacred assembly. Do not work at all on these days. The only thing you are allowed to do is prepare food for everyone to eat.
17“Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. I brought you out of Egypt on this very day like an army on the march. It is a law that will last for all time to come. 18In the first month eat bread made without yeast. Eat it from the evening of the 14th day until the evening of the 21st day. 19For seven days do not let any yeast be found in your homes. Anyone who eats anything with yeast in it must be separated from the community of Israel. That applies to outsiders and Israelites alike. 20Do not eat anything made with yeast. No matter where you live, eat bread made without yeast.”
21Then Moses sent for all the elders of Israel. He said to them, “Go at once. Choose the animals for your families. Each family must kill a Passover lamb. 22Get a branch of a hyssop plant. Dip it into the blood in the bowl. Put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you can go out of the door of your house until morning. 23The Lord will go through the land to strike down the Egyptians. He’ll see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. He will pass over that house. He won’t let the destroying angel enter your homes to strike you down.
24“Obey all these directions. It’s a law for you and your children after you for all time to come. 25The Lord will give you the land, just as he promised. When you enter it, keep this holy day. 26Your children will ask you, ‘What does this holy day mean to you?’ 27Tell them, ‘It’s the Passover sacrifice to honor the Lord. He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. He spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’ ” Then the Israelites bowed down and worshiped. 28They did just what the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron.
29At midnight the Lord struck down every oldest son in Egypt. He killed the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne. He killed all the oldest sons of prisoners. He also killed all the male animals born first to their mothers among the livestock. 30Pharaoh and all his officials got up during the night. So did all the Egyptians. There was loud crying in Egypt because someone had died in every home.
The Exodus
31During the night, Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. He said to them, “Get out of here! You and the Israelites, leave my people! Go. Worship the Lord, just as you have asked. 32Go. Take your flocks and herds, just as you have said. And also give me your blessing.”
33The Egyptians begged the people of Israel to hurry up and leave the country. “If you don’t,” they said, “we’ll all die!” 34So the people took their dough before the yeast was added to it. They carried it on their shoulders in bowls for kneading bread. The bowls were wrapped in clothes. 35They did just as Moses had directed them. They asked the Egyptians for things made out of silver and gold. They also asked them for clothes. 36The Lord had caused the Egyptians to treat the Israelites in a kind way. So the Egyptians gave them what they asked for. The Israelites took many expensive things that belonged to the Egyptians.
37The Israelites traveled from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about 600,000 men old enough to go into battle. The women and children went with them. 38So did many other people. The Israelites also took large flocks and herds with them. 39The Israelites brought dough from Egypt. With it they baked loaves of bread without yeast. The dough didn’t have any yeast in it. That’s because the people had been driven out of Egypt before they had time to prepare their food.
40The Israelites lived in Egypt for 430 years. 41Then all the Lord’s people marched out of Egypt like an army. That happened at the end of the 430 years, to the exact day. 42The Lord kept watch that night to bring them out of Egypt. So on that same night every year all the Israelites must keep watch. They must do it to honor the Lord for all time to come.
Rules for the Passover
43The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Here are the rules for the Passover meal.
“No one from another country is allowed to eat it. 44Any slave you have bought is allowed to eat it after you have circumcised him. 45But a hired worker or someone who lives with you for a short time is not allowed to eat it.
46“It must be eaten inside the house. Do not take any of the meat outside. Do not break any of the bones. 47The whole community of Israel must celebrate the Passover.
48“Suppose an outsider living among you wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover. Then all the males in that home must be circumcised. After that, the person can take part, just like an Israelite. Only circumcised males may eat it. 49The same law applies to Israelites and to outsiders living among you.”
50All the people of Israel did just what the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51On that day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt like an army on the march.
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Exodus 12: NIrV
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Exodus 12
12
Instructions for the Passover
1The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2“This month is to be the beginning of months for you; it is the first month of your year.#Ex 13:4; 23:15; 34:18; Dt 16:1 3Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month they must each select an animal of the flock according to their fathers’ families, one animal per family. 4If the household is too small for a whole animal, that person and the neighbor nearest his house are to select one based on the combined number of people; you should apportion the animal according to what each will eat. 5You must have an unblemished#Lv 22:19–21; Mal 1:8,14 animal, a year-old male; you may take it from either the sheep or the goats. 6You are to keep it until the fourteenth day of this month; then the whole assembly of the community of Israel will slaughter the animals at twilight.#Lv 23:5; Nm 9:3; Dt 16:6 7They must take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses where they eat them. 8They are to eat the meat that night; they should eat it, roasted over the fire along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.#Ex 34:25; Nm 9:11; Dt 16:3; 1Co 5:8 9Do not eat any of it raw or cooked in boiling#12:9 Or or boiled at all in water, but only roasted#Dt 16:7; 2Ch 35:13 over fire — its head as well as its legs and inner organs. 10You must not leave any of it until morning;#Ex 23:18; 34:25 any part of it left until morning you must burn. 11Here is how you must eat it: You must be dressed for travel,#12:11 Lit must have your waist girded your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. You are to eat it in a hurry; it is the Lord’s Passover.#Ex 12:27; Dt 16:5
12“I will pass through#Ex 11:4–5; Am 5:17 the land of Egypt on that night and strike every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, both people and animals. I am the Lord; I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt.#Ex 6:2; Nm 33:4 13The blood on the houses where you are staying will be a distinguishing mark for you; when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No plague will be among you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
14“This day is to be a memorial for you, and you must celebrate it as a festival to the Lord. You are to celebrate it throughout your generations as a permanent statute.#Ex 12:17,43; 13:9–10; 2Kg 23:21 15You must eat unleavened bread for seven days. On the first day you must remove yeast#Ex 13:6–7; 23:15; 34:18; Lv 23:6; Dt 16:3,8 from your houses. Whoever eats what is leavened from the first day through the seventh day must be cut off#Gn 17:14; Nm 9:13 from Israel. 16You are to hold a sacred assembly#Lv 23:7–8; Nm 28:18,25 on the first day and another sacred assembly on the seventh day. No work may be done on those days except for preparing what people need to eat — you may do only that.
17“You are to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread because on this very day I brought your military divisions out of the land of Egypt.#Ex 12:41,51; 13:3 You must observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent statute. 18You are to eat unleavened bread in the first month,#Lv 23:5–8; Nm 28:16–25 from the evening of the fourteenth day of the month until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19Yeast must not be found in your houses for seven days. If anyone eats something leavened, that person, whether a resident alien or native of the land, must be cut off from the community of Israel. 20Do not eat anything leavened; eat unleavened bread in all your homes.”#12:20 Or settlements
21Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go, select an animal from the flock according to your families, and slaughter the Passover animal.#Ex 12:3; Mk 14:12–16 22Take a cluster of hyssop, dip it in the blood#Ex 12:7; Heb 11:28 that is in the basin, and brush the lintel and the two doorposts with some of the blood in the basin. None of you may go out the door of his house until morning. 23When the Lord passes through to strike Egypt and sees the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, he will pass over the door and not let the destroyer enter your houses to strike you.#Ezk 9:6; 1Co 10:10; Rv 7:3
24“Keep this command permanently as a statute for you and your descendants. 25When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, you are to observe this ceremony. 26When your children#Ex 10:2; 13:8,14; Dt 6:20; 32:7; Jos 4:6,21; Ps 78:3–6 ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27you are to reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice#Ex 4:31; 12:11 to the Lord, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt when he struck the Egyptians, and he spared our homes.’” So the people knelt low and worshiped. 28Then the Israelites went and did this; they did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.
The Exodus
29Now at midnight the Lord struck every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, and every firstborn of the livestock.#Ex 4:23; 11:4; Nm 8:17; 33:4; Ps 78:51; 135:8 30During the night Pharaoh got up, he along with all his officials and all the Egyptians, and there was a loud wailing#Ex 11:6; Am 5:17 throughout Egypt because there wasn’t a house without someone dead. 31He summoned Moses and Aaron during the night and said, “Get out immediately from among my people, both you and the Israelites, and go, worship the Lord as you have said. 32Take even your flocks and your herds as you asked and leave, and also bless me.”
33Now the Egyptians pressured the people in order to send them quickly out of the country, for they said, “We’re all going to die!” #Ex 11:8; Ps 105:38 34So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls wrapped up in their clothes on their shoulders.
35The Israelites acted on Moses’s word and asked the Egyptians for silver and gold items and for clothing.#Gn 15:14; Ex 3:21; Ps 105:37 36And the Lord gave the people such favor with the Egyptians that they gave them what they requested. In this way they plundered the Egyptians.
37The Israelites traveled from Rameses to Succoth,#Gn 47:11; Nm 33:3,5 about six hundred thousand#Ex 38:26; Nm 1:46; 11:21 able-bodied men on foot, besides their families. 38A mixed crowd also went up with them, along with a huge number of livestock, both flocks and herds. 39The people baked the dough they had brought out of Egypt into unleavened loaves, since it had no yeast; for when they were driven#Ex 6:1; 12:33 out of Egypt, they could not delay and had not prepared provisions for themselves.
40The time that the Israelites lived in Egypt#12:40 LXX, Sam add and in Canaan was 430 years.#Gn 15:13–16; Ac 7:6; Gl 3:17 41At the end of 430 years, on that same day, all the Lord’s military divisions went out from the land of Egypt. 42It was a night of vigil in honor of the Lord, because he would bring them out of the land of Egypt. This same night is in honor of the Lord, a night vigil for all the Israelites throughout their generations.#Ex 13:10; Dt 16:1,6
Passover Instruction
43The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner may eat it. 44But any slave a man has purchased may eat it, after you have circumcised him. 45A temporary resident or hired worker may not eat the Passover.#Gn 17:11–13; Lv 22:10; Nm 9:14 46It is to be eaten in one house. You may not take any of the meat outside the house, and you may not break any of its bones.#Nm 9:12; Ps 34:20; Jn 19:33,36 47The whole community of Israel must celebrate#12:47 Lit do it. 48If an alien resides among you and wants to observe the Lord’s Passover, every male in his household must be circumcised, and then he may participate;#12:48 Lit may come near to do it he will become like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat it. 49The same law will apply to both the native and the alien who resides among you.”#Nm 9:14; 15:15–16,19; Gl 3:28
50Then all the Israelites did this; they did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51On that same day the Lord brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt according to their military divisions.#Ex 6:26; 12:41
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