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.

12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: 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 the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite 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.

15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even 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.

16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.

17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

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.

19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.

20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.

21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover.

22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the 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.

24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.

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.

26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?

27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover, who 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.

28 And the children of Israel went away, and did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

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.

31 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said.

32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.

33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men.

34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.

35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment:

36 And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.

38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.

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.

40 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.

41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.

42 It is a night to be much observed unto the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the Lord to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.

43 And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:

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11 This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste;(A) it is the Lord’s Passover.(B)

12 “On that same night I will pass through(C) Egypt and strike down(D) every firstborn(E) of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods(F) of Egypt. I am the Lord.(G) 13 The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over(H) you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.(I)

14 “This is a day you are to commemorate;(J) for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.(K) 15 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast.(L) On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off(M) from Israel. 16 On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work(N) at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do.

17 “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread,(O) because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt.(P) Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.(Q) 18 In the first month(R) you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19 For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner(S) or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off(T) from the community of Israel. 20 Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live,(U) you must eat unleavened bread.”(V)

21 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover(W) lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop,(X) dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood(Y) on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. 23 When the Lord goes through the land to strike(Z) down the Egyptians, he will see the blood(AA) on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over(AB) that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer(AC) to enter your houses and strike you down.

24 “Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance(AD) for you and your descendants. 25 When you enter the land(AE) that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 And when your children(AF) ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover(AG) sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’”(AH) Then the people bowed down and worshiped.(AI) 28 The Israelites did just what the Lord commanded(AJ) Moses and Aaron.

29 At midnight(AK) the Lord(AL) struck down all the firstborn(AM) in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock(AN) as well. 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing(AO) in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.

The Exodus

31 During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship(AP) the Lord as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds,(AQ) as you have said, and go. And also bless(AR) me.”

33 The Egyptians urged the people to hurry(AS) and leave(AT) the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!”(AU) 34 So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs(AV) wrapped in clothing. 35 The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold(AW) and for clothing.(AX) 36 The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed(AY) toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered(AZ) the Egyptians.

37 The Israelites journeyed from Rameses(BA) to Sukkoth.(BB) There were about six hundred thousand men(BC) on foot, besides women and children. 38 Many other people(BD) went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. 39 With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out(BE) of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.

40 Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt[a] was 430 years.(BF) 41 At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions(BG) left Egypt.(BH) 42 Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.(BI)

Passover Restrictions

43 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the regulations for the Passover meal:(BJ)

“No foreigner(BK) may eat it.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 12:40 Masoretic Text; Samaritan Pentateuch and Septuagint Egypt and Canaan