Exodus 7-12
The Voice
7 Eternal One (to Moses): Look! I have made it so that Pharaoh will deal with you as a god and your brother Aaron as your prophet. 2 I want you to tell Aaron everything that I command you. Then your brother Aaron will tell Pharaoh to release My people Israel from his land. 3 But I am going to harden Pharaoh’s stubborn heart so that I can perform sign after sign, wonder after wonder in the land of Egypt. 4 Still Pharaoh will ignore the message you give him. Then I will unleash the power of My hand against Egypt and liberate My vast armies—My people, the children of Israel—from Egypt with amazing acts of judgment. 5 When I stretch out My hand against Egypt and free the children of Israel from their oppressive grasp, the Egyptians will have no doubt that I am the Eternal.
6 Moses and Aaron did exactly what the Eternal commanded. 7 When they confronted Pharaoh, Moses was 80 years old, and Aaron was 83.
8 The Eternal then continued His instructions to Moses and Aaron.
Eternal One: 9 When Pharaoh says, “Do something wondrous to prove yourselves,” then, Moses, tell Aaron, “Take your staff and toss it at Pharaoh’s feet, and it will be transformed into a snake.”
10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did exactly what the Eternal told them to do. Aaron threw his staff down before Pharaoh and his servants, and it was transformed into a snake.
11 Pharaoh then sent for all the sages and sorcerers; and the most talented magicians in Egypt stepped up and performed the same act with their own incantations. 12 Each magician threw down his staff, and each staff turned into a snake. But Aaron’s staff devoured all of the other staffs. 13 And still Pharaoh’s heart was as hard as stone; he did not pay any attention to what Moses and Aaron said, just as the Eternal had predicted.
Eternal One (to Moses): 14 Pharaoh’s heart is as hard as stone. He refuses to release My people. 15 Go visit him again in the morning when he is walking out to the water. Wait for him along the bank of the Nile and carry the staff which turned into a snake. 16 Give Pharaoh My message: “The Eternal One, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you: ‘Release My people, so that they may serve Me in the desert. You have not paid any attention until now. 17 You will know that I am the Eternal by the next miracle I am going to perform. I will strike the water of the Nile with this staff that is in my hand, and the water will be turned into blood. 18 The fish in the Nile will die, and this river will be fouled with the rotting mess so that the Egyptians will no longer be able to drink from it.’” 19 Give this instruction to Aaron: “Take your staff in hand and raise it over all the waters of Egypt—over the rivers, canals, ponds, and lakes—so that the water will be turned into blood. Blood will appear throughout the land of Egypt, even in the water kept in wooden and stone vessels.”
20 Moses and Aaron did exactly as the Eternal had instructed. In full view of Pharaoh and all of his servants, Aaron raised his staff and struck the water in the Nile. When he did, all the water turned into blood. 21 The fish that lived in the Nile began to die, and the river took on a foul smell. The Egyptians were no longer able to drink from it. The water-turned-blood was everywhere in the land of Egypt. 22 But Pharaoh summoned the most talented magicians in Egypt who performed the same act with their own incantations. So Pharaoh’s heart remained as hard as stone, and he paid no attention to Moses and Aaron just as the Eternal had predicted. 23 Then Pharaoh turned and went back to his house without giving this wondrous miracle a second thought.
24 The Egyptians had to dig wells along the edge of the Nile in order to have water to drink, because they were no longer able to drink from the Nile. 25 Seven days and nights went by after the Eternal had struck the Nile and turned the water into blood.
8 Eternal One (to Moses): Go visit Pharaoh and give him My message: “The Eternal says to you, ‘Release My people, so that they may serve Me. 2 If you do not release them, I will send an infestation of frogs across your entire land. 3 The Nile will swarm with frogs. They will hop up from the river to assault your palace, make their way into your bedroom, and even crawl into your bed. The frogs will crowd into the houses of your servants and eventually of all your people. They will find their way into your ovens and kneading bowls. 4 Mark My words, these frogs will be all over you, your people, and all your servants.’”
5 Give this message to Aaron: “Take your staff in hand and raise it over the rivers, canals, and ponds, and call forth the frogs to invade Egypt.”
6 Aaron reached out with his staff over all the waters of Egypt, and countless frogs came forth and soon covered the land. They were everywhere. 7 The most talented magicians in Pharaoh’s Egypt were called to perform the same act with their incantations and they, too, called forth the frogs into Egypt.
Pharaoh’s magicians may be able to conjure up frogs, but they can’t make them leave.
8 Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron.
Pharaoh: Plead with the Eternal to remove the frogs from my land, from my house, and from the houses of my people. If He does this, I will release the people so that they can go sacrifice to the Eternal One.
Moses: 9 You may have the honor of naming the time when I plead for you, your servants, and your people and ask God to get rid of the frogs that are plaguing you and your houses. There will be no frogs left except in the Nile.
Pharaoh: 10 Tomorrow.
Moses: Then tomorrow it is—just as you have requested—so that you will know that there is no one like the Eternal our God. 11 The frogs will leave you, your houses, your servants, and all your people. After tomorrow, there will be no frogs anywhere except those in the Nile.
12 Moses and Aaron then left Pharaoh, and Moses pled with the Eternal about the frogs, which He had brought upon Pharaoh, that He would rid the land of them. 13 He did as Moses asked of Him, and all the frogs that had infested the houses, streets, and fields died. 14 The Egyptians gathered up all the dead frogs and made great piles of them, and the land took on a rotten stench. 15 But when Pharaoh saw that the infestation of frogs had ended, he was relieved; and he hardened his own heart and refused to listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Eternal had said.
Eternal One (to Moses): 16 Give this message to Aaron: “Raise your staff and strike the dust of the earth and the land of Egypt will be overrun with swarms of gnats.”
17 They did exactly as God had instructed. When Aaron reached out and struck the dust of the earth with his staff, swarms of gnats flew up from the dust and covered the people and animals. It seemed as if all the dust in the land of Egypt turned into gnats.
18 The most talented magicians in Pharaoh’s Egypt tried to perform this same act with their incantations, but none could do it. So the gnats continued to swarm all over the people and their animals.
Magicians (to Pharaoh): 19 This must be the finger of God.
If God can do this with a finger, what must His whole hand be able to accomplish?
But Pharaoh’s heart was as hard as stone, and he refused to pay any attention to Moses and Aaron, just as the Eternal One had said.
Eternal One (to Moses): 20 Get up early in the morning and get in Pharaoh’s way as he is walking out toward the water. Stand up to him, face-to-face, and give him My message: The Eternal says to you, “Release My people, so that they may serve Me. 21 If you do not release My people, I will release swarms of flies upon you, your servants, and your people, and into all of your houses. The houses of the Egyptians and the ground they walk on will be overrun with these swarms. 22 On the day this plague begins, I will separate Goshen—where My people live—from the rest of the land. It will be a safe place, unharmed by the hordes of insects that I release against Egypt. Then you will know that I am the Eternal; and I am here, right in the middle of this land. 23 I will make a distinction between My people and your people. This sign will happen tomorrow.”
24 The Eternal did just as He said. Thick swarms of insects darkened the skies and invaded Pharaoh’s palace and his servants’ houses. The land was wiped out by the swarm of insects that infested all the land of Egypt. 25 Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron.
Pharaoh: Go and sacrifice to your God. But you must stay here in the land.
Moses: 26 It would not be right to do what you ask, for our manner of offering sacrifices to the Eternal our God is deeply offensive to the Egyptians. If we offend them with these sacrifices, will they not stone us? 27 No. We must travel for three days into the desert and sacrifice to the Eternal our God, just as He has asked us to do.
Pharaoh: 28 I will allow you to go on a short journey into the desert and sacrifice to the Eternal your God. But you must not travel too far from here—certainly not three days away. And do not forget to offer prayers for me.
Moses: 29 I am leaving you now, and I am going to offer prayers to the Eternal that the swarms of insects will leave Pharaoh, his servants, and his people by tomorrow. But, Pharaoh, do not go back on your promise to allow the people to go and sacrifice to the Eternal.
30 Moses left Pharaoh and offered prayers to the Eternal. 31 He honored Moses’ prayers and removed the swarms of insects that had plagued Pharaoh, his servants, and the people of Egypt. Not a single insect remained. 32 But Pharaoh hardened his stubborn heart this time as well and refused to allow the people to go.
9 Eternal One (to Moses): Once again, go visit Pharaoh and give him My message: “The Eternal, God of the Hebrew people, says to you, ‘Release My people, so that they can serve Me. 2 If you refuse to release them and strengthen your grip on them, 3 then the hand of the Eternal will come down hard on you: a terrible disease will afflict all of your livestock in the fields—horses, donkeys, camels, cattle, and sheep. 4 But the Eternal will distinguish between Israel’s livestock and Egypt’s livestock, so that not a single animal that belongs to Israel’s people will die.’” 5 He has already determined the time when this plague will begin, saying: “Tomorrow He will strike the land.”
6 Then the Eternal did exactly as He said and sent this sign on the next day. All of the Egyptians’ livestock began to die, but not a single animal from Israel’s livestock perished. 7 Pharaoh sent investigators to check Israel’s livestock, and they found that not a single one of their animals had died or become sick. But Pharaoh’s heart was still as hard as stone, and he refused to release the people.
Eternal One (to Moses and Aaron): 8 Reach into the furnace and grab handfuls of ashes. Moses, throw these ashes up into the air—right in front of Pharaoh. 9 It will turn into a fine dust that will cover all the land of Egypt and cause painful abscesses to break out on people and animals throughout the land of Egypt.
10 So they removed ash from the furnace and stood directly in front of Pharaoh. Moses threw the ashes up in the air, and it caused abscesses to break out on people and their animals. 11 Even the most talented magicians in Pharaoh’s Egypt could not stand before Moses, because the abscesses broke out on their bodies as well as the rest of the Egyptians.
12 The Eternal made Pharaoh’s hard heart even harder, and Pharaoh was not moved by the miraculous deeds and the words of Moses and Aaron, just as the Eternal had told Moses.
Eternal One (to Moses): 13 Get up early tomorrow morning and stand before Pharaoh. Tell him, “The Eternal, the God of the Hebrews, has a message for you: ‘Release My people, so that they may serve Me. 14 This time, if you refuse, I’m going to send a series of plagues upon you yourself, your servants, and your people. Then you will see that there is no one else as great as I am in all the earth. 15 For by now I could have easily raised my hand and struck you and your people with a disease so lethal that you would be erased entirely from the earth. 16 But I have kept you in power for a reason, to show you My greater power and to see that My name and reputation spread through all the earth.[a] 17 But you still try to dominate My people and refuse to release them from the land. 18 This time tomorrow, I will unleash an enormous hailstorm upon you—a storm like no other that has ever occurred in Egypt since its beginning until now. 19 So gather all your livestock and anything left in your fields into a safe place. Protect it the best you can, for every man or animal left unprotected in the field when the hailstorm arrives will die.’”
20 Some of Pharaoh’s servants feared the Eternal’s message, so they gathered their servants and livestock into the safety of their houses. 21 But there were others who did not take seriously the Eternal’s word, and they left their servants and livestock unprotected in the field.
Eternal One (to Moses): 22 Raise your hand up toward the heavens, and hail will rain from the sky across the entire land of Egypt—upon people and animals and all the crops in the field throughout the land of Egypt.
23 So Moses raised his staff up toward the heavens, and the Eternal released loud thunder and hail from the sky, and fire streaked down upon the earth. He caused hail to rain down upon all of Egypt. 24 As the hail fell, lightning pierced the darkness and lit up the sky. The hailstorm was so intense that it was like no other that had ever occurred in Egypt since its beginning. 25 The hail pounded everything to the ground that remained in the fields, both people and their animals; it crushed every crop, it shattered every tree. 26 There was only one place the hail did not fall—Goshen—where the people of Israel lived.
27 Pharaoh then sent for Moses and Aaron.
Pharaoh: I admit that this time I’ve gone too far. I have sinned. The Eternal is in the right; I and my people have done wrong. 28 Go back to the Eternal and plead my case. We have had enough of your God’s thunder and hail. I will agree to release you—you and your people will not stay any longer.
Moses: 29 Watch closely. The moment I step outside the city gates, I will lift up my hands to the Eternal, and the thunder and hail will stop. Then you will know that the earth belongs to Him. 30 But I know very well that you and your servants do not yet fear the Eternal God.
31 (The flax and barley crops were both destroyed, because the barley heads were nearly ripe and buds had formed on the flax when the hail fell. 32 But the wheat and the spelt had not yet sprouted, so these crops were spared.)
33 Moses left Pharaoh and departed the city. He lifted up his hands to the Eternal and prayed. When he did, the thunder and hail and heavy rains stopped. 34 But as soon as Pharaoh saw that the weather had changed, and he and his servants were certain that the hail and thunder and heavy rains were no longer a threat, they became utterly defiant and Pharaoh hardened his stubborn heart once again. 35 Because his heart was as hard as stone, he refused to release the Israelites as he promised. This happened exactly as the Eternal One predicted through Moses.
10 Eternal One (to Moses): Go pay Pharaoh another visit. I have made his heart and his servants’ hearts as hard as stone, so that I can perform My wondrous signs among them and reveal My power. 2 I have done all these things so that you can tell your children and grandchildren stories of how I treated the cruel Egyptians with contempt and performed My signs among them. I have done all this so that you may believe I am the Eternal.
3 So once again Moses and Aaron went to see Pharaoh.
Moses and Aaron: The Eternal, the God of the Hebrews, has a message for you: “How long do you plan to resist Me and refuse to humble yourself before Me? Release My people, so that they can go and serve Me in the desert. 4 If you refuse to release My people, tomorrow I will fill your land with locusts, 5 and they will blanket the ground. There will be so many that you will not be able to see the ground! The locusts will devour every crop the hail did not destroy, and their horde will strip every tree that grows in your fields! 6 They will fill every corner of your houses, your servants’ houses, and all the Egyptians’ houses. This will be a spectacle that none of your ancestors have ever seen—never from the day that they were born until this present day.”
Starvation for the majority of Egyptians is becoming a real possibility. How far they have come from Joseph’s day when Egypt fed the world!
Moses then turned and left Pharaoh.
Servants (to Pharaoh): 7 How much longer will you let this man trap us? Why don’t you just release the people and let them go serve the Eternal their God? Look around you! Don’t you see that Egypt is in ruins?
8 Then Pharaoh had Moses and Aaron brought back to him.
Pharaoh: Some of your people may go and serve this God of yours, the Eternal! But not all. Who will be going with you?
Moses: 9 No. All of us must go—the young and the old. We will take our sons, daughters, flocks, and herds with us. We are all going into the desert to celebrate a great festival to the Eternal.
Pharaoh: 10 The Eternal had better be with you if you really think I am going to let you take your little ones with you! Look, I know you have some evil plan. I can see it in your face. 11 No! I will allow you to take only the men to go and serve the Eternal One, since that is what you have been asking for all along.
Then Pharaoh had Moses and Aaron thrown out.
Eternal One (to Moses): 12 Stretch your hand over the land of Egypt and call forth the locusts, so that they may invade Egypt and devour anything that grows from the earth and everything the hail did not destroy.
13 Then Moses raised his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Eternal directed the east wind to blow over the land all that day and night. When the morning dawned, the east wind brought with it a cloud of locusts. 14 They dropped from the sky and overran the land of Egypt from one end to the other. Countless numbers of them swarmed in the air and crawled over the ground. Never had there been nor would there ever be again such a swarm of locusts in Egypt. 15 The locusts blanketed the whole land until the ground was smothered in darkness. They devoured every plant growing in the fields and stripped every tree of its fruit, everything the hail had not destroyed. Not one green leaf was left on any tree, not one plant was left growing in the field anywhere in the land of Egypt.
16 Pharaoh immediately sent for Moses and Aaron.
Pharaoh: I have sinned against the Eternal your God and against you. 17 Now, please forgive me, just this once; and pray to the Eternal your God, and ask Him to take away this plague of death from me.
18 Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Eternal for him.
19 He caused the winds to shift, and a strong west wind blew and lifted the cloud of locusts up into the air and drove them out into the Red Sea.[b] Not a single locust was left in all the land of Egypt. 20 But He hardened Pharaoh’s stubborn heart, and he refused to release the Israelites.
Eternal One (to Moses): 21 Raise your hand up toward the heavens, and a great darkness will cover the land of Egypt, a heavy, oppressive darkness.
22 So Moses raised his hand up toward the heavens, and a deep darkness settled over all the land of Egypt for three days. 23 It was so dark that people could not even see each other, and no one dared to venture out from their houses for three whole days. But all the people of Israel had light where they lived. 24 Once more Pharaoh sent for Moses.
Pharaoh: You may go and serve the Eternal. Everyone can go—even your little ones—but leave your herds and flocks behind.
Moses: 25 You must also allow us to take our herds and flocks as sacrifices and burnt offerings, for we must offer them to the Eternal our God. 26 We need to take every single animal—not a hoof can be left behind—because we need some of them to sacrifice to Him. And until we get to where we are going, we will not know what animals we need to worship the Eternal.
27 But the Eternal hardened Pharaoh’s stubborn heart once again, and he was unwilling to release the Israelites.
Pharaoh (to Moses): 28 Get out of here, and never come back! If you ever try to see my face again, I will have you killed!
Moses: 29 What you say is true. I will never see your face again!
11 Eternal One (to Moses): I am going to strike Pharaoh and his Egypt one more time, and after this final plague, Pharaoh will release you from Egypt. When he finally releases you, he will be so glad to see you go that he will practically force you out of this land. 2 Go now and speak to all the people. Have every man and every woman ask their neighbors to give them items made of silver and gold.
3 Now the Eternal caused the Egyptian people to have a favorable attitude toward His people. And Moses was already highly regarded in the land of Egypt by Pharaoh’s servants and most Egyptians.
Moses (to Pharaoh): 4 This is the message of the Eternal: “About midnight I will move through Egypt, 5 and every firstborn son in every family in Egypt will die—from the firstborn of Pharaoh (who rules from his throne) to the firstborn of the slave girl (who grinds at the mill). The firstborn of all your cattle and livestock will die as well. 6 The air will be heavy with loud wailing throughout the land of Egypt, a deep and dismal mourning unlike any that has been or will ever be again in the land. 7 But among the people of Israel not even a dog’s bark will disturb the night. Then you will know that the Eternal makes a sharp distinction between Egypt and Israel.”
8 All those who are servants to you, Pharaoh, will come down to me and humbly bow before me and beg, “Please go! You and all those who follow you! Leave now!” That is when I will go.
Then Moses, who was boiling with anger, left Pharaoh’s presence.
Eternal One (to Moses): 9 Pharaoh will not pay attention to what you say. As a result, My wonders will increase in all the land of Egypt.
Pharaoh’s stubbornness never frustrates the divine plan. God turns it and uses it to demonstrate to all that He is the one True God.
10 Moses and Aaron performed all of these wonders in the presence of Pharaoh. But the Eternal hardened Pharaoh’s stubborn heart, and Pharaoh refused to release the Israelites from his land.
Perhaps the best way to look at the confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh is as a contest to see who truly is God. In Egypt Pharaoh is considered a god. He has certain powers and abilities, and the might of Egypt resides with him. When Moses and Aaron appear before him to demand the release of the Hebrew slaves, each refusal becomes an occasion for the True God to demonstrate His superiority over Pharaoh and all the other gods of Egypt. Each successive miracle attacks deeper into the heart of Pharaoh’s power and politics. Slowly but surely, Pharaoh’s power is subverted until God breaks Pharaoh’s grip on the people of Israel completely. With the final miracle everything begins to unravel: the death of the firstborn is personal for Pharaoh.
12 Eternal One (to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt): 1-2 Mark this month as the first month of all months for you—the first month of your year. 3 Declare this message to the entire community of Israel: “When the tenth day of this month arrives, every family is to select a lamb, one for each household. 4 If there aren’t enough people in the family to eat an entire lamb, then they should share a lamb with their nearest neighbor according to how many people are in the neighbor’s family. Divide the portions of the lamb so that each person has enough to eat. 5 Choose a one-year-old male that is intact and free of blemishes; you can take it from the sheep or the goats. 6 Keep this chosen lamb safe until the fourteenth day of the month, then the entire community of Israel will slaughter their lambs together at twilight. 7 They are to take some of its blood and smear it across the top and down the two sides of the doorframe of the houses where they plan to eat. 8 That night, have them roast the lamb over a fire and feast on it along with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat any meat raw or boil it in water; only eat the meat after the entire animal has been roasted over a fire with its head, legs, and intestines attached. 10 Eat whatever you can, but don’t leave any of it until morning; whatever is left over in the morning burn in the fire. 11 Here is how I want you to eat this meal: Be sure you are dressed and ready to go at a moment’s notice—with sandals on your feet and a walking stick in your hand. Eat quickly because this is My Passover.
12 I am going to pass through the land of Egypt during the night and put to death all their firstborn children and animals. I will also execute My judgments against all the gods of the Egyptians, for I am the Eternal One! 13 The blood on the doorframes of your houses will be a sign of where you are. When I pass by and see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague will not afflict you when I strike the land of Egypt with death.
14 This will be a day for you to always remember. I want you and all generations after you to commemorate this day with a festival to Me. Celebrate this feast as a perpetual ordinance, a permanent part of your life together. 15 You are to eat bread made without yeast for seven days. On the first day get rid of any yeast you find in your house. Anyone who eats bread made with yeast during the seven festival days must be cut off from the rest of Israel. 16 On the first day of the festival and again on the seventh, gather the community together for a time of sacred worship. No one may work on those two days except to prepare what every person needs to eat. 17 Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread because it commemorates the day that I led your forces out of Egypt. Honor and celebrate this day throughout all your generations as a perpetual ordinance, a permanent part of your life together. 18 From the evening of the fourteenth day of that first month to the evening of the twenty-first day of that month, eat bread made without yeast. 19-20 No yeast is to be found in any of your houses during the seven festival days. Whoever eats anything that has yeast in it must be cut off from the community of Israel. It doesn’t matter whether he is a foreigner or a native; the same standards apply. During the seven festival days, do not eat anything made with yeast; wherever you live and gather together, be sure you eat only unleavened bread.
21 Then Moses called all of Israel’s elders together and gave them instructions.
Moses: Go and pick out lambs for each of your families, and then slaughter your family’s Passover lamb. 22 Take a handful of hyssop branches, dip them down into the bowl of blood you drained from the sacrifice, and mark the top of the doorway and the two doorposts with blood from the bowl. After you do this, no one should go out that door until the next morning.
23 The Eternal will pass through the land during the night and bring death to the Egyptians. But when He sees the blood-markings across the tops of your doorways and down your two doorposts, He will pass over your houses and not allow His messenger of death to enter into your houses and strike you down. 24 You and all your descendants are obligated to keep these instructions for all time. 25 Even after you arrive in the land the Eternal has promised you—the land flowing with milk and honey—you must keep these instructions and perform this ritual. 26 When your children ask you, “What does this ritual mean to you?” 27 you will answer them, “It is the Passover sacrifice to the Eternal, for He passed over the houses of the Israelites when we were slaves in Egypt. And although He struck the Egyptians, He spared our lives and our houses.”
The name of this festival, “Passover,” comes from the fact that God “passes over” those houses where the Israelites gather and eat the sacrifice.
When Moses finished these instructions, the people bowed down and worshiped.
28 The Israelites went and did as they were instructed; they were obedient to what the Eternal had commanded Moses and Aaron.
29 Now this is what happened: at midnight, He struck down all the firstborn sons in Egypt—from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoners locked in the dungeon, and even the firstborn of all the livestock in the land. 30 Pharaoh woke up during the night. He wasn’t the only one. His servants, as well as all of the Egyptians in the land, had awoken. A great scream shattered the night in Egypt, for there was not a single Egyptian house where someone was not dead.
31 Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron before the night was over.
Pharaoh (to Moses and Aaron): Get up and get out. Leave my people right now—you and all the rest of the Israelites. Go and worship this god of yours, the Eternal One, just as you have said. 32 Take your flocks and your herds as well with you—just as you said—and go! But bless me on your way out!
Pharaoh hates to admit he has been beaten by Moses and his God. After losing his firstborn son—destined to be the next Pharaoh—he has little choice.
33 The Egyptians frantically urged the people of Israel to hurry and leave their land.
Egyptians (imploring): If you do not leave soon, we will all be dead.
34 So the Israelites hurried. They took their bread dough before any yeast had been added, packed up their kneading bowls, wrapped them in some of their clothing, and carried them on their shoulders.
35 The people of Israel also did what Moses had told them to do; they asked the Egyptians for items made of silver and gold, and they asked for extra clothing as well. 36 The Eternal caused the Egyptians to have a favorable attitude toward His people, so the Egyptians fulfilled these requests and gave the people what they asked for. This is how the Israelites stripped the Egyptians of their valued possessions.
For many years the Egyptians stripped the people of Israel of their lives, labor, and dignity. God’s justice demands that Israel be paid for all they lost.
37 The Israelites left and traveled from Rameses to Succoth. There were about 600,000 men, plus all the women and children. 38 Another crowd, made up of various and sundry peoples, accompanied them, as well as herds, flocks, and a great number of livestock. 39 They baked flat bread along the way from the dough without yeast which they carried with them from Egypt. The dough had no yeast because the people had been rushed out of Egypt, and they did not have enough time to gather food supplies for themselves.
40-41 The Israelites had lived in the land of Egypt for a total of 430 years. On the last day of their 430th year, all the forces belonging to the Eternal left the land of Egypt. 42 This was the night when the Eternal kept watch over His people and brought them safely out of the land of Egypt; now this night is to be kept by His people, to be celebrated by all of the people of Israel throughout all generations.
Eternal One (to Moses and Aaron): 43 This is the requirement for Passover: no foreigner or outsider should eat this meal. 44 But every slave bought with money may participate in this celebration if he has been initiated into the community by circumcision. 45 No temporary residents or paid servants may share in it. 46 The meal must be eaten in only one house. Don’t take any of the meat outside. Not one of the lamb’s bones shall be broken.[c] 47 The entire community of Israel must celebrate it. 48 If you have outsiders living among you and they want to celebrate the Passover to the Eternal with you, then all the men must agree to be circumcised. Only after circumcision may they join in and celebrate with you; then you must treat them as if they were native-born. But make sure no uncircumcised male eats any part of the sacred meal. 49 The same instruction applies to everyone equally—without distinction—the native as well as the outsider who is living among you.
50 Then all of the Israelites did exactly as the Eternal had instructed Moses and Aaron to do. 51 On that same day, He led the Israelites as they marched out of the land of Egypt like an army.
Footnotes
- 9:16 Romans 9:17
- 10:19 Literally, Sea of Reeds
- 12:46 John 19:36
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
