Exodus 12:29-13:16

New International Version

²⁹ At midnight^(A) the Lord^(B) struck down all the firstborn^(C) 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^(D) as well. ³⁰ Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing^(E) 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^(F) the Lord as you have requested. ³² Take your flocks and herds,^(G) as you have said, and go. And also bless^(H) me.”

³³ The Egyptians urged the people to hurry^(I) and leave^(J) the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!”^{(K) 34} So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs^(L) wrapped in clothing. ³⁵ The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold^(M) and for clothing.^{(N) 36} The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed^(O) toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered^(P) the Egyptians.

³⁷ The Israelites journeyed from Rameses^(Q) to Sukkoth.^(R) There were about six hundred thousand men^(S) on foot, besides women and children. ³⁸ Many other people^(T) 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^(U) 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.^{(V) 41} At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions^(W) left Egypt.^{(X) 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.^(Y)

Passover Restrictions

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

“No foreigner^(AA) may eat it. ⁴⁴ Any slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcised^(AB) him, ⁴⁵ but a temporary resident or a hired worker^(AC) may not eat it.

⁴⁶ “It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones.^{(AD) 47} The whole community of Israel must celebrate it.

⁴⁸ “A foreigner residing among you who wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land.^(AE) No uncircumcised^(AF) male may eat it. ⁴⁹ The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner^(AG) residing among you.”

⁵⁰ All the Israelites did just what the Lord had commanded^(AH) Moses and Aaron. ⁵¹ And on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt^(AI) by their divisions.^(AJ)

Consecration of the Firstborn

13 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Consecrate to me every firstborn male.^(AK) The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.”

³ Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt,^(AL) out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand.^(AM) Eat nothing containing yeast.^{(AN) 4} Today, in the month of Aviv,^(AO) you are leaving. ⁵ When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites,^(AP) Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites^(AQ)—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey^(AR)—you are to observe this ceremony^(AS) in this month: ⁶ For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival^(AT) to the Lord. ⁷ Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. ⁸ On that day tell your son,^(AU) ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ ⁹ This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand^(AV) and a reminder on your forehead^(AW) that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.^{(AX) 10} You must keep this ordinance^(AY) at the appointed time^(AZ) year after year.

¹¹ “After the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites^(BA) and gives it to you, as he promised on oath^(BB) to you and your ancestors,^{(BC) 12} you are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord.^{(BD) 13} Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey,^(BE) but if you do not redeem it, break its neck.^(BF) Redeem^(BG) every firstborn among your sons.^(BH)

¹⁴ “In days to come, when your son^(BI) asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.^{(BJ) 15} When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’^{(BK) 16} And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead^(BL) that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.”