出埃及記 12
Chinese Contemporary Bible (Traditional)
逾越節
12 耶和華在埃及對摩西和亞倫說： 2 「從現在開始，你們要以這個月為一月，為一年之首。 3 你要向以色列全體會眾宣佈，本月的第十日，每家都要預備一隻羊羔，一家一隻。 4 倘若家人太少，吃不了一隻，可以跟最近的鄰居共享一隻，你們要按人數和各人的食量預備羊羔。 5 羊羔必須是毫無殘疾、一歲的公綿羊或公山羊。 6 全體會眾要把羊留到本月十四日，在黃昏時分宰殺， 7 然後取點血塗在房子的門框和門楣上，全家要在房子裡吃羊肉。 8 當晚，你們要用火把羊肉烤熟，與無酵餅和苦菜一起吃。 9 不可吃生羊肉，也不可煮著吃，要把整隻羊，連頭帶腿和內臟一併烤著吃。 10 不可把肉留到早晨，留到早晨的肉要燒掉。 11 你們吃的時候，要束腰、穿鞋、手中拿杖，要趕快吃，這是耶和華的逾越節。
12 「因為那一夜我要巡遍埃及，把境內所有長子和頭生的牲畜全都殺掉，也要嚴懲埃及所有的神明。我是耶和華。 13 塗在你們房屋上的血是一個記號，我見到這血就會越過你們。我擊打埃及的時候，那災禍不會落到你們身上。 14 你們要記住這一天，守為耶和華的節期，作為世世代代永遠的定例。
除酵節
15 「七天之內你們都要吃無酵餅。第一天，要清除家中所有的酵。任何人若在這七天當中吃有酵的餅，要將他從以色列人中剷除。 16 在節期的第一天和第七天，你們都要招聚百姓舉行聖會。這兩天所有人都不得工作，除了預備各人要吃的以外，不可做任何工。 17 你們要守這無酵節，因為我在這天把你們大隊人馬從埃及領了出來。你們要守這節期，作為世世代代永遠的定例。 18 從一月十四日晚上開始，直到二十一日晚上，你們都要吃無酵餅。 19 在這七天內，你們屋裡不能有酵。任何人若吃了有酵的東西，不論他是寄居者還是本地人，要將他從以色列會眾中剷除。 20 無論你們住在哪裡都要吃無酵餅，不能吃有酵的食物。」
21 於是，摩西召集以色列的眾長老，對他們說：「你們家家戶戶都要挑選羊羔，把這逾越節的羊羔宰了。 22 拿一把牛膝草蘸盆裡的血，把血塗在門框和門楣上。天亮前，你們不可踏出門外。 23 因為耶和華要巡行各地，擊殺埃及人，祂看見你們的門框和門楣上有血，就必越過你們的家門，不讓滅命者進你們家殺人。 24 這是你們世世代代都要遵守的定例。 25 你們進入耶和華應許給你們的地方以後，要守這逾越節。 26 你們的兒女問你們守這節期的意義時， 27 你們就說，『這是獻給耶和華逾越節的祭，因為我們從前在埃及時，祂擊殺埃及人，卻越過以色列人所住的房子，救了我們各家。』」百姓聽了摩西這番話，都低頭下拜。 28 耶和華怎麼吩咐摩西和亞倫，以色列人就照樣遵行。
29 到了半夜，耶和華把所有埃及人的長子都殺了，包括坐王位的法老的長子、牢中囚犯的長子和一切頭生的牲畜。 30 晚上，法老及其臣僕和所有埃及人都驚醒了，到處都是哭號聲，因為沒有一家不死人的。 31 法老連夜召見摩西和亞倫，對他們說：「你們和以色列人走吧，離開我的人民。就照你們的要求，去事奉耶和華吧！ 32 照你們的要求，把所有的牛羊都帶走吧！也要為我祝福。」 33 埃及人催促以色列人趕快離開埃及，因為他們說：「我們都要死了。」 34 於是，以色列百姓就把沒有酵的麵團放在揉麵盆裡，用衣服包起來扛在肩上， 35 又遵照摩西的吩咐向埃及人索取金器、銀器和衣服。 36 耶和華使埃及人恩待以色列人，他們要什麼，埃及人就給什麼。這樣，以色列人奪取了埃及人的財富。
37 以色列百姓從埃及的蘭塞啟行，前往疏割，婦女孩童不算在內，單是步行的男子就有六十萬， 38 同行的還有許多外族人和大群的牛羊。 39 他們用從埃及帶出來的麵團烤成無酵餅，麵團沒有酵，因為他們被催促離開埃及，沒有時間準備食物。 40 以色列人在埃及共住了四百三十年， 41 正好滿了四百三十年的那一天，耶和華帶領以色列大隊人馬離開了埃及。 42 那天晚上是耶和華把祂的子民帶出埃及之夜，因此以後世世代代的以色列人都要在那日守夜，以尊崇耶和華。
43 耶和華對摩西和亞倫說：「以下是逾越節的條例。
「所有外族人都不可吃逾越節的羊羔， 44 但那些買來的奴隸若接受了割禮，就可以吃。 45 寄居的外族人和雇用的工人不可吃。 46 你們吃的時候，應當在房子裡吃，不得把肉帶到外面去，也不可折斷羊羔的一根骨頭。 47 以色列全體會眾都要守這節期。 48 跟你們住在一起的外族人如果想為耶和華守逾越節，他全家的男子都必須接受割禮，這樣才可以像以色列人一樣守逾越節，但沒有接受割禮的人絕不可吃逾越節的羊羔。 49 本地人和在你們中間寄居的外族人都要遵守這規矩。」
50 耶和華怎樣吩咐摩西和亞倫，以色列百姓都遵命而行。 51 就在那一天，耶和華帶領以色列大隊人馬離開了埃及。
Exodus 12
New Catholic Bible
The Passover
Chapter 12
Preparations for the Passover.[a] 1 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it shall be your first month of the year.[b] 3 Speak to the whole community of Israel and say, ‘The tenth of this month each person shall obtain a lamb for each family, one for each household. 4 If the family is too small to eat the lamb, they should join with their neighbors, based on the number of people. Figure the lamb according to how much each person can eat. 5 Your lamb should be without blemish,[c] male, a year old. You can choose either a sheep or a goat. 6 Keep it until the fourteenth day of this month. Then the whole community of Israel shall slaughter it in the evening. 7 Take a bit of its blood, put it on the two doorposts and upon the lintel of every house in which it is to be eaten. 8 That night eat its meat roasted. Eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat it raw or boiled in water, but only roasted with the head, legs, and inner organs. 10 Do not let any of it be kept until the morning. Whatever is left over in the morning shall be burned in the fire. 11 This is how you shall eat it, with your loins girt and sandals on your feet and a staff in your hand. Eat it quickly. It is the Passover[d] of the Lord.
12 “ ‘On that night I will pass over the land of Egypt and strike the firstborn of the land of Egypt, both human and animal, to render justice against all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. 13 The blood on your houses shall be the sign that you are inside. I will see the blood and pass over. There shall be no plague for you when I strike the land of Egypt.
14 Preparations for the Unleavened Bread.[e]“ ‘This day shall be a memorial for you. You shall celebrate it as a feast of the Lord. From generation to generation, let there be an ordinance that you celebrate this feast. 15 For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall dispose of all leaven from your house. Whoever eats leavened goods from the first day til the seventh shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day you shall hold a sacred assembly and another on the seventh day. On those days you shall not work. You shall only prepare what is to be eaten by everyone.
17 “ ‘You shall observe the custom of unleavened bread, for on this same day I brought out your hosts from the land of Egypt. You shall observe this day from generation to generation as an eternal ordinance. 18 In the first month, the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first of the month, in the evening. 19 For seven days leavened bread shall not be found in your house, for whoever eats leavened bread shall be cut off from the community of Israel, whether it be a foreigner or a native of the land. 20 You shall not eat leavened bread; in all your houses you shall eat unleavened bread.’ ”
21 Celebration of the Passover. Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and told them, “Go and obtain a lamb for each family and slaughter it for the Passover.[f] 22 Take a bunch of hyssop[g] and dip it into the blood in the bowl and sprinkle the blood from the bowl on the lintel and the two doorposts. None of you shall go outside until the morning. 23 The Lord will pass over to strike the Egyptians. He will see the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts. The Lord will, therefore, pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter into your house to strike anyone there.[h]
24 “You shall observe this command as a fixed rite for yourselves and your children forever. 25 When you will have entered into the land that the Lord will give you, as he promised, you shall observe this rite. 26 When your children ask you, ‘What does this rite of yours mean,’ 27 you shall tell them, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Passover of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when he struck the Egyptians and spared our houses.’ ”
The people knelt down and worshiped. 28 Then the children of Israel went and did exactly what the Lord had ordered Moses and Aaron.
The Exodus from Egypt and the Journey to Sinai
Departure from Egypt
29 Tenth Plague: The Death of the Firstborn.[i] At midnight the Lord slew every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat upon the throne to the firstborn of the prisoners being held in dungeons, all the firstborn, both human and animal. 30 Pharaoh got up during the night along with his ministers and all the Egyptians, and a loud cry arose out of Egypt, for every house had someone who had died.
31 Permission to Depart.[j]Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron during the night and said, “Arise and leave my people, you and the children of Israel! Go and serve the Lord as you have said. 32 Take your herds and your flocks, as you have said, and leave. Bless me, too.”
33 The Egyptians urged on the people to drive them out of the land quickly, for they said, “We are all about to die.” 34 The people took their unleavened dough with them, placing their kneading bowls wrapped in their cloaks on their shoulders. 35 The children of Israel carried out Moses’ order and had the Egyptians give them objects of silver and gold and clothes. 36 The Lord had inclined the Egyptians favorably toward the people so that they gave them whatever they requested. So, they plundered the Egyptians.
37 Departure from Egypt. The children of Israel traveled from Rameses to Succoth. There were six hundred thousand men on foot, not counting children. 38 There was also a large crowd of people of mixed ancestry with them, together with large numbers of flocks and herds. 39 They baked the dough that they had carried with them from Egypt as cakes of unleavened bread for it had not been leavened. They had been hurried out of Egypt and had not had time to hesitate nor to prepare provisions for the journey.
40 The children of Israel had lived in Egypt for four hundred and thirty years. 41 At the end of four hundred and thirty years, exactly to the day, all the hosts of the Lord went up out of Egypt. 42 This was a night of vigil unto the Lord, for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. Hence, it must be a night of vigil in honor of the Lord for all the children of Israel, from one generation to the next.
43 Ordinances for the Passover.[k] The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the ordinances for the Passover:
“No foreigner may eat it. 44 As for each slave bought with money, you shall circumcise him so that he may eat it. 45 The foreigner and the hired laborer cannot eat it.
46 “It must be eaten in one house. One may not carry the meat outside of the house, and none of its bones is to be broken.[l] 47 All the community of Israel shall celebrate it.
48 “If a foreigner dwells among you and wishes to celebrate the Passover of the Lord, let each man in his household be circumcised. Then let him draw near to celebrate and he will be like a native of the land. But no one who is uncircumcised can eat it. 49 The same law will be binding on the native and the foreigner who is living in your midst.”
50 All the children of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 On that very day the Lord brought Israel out of the land of Egypt, organized according to their hosts.
Footnotes
- Exodus 12:1 Passover was already being celebrated in the period when the Hebrews were pastoral nomads and used to offer the firstfruits of the flock. The blood poured on the posts of the tent was to protect those living in it. Once this ancient spring festival was connected with the departure from Egypt, it would commemorate the deliverance effected by God.
The Passover was essentially sacrificial from the beginning. Added to this was the meal (v. 11) and the urgency in which it was to be held because of the circumstances it commemorated: there is no time for seasoning anything (v. 9); neither is any other food to be eaten with it except for the bread and desert herbs; and the people are to be in traveling dress—standing, wearing sandals, and holding a staff—indicating that they are on a journey to the true Promised Land.
Jesus chose to institute the Eucharist in the context of the Passover meal and to be crucified during Passover. He thus becomes the true Passover lamb, whose blood is shed for the salvation of all humankind. - Exodus 12:2 This is the month of Abib, of the ripe ears of corn (see Ex 13:4). It would later be called Nisan (March-April).
- Exodus 12:5 The words without blemish are translated as absgue macula (spotless) in the Vulgate; hence the widely used expression “spotless Lamb” for Jesus, the Passover lamb prefigured by the Jewish practice.
- Exodus 12:11 Passover: Hebrew, pesah, “passage”; that is, the Lord passed by, leaving untouched the houses marked with blood. The etymology of the Hebrew word is disputed.
- Exodus 12:14 The Feast of Unleavened Bread was an agricultural feast at which the new harvest was dedicated to the divinity. When the Hebrews settled in Canaan, they adopted this feast and amalgamated it with Passover. The biblical tradition connects it with the Exodus of the Hebrew people; therefore, it finds a place in this book, where it has become a pure commemoration.
- Exodus 12:21 The reference is to the Passover lamb (Mt 26:17; 1 Cor 5:7)
- Exodus 12:22 Hyssop: was an aromatic plant used in purification rites.
- Exodus 12:23 The destroying angel, charged with inflicting punishment; see 1 Cor 10:10; Heb 11:28.
- Exodus 12:29 This time Egypt cannot remain indifferent to the misfortune that has come upon it.
- Exodus 12:31 This is the memorable night during which the Lord kept watch in order to deliver his people from slavery. With a view to magnifying the divine intervention, Israelite piety obviously exaggerated the numbers involved; historical fact has been transformed into liturgical story. For Christians, the Easter vigil will sing of the deliverance brought by Christ.
- Exodus 12:43 The traditional ritual (vv. 1-14) is supplemented by further arrangements that suppose the Hebrews to be already settled in Canaan.
- Exodus 12:46 This detail of the rite is fulfilled in Jesus: Jn 19:36.
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