The Plague on the Firstborn

11 Now the Lord had said to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go^(A) from here, and when he does, he will drive you out completely.^{(B) 2} Tell the people that men and women alike are to ask their neighbors for articles of silver and gold.”^{(C) 3} (The Lord made the Egyptians favorably disposed^(D) toward the people, and Moses himself was highly regarded^(E) in Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and by the people.)

⁴ So Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: ‘About midnight^(F) I will go throughout Egypt.^{(G) 5} Every firstborn^(H) son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at her hand mill,^(I) and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. ⁶ There will be loud wailing^(J) throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. ⁷ But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal.’ Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction^(K) between Egypt and Israel. ⁸ All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, ‘Go,^(L) you and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will leave.”^(M) Then Moses, hot with anger, left Pharaoh.

⁹ The Lord had said to Moses, “Pharaoh will refuse to listen^(N) to you—so that my wonders^(O) may be multiplied in Egypt.” ¹⁰ Moses and Aaron performed all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,^(P) and he would not let the Israelites go out of his country.

The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread^(Q)

12 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, ² “This month is to be for you the first month,^(R) the first month of your year. ³ Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb^[a](S) for his family, one for each household.^{(T) 4} If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. ⁵ The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect,^(U) and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. ⁶ Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month,^(V) when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.^{(W) 7} Then they are to take some of the blood^(X) and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. ⁸ That same night^(Y) they are to eat the meat roasted^(Z) over the fire, along with bitter herbs,^(AA) and bread made without yeast.^{(AB) 9} Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs.^{(AC) 10} Do not leave any of it till morning;^(AD) if some is left till morning, you must burn it. 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;^(AE) it is the Lord’s Passover.^(AF)

¹² “On that same night I will pass through^(AG) Egypt and strike down^(AH) every firstborn^(AI) of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods^(AJ) of Egypt. I am the Lord.^{(AK) 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^(AL) you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.^(AM)

¹⁴ “This is a day you are to commemorate;^(AN) for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.^{(AO) 15} For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast.^(AP) 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^(AQ) from Israel. ¹⁶ On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work^(AR) 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,^(AS) because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt.^(AT) Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.^{(AU) 18} In the first month^(AV) 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^(AW) or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off^(AX) from the community of Israel. ²⁰ Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live,^(AY) you must eat unleavened bread.”^(AZ)

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^(BA) lamb. ²² Take a bunch of hyssop,^(BB) dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood^(BC) 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^(BD) down the Egyptians, he will see the blood^(BE) on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over^(BF) that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer^(BG) to enter your houses and strike you down.

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

²⁹ At midnight^(BO) the Lord^(BP) struck down all the firstborn^(BQ) 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^(BR) as well. ³⁰ Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing^(BS) 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^(BT) the Lord as you have requested. ³² Take your flocks and herds,^(BU) as you have said, and go. And also bless^(BV) me.”

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

³⁷ The Israelites journeyed from Rameses^(CE) to Sukkoth.^(CF) There were about six hundred thousand men^(CG) on foot, besides women and children. ³⁸ Many other people^(CH) 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^(CI) of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.

⁴⁰ Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt^[b] was 430 years.^{(CJ) 41} At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions^(CK) left Egypt.^{(CL) 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.^(CM)

Passover Restrictions

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

“No foreigner^(CO) may eat it. ⁴⁴ Any slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcised^(CP) him, ⁴⁵ but a temporary resident or a hired worker^(CQ) 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.^{(CR) 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.^(CS) No uncircumcised^(CT) male may eat it. ⁴⁹ The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner^(CU) residing among you.”

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

The Priesthood Restored

44 Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east,^(A) and it was shut. ² The Lord said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it.^(B) It is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered through it. ³ The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence^(C) of the Lord. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.^(D)”

⁴ Then the man brought me by way of the north gate^(E) to the front of the temple. I looked and saw the glory of the Lord filling the temple^(F) of the Lord, and I fell facedown.^(G)

⁵ The Lord said to me, “Son of man, look carefully, listen closely and give attention to everything I tell you concerning all the regulations and instructions regarding the temple of the Lord. Give attention to the entrance^(H) to the temple and all the exits of the sanctuary.^{(I) 6} Say to rebellious Israel,^(J) ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Enough of your detestable practices, people of Israel! ⁷ In addition to all your other detestable practices, you brought foreigners uncircumcised in heart^(K) and flesh into my sanctuary, desecrating my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and you broke my covenant.^{(L) 8} Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary.^{(M) 9} This is what the Sovereign Lord says: No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh is to enter my sanctuary, not even the foreigners who live among the Israelites.^(N)

¹⁰ “‘The Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray^(O) and who wandered from me after their idols must bear the consequences of their sin.^{(P) 11} They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings^(Q) and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them.^{(R) 12} But because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the people of Israel fall^(S) into sin, therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand^(T) that they must bear the consequences of their sin, declares the Sovereign Lord.^{(U) 13} They are not to come near to serve me as priests or come near any of my holy things or my most holy offerings; they must bear the shame^(V) of their detestable practices.^{(W) 14} And I will appoint them to guard the temple for all the work that is to be done in it.^(X)

¹⁵ “‘But the Levitical priests, who are descendants of Zadok^(Y) and who guarded my sanctuary when the Israelites went astray from me, are to come near to minister before me; they are to stand before me to offer sacrifices of fat^(Z) and blood, declares the Sovereign Lord.^{(AA) 16} They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table^(AB) to minister before me and serve me as guards.^(AC)

¹⁷ “‘When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen clothes;^(AD) they must not wear any woolen garment while ministering at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple. ¹⁸ They are to wear linen turbans^(AE) on their heads and linen undergarments^(AF) around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire.^{(AG) 19} When they go out into the outer court where the people are, they are to take off the clothes they have been ministering in and are to leave them in the sacred rooms, and put on other clothes, so that the people are not consecrated^(AH) through contact with their garments.^(AI)

²⁰ “‘They must not shave^(AJ) their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed.^{(AK) 21} No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court.^{(AL) 22} They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests.^{(AM) 23} They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common^(AN) and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.^(AO)

²⁴ “‘In any dispute, the priests are to serve as judges^(AP) and decide it according to my ordinances. They are to keep my laws and my decrees for all my appointed festivals,^(AQ) and they are to keep my Sabbaths holy.^(AR)

²⁵ “‘A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person; however, if the dead person was his father or mother, son or daughter, brother or unmarried sister, then he may defile himself.^{(AS) 26} After he is cleansed, he must wait seven days.^{(AT) 27} On the day he goes into the inner court of the sanctuary^(AU) to minister in the sanctuary, he is to offer a sin offering^[a](AV) for himself, declares the Sovereign Lord.

²⁸ “‘I am to be the only inheritance^(AW) the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession. ²⁹ They will eat^(AX) the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings; and everything in Israel devoted^[b] to the Lord^(AY) will belong to them.^{(AZ) 30} The best of all the firstfruits^(BA) and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal^(BB) so that a blessing^(BC) may rest on your household.^{(BD) 31} The priests must not eat anything, whether bird or animal, found dead^(BE) or torn by wild animals.^(BF)

Faith in Action

11 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for^(A) and assurance about what we do not see.^{(B) 2} This is what the ancients were commended for.^(C)

³ By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command,^(D) so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.

⁴ By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended^(E) as righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings.^(F) And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead.^(G)

⁵ By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be found, because God had taken him away.”^[a](H) For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him^(I) must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

⁷ By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen,^(J) in holy fear built an ark^(K) to save his family.^(L) By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.^(M)

⁸ By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance,^(N) obeyed and went,^(O) even though he did not know where he was going. ⁹ By faith he made his home in the promised land^(P) like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents,^(Q) as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.^{(R) 10} For he was looking forward to the city^(S) with foundations,^(T) whose architect and builder is God.^{(U) 11} And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age,^(V) was enabled to bear children^(W) because she^[b] considered him faithful^(X) who had made the promise. ¹² And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,^(Y) came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.^(Z)

¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;^(AA) they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,^(AB) admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.^{(AC) 14} People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return.^{(AD) 16} Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.^(AE) Therefore God is not ashamed^(AF) to be called their God,^(AG) for he has prepared a city^(AH) for them.

¹⁷ By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice.^(AI) He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, ¹⁸ even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.”^{[c](AJ) 19} Abraham reasoned that God could even raise the dead,^(AK) and so in a manner of speaking he did receive Isaac back from death.

²⁰ By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.^(AL)

²¹ By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons,^(AM) and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.

²² By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions concerning the burial of his bones.^(AN)

²³ By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born,^(AO) because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.^(AP)

²⁴ By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.^{(AQ) 25} He chose to be mistreated^(AR) along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. ²⁶ He regarded disgrace^(AS) for the sake of Christ^(AT) as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.^{(AU) 27} By faith he left Egypt,^(AV) not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer^(AW) of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.^(AX)

²⁹ By faith the people passed through the Red Sea as on dry land; but when the Egyptians tried to do so, they were drowned.^(AY)

³⁰ By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the army had marched around them for seven days.^(AZ)

³¹ By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.^[d](BA)

³² And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon,^(BB) Barak,^(BC) Samson^(BD) and Jephthah,^(BE) about David^(BF) and Samuel^(BG) and the prophets, ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms,^(BH) administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions,^{(BI) 34} quenched the fury of the flames,^(BJ) and escaped the edge of the sword;^(BK) whose weakness was turned to strength;^(BL) and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.^{(BM) 35} Women received back their dead, raised to life again.^(BN) There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. ³⁶ Some faced jeers and flogging,^(BO) and even chains and imprisonment.^{(BP) 37} They were put to death by stoning;^[e](BQ) they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword.^(BR) They went about in sheepskins and goatskins,^(BS) destitute, persecuted and mistreated— ³⁸ the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves^(BT) and in holes in the ground.

³⁹ These were all commended^(BU) for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised,^{(BV) 40} since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us^(BW) would they be made perfect.^(BX)

Psalm 50

A psalm of Asaph.

¹⁶ But to the wicked person, God says:

Psalm 101

Of David. A psalm.