Exodus 5-12

International Standard Version

Pharaoh Refuses to Let the People Go

5 After Moses and Aaron arrived, they told Pharaoh, “This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘Let my people go so they may make a pilgrimage for me in the desert.’”

² Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord that I should listen to^[a] him and let Israel go? I don’t know about^[b] the Lord, nor will I let Israel go!”

³ Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go a three-day journey into the desert to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God so he does not strike us with pestilence or sword.”^[c]

⁴ The king of Egypt replied to them, “Moses and Aaron, why are you keeping the people from their labor? Go back to your work!”^{[d] 5} Then Pharaoh said, “Look, the people in the land are now numerous, and you are stopping them from working.”^[e]

Pharaoh Increases the Israelis’ Work

⁶ That day Pharaoh ordered the taskmasters of the people and their officials, ⁷ “You’re no longer to give the people straw for making bricks, as in the past.^[f] They must gather straw for themselves. ⁸ But you’re to impose the previous quota^[g] of bricks that they’re making. You’re not to reduce it! It is because they’re lazy that they’re crying out, ‘Let’s go offer sacrifices to our God.’ ⁹ So increase the work load on the people,^[h] and let them do it so they don’t pay attention to deceptive speeches.”

¹⁰ Then the taskmasters of the people and their officials went out and told the people, “This is Pharaoh’s response: ‘I’ll no longer give you any^[i] straw. ¹¹ Go get straw for yourselves wherever you can find it, but your work quotas won’t be reduced at all.’”^{[j] 12} So the people scattered throughout the entire land of Egypt to collect stubble^[k] for straw.

¹³ The taskmasters pressured them by saying, “Finish your work—each day’s quota^[l]—just as when you were given straw.”^[m]

¹⁴ The Israeli supervisors whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had appointed over them were beaten and told,^[n] “Why didn’t you, both yesterday and today, fulfill^[o] your quota^[p] for making bricks as before?”

The Israelis’ Appeal Rejected by Pharaoh

¹⁵ The Israeli supervisors came and cried out to Pharaoh, “Why are you doing this to us?^{[q] 16} No straw is being given to us, yet they’re saying to us, ‘Make bricks!’ Look, we are being beaten. It’s wrong how you are treating your people!”

¹⁷ Then Pharaoh^[r] said, “You are lazy, lazy! That’s why^[s] you’re saying, ‘Let’s go offer sacrifices to the Lord.’ ¹⁸ Now, go! Get to work! And straw won’t be given to you, but you are to deliver the same^[t] number of bricks!” ¹⁹ The Israeli supervisors realized they were in trouble when he said,^[u] “You won’t reduce each day’s quota of bricks!”^[v]

The Israelis Blame Moses and Moses Complains to God

²⁰ As they left Pharaoh’s presence,^[w] they met Moses and Aaron standing there.^{[x] 21} The supervisors^[y] told them, “May the Lord look on you and judge you!^[z] You have made us repulsive to^[aa] Pharaoh and his servants. You have put^[ab] a sword in their hands to kill us.”

²² So Moses returned to the Lord and asked him, “Lord, why have you caused trouble for this people? Why have you sent me here? ²³ Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has caused trouble for this people, and you have done nothing to deliver your people.”

God Promises to Deliver Israel

6 The Lord told Moses, “Now you’re about to see what I’ll do to Pharaoh. Indeed, he’ll send them out under compulsion^[ac] and he’ll drive them out of his land violently.”^[ad]

² Later, God told Moses, “I am the Lord. ³ I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob as God Almighty,^[ae] and did I not reveal to them my name ‘Lord’? ⁴ I also established my covenant with them to give them the land of Canaan, the land where they lived as resident aliens for a time. ⁵ Also, I’ve heard the groaning of the Israelis whom the Egyptians have forced to labor for them, and I’ve remembered my covenant. ⁶ Therefore, tell the Israelis, ‘I am the Lord. I’ll bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I’ll deliver you from their bondage. I’ll redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.^{[af] 7} I’ll take you for my own people,^[ag] and I’ll be your God. Then you will know that I am the Lord your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. ⁸ I’ll bring you to the land that I swore^[ah] to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I’ll give it to you as a possession. I am the Lord.’”

⁹ Then Moses reported this to the Israelis, but they did not listen to Moses due to their irritation and impatience because there was no deliverance^[ai] and because of the cruel bondage.

¹⁰ Then the Lord told Moses, ¹¹ “Go, speak to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, that he should let the Israelis go out of his land.”

¹² Then Moses said right in front of the Lord, “Look, the Israelis didn’t listen to me, so how will Pharaoh? I’m not a persuasive speaker.”^{[aj] 13} Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, issuing orders to them regarding the Israelis for delivery to Pharaoh, king of Egypt; that is, to bring the Israelis out of the land of Egypt.

Genealogies of Moses and Aaron

¹⁴ These are the heads of their ancestors’ households: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch and Pallu; Hezron and Carmi.

These are the families of Reuben, including ¹⁵ Simeon’s sons Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the Canaanite woman’s son. These are the families of Simeon.

¹⁶ These are the names of Levi’s sons according to their genealogies: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. Levi lived^[ak] 137 years. ¹⁷ Gershon’s sons were Libni and Shimei, according to their families. ¹⁸ Kohath’s descendants included Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel. Now Kohath lived for 133 years. ¹⁹ The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the descendants of Levi, according to their genealogies.

²⁰ Amram married Jochebed, his father’s sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. Amram lived for 137 years. ²¹ The sons of Izhar were Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. ²² The sons of Uzziel were Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri.

²³ Then Aaron married Elisheba daughter of Amminadab, sister of Nahshon. She bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. ²⁴ The sons of Korah were Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph. These were the families of the descendants of Korah. ²⁵ Aaron’s son Eleazar married one of Putiel’s daughters, and she bore him Phineas. These are the heads of the ancestors of the descendants of Levi, according to their families.

²⁶ This is the same Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, “Bring the Israelis out of the land of Egypt by their tribal divisions.” ²⁷ They were the ones speaking to Pharaoh, king of Egypt, to bring the Israelis out of Egypt; this is that same Moses and Aaron.

Moses Doubts that Pharaoh will Listen

²⁸ And it happened when the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt ²⁹ that the Lord told Moses, “I am the Lord. Tell Pharaoh, king of Egypt, everything that I’m saying to you.”

³⁰ Moses said in the presence of the Lord, “Look, I’m not a persuasive speaker,^[al] so how will Pharaoh listen to me?”

God Appoints Aaron to Assist Moses

7 The Lord told Moses, “Listen! I’ve positioned you as God^[am] to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. ² You are to speak everything that I’ve commanded you, and then your brother Aaron will speak to Pharaoh, telling him to let the Israelis go out of his land. ³ I’ll harden Pharaoh’s heart and I’ll add more and more of my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt. ⁴ When Pharaoh won’t listen to you, I’ll let loose my power^[an] upon Egypt. I’ll bring out my tribal divisions—my people the Israelis—from the land of Egypt with great acts of judgment.^{[ao] 5} The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand over Egypt to bring the Israelis out from among them.” ⁶ Moses and Aaron did what the Lord commanded them. ⁷ Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they spoke to Pharaoh.

Moses’ Staff Becomes a Snake

⁸ Then the Lord told Moses and Aaron, ⁹ “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miraculous sign,’ then you are to say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it in front of Pharaoh.’ It will become a serpent.”

¹⁰ So Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh and did what the Lord had commanded them. Aaron threw his staff in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a serpent. ¹¹ Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and sorcerers, and they—along with the Egyptian magicians—did the same thing with their secret arts. ¹² So each one threw down his staff and it became a serpent, but Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. ¹³ Yet Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn^[ap] and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said would happen.

Water is Turned into Blood

¹⁴ Then the Lord told Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is hard. He has refused to let the people go. ¹⁵ Go to Pharaoh in the morning as he’s going down to the water. Stand on the bank of the Nile River^[aq] and meet him. Be sure to take with you^[ar] the staff that was turned into a snake. ¹⁶ Then say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you. He says, “Let my people go so they may serve^[as] me in the desert, but until now you haven’t obeyed.”’^[at]

¹⁷ “‘This is what the Lord says: “This is how you’ll know that I am the Lord: Right now I’m going to strike the water of the Nile River^[au] with the staff that’s in my hand, and it will be turned to blood. ¹⁸ The fish in the Nile River^[av] will die and the river^[aw] will stink. The Egyptians will be unable^[ax] to drink water from the Nile River.^[ay]”’”

¹⁹ The Lord also told Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their Nile River^[az], over their ponds, and over their reservoirs,^[ba] and they’ll become blood. There will be blood throughout the land of Egypt, even in their^[bb] wood and stone containers.’”^[bc]

²⁰ Moses and Aaron did just what the Lord had commanded. Aaron^[bd] raised his staff and struck the water in the Nile River^[be] in front of^[bf] Pharaoh and his^[bg] officials,^[bh] and all the water in the Nile River^[bi] turned to blood. ²¹ The fish in the Nile River^[bj] died and the river^[bk] stank. The Egyptians were not able to drink water from the Nile River,^[bl] and blood was throughout the land of Egypt. ²² But the Egyptian magicians did the same thing^[bm] with their secret arts. Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn,^[bn] and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had said. ²³ Then Pharaoh turned away, went to his palace, and paid no attention to any of this. ²⁴ All the Egyptians dug around the Nile River^[bo] for water to drink because they could not drink from the water in the Nile River.^[bp]

The Plague of Frogs

²⁵ Seven days after^[bq] the Lord had struck the Nile River,^[br] 8 ^1 [bs]he told Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Let my people go so they may serve^[bt] me. ² And if you refuse to let them go, then I’m going to strike all your territory with frogs. ³ The Nile will swarm with frogs. They’ll come up and enter your house, your bedroom, your bed, and your servants’ houses. They’ll jump on your people, into your ovens, and into your kneading troughs. ⁴ The frogs will be all over you and your servants.”’”

^5 [bu]Then the Lord told Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the Nile River,^[bv] and over the ponds, and bring up frogs over the land of Egypt.’” ⁶ So Aaron stretched his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. ⁷ But the magicians did the same thing^[bw] with their secret arts, and they brought up frogs on the land of Egypt.

⁸ Then Pharaoh called to Moses and Aaron and said, “Plead with the Lord so that he may remove the frogs from me and my people. I’ll let the people go so they can offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

⁹ Moses told Pharaoh, “You decide^[bx] when I should plead for you, your servants, and your people to remove^[by] the frogs from you and your household. They’ll remain only in the Nile River.^[bz]”

¹⁰ Pharaoh^[ca] said, “Tomorrow.”

Moses^[cb] said, “It will be just as you say,^[cc] so that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. ¹¹ The frogs will leave you, your house, your officials,^[cd] and your people. They’ll remain only in the Nile River.^[ce]”

¹² Then Moses and Aaron left Pharaoh’s presence, and Moses cried out to the Lord about the frogs which he had sent^[cf] on Pharaoh. ¹³ The Lord did just as Moses asked,^[cg] and the frogs died in the houses, in the courtyards, and in the fields. ¹⁴ They gathered them up into large piles and the land smelled terrible. ¹⁵ But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

The Plague of Gnats

¹⁶ Then the Lord told Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff, strike the dust of the ground, and the dust^[ch] will become gnats throughout the land of Egypt.’” ¹⁷ They did this.^[ci] Aaron stretched his hand out with his staff, struck the dust of the land, and gnats came on people and animals—all the dust of the ground became gnats throughout the land of Egypt. ¹⁸ The magicians tried^[cj] to do the same thing^[ck] with their secret arts, but they were unable to bring out the gnats. The gnats were on the people and the animals.

¹⁹ The magicians told Pharaoh, “It is the finger of God!”^[cl] But Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn^[cm] and he did not listen to them, just as the Lord had predicted.

²⁰ The Lord told Moses, “Get up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he’s going down to the water. You are to say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: “Let my people go so they can serve^[cn] me. ²¹ But if you don’t let my people go, I’ll send swarms of insects upon you, your servants, your people, and your households. The houses of Egypt—and even the ground on which they stand—will be filled with swarms of insects. ²² On that day I’ll treat the land of Goshen where my people live^[co] differently so that swarms of insects won’t be there. As a result, you will know that I the Lord am in the midst of the land. ²³ I’ll make a distinction between my people and your people, and this sign will occur tomorrow.”’”

²⁴ The Lord did this, and dense swarms of insects came into the house of Pharaoh and into the houses of his servants. The land was ruined throughout^[cp] Egypt because of the swarms of insects. ²⁵ Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Go, offer sacrifices to your God in the land.”

²⁶ “It wouldn’t be right to sacrifice in this way,”^[cq] Moses replied, “because if we do,^[cr] we will sacrifice to the Lord our God what is offensive to the Egyptians.^[cs] If we offer sacrifices that are offensive to the Egyptians^[ct] in front of them, they’ll stone us, won’t they? ²⁷ We must go a three-day journey into the desert, and we’ll offer sacrifices to the Lord our God just as he has told us.”

²⁸ Then Pharaoh said, “I’ll let you go so you can offer sacrifices to the Lord your God in the desert. But you must not go very far away. Pray for me.”

²⁹ Moses said, “Right now I’m going to leave you, and I’ll pray to the Lord that the swarms of insects may depart from Pharaoh, from his officials, and from his people tomorrow. But Pharaoh, don’t continue lying by not letting the people go to offer sacrifices to the Lord.”

³⁰ Then Moses left Pharaoh’s presence and prayed to the Lord. ³¹ The Lord did what Moses asked,^[cu] and the swarms of insects departed from Pharaoh, his officials, and his people. Not one remained. ³² But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart, and he did not let the people go.

The Plague on the Egyptian Cattle

9 Then the Lord told Moses, “Go to Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord God of the Hebrews says: “Let my people go so they may serve^[cv] me. ² But if you refuse to let them go and continue to hold them, ³ then the hand of the Lord will come^[cw] with a very severe plague on your livestock in the fields, on horses, on donkeys, on camels, on cattle, and on sheep. ⁴ The Lord will distinguish between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of the Egyptians, so that nothing that belongs to the Israelis will die.”’”

⁵ The Lord set the time: “Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.” ⁶ The Lord did this thing the next day, and all the livestock of the Egyptians died. But not one of the livestock died that belonged to the Israelis. ⁷ Then Pharaoh inquired and discovered^[cx] that not a single one of the livestock of Israel had died, but Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn^[cy] and he would not let the people go.

The Plague of Boils

⁸ Then the Lord told Moses and Aaron, “Take handfuls of soot from a kiln, and let Moses throw it into the air^[cz] in front of Pharaoh. ⁹ The soot^[da] will become dust over the entire land of Egypt, and it will become boils erupting into sores on people and animals throughout the land of Egypt.”

¹⁰ So they took soot from the kiln and stood before Pharaoh. Then Moses threw it into the air,^[db] and it became boils producing running sores on people and animals. ¹¹ The magicians were not able to stand before Moses because of the boils, because the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. ¹² The Lord made Pharaoh’s heart stubborn^[dc] so that he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had told Moses.

The Plague of Hail

¹³ Then the Lord told Moses, “Get up early in the morning, present yourself to Pharaoh, and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord God of the Hebrews says: “Let my people go so they may serve^[dd] me. ¹⁴ Indeed, this time I’m sending all my plagues against you^[de], your officials,^[df] and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. ¹⁵ Indeed, by now I could have sent forth my hand and struck you and your people with a plague, and you would have been destroyed from the earth. ¹⁶ However, I’ve kept you standing^[dg] in order to show you my power and to declare my name in all the earth. ¹⁷ You are still acting arrogantly against my people by not letting them go. ¹⁸ Look! About this time tomorrow, I’ll send a severe hail storm, such as has not happened in Egypt from the day it was founded until now. ¹⁹ So send for your livestock and everything that belongs to you that’s out in the field, because^[dh] every person and animal found in the field that has not been brought inside to shelters will die when the hail comes down on them.”’”

²⁰ Whoever feared the message from the Lord among Pharaoh’s officials^[di] made his servants and livestock flee into shelters. ²¹ But whoever did not pay attention^[dj] to the message from the Lord left his servants and his livestock outside in the fields.

²² Then the Lord told Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, and there will be hail in all the land of Egypt, on people, animals, and all the vegetation of the field throughout the land of Egypt.” ²³ When Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, the Lord sent thunder and hail, and lightning struck the earth. The Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt.

²⁴ There was very heavy hail, and lightning was flashing continuously in the midst of the hail. There had not been anything like it in the land of Egypt since it had become a nation. ²⁵ The hail struck everything, including people and animals, outside in the fields throughout the land of Egypt. The hail struck all the vegetation of the fields and shattered all the trees in the orchards. ²⁶ Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelis were, was there no hail.

²⁷ Pharaoh sent word^[dk] and called for Moses and Aaron. “I’ve sinned this time,” he told them. “The Lord is righteous, but I and my people are wicked. ²⁸ Pray to the Lord! There has been enough of God’s thunder and hail! I’ll let you go, and you need not stay any longer.”

²⁹ Moses told him, “When I leave the city I’ll spread out my hands to the Lord. The thunder will cease and the hail won’t continue, so that you may know that the earth belongs to the Lord. ³⁰ But as for you and your officials,^[dl] I know that you don’t yet fear the Lord God.” ³¹ (Now the flax and the barley were ruined because the barley was in ear and the flax was in bud. ³² The wheat and the wild grain^[dm] were not ruined because they were late crops.)

³³ Then Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and spread out his hands to the Lord. The thunder and hail stopped, and the rain no longer poured out on the land. ³⁴ When Pharaoh saw that the rain, hail, and thunder had stopped, he continued to sin. He, along with his officials,^[dn] hardened his heart. ³⁵ Pharaoh’s heart was stubborn,^[do] and he did not let the Israelis go, just as the Lord had said through Moses.

The Plague of Locusts

10 Then the Lord told Moses, “Go to Pharaoh, for I’ve hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials^[dp] in order to perform^[dq] these signs of mine among them,^{[dr] 2} so you may tell^[ds] your children and your grandchildren how I toyed with the Egyptians and about my miraculous signs that I performed among them, so all of you^[dt] may know that I am the Lord.

³ Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what the Lord God of the Hebrews says: ‘How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, so they may serve^[du] me. ⁴ But if you refuse to let my people go, tomorrow I’m going to bring locusts into your territory. ⁵ They’ll cover the surface of the land so a person^[dv] cannot see the ground, and they’ll eat what is left for you of the residue from the hail. They’ll also eat all your trees that grow in the orchards. ⁶ Your houses will be filled, along with the houses of all your officials^[dw] and the houses of all the Egyptians—something that neither your fathers nor your ancestors ever saw from the time they were on earth until now.’” Then Moses^[dx] turned and left Pharaoh’s presence.

⁷ Then the officials^[dy] of Pharaoh told him, “How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go so they may serve the Lord their God! Don’t you realize yet that Egypt is about to be destroyed?”

⁸ Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh and he told them, “Go, serve^[dz] the Lord your God. But exactly who^[ea] will go?”

⁹ Moses said, “We will go with our young and with our old. We will go with our sons and our daughters, with our sheep and our cattle, because it’s a festival to the Lord for us.”

¹⁰ Then Pharaoh^[eb] told them, “The Lord will certainly^[ec] be with you if I let you and your little ones go. I know^[ed] some evil plan is in your mind.^{[ee] 11} No! Let the men go and serve^[ef] the Lord, for that is what you were seeking.” Then they were driven out from the presence of Pharaoh.

¹² The Lord told Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt to bring^[eg] the locusts, and they’ll come up over the land of Egypt and eat all the vegetation of the land, everything that the hail left.” ¹³ Moses stretched out his staff over the land of Egypt, and the Lord sent an east wind into the land all that day and throughout^[eh] the night. When morning came, the east wind brought the locusts.

¹⁴ The locusts came up over all the land of Egypt and settled on all the territory of Egypt in great swarms.^[ei] There had never been locusts like this before nor would there ever be again. ¹⁵ They covered the surface of the entire land so that it^[ej] was dark. They ate all the vegetation of the land and the fruit from the trees that the hail left. Nothing green was left on the trees or on the vegetation in all the land of Egypt.

¹⁶ Pharaoh quickly called Moses and Aaron and said, “I’ve sinned against the Lord your God and against you. ¹⁷ Now, please forgive my sin only this time, and pray to the Lord your God that he would at least remove this^[ek] from me.”

¹⁸ Moses left Pharaoh and prayed to the Lord. ¹⁹ Then the Lord brought^[el] a very strong west wind that took the locusts and drove them into the Reed^[em] Sea. Not one locust remained in all the territory of Egypt. ²⁰ But the Lord made Pharaoh’s heart stubborn^[en] and he would not let the Israelis go.

The Plague of Darkness

²¹ Then the Lord told Moses, “Stretch your hand toward the sky and there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that one can feel.” ²² So Moses stretched his hand toward the sky, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt for three days. ²³ No one could see anyone else, nor could anyone get up from his place for three days. But there was light for all the Israelis in their dwellings.

²⁴ Pharaoh called Moses and said, “Go serve^[eo] the Lord, but your flocks and your cattle are to remain. Even your little ones can go with you!”

²⁵ Moses said, “You must let us have^[ep] sacrifices and burnt offerings to offer to the Lord our God. ²⁶ And even our livestock must go with us. Not a hoof will be left behind because we will use^[eq] some of them to serve the Lord our God, and until we get there we won’t know what we need to serve^[er] the Lord.”

²⁷ The Lord made Pharaoh’s heart stubborn,^[es] and he did not want to let them go. ²⁸ Then Pharaoh told him, “Get away from me! Watch out that you never see my face again, because on the day you see my face, you will die!”

²⁹ Moses said, “Just as you have said, I won’t see your face again!”

Warning of the Death of the Firstborn

11 Then the Lord told Moses, “I’ll bring one more plague on Pharaoh and Egypt. After that he’ll let you leave from here, and when he lets you go, he will certainly drive you out from here. ² Tell^[et] the people that each man is to ask his neighbor and each woman her neighbor for articles of silver and gold.”

³ The Lord made the Egyptians look on the people with favor. Also the man Moses was highly regarded^[eu] in the land of Egypt, both in the opinion^[ev] of Pharaoh’s officials^[ew] and in the opinion^[ex] of the people.

⁴ So Moses announced to Pharaoh,^[ey] “This is what the Lord says: ‘About midnight I’m going throughout Egypt, ⁵ and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the slave girl who operates^[ez] the hand mill, along with the firstborn of the animals. ⁶ There will be a great cry throughout the land of Egypt, like there has never been and never will be again. ⁷ But among the Israelis, from people to animals, not even a dog will bark,^[fa] so you may know that the Lord is distinguishing between the Egyptians and the Israelis.’ ⁸ All these officials^[fb] of yours will come down to me, prostrate themselves to me, and say, ‘Get out, you and all the people following^[fc] you!’ After that I’ll go out.” Then Moses^[fd] angrily left Pharaoh.

⁹ The Lord told Moses, “Pharaoh won’t listen to you. As a result, my wonders will increase throughout the land of Egypt.” ¹⁰ Moses and Aaron did all these wonders in front of Pharaoh, but the Lord made Pharaoh’s heart stubborn,^[fe] and he would not let the Israelis go out from his land.

The Passover is Instituted

12 The Lord told Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, ² “This month will mark the beginning of months for you. It will be the first month of the year for you. ³ Tell the entire congregation of Israel, ‘On the tenth of this month they’re each to take a lamb for themselves, according to their ancestors’ households, one lamb for each household. ⁴ If a household is too small for a lamb, then it and its closest neighbor are to obtain one based on the number of individuals—dividing^[ff] the lamb based on what each person can eat. ⁵ Your lamb is to be a year old male without blemish. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. ⁶ It is to remain under your care until the fourteenth day of this month, and then the entire assembly of the congregation of Israel is to slaughter it at twilight. ⁷ They’re to take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat the lamb.^{[fg] 8} That very night they’re to eat the meat, roasted over the fire, with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. ⁹ Don’t eat any of it raw or boiled in water. Instead, roast it over the fire, with its head, legs, and internal organs. ¹⁰ Don’t leave any of it until morning, and whatever does remain of it until morning you are to burn in the fire.

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. You are to eat it hurriedly—it’s the Lord’s Passover. ¹² I’ll pass through the land of Egypt that night and strike every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both people and animals. I’ll execute judgments on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. ¹³ The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are. I’ll see the blood and pass over you. There will be no plague to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

¹⁴ “‘This day is to be a memorial for you, and you are to celebrate it as a festival to the Lord. You are to celebrate it as a perpetual ordinance from generation to generation. ¹⁵ You are to eat unleavened bread for seven days. On the first day be sure to remove all the leaven from your houses, because any person who eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh will be cut off from Israel. ¹⁶ Also, on the first day you’re to hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day you’re to hold a holy assembly. No work is to be done during those days, except for preparing what is to be eaten by each person.

¹⁷ “‘You are to observe the Festival of Unleavened Bread, since on this very day I brought your tribal divisions from the land of Egypt. You are to observe this day from generation to generation as a perpetual ordinance. ¹⁸ In the first month, from the evening of the fourteenth day of the month until the evening of the twenty-first day of the month, you are to eat unleavened bread. ¹⁹ For seven days leaven is not to be found in your houses. Indeed, any person who eats anything leavened, is to be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether an alien or a native of the land. ²⁰ You are not to eat what is leavened. You are to eat unleavened bread in all your settlements.’”

²¹ Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and told them, “Choose sheep for your families, and slaughter the Passover lamb. ²² Take a bundle of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and apply some of the blood in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts. None of you is to go out of the doorway of his house until morning, ²³ because the Lord will pass through to strike down the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the doorway, and won’t allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you down. ²⁴ You are to observe this event as a perpetual ordinance for you and your children forever. ²⁵ When you enter the land that the Lord will give you, just as he promised, you are to observe this ritual. ²⁶ And when your children say to you, ‘What does this ritual mean?’^{[fh] 27} you are to say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelis in Egypt when he struck down the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” Then the people bowed down and worshipped. ²⁸ The Israelis did this. Moses and Aaron did just what the Lord had commanded.

The Death of the Firstborn in Egypt

²⁹ And so at midnight the Lord struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the prisoner who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock. ³⁰ Pharaoh got up during the night, he, all his officials,^[fi] and all the Egyptians, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, because there was not a house without someone dead in it. ³¹ Then he summoned Moses and Aaron during the night and told them: “Get up, go out from among my people, both you and the Israelis! Go, serve^[fj] the Lord as you have said. ³² Take both your sheep and your cattle, just as you demanded^[fk] and go! And bless me too!”

³³ The Egyptian officials^[fl] urged the people to send them out of the land quickly, because they were saying, “We’ll all be dead!” ³⁴ So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls wrapped up in their cloaks on their shoulders. ³⁵ Meanwhile, the Israelis had done as Moses said;^[fm] they had asked the Egyptians for objects of silver and objects of gold, and for clothes. ³⁶ The Lord had given the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that they gave them what they requested. As a result, they plundered the Egyptians.

The Exodus Begins

³⁷ About 600,000 Israeli men traveled from Rameses to Succoth on foot, not counting children. ³⁸ A mixed multitude also went up with them, along with a very large number of livestock, including sheep and cattle. ³⁹ They baked the dough that they brought out of Egypt into thin cakes of unleavened bread. It had not been leavened because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.

⁴⁰ Now the time that the Israelis lived in Egypt was 430 years. ⁴¹ At the end of 430 years, to the very day, all the tribal divisions of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. ⁴² That was for the Lord a night of vigil^[fn] to bring them out of the land of Egypt. This same night belongs to the Lord, and is to be a vigil for all the Israelis from generation to generation.

Instructions for the Passover

⁴³ The Lord told Moses and Aaron, “These are the regulations for the Passover: No foreigner is to eat it, ⁴⁴ though any slave^[fo] purchased with money may eat it after you have circumcised him. ⁴⁵ But no temporary resident or a hired servant is to eat it. ⁴⁶ It is to be eaten in one house, and you are not to take any of the meat outside the house, nor are you to break any of its bones. ⁴⁷ The whole congregation of Israel is to observe it. ⁴⁸ If an alien who resides with you wants to observe the Passover to the Lord, every male in his household^[fp] must be circumcised, and then he may come near to observe it. He is to be like a native of the land, but no uncircumcised person is to eat it. ⁴⁹ A single law exists for the native and the alien who resides among you.”

⁵⁰ All the Israelis did this. They did exactly as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron. ⁵¹ And on that very day, the Lord brought the Israelis out of the land of Egypt by their tribal divisions.