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

12 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, ² “This month is to be for you the first month,^(B) 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](C) for his family, one for each household.^(D)

⁵ The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect,^(A) and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. ⁶ Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month,^(B) when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.^{(C) 7} Then they are to take some of the blood^(D) and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. ⁸ That same night^(E) they are to eat the meat roasted^(F) over the fire, along with bitter herbs,^(G) and bread made without yeast.^(H)

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;^(A) it is the Lord’s Passover.^(B)

¹² “On that same night I will pass through^(C) Egypt and strike down^(D) every firstborn^(E) of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods^(F) of Egypt. I am the Lord.^{(G) 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^(H) you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.^(I)

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^(A) lamb. ²² Take a bunch of hyssop,^(B) dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood^(C) 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^(D) down the Egyptians, he will see the blood^(E) on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over^(F) that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer^(G) to enter your houses and strike you down.

²⁴ “Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance^(H) for you and your descendants.

²⁸ The Israelites did just what the Lord commanded^(A) Moses and Aaron.

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

³³ The Egyptians urged the people to hurry^(J) and leave^(K) the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!”^(L)