Institution of the Passover

43 And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner shall eat of it, 44 but every slave[a] that is (A)bought for money may eat of it after you have circumcised him. 45 (B)No foreigner or hired worker may eat of it. 46 It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and (C)you shall not break any of its bones. 47 (D)All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. 48 (E)If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he (F)shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. 49 There shall be (G)one law for the native and for the (H)stranger who sojourns among you.”

50 All the people of Israel did just as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 And on that very day the (I)Lord brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their (J)hosts.

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Exodus 12:44 Or servant; the Hebrew term ‘ebed designates a range of social and economic roles (see Preface)

Passover Restrictions

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

“No foreigner(B) may eat it. 44 Any slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcised(C) him, 45 but a temporary resident or a hired worker(D) 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.(E) 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.(F) No uncircumcised(G) male may eat it. 49 The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner(H) residing among you.”

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

Read full chapter

The Feast of Unleavened Bread

Then Moses said to the people, (A)“Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, (B)for by a strong hand the Lord brought you out from this place. (C)No leavened bread shall be eaten. Today, in the month of (D)Abib, you are going out. And when the Lord brings you into (E)the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which (F)he swore to your fathers to give you, a land (G)flowing with milk and honey, (H)you shall keep this service in this month. (I)Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord. Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, and no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory. (J)You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ And it shall (K)be to you as a sign on your hand and as (L)a memorial (M)between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth. For with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. 10 (N)You shall therefore keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.

Read full chapter

Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt,(A) out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand.(B) Eat nothing containing yeast.(C) Today, in the month of Aviv,(D) you are leaving. When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites,(E) Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites(F)—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey(G)—you are to observe this ceremony(H) in this month: For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival(I) to the Lord. 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. On that day tell your son,(J) ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand(K) and a reminder on your forehead(L) that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.(M) 10 You must keep this ordinance(N) at the appointed time(O) year after year.

Read full chapter