Exodus 12:31-13:16

Holman Christian Standard Bible

³¹ He summoned Moses and Aaron during the night and said, “Get up, leave my people, both you and the Israelites, and go, worship Yahweh as you have asked. ³² Take even your flocks and your herds as you asked and leave, and also bless me.”

³³ Now the Egyptians pressured the people in order to send them quickly out of the country, for they said, “We’re all going to die!”^{(A) 34} So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading bowls wrapped up in their clothes on their shoulders.

³⁵ The Israelites acted on Moses’ word and asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing.^{(B) 36} And the Lord gave the people such favor in the Egyptians’ sight that they gave them what they requested. In this way they plundered the Egyptians.

³⁷ The Israelites traveled from Rameses to Succoth,^(C) about 600,000^(D) soldiers on foot, besides their families. ³⁸ An ethnically diverse crowd also went up with them, along with a huge number of livestock, both flocks and herds. ³⁹ The people baked the dough they had brought out of Egypt into unleavened loaves, since it had no yeast; for when they had been driven^(E) out of Egypt they could not delay and had not prepared any provisions for themselves.

⁴⁰ The time that the Israelites lived in Egypt^[a] was 430 years.^{(F) 41} At the end of 430 years, on that same day, all the Lord’s divisions went out from the land of Egypt. ⁴² It was a night of vigil in honor of the Lord, because He would bring them out of the land of Egypt. This same night is in honor of the Lord, a night vigil for all the Israelites throughout their generations.^(G)

Passover Instruction

⁴³ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner may eat it. ⁴⁴ But any slave a man has purchased may eat it, after you have circumcised him. ⁴⁵ A temporary resident or hired hand may not eat the Passover.^{(H) 46} It is to be eaten in one house. You may not take any of the meat outside the house, and you may not break any of its bones.^{(I) 47} The whole community of Israel must celebrate^[b] it. ⁴⁸ If a foreigner resides with you and wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover, every male in his household must be circumcised, and then he may participate;^[c] he will become like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person may eat it. ⁴⁹ The same law will apply to both the native and the foreigner^(J) who resides among you.”

⁵⁰ Then all the Israelites did this; they did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. ⁵¹ On that same day the Lord brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt according to their divisions.^(K)

13 The Lord spoke to Moses: ² “Consecrate every firstborn male^(L) to Me, the firstborn from every womb among the Israelites, both man and domestic animal; it is Mine.”

³ Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day when you came out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, for the Lord brought you out of here by the strength of His hand. Nothing leavened may be eaten.^{(M) 4} Today, in the month of Abib,^[d](N) you are leaving. ⁵ When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites,^[e] which He swore to your fathers that He would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey,^(O) you must carry out this ritual in this month.^{(P) 6} For seven days you must eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there is to be a festival to the Lord. ⁷ Unleavened bread is to be eaten for those seven days. Nothing leavened may be found among you, and no yeast may be found among you in all your territory. ⁸ On that day explain to your son, ‘This is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’^{(Q) 9} Let it serve as a sign for you on your hand and as a reminder on your forehead,^[f](R) so that the Lord’s instruction may be in your mouth; for the Lord brought you out of Egypt with a strong hand. ¹⁰ Keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.

¹¹ “When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, ¹² you are to present to the Lord every firstborn male of the womb. All firstborn offspring of the livestock you own that are males will be the Lord’s. ¹³ You must redeem every firstborn of a donkey with a flock animal, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. However, you must redeem every firstborn among your sons.^(S)

¹⁴ “In the future, when your son^(T) asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘By the strength of His hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the place of slavery. ¹⁵ When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed every firstborn male in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of livestock. That is why I sacrifice to the Lord all the firstborn of the womb that are males, but I redeem all the firstborn of my sons.’ ¹⁶ So let it be a sign on your hand and a symbol^[g] on your forehead, for the Lord brought us out of Egypt by the strength of His hand.”^(U)