Exodus 12
The Message
12 1-10 God said to Moses and Aaron while still in Egypt, “This month is to be the first month of the year for you. Address the whole community of Israel; tell them that on the tenth of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family, one lamb to a house. If the family is too small for a lamb, then share it with a close neighbor, depending on the number of persons involved. Be mindful of how much each person will eat. Your lamb must be a healthy male, one year old; you can select it from either the sheep or the goats. Keep it penned until the fourteenth day of this month and then slaughter it—the entire community of Israel will do this—at dusk. Then take some of the blood and smear it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which you will eat it. You are to eat the meat, roasted in the fire, that night, along with bread, made without yeast, and bitter herbs. Don’t eat any of it raw or boiled in water; make sure it’s roasted—the whole animal, head, legs, and innards. Don’t leave any of it until morning; if there are leftovers, burn them in the fire.
11 “And here is how you are to eat it: Be fully dressed with your sandals on and your stick in your hand. Eat in a hurry; it’s the Passover to God.
12-13 “I will go through the land of Egypt on this night and strike down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, whether human or animal, and bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am God. The blood will serve as a sign on the houses where you live. When I see the blood I will pass over you—no disaster will touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.
14-16 “This will be a memorial day for you; you will celebrate it as a festival to God down through the generations, a fixed festival celebration to be observed always. You will eat unraised bread (matzoth) for seven days: On the first day get rid of all yeast from your houses—anyone who eats anything with yeast from the first day to the seventh day will be cut off from Israel. The first and the seventh days are set aside as holy; do no work on those days. Only what you have to do for meals; each person can do that.
17-20 “Keep the Festival of Unraised Bread! This marks the exact day I brought you out in force from the land of Egypt. Honor the day down through your generations, a fixed festival to be observed always. In the first month, beginning on the fourteenth day at evening until the twenty-first day at evening, you are to eat unraised bread. For those seven days not a trace of yeast is to be found in your houses. Anyone, whether a visitor or a native of the land, who eats anything raised shall be cut off from the community of Israel. Don’t eat anything raised. Only matzoth.”
21-23 Moses assembled all the elders of Israel. He said, “Select a lamb for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the bowl of blood and smear it on the lintel and on the two doorposts. No one is to leave the house until morning. God will pass through to strike Egypt down. When he sees the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, God will pass over the doorway; he won’t let the destroyer enter your house to strike you down with ruin.
24-27 “Keep this word. It’s the law for you and your children, forever. When you enter the land which God will give you as he promised, keep doing this. And when your children say to you, ‘Why are we doing this?’ tell them: ‘It’s the Passover-sacrifice to God who passed over the homes of the Israelites in Egypt when he hit Egypt with death but rescued us.’”
The people bowed and worshiped.
28 The Israelites then went and did what God had commanded Moses and Aaron. They did it all.
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29 At midnight God struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, right down to the firstborn of the prisoner locked up in jail. Also the firstborn of the animals.
30 Pharaoh got up that night, he and all his servants and everyone else in Egypt—what wild wailing and lament in Egypt! There wasn’t a house in which someone wasn’t dead.
31-32 Pharaoh called in Moses and Aaron that very night and said, “Get out of here and be done with you—you and your Israelites! Go worship God on your own terms. And yes, take your sheep and cattle as you’ve insisted, but go. And bless me.”
33 The Egyptians couldn’t wait to get rid of them; they pushed them to hurry up, saying, “We’re all as good as dead.”
34-36 The people grabbed their bread dough before it had risen, bundled their bread bowls in their cloaks and threw them over their shoulders. The Israelites had already done what Moses had told them; they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold things and clothing. God saw to it that the Egyptians liked the people and so readily gave them what they asked for. Oh yes! They picked those Egyptians clean.
37-39 The Israelites moved on from Rameses to Succoth, about 600,000 on foot, besides their dependents. Hebrews and non-Hebrews alike set out, not to mention the large flocks and herds of livestock. They baked unraised cakes with the bread dough they had brought out of Egypt; it hadn’t raised—they’d been rushed out of Egypt and hadn’t time to fix food for the journey.
The Passover
40-42 The Israelites had lived in Egypt 430 years. At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, God’s entire army left Egypt. God kept watch all night, watching over the Israelites as he brought them out of Egypt. Because God kept watch, all Israel for all generations will honor God by keeping watch this night—a watchnight.
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43-47 God said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the rules for the Passover:
No foreigners are to eat it.
Any slave, if he’s paid for and circumcised, can eat it.
No casual visitor or hired hand can eat it.
Eat it in one house—don’t take the meat outside the house.
Don’t break any of the bones.
The whole community of Israel is to be included in the meal.
48 “If an immigrant is staying with you and wants to keep the Passover to God, every male in his family must be circumcised, then he can participate in the Meal—he will then be treated as a native son. But no uncircumcised person can eat it.
49 “The same law applies both to the native and the immigrant who is staying with you.”
50-51 All the Israelites did exactly as God commanded Moses and Aaron. That very day God brought the Israelites out of the land of Egypt, tribe by tribe.
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Exodus 12
Modern English Version
The Passover Instituted(A)
12 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying: 2 This month shall be the beginning of months to you. It shall be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: On the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a household. 4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to what each man shall eat, divide the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats. 6 You shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month, and then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. 7 They shall take some of the blood and put it on the two side posts and on the upper doorpost of the houses in which they shall eat it. 8 They shall eat the flesh on that night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted with fire, its head with its legs and its entrails. 10 And you shall let nothing of it remain until the morning, but that of it which remains until the morning you shall burn with fire. 11 In this way shall you eat it: with your waist girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.
12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment. I am the Lord. 13 The blood shall be to you for a sign on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt.
14 This day shall be a memorial to you, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord. Throughout your generations you shall keep it a feast by an eternal ordinance. 15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall put away leaven out of your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which every man must eat—that only may be prepared for you.
17 You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread. For on this very day I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an ordinance forever. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses, for whoever eats that which is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger or born in the land. 20 You shall eat nothing leavened. In all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.
21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Draw out and take for yourselves a lamb according to your families and kill the Passover lamb. 22 You shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and apply the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin, and none of you shall go out from the door of his house until the morning. 23 For the Lord will pass through to kill the Egyptians. And when He sees the blood upon the lintel and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not permit the destroyer to come to your houses to kill you.
24 “And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance to you and to your sons forever. 25 When you enter the land which the Lord will give you, according as He has promised, that you shall observe this service. 26 And when your children shall say to you, ‘What does this service mean to you?’ 27 that you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the Lord’s Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when He smote the Egyptians, and delivered our households.’ ” And the people bowed down and worshipped. 28 Then the children of Israel went and did so. Just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn
29 At midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon and all the firstborn of livestock. 30 Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not someone dead.
The Exodus
31 Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said, “Rise up, and get out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel, and go, serve the Lord, as you have said. 32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also.”
33 The Egyptians urged the people, so that they might send them out of the land in haste, for they said, “We all will be dead.” 34 So the people took their dough before it was leavened, with their kneading troughs being bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. 35 Now the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses, and they requested of the Egyptians articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing. 36 And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they gave them what they requested. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.
37 Then the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children. 38 A mixed multitude also went up with them along with flocks and herds, a large amount of livestock. 39 They baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened because they were driven out of Egypt and could not linger, nor had they prepared for themselves any food.
40 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. 41 And at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, on the very day, all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It is a night to be observed to the Lord for bringing them out from the land of Egypt. This is that night for the Lord to be observed by all the children of Israel in their generations.
The Ordinance of Passover
43 So the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: This is the ordinance of the Passover:
No foreigner may eat of it. 44 But every man’s servant bought with money, when you have circumcised him, may eat it. 45 A foreigner or a hired servant shall not eat it.
46 In one house shall it be eaten. You shall not carry any of the flesh outside of the house, nor shall you break a bone of it. 47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.
48 Now when a stranger sojourns with you and keeps the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it. And he shall be as one that is born in the land. However, no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. 49 The same law shall apply to him that is a native and to the stranger who sojourns among you.
50 So all the children of Israel did it. They did just as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 And that same day the Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.
Exodus 12
International Standard Version
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[a] 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.[b] 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?’[c] 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,[d] 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[e] the Lord as you have said. 32 Take both your sheep and your cattle, just as you demanded[f] and go! And bless me too!”
33 The Egyptian officials[g] 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;[h] 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[i] 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[j] 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[k] 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.
Footnotes
- Exodus 12:4 Lit. calculate
- Exodus 12:7 Lit. it
- Exodus 12:26 Lit. is . . . to you?
- Exodus 12:30 Or servants
- Exodus 12:31 Or worship
- Exodus 12:32 Lit. said
- Exodus 12:33 The Heb. lacks officials
- Exodus 12:35 Lit. according to the word of Moses
- Exodus 12:42 Or watching, guarding
- Exodus 12:44 Lit. of a man
- Exodus 12:48 Lit. belonging to him
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
The Holy Bible, Modern English Version. Copyright © 2014 by Military Bible Association. Published and distributed by Charisma House.
Copyright © 1995-2014 by ISV Foundation. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED INTERNATIONALLY. Used by permission of Davidson Press, LLC.
