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31 And he called Moses and Aaron at night, and he said, “Get up, go out from the midst of my people, both you as well as the Israelites,[a] and go, serve Yahweh, as you have said. 32 Take both your sheep and goats as well as your cattle, and go, and bless also me.”

33 And the Egyptians urged the people in order to hurry their release[b] from the land, because they said, “All of us will die!”[c] 34 And the people lifted up their dough before it had yeast; their kneading troughs were wrapped up in their cloaks on their shoulder. 35 And the Israelites[d] did according to the word of Moses, and they asked from the Egyptians for objects of silver and objects of gold and for clothing. 36 And Yahweh gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians, and they granted their requests, and they plundered the Egyptians.

37 And the Israelites[e] set out from Rameses to Succoth; the men were about six hundred thousand on foot,[f] besides dependents. 38 And also a mixed multitude[g] went up with them and sheep and goats and cattle, very numerous livestock. 39 And they baked the dough that they had brought out from Egypt as cakes, unleavened bread, because it had no yeast when they were driven out from Egypt, and they were not able to delay, and also they had not made provisions for themselves.

40 And the period of dwelling of the Israelites[h] that they dwelled in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. 41 And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, on this exact day, all of Yahweh’s divisions went out from the land of Egypt. 42 It is a night of vigils[i] belonging to Yahweh for bringing them out from the land of Egypt; it is this night belonging to Yahweh with vigils for all of the Israelites[j] throughout their generations.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 12:31 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  2. Exodus 12:33 Or “to hasten to release them”
  3. Exodus 12:33 Or “We all are dead!”
  4. Exodus 12:35 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  5. Exodus 12:37 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  6. Exodus 12:37 Or “footmen,” “infantrymen.” The word probably has military connotations, as when it is used elsewhere in the numbering of soldiers (compare 2 Sam 10:6; 1 Kgs 20:29; 2 Kgs 13:7)
  7. Exodus 12:38 Literally “a large mixture” (compare Jer 25:20; Ezek 30:5)
  8. Exodus 12:40 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  9. Exodus 12:42 Or “observances”
  10. Exodus 12:42 Literally “sons/children of Israel”

Israel’s Exodus from Egypt

31 Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron during the night. “Get out!” he ordered. “Leave my people—and take the rest of the Israelites with you! Go and worship the Lord as you have requested. 32 Take your flocks and herds, as you said, and be gone. Go, but bless me as you leave.” 33 All the Egyptians urged the people of Israel to get out of the land as quickly as possible, for they thought, “We will all die!”

34 The Israelites took their bread dough before yeast was added. They wrapped their kneading boards in their cloaks and carried them on their shoulders. 35 And the people of Israel did as Moses had instructed; they asked the Egyptians for clothing and articles of silver and gold. 36 The Lord caused the Egyptians to look favorably on the Israelites, and they gave the Israelites whatever they asked for. So they stripped the Egyptians of their wealth!

37 That night the people of Israel left Rameses and started for Succoth. There were about 600,000 men,[a] plus all the women and children. 38 A rabble of non-Israelites went with them, along with great flocks and herds of livestock. 39 For bread they baked flat cakes from the dough without yeast they had brought from Egypt. It was made without yeast because the people were driven out of Egypt in such a hurry that they had no time to prepare the bread or other food.

40 The people of Israel had lived in Egypt[b] for 430 years. 41 In fact, it was on the last day of the 430th year that all the Lord’s forces left the land. 42 On this night the Lord kept his promise to bring his people out of the land of Egypt. So this night belongs to him, and it must be commemorated every year by all the Israelites, from generation to generation.

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Footnotes

  1. 12:37 Or fighting men; Hebrew reads men on foot.
  2. 12:40 Samaritan Pentateuch reads in Canaan and Egypt; Greek version reads in Egypt and Canaan.