Beginning

The Plague of Locusts

10 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Go to Pharaoh. I have made him stubborn. I have also made his officials stubborn so I can perform my signs among them. ² Then you will be able to tell your children and grandchildren how hard I was on the Egyptians. You can tell them I performed my signs among the people of Egypt. And all of you will know that I am the Lord.”

³ So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh. They said to him, “The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says, ‘How long will you refuse to obey me? Let my people go. Then they will be able to worship me. ⁴ If you refuse to let them go, I will bring locusts into your country tomorrow. ⁵ They will cover the ground so that it can’t be seen. They will eat what little you have left after the hail. That includes every tree growing in your fields. ⁶ They will fill your houses. They will be in the homes of all your officials and your people. Your parents and your people before them have never seen anything like it as long as they have lived here.’ ” Then Moses turned around and left Pharaoh.

⁷ Pharaoh’s officials said to him, “How long will this man be a trap for us? Let the people go. Then they’ll be able to worship the Lord their God. After everything that’s happened, don’t you realize that Egypt is destroyed?”

⁸ Moses and Aaron were brought back to Pharaoh. “Go. Worship the Lord your God,” he said. “But tell me who will be going.”

⁹ Moses answered, “We’ll go with our young people and old people. We’ll go with our sons and daughters. We’ll take our flocks and herds. We are supposed to hold a feast to honor the Lord.”

¹⁰ Pharaoh said, “Suppose I ever let you go, along with your women and children. Then the Lord really will be with all of you! Clearly you are planning to do something bad. ¹¹ No! I’ll only allow the men to go and worship the Lord. After all, that’s what you have been asking for.” Then Pharaoh drove Moses and Aaron out of his sight.

¹² The Lord said to Moses, “Reach out your hand over Egypt so that locusts cover the land. They will eat up everything growing in the fields. They will eat up everything left by the hail.”

¹³ So Moses reached out his walking stick over Egypt. Then the Lord made an east wind blow across the land. It blew all that day and all that night. By morning the wind had brought the locusts. ¹⁴ Large numbers of them came down in every part of Egypt. There had never been a plague of locusts like it before. And there will never be one like it again. ¹⁵ The locusts covered the ground until it was black. They ate up everything left after the hail. They ate up everything growing in the fields. They ate up the fruit on the trees. There was nothing green left on any tree or plant in the whole land of Egypt.

¹⁶ Pharaoh quickly sent for Moses and Aaron. He said, “I have sinned against the Lord your God. I’ve also sinned against you. ¹⁷ Now forgive my sin one more time. Pray to the Lord your God to take this deadly plague away from me.”

¹⁸ After Moses left Pharaoh, he prayed to the Lord. ¹⁹ The Lord changed the wind to a very strong west wind. It picked up the locusts. It blew them into the Red Sea. Not even one locust was left anywhere in Egypt. ²⁰ But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn. So Pharaoh wouldn’t let the people of Israel go.

The Plague of Darkness

²¹ The Lord spoke to Moses. He said, “Reach out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt. It will be so dark that people can feel it.” ²² So Moses reached out his hand toward the sky. Then complete darkness covered Egypt for three days. ²³ No one could see anyone else or go anywhere for three days. But all the people of Israel had light where they lived.

²⁴ Then Pharaoh sent for Moses. He said to him, “Go. Worship the Lord. Even your women and children can go with you. Just leave your flocks and herds behind.”

²⁵ But Moses said, “You must allow us to take our animals. We need to offer them as sacrifices and burnt offerings to the Lord our God. ²⁶ Our livestock must also go with us. We have to use some of them to worship the Lord our God. We can’t leave even one animal behind. Until we get there, we won’t know what we are supposed to use to worship the Lord.”

²⁷ But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn. So he wouldn’t let the people go. ²⁸ Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you don’t come to see me again! If you do, you will die.”

²⁹ “I’ll do just as you say,” Moses replied. “I will never come to see you again.”

The Lord Announces the Tenth Plague

11 The Lord had spoken to Moses. He had said, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you and your people go. When he does, he will drive every one of you away. ² Tell the men and women alike to ask their neighbors for things made out of silver and gold.” ³ The Lord caused the Egyptians to treat the Israelites in a kind way. Pharaoh’s officials and the people had great respect for Moses.

⁴ Moses told Pharaoh, “The Lord says, ‘About midnight I will go through every part of Egypt. ⁵ Every oldest son in Egypt will die. The oldest son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, will die. The oldest son of every female slave, who works at her hand mill, will die. All the male animals born first to their mothers among the cattle will also die. ⁶ There will be loud crying all over Egypt. It will be worse than it’s ever been before. And nothing like it will ever be heard again. ⁷ But among the Israelites not even one dog will bark at any person or animal.’ Then you will know that the Lord treats Egypt differently from us. ⁸ All your officials will come and bow down to me. They will say, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you!’ After that, I will leave.” Moses was very angry when he left Pharaoh.

⁹ The Lord had spoken to Moses. He had said, “Pharaoh will refuse to listen to you. So I will multiply the amazing things I will do in Egypt.” ¹⁰ Moses and Aaron performed all these amazing things in the sight of Pharaoh. But the Lord made Pharaoh stubborn. He wouldn’t let the people of Israel go out of his country.

The First Passover Sacrifice

12 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in Egypt. ² He said, “From now on, this month will be your first month. Each of your years will begin with it. ³ Speak to the whole community of Israel. Tell them that on the tenth day of this month each man must get a lamb from his flock. A lamb should be chosen for each family and home. ⁴ Suppose there are not enough people in your family to eat a whole lamb. Then you must share some of it with your nearest neighbor. You must add up the total number of people there are. You must decide how much lamb is needed for each person. ⁵ The animals you choose must be males that are a year old. They must not have any flaws. You may choose either sheep or goats. ⁶ Take care of them until the 14th day of the month. Then the whole community of Israel must kill them when the sun goes down. ⁷ Take some of the blood. Put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where you eat the lambs. ⁸ That same night eat the meat cooked over a fire. Also eat bitter plants. And eat bread made without yeast. ⁹ Do not eat the meat when it is raw. Don’t boil it in water. Instead, cook it over a fire. Cook the head, legs and inside parts. ¹⁰ Do not leave any of it until morning. If some is left over until morning, burn it up. ¹¹ Eat the meat while your coat is tucked into your belt. Put your sandals on your feet. Take your walking stick in your hand. Eat the food quickly. It is the Lord’s Passover.

¹² “That same night I will pass through Egypt. I will strike down all those born first among the people and animals. And I will judge all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. ¹³ The blood on your houses will be a sign for you. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. No deadly plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

¹⁴ “Always remember this day. You and your children after you must celebrate this day as a feast to honor the Lord. You must do this for all time to come. It is a law that will last forever. ¹⁵ For seven days eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your homes. For the next seven days, anyone who eats anything with yeast in it must be separated from Israel. ¹⁶ On the first and seventh days, come together for a sacred assembly. Do not work at all on these days. The only thing you are allowed to do is prepare food for everyone to eat.

¹⁷ “Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. I brought you out of Egypt on this very day like an army on the march. It is a law that will last for all time to come. ¹⁸ In the first month eat bread made without yeast. Eat it from the evening of the 14th day until the evening of the 21st day. ¹⁹ For seven days do not let any yeast be found in your homes. Anyone who eats anything with yeast in it must be separated from the community of Israel. That applies to outsiders and Israelites alike. ²⁰ Do not eat anything made with yeast. No matter where you live, eat bread made without yeast.”

²¹ Then Moses sent for all the elders of Israel. He said to them, “Go at once. Choose the animals for your families. Each family must kill a Passover lamb. ²² Get a branch of a hyssop plant. Dip it into the blood in the bowl. Put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you can go out of the door of your house until morning. ²³ The Lord will go through the land to strike down the Egyptians. He’ll see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. He will pass over that house. He won’t let the destroying angel enter your homes to strike you down.

²⁴ “Obey all these directions. It’s a law for you and your children after you for all time to come. ²⁵ The Lord will give you the land, just as he promised. When you enter it, keep this holy day. ²⁶ Your children will ask you, ‘What does this holy day mean to you?’ ²⁷ Tell them, ‘It’s the Passover sacrifice to honor the Lord. He passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. He spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’ ” Then the Israelites bowed down and worshiped. ²⁸ They did just what the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron.

²⁹ At midnight the Lord struck down every oldest son in Egypt. He killed the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne. He killed all the oldest sons of prisoners. He also killed all the male animals born first to their mothers among the livestock. ³⁰ Pharaoh and all his officials got up during the night. So did all the Egyptians. There was loud crying in Egypt because someone had died in every home.

The Exodus

³¹ During the night, Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron. He said to them, “Get out of here! You and the Israelites, leave my people! Go. Worship the Lord, just as you have asked. ³² Go. Take your flocks and herds, just as you have said. And also give me your blessing.”

³³ The Egyptians begged the people of Israel to hurry up and leave the country. “If you don’t,” they said, “we’ll all die!” ³⁴ So the people took their dough before the yeast was added to it. They carried it on their shoulders in bowls for kneading bread. The bowls were wrapped in clothes. ³⁵ They did just as Moses had directed them. They asked the Egyptians for things made out of silver and gold. They also asked them for clothes. ³⁶ The Lord had caused the Egyptians to treat the Israelites in a kind way. So the Egyptians gave them what they asked for. The Israelites took many expensive things that belonged to the Egyptians.

³⁷ The Israelites traveled from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about 600,000 men old enough to go into battle. The women and children went with them. ³⁸ So did many other people. The Israelites also took large flocks and herds with them. ³⁹ The Israelites brought dough from Egypt. With it they baked loaves of bread without yeast. The dough didn’t have any yeast in it. That’s because the people had been driven out of Egypt before they had time to prepare their food.

⁴⁰ The Israelites lived in Egypt for 430 years. ⁴¹ Then all the Lord’s people marched out of Egypt like an army. That happened at the end of the 430 years, to the exact day. ⁴² The Lord kept watch that night to bring them out of Egypt. So on that same night every year all the Israelites must keep watch. They must do it to honor the Lord for all time to come.

Rules for the Passover

⁴³ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Here are the rules for the Passover meal.

“No one from another country is allowed to eat it. ⁴⁴ Any slave you have bought is allowed to eat it after you have circumcised him. ⁴⁵ But a hired worker or someone who lives with you for a short time is not allowed to eat it.

⁴⁶ “It must be eaten inside the house. Do not take any of the meat outside. Do not break any of the bones. ⁴⁷ The whole community of Israel must celebrate the Passover.

⁴⁸ “Suppose an outsider living among you wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover. Then all the males in that home must be circumcised. After that, the person can take part, just like an Israelite. Only circumcised males may eat it. ⁴⁹ The same law applies to Israelites and to outsiders living among you.”

⁵⁰ All the people of Israel did just what the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. ⁵¹ On that day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt like an army on the march.