Exodus 12
1 Then spake Yahweh, unto Moses and unto Aaron, in the land of Egypt saying—
Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses/me there in Egypt,
2 This month, is, to you, a beginning of months, —the first, it is, to you, of the months of the year.
“[From now on], this month [will be] the first month of the year for you.
3 Speak ye unto all the assembly of Israel, saying, On the tenth of this month, then let them take to them, each man a lamb for his ancestral household, a lamb for a household.
Tell all the Israeli people that in each family, the man who heads the family must select a lamb or a young goat for his household.
4 But if the household be too small for a lamb, then shall he and his neighbour that is near unto his house take one, according to the number of souls, —each man according to his eating, shall ye number for the lamb.
If there are not enough people in his family to eat a whole [cooked] lamb, then his family and the family that lives next door may share one animal. Decide how many lambs you need according to the number of people in each family, and according to how much each person can eat.
5 A lamb without defect a male a year old, shall yours be, —from the sheep or from the goats, shall ye take it.
The lambs or goats that you choose must be males, one-year-old, and they must not have any defects.
6 So shall it be yours, to keep, until the fourteenth day of this month, —then shall all the convocation of the assembly of Israel slay it between the two evenings.
You must take [special] care of these animals until the 14th day of the month. On that day, all the Israeli people must slaughter the lambs [or goats] in the evening.
7 And they shall take of the blood, and put upon the two door-posts and upon the upper-beam, —upon the houses wherein they are to eat it.
Then they must take some of the blood [from the lambs or goats], and they must smear it on the doorposts and the (lintels/horizontal beams above the doorways) of the houses in which they will eat the meat.
8 Then shall they eat the flesh, in the same night, —roast with fire, and with unleavened cakes, with bitter herbs, shall they eat it.
They must roast the animals immediately and eat the meat that night. They must eat it with bread that is baked without yeast and with bitter herbs.
9 Do not eat of it underdone, nor cooked by boiling in water, —but roast with fire, its head with its legs, and with its inward parts.
You must not eat any of the meat raw, and you must not boil the meat. You must roast it [whole], without cutting off the head or the legs or removing the internal parts.
10 And ye shall let nothing thereof remain until morning, —but that which is left remaining until morning, in the fire shall ye consume.
You must eat all the meat that evening; do not let any of the meat remain [to be eaten] the next morning. If any of the meat is left until the next morning, you must [completely] burn it.
11 And, thus, shall ye eat it, —your loins, girded, your sandals, on your feet, and, your staff, in your hand, —so shall ye eat it in haste, it is Yahweh’s, passing over.
When you eat it, you must be dressed ready to travel, and you must eat it quickly. You must have your sandals on your feet and your walking stick in your hands. It will be a festival [called] Passover to [honor] me, Yahweh.
12 I will pass along, therefore, throughout the land of Egypt this night, and will smite every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man even to beast, —and against all the gods of Egypt, will I execute judgments—I, Yahweh.
On that night I will go through all the country of Egypt, and I will kill all the oldest males in Egypt, both humans and animals. [By doing this] I will show that all the gods in Egypt are worthless. [I can do this], because I am Yahweh, [the all-powerful God].
13 Then shall the blood serve you for a sign, on the houses wherein ye are, then will I behold the blood, and will pass over you, —and there shall be among you no plague to destroy, when I smite the land of Egypt.
The blood [that you smear on the doorways will be a mark to indicate] the houses in which you [Israelis] live. When I see the blood, I will [ignore and] pass by those houses, and I will not harm you [Israelis who live there], when I punish the Egyptians.
14 So shall this day serve you for a memorial, and ye shall celebrate it, as a festival to Yahweh, —to your generations—as an age-abiding statute, shall ye celebrate it.
[Each year], you must celebrate this festival on this day, to remember [what I], Yahweh, [have done for you]. In all the generations to come, [each year] you must celebrate [this festival]. [It must continue] forever.
15 Seven days, unleavened cakes, shall ye eat, surely, on the first day, shall ye put away leaven, out of your houses, —for whosoever eateth what is leavened, then shall that soul be cut off out of Israel, from the first day, unto the seventh day.
For seven days you must eat bread that has no yeast in it. On the first day of that week you must get rid of all the yeast that is in your houses. During those seven days, if anyone eats bread that is baked with yeast in it, [you must consider] that person to be no longer an Israeli.
16 Both on the first day, a holy convocation, and on the seventh day—a holy convocation, shall there be to you, —no work, shall be done therein, save only what must be eaten by every soul, that alone, shall be done by you.
On the first day [of that week], you must (have a holy meeting/gather together to [worship] me). You must do the same thing on the seventh day. People must not work on those two days. The only work they may do is to prepare food for you to eat.
17 So then ye shall observe the unleavened cakes, because on this self-same day, brought I forth your hosts out of the land of Egypt, —so then ye shall observe this day to your generations, as a statute age-abiding,
[Every year] you must keep celebrating this festival of eating bread that has no yeast in it, because it will remind you that it was on this day that I brought all your tribal groups out of Egypt. So [every year], in all the generations to come, you must celebrate this day as a festival. It must continue forever.
18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, shall ye eat unleavened cakes, —until the one-and-twentieth day of the month in the evening,
In the first month of the year, on the 14th day of that month, the only bread you may eat is bread that has no yeast in it. You must keep doing that each day until the 21st day of that month. For those seven days you must not have any yeast in your house. [During that time], if anyone, either an Israeli or a foreigner, eats bread made with yeast, you must consider that person no longer to be an Israeli.
19 For seven days, leaven, shall not be found in your houses, —for, whosoever eateth what is leavened, then shall that soul be cut off out of the assembly of Israel, whether sojourner or native of the land.
20 Nothing leavened, shall ye eat, —in all your dwellings, shall ye eat unleavened cakes.
In your houses, do not eat anything that has yeast in it during those seven days.”
21 So then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, —Proceed and take for yourselves one of the flock according to your families, and slay the passover.
Then Moses/I summoned all the leaders of the Israeli people. He/I said to them, “Each family should select a lamb and kill it, [in order that you may eat it to celebrate the festival that will be called] ‘Passover’.
22 Then shall ye take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and strike the upper beam and the two door-posts, with the blood which is in the basin, —and, ye, shall not go forth any man out of the entrance of his house, until morning,
Let the lamb’s blood [drain into] a basin. Get a bunch/sprig of (hyssop/a very leafy plant) and dip it in the blood. Then smear some of the blood on the doorposts and the (lintels/beams above the doorways) [of your houses]. The people in each house must all stay inside the house until the next morning.
23 And Yahweh will pass along to plague the Egyptians, and when he beholdeth the blood upon the upper beam and upon the two door-posts, then will Yahweh pass over the entrance, and not suffer the destroyer to enter into your houses to inflict on you the plague.
When Yahweh goes throughout Egypt to kill the [oldest male in each] Egyptian family, he will see the blood on the (lintels/beams of your doorways), and he will [ignore and] pass by those houses. He will not allow the angel who causes people to die to enter your houses and kill [any of] your [oldest sons].
24 And ye shall observe this thing, —for a statute to thee and to thy sons unto times age-abiding.
You and your descendants must celebrate this festival forever.
25 And so it shall come to pass when ye shall enter into the land which Yahweh will give you as he hath spoken, —and ye shall observe this service;
And when you arrive in the land that Yahweh will be giving to you as he promised, you must keep celebrating this ritual [every year].
26 and it shall come to pass that your sons shall say unto you, —What is this your service?
When your children ask you, ‘What does this ritual mean?’,
27 Then shall ye say—A passover sacrifice, it is to Yahweh, who passed-over the houses of the sons of Israel, in Egypt, when he plagued the Egyptians but our houses, he delivered. Then did the people bend their heads and bow themselves down.
you must tell them, ‘This ritual is [to remember how our ancestors] sacrificed [lambs] on the night that Yahweh’s angel passed by the houses of the Israeli people [when they were] in Egypt. He killed the [oldest males/sons in all] the Egyptian houses, but he spared [the sons in] [MTY] our houses.’” After Moses/I told them this, they all bowed their heads and worshiped [Yahweh].
28 And the sons of Israel went their way and did, —as Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron, so, did they.
Then the Israeli people did what Yahweh had told Aaron and Moses/me [to tell them to do].
29 And it came to pass, at midnight, that Yahweh, smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat upon his throne, unto the firstborn of the captive who was in the pit of his prison, —and every firstborn of beasts.
At midnight Yahweh killed all the oldest sons of the Egyptian people, all over Egypt. That included the king’s oldest son, the oldest sons of the prisoners in the dungeon/jail, and [the oldest sons of everyone else]. He also killed the oldest males of all the Egyptians’ livestock.
30 Then rose up Pharaoh by night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians, and there arose a great outcry throughout Egypt, —for there was not a house, where there was not one dead.
That night the king, all his officials, and [all the rest of] the Egyptian people awoke [and discovered what had happened]. They wailed loudly all over Egypt, because in every house, someone’s son had died.
31 So he called for Moses and for Aaron by night and said—Rise ye, go forth out of the midst of my people, both ye and the sons of Israel, —and go serve Yahweh according to your word;
That night the king summoned Aaron and Moses/me and said, “You and all the [other] Israeli people, must leave my country [immediately]! Go and worship Yahweh, as you requested!
32 also, your flocks and your herds, take ye, as ye spake and go your way, —so shall ye bless, even me.
Take your flocks [of sheep and goats] and herds [of cattle], and leave! And ask Yahweh to bless me, also!”
33 And the Egyptians became urgent with the people, to send them in haste out of the land, —for they said—We all, are dying.
Then the Israeli people did as Moses/I had told them. They [went to] their Egyptian [neighbors] and asked them for silver and gold jewelry and clothing.
34 So the people took up their dough, ere yet it was leavened, —with their kneading-bowls, bound up in their mantles on their shoulders,
Yahweh caused the Egyptian people to greatly respect the [Israeli] people, so they gave them what they asked for. In that way, they carried away the wealth of the Egyptian people.
35 And the sons of Israel, did according to the word of Moses, —and asked of the Egyptians, articles of silver and articles of gold and mantles.
The Egyptians urged the [Israeli] people to leave their country quickly. They said, “[If you do not do that], we will all die!”
36 And Yahweh, gave the people favour in the eyes of the Egyptians and they gave them gladly, —so they spoiled the Egyptians.
So the [Israeli] people [prepared to leave at once]. They took the bowls in which they mixed the dough to make bread, and the dough that was in the bowls without any yeast in it, and they wrapped the bowls in their cloaks. They put the bowls on their shoulders [and left].
37 Then did the sons of Israel break up from Rameses, towards Succoth, —about six hundred thousand foot of men grown, besides little ones.
The Israeli people traveled from Rameses [city] to Succoth [town]. There were about 600,000 men who went, in addition to the women and children.
38 Moreover also, a mixed multitude, came up with them, —flocks also, and herds, exceeding much cattle,
Many other people who were not Israelis went along with them. There were also livestock, the flocks [of sheep and goats] and herds [of cattle].
39 Then baked they the dough which they had brought out of Egypt—into round unleavened cakes for it had not been leavened, —for they had been driven out of Egypt and could not tarry, and indeed no provisions, had they made ready for themselves.
On their way, they baked bread with the dough that they carried with them when they had been expelled from Egypt. The dough did not have yeast in it, because they were told to leave Egypt so quickly that they did not have enough time to get food ready to take with them, or enough time to mix yeast in the dough.
40 Now, the time during which the sons of Israel dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.
The Israeli people had lived in Egypt 430 years.
41 And it came to pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years, yea it came to pass, on this self-same day, that all the hosts of Yahweh had come forth out of the land of Egypt.
On the day that those 430 years ended, on that very day, all the tribes of Yahweh’s people left Egypt.
42 A night of solemn observances, it is unto Yahweh, for bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt, —this same night, pertaineth to Yahweh, for solemn observances by all the sons of Israel to their generations.
It was a night when Yahweh (protected/guarded over) them as he brought them out of Egypt. So this same night every year is a night that is dedicated to Yahweh, a night when the Israeli people in every generation [remember how] Yahweh protected our ancestors.
43 And Yahweh said unto Moses and Aaron: This, is the statute of the passover, —No stranger, shall eat thereof;
Then Yahweh said this to Aaron and Moses/me: “These are my instructions about the Passover ritual: Do not let foreigners eat [the Passover meal]. But any male slaves that you have bought may eat it after you have circumcised them.
44 but, every man’s servant bought with silver, —when thou hast circumcised him, then, shall he eat thereof:
45 An alien or a hireling, shall not eat thereof.
Do not let people who are living among you temporarily, or servants whom you have hired, eat [the Passover meal].
46 In one house, shall it be eaten, thou shalt not take forth out of the house any of the flesh outside; and a, bone thereof, shalt thou not break.
Each family must eat the Passover meal inside their own house. Do not take any of the food outside the house. And do not break any of the bones of the lamb that is sacrificed.
47 All the assembly of Israel, shall keep it.
All the Israeli people must celebrate this festival.
48 And when there may sojourn with thee a sojourner who may wish to keep a passover to Yahweh, there must be circumcised to him every male and then, may he draw near to keep it, so shall he be as a native of the land, —but no uncircumcised male, shall eat thereof.
When someone from another country comes to live with you and wants to celebrate the Passover Festival, circumcise all the males in his household. Then they may eat the Passover meal, and you should treat those people as though they were born as Israelis. But do not allow men who have not been circumcised to eat the Passover meal.
49 One law, shall there be for the native, and for the sojourner that sojourneth in your midst.
These rules apply to people who were born as Israelis and to foreigners who come and live among you.”
50 Thus did all the sons of Israel, —as Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron, so, did they.
All the Israeli people obeyed Aaron and Moses/me and did what Yahweh had commanded.
51 And it came to pass, on this self-same day, that Yahweh brought forth the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt, by their hosts.
On that very day Yahweh brought all the tribes of the Israeli people out of Egypt.
