The First Passover
(Numbers 9:1–14)

1Now the LORD {YHWH} said to Moses (drawn out) and Aaron (light bringer) in the land of Egypt (land of bondage), 2“This month is the beginning of months for you⁺; it shall be the first month of your⁺ year.

3Tell the whole congregation of Israel (he wrestles with God) that on the tenth day of this month each man must select a lamb (lamb)a for his family, one per household. 4If the household is too small for a whole lamb, they are to share with the nearest neighbor based on the number of people, and apportion the lamb accordingly.

5Your⁺ lamb must be an unblemished year-old male, and you⁺ may take it from the sheep or the goats. 6You⁺ must keep it until the fourteenth day of the month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel (he wrestles with God) will slaughter the animals at twilight \between the two evenings/.b 7They are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes \on the two doorposts and on the lintel/c of the houses where they eat the lambs.

8They are to eat the meat that night, roasted over the fire, along with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

9Do not eat any of the meat raw or cooked in boiling water, but only roasted over the fire—its head and legs and inner parts. 10Do not leave any of it until morning; before the morning you⁺ must burn up any part that is left over.

11This is how you⁺ are to eat it: You⁺ must be fully dressed for travel \Gird up your loins/,d with your⁺ sandals on your⁺ feet and your⁺ staff in your⁺ hand. You⁺ are to eat in haste; it is the LORD’s {YHWH} Passover.

12On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt (land of bondage) and strike down every firstborn male, both man and beast, and I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD {YHWH}. 13The blood on the houses where you⁺ are staying will be a sign; when I see the blood, I will pass over you⁺. No plague will fall on you⁺ to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt (land of bondage).

The Feast of Unleavened Bread
(Leviticus 23:4–8; Numbers 28:16–25; Deuteronomy 16:1–8)

14And this day will be a memorial for you⁺, and you⁺ are to celebrate it as a feast to the LORD {YHWH}, as a permanent statute for the generations to come. 15For seven days you⁺ must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you⁺ are to remove the leaven from your⁺ houses. Whoever eats anything leavened from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel (he wrestles with God).

16On the first day you⁺ are to hold a sacred assembly, and another on the seventh day. You⁺ must not do any work on those days, except to prepare the meals—that is all you⁺ may do.

17So you⁺ are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread,e for on this very day I brought your⁺ divisions out of the land of Egypt (land of bondage). You⁺ must keep this day as a permanent statute for the generations to come. 18In the first month you⁺ are to eat unleavened bread, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. 19For seven days there must be no leaven found in your⁺ houses. If anyone eats something leavened, that person, whether a foreigner or native of the land, must be cut off from the congregation of Israel (he wrestles with God). 20You⁺ are not to eat anything leavened; eat unleavened bread in all your⁺ homes.”

21Then Moses (drawn out) summoned all the elders of Israel (he wrestles with God) and told them, “Go at once and select for yourselves a lamb for each family, and slaughter the Passover lamb. 22Take a cluster of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin, and brush the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe. None of you⁺ shall go out the door of his house until morning.

23When the LORD {YHWH} passes through to strike down the Egyptians (land of bondage), He will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway; so He will not allow the destroyer to enter your⁺ houses and strike you down.

24And you⁺ are to keep this command as a permanent statute for you and your descendants. 25When you⁺ enter the land that the LORD {YHWH} will give you⁺ as He promised, you⁺ are to keep this service.

26When your⁺ children ask you⁺, ‘What does this service mean to you⁺?’ 27you⁺ are to reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD {YHWH}, who passed over the houses of the Israelites (God prevails) in Egypt (land of bondage) when He struck down the Egyptians and spared our homes.’”

Then the people bowed down and worshiped. 28And the Israelites (God prevails) went and did just what the LORD {YHWH} had commanded Moses (drawn out) and Aaron (light bringer).

The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn

29Now at midnight the LORD {YHWH} struck down every firstborn male in the land of Egypt (land of bondage), from the firstborn of Pharaoh (great house), who sat on his throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner in the dungeon, as well as all the firstborn among the livestock.

30During the night Pharaoh (great house) got up—he and all his officials and all (land of bondage) the Egyptians—and there was loud wailing in Egypt; for there was no house without someone dead.

The Exodus Begins

31Then Pharaoh summoned Moses (drawn out) and Aaron (light bringer) by night and said, “Get up, leave my people, both you⁺ and the Israelites (God prevails)! Go, worship the LORD {YHWH} as you⁺ have requested. 32Take your⁺ flocks and herds as well, just as you⁺ have said, and depart! And bless me also.”

33And in order to send them out of the land quickly, the Egyptians (land of bondage) urged the people on. “For otherwise,” they said, “we are all going to die!” 34So the people took their dough before it was leavened, carrying it on their shoulders in kneading bowls wrapped in clothing.

35Furthermore, the Israelites (God prevails) acted on Moses’ (drawn out) word and asked the Egyptians (land of bondage) for articles of silver and gold, and for clothing. 36And the LORD {YHWH} gave the people such favor in the sight of the Egyptians (land of bondage) that they granted their request. In this way they plundered the Egyptians.

37The Israelites (God prevails) journeyed from Rameses (child of the sun) to Succoth (booths)f with about 600,000 men on foot, besides women and children. 38And a mixed multitude also went up with them, along with great droves of livestock, both flocks and herds.

39Since their dough had no leaven, the people baked what they had brought out of Egypt (land of bondage) into unleavened loaves. For when they had been driven out of Egypt, they could not delay and had not prepared any provisions for themselves.

40Now the duration of the Israelites’ (he wrestles with God) stay in Egypt [in Canaan and Egypt]g was 430 years. 41At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the LORD’s {YHWH} divisions went out of the land of Egypt (land of bondage). 42Because the LORD {YHWH} kept a vigil that night to bring them out of the land of Egypt (land of bondage), this same night is to be a vigil to the LORD, to be observed by all the Israelites (God prevails) for the generations to come.

Instructions for the Passover

43And the LORD {YHWH} said to Moses (drawn out) and Aaron (light bringer), “This is the statute of the Passover: No foreigner is to eat of it. 44But any slave who has been purchased may eat of it, after you have circumcised him. 45A temporary resident or hired hand shall not eat the Passover.

46It must be eaten inside one house. You are not to take any of the meat outside the house, and you⁺ may not break any of the bones.

47The whole congregation of Israel (he wrestles with God) must celebrate it. 48If a foreigner resides with you and wants to celebrate the LORD’s {YHWH} Passover, all the males in the household must be circumcised; then he may come near to celebrate it, and he shall be like a native of the land. But no uncircumcised man may eat of it. 49The same law shall apply to both the native and the foreigner who resides among you⁺.”

50Then all the Israelites (God prevails) did this—they did just as the LORD {YHWH} had commanded Moses (drawn out) and Aaron (light bringer). 51And on that very day the LORD {YHWH} brought the Israelites (God prevails) out of the land of Egypt (land of bondage) by their divisions.