English Standard Version

New Living Translation

1The LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,

1While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the LORD gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron:

2“This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.

2“From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you.

3Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household.

3Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb or a young goat for a sacrifice, one animal for each household.

4And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.

4If a family is too small to eat a whole animal, let them share with another family in the neighborhood. Divide the animal according to the size of each family and how much they can eat.

5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats,

5The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects.

6and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight.

6“Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight.

7“Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it.

7They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal.

8They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it.

8That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast.

9Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts.

9Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water. The whole animal—including the head, legs, and internal organs—must be roasted over a fire.

10And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn.

10Do not leave any of it until the next morning. Burn whatever is not eaten before morning.

11In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the LORD’s Passover.

11“These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed, wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the LORD’s Passover.

12For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the LORD.

12On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the LORD!

13The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

13But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.

14“This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast.

14“This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the LORD. This is a law for all time.

15Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.

15For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast. On the first day of the festival, remove every trace of yeast from your homes. Anyone who eats bread made with yeast during the seven days of the festival will be cut off from the community of Israel.

16On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you.

16On the first day of the festival and again on the seventh day, all the people must observe an official day for holy assembly. No work of any kind may be done on these days except in the preparation of food.

17And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever.

17“Celebrate this Festival of Unleavened Bread, for it will remind you that I brought your forces out of the land of Egypt on this very day. This festival will be a permanent law for you; celebrate this day from generation to generation.

18In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening.

18The bread you eat must be made without yeast from the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month until the evening of the twenty-first day of that month.

19For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land.

19During those seven days, there must be no trace of yeast in your homes. Anyone who eats anything made with yeast during this week will be cut off from the community of Israel. These regulations apply both to the foreigners living among you and to the native-born Israelites.

20You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.”

20During those days you must not eat anything made with yeast. Wherever you live, eat only bread made without yeast.”

21Then Moses called all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and select lambs for yourselves according to your clans, and kill the Passover lamb.

21Then Moses called all the elders of Israel together and said to them, “Go, pick out a lamb or young goat for each of your families, and slaughter the Passover animal.

22Take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.

22Drain the blood into a basin. Then take a bundle of hyssop branches and dip it into the blood. Brush the hyssop across the top and sides of the doorframes of your houses. And no one may go out through the door until morning.

23For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.

23For the LORD will pass through the land to strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the LORD will pass over your home. He will not permit his death angel to enter your house and strike you down.

24You shall observe this rite as a statute for you and for your sons forever.

24“Remember, these instructions are a permanent law that you and your descendants must observe forever.

25And when you come to the land that the LORD will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service.

25When you enter the land the LORD has promised to give you, you will continue to observe this ceremony.

26And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’

26Then your children will ask, ‘What does this ceremony mean?’

27you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of the LORD’s Passover, for he passed over the houses of the people of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians but spared our houses.’” And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

27And you will reply, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the LORD, for he passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt. And though he struck the Egyptians, he spared our families.’” When Moses had finished speaking, all the people bowed down to the ground and worshiped.

28Then the people of Israel went and did so; as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

28So the people of Israel did just as the LORD had commanded through Moses and Aaron.

29At midnight the LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock.

29And that night at midnight, the LORD struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed.

30And 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 someone was not dead.

30Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died. Israel’s Exodus from Egypt

31Then he summoned Moses and Aaron by night and said, “Up, go out from among my people, both you and the people of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as you have said.

31Pharaoh 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.

32Take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone, and bless me also!”

32Take your flocks and herds, as you said, and be gone. Go, but bless me as you leave.”

33The Egyptians were urgent with the people to send them out of the land in haste. For they said, “We shall all be dead.”

33All the Egyptians urged the people of Israel to get out of the land as quickly as possible, for they thought, “We will all die!”

34So the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading bowls being bound up in their cloaks on their shoulders.

34The Israelites took their bread dough before yeast was added. They wrapped their kneading boards in their cloaks and carried them on their shoulders.

35The people of Israel had also done as Moses told them, for they had asked the Egyptians for silver and gold jewelry and for clothing.

35And the people of Israel did as Moses had instructed; they asked the Egyptians for clothing and articles of silver and gold.

36And the LORD had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. Thus they plundered the Egyptians.

36The 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!

37And the people of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children.

37That night the people of Israel left Rameses and started for Succoth. There were about 600,000 men, plus all the women and children.

38A mixed multitude also went up with them, and very much livestock, both flocks and herds.

38A rabble of non-Israelites went with them, along with great flocks and herds of livestock.

39And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough that they had brought out of Egypt, for it was not leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared any provisions for themselves.

39For 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.

40The time that the people of Israel lived in Egypt was 430 years.

40The people of Israel had lived in Egypt for 430 years.

41At the end of 430 years, on that very day, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

41In fact, it was on the last day of the 430th year that all the LORD’s forces left the land.

42It was a night of watching by the LORD, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; so this same night is a night of watching kept to the LORD by all the people of Israel throughout their generations.

42On 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. Instructions for the Passover

43And the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner shall eat of it,

43Then the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the instructions for the festival of Passover. No outsiders are allowed to eat the Passover meal.

44but every slave that is bought for money may eat of it after you have circumcised him.

44But any slave who has been purchased may eat it if he has been circumcised.

45No foreigner or hired worker may eat of it.

45Temporary residents and hired servants may not eat it.

46It shall be eaten in one house; you shall not take any of the flesh outside the house, and you shall not break any of its bones.

46Each Passover lamb must be eaten in one house. Do not carry any of its meat outside, and do not break any of its bones.

47All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.

47The whole community of Israel must celebrate this Passover festival.

48If a stranger shall sojourn with you and would keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised. Then he may come near and keep it; he shall be as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.

48“If there are foreigners living among you who want to celebrate the LORD’s Passover, let all their males be circumcised. Only then may they celebrate the Passover with you like any native-born Israelite. But no uncircumcised male may ever eat the Passover meal.

49There shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who sojourns among you.”

49This instruction applies to everyone, whether a native-born Israelite or a foreigner living among you.”

50All the people of Israel did just as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron.

50So all the people of Israel followed all the LORD’s commands to Moses and Aaron.

51And on that very day the LORD brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.

51On that very day the LORD brought the people of Israel out of the land of Egypt like an army.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.