Exodus 12

1 Now the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said [to speak, to command] to Moses [the Israelite leader, born to Amram and Jochebed] and Aaron [the brother of Moses, the first high priest] in the land [a country, territory, or region] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], word study 2 “This month [the first of the lunar cycle, new moon] is the beginning [head, chief] of months [lunar cycles, periods of time] for you; it shall be the first [primary, foremost] month of your year [a period of time, a cycle of twelve months]. word study 3 Tell the whole [entire, gathered] congregation [gathering, community] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob] that on the tenth day of this [current, present] month each man [male, individual] must select [take, choose] a lamb [sheep, young goat] for his family [household, relatives], one [single, unique] per household [house, family unit]. word study 4 If the household [family, those living together] is too small [lacking, insufficient] for a whole lamb [a young sheep], they are to share [divide, distribute] with the nearest neighbor [closest relative, fellow citizen] based on the number of people [souls, individuals], and apportion [divide, allocate] the lamb [sheep, sacrificial animal] accordingly [according to their eating, in proportion to their needs]. word study 5 Your lamb [a perfect, unblemished male] must be an unblemished [without defects, flawless] year-old [one year in age, in its first year] male [a male animal, emphasizing importance], and you may take it from the sheep [or goats, young animals] or the goats [female goats, kids]. word study 6 You must keep it [as a charge, a sacred trust] until the fourteenth day of the month [lunar cycle, new moon], when the whole [entire, all-inclusive] assembly [gathering, congregation] of the congregation [community, group] of Israel [God’s chosen people] will slaughter [kill, sacrifice] the animals [lambs or goats] at [in the time of, during] twilight [evening, between sundown and dark]. word study 7 They are to take [receive, get] some of the blood [the liquid that flows through the body] and put [apply, strike] it on the sides [doorposts] and tops [upper door post, lintel] of the doorframes [entryways] of the houses [dwellings, homes] where they eat [consume, devour] the lambs [sacrificial animals, Passover offerings]. word study 8 They are to eat [devour, consume] the meat [flesh, body of the lamb] that night [in the darkness, a time of adversity], roasted [cooked over an open flame] over the fire [burning, flame], along with [together, in accompaniment] unleavened bread [a sweet bread made without yeast] and [accompanied by] bitter herbs [with a strong bitter taste]. word study 9 Do not [under any circumstances] eat any of the meat [uncooked] raw or cooked [boiled, sodden] in boiling water [with water, in water], but only [exclusively] roasted [with fire, by fire] over the fire [in the fire, with flames]—its head [the topmost part of the body] and legs [from knee to ankle] and inner parts [entrails, inward things]. word study 10 Do not [under any circumstances] leave any of it [what remains, the leftover portion] until morning [the break of day, dawn]; before the morning [at the start of the new day] you must burn up [completely destroy with flames, set on fire] any part that is left over [remaining, unused]. word study 11 This is how you are to eat it: You must be fully dressed [with your loins girded, prepared for travel] for travel, with your sandals [shoes, footwear] on your feet and your staff [rod, walking stick] in your hand. You are to eat in haste [quickly, with urgent speed]; it is the LORD’s [Yehovah, the supreme God] Passover [a festival of liberation, a sacrifice of remembrance]. word study 12 On that night [of great darkness and judgment] I will pass through [cross over, transition into] the land [territory, region] of Egypt and strike down [smite, kill] every firstborn [oldest, most prominent] male, both man [human, Adam] and beast [animal, livestock], and I will execute [carry out, bring forth] judgment [sentence, decision] against all the gods [Elohim, false deities] of Egypt. I am [exist as, declare myself] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 13 The blood [the liquid that flows through the body] on the houses [dwelling places, families] where you are staying [residing, sojourning] will distinguish [set apart, mark] them; when I see [look upon, behold] the blood [covenant sign], I will pass over [spare, protect] you. No plague [judgment, destruction] will fall on you [come upon, afflict] to destroy [bring to ruin, annihilate] you when I strike [smite, judge] the land [territory, nation] of Egypt [the oppressive kingdom]. word study 14 And this [specific, memorable] day will be a memorial [remembrance, reminder] for you, and you are to celebrate [observe, keep] it as a feast [festival, holy assembly] to the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], as a permanent [everlasting, age-during] statute [ordinance, divine law] for the generations [descendants, posterity] to come [throughout all time, forever]. word study 15 For seven days you must eat [without leaven] unleavened bread [a sweet bread]. On the [primary] first day you are to remove [completely, put away] the leaven from your [family, dwelling] houses. Whoever eats [consumes, devours] anything leavened [containing yeast] from the [initial, beginning] first day through the [complete] seventh must be [completely, utterly] cut off from [the community of] Israel. word study 16 On the first [primary] day you are to hold a [holy, set-apart] sacred assembly [a public gathering], and another on the seventh [final] day. You must not do any work [labor, employment] on those days, except to prepare [make ready] the meals [food, that which is eaten]—that is all you may do [alone, to the exclusion of all else]. word study 17 So you are to keep [protect, attend to, guard] the Feast of Unleavened Bread [a sweet bread made without yeast, often eaten during the Passover festival], for on this very day [a literal 24-hour period, a figurative space of time] I brought your divisions [armies, hosts, tribal groups] out of the land [soil, ground, country] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa]. You must keep [obey, watch over] this day [a specific point in time, a memorial] as a permanent [lasting, eternal] statute [ordinance, divine law] for the generations [a period of time, a group of people] to come [in the future, forever]. word study 18 In the [primary] first month you are to eat unleavened bread [a sweet bread made without yeast], from the evening [at sunset, in the late afternoon] of the fourteenth day until the evening [at sunset, in the late afternoon] of the twenty-first day [a literal 24-hour period, a figurative space of time]. word study 19 For [a period of] seven days [a complete week] there must be no [yeast, leaven, or any agent of fermentation] leaven found in your [homes, households, or dwelling places] houses. If anyone [a foreigner, sojourner, or native] eats something [that which is] leavened [containing yeast, or having a corrupting influence], that person [soul, or living being], whether a [temporary resident, stranger] foreigner or native [native-born, indigenous] of the land, must be [separated from, or excluded from the community] cut off from the [gathered assembly, congregation] congregation of [the people of God, descended from Jacob] Israel. word study 20 You are not [in no way, never] to eat anything [food, substance] leavened [containing yeast]; eat [devour, consume] unleavened [without yeast, pure] bread [sweet bread] in all [every, entire] your homes [dwellings, habitations, places of residence].” word study 21 Then Moses [the Israelite leader, born to Amram and Jochebed] summoned [called out to, gathered] all [every single one] the elders [old, experienced, and respected men] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants] and told them, “Go at once [immediately, without delay] and select [choose, draw out] for yourselves [your families, households] a lamb [a young sheep] for each family [household, clan], and slaughter [kill, sacrifice] the Passover [the Jewish festival, commemorating the sparing of the Israelites’ firstborn sons] lamb [the animal sacrificed during the festival]. word study 22 Take a cluster [bunch, bundle] of hyssop [a plant used for purification], dip it into the blood [the liquid that flows through the body] in the basin [a container, threshold], and brush the blood [the liquid that flows through the body] on the top [lintel] and sides [doorposts] of the doorframe [entryway]. None of you shall go out [exit, leave] the door [entrance, gateway] of his house [dwelling place, family] until [as far as, till] morning [dawn, new beginning]. word study 23 When the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] passes through [to cross over, transition] to strike down [to smite, inflict punishment] the Egyptians, He will see [to look after, provide for] the blood [the liquid that flows through the body] on the top [upon] and sides [the two doorposts] of the doorframe [the lintel] and will pass over [to spare, skip over] that doorway; so He will not allow [to give, permit] the destroyer [the angel of death, bringer of ruin] to enter [to come into, approach] your houses [your dwelling places, families] and strike you down [to smite, inflict punishment]. word study 24 And you are to keep [obey, protect, attend to] this command [instruction, decree] as a permanent [lasting, eternal] statute [law, ordinance, decree] for you [to you] and your descendants [sons, children, posterity]. word study 25 When you enter [come into, arrive in] the land [territory, region] that the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] will give [bestow, grant] you as He promised [spoken, vowed], you are to keep [obey, observe] this service [act of worship, ritual]. word study 26 When your children [sons or descendants] ask you, ‘What [or how] does this [ceremonial] service [or act of worship, serving God] mean [or signify] to you [toward you]?’ word study 27 you are to reply, ‘It is the Passover [sacrifice of the Lord’s Passeover] sacrifice to the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], who passed over [skipped over, spared] the houses [dwelling places, families] of the Israelites [descendants of Jacob] in Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] when He struck down [smote, killed] the Egyptians and spared [delivered, rescued] our homes [houses, families].’” Then the people [nation, community] bowed down [in reverence, worship] and worshiped [showed reverence, adored]. word study 28 And the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] went and did [obeyed, carried out] just what the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] had commanded [given orders to, appointed] Moses [the Israelite leader] and Aaron [the first high priest]. word study 29 Now at midnight [in the middle of the night, at the darkest hour] the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] struck down [smote, killed] every firstborn [oldest son, heir] male in the land [country, territory] of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh [the king, ruler], who sat on his throne [seat of power, royal chair], to the firstborn of the prisoner [captive, one in bondage] in the dungeon [pit, prison cell], as well as all the firstborn [oldest, chief] among the livestock [animals, beasts]. word study 30 During the [darkness of the] night [of great sorrow] Pharaoh [the king of Egypt] got up—he and all his [high-ranking] officials [servants, attendants] and all the Egyptians—and there was loud [great] wailing in Egypt; for there was no [single] house [family, dwelling] without someone [a loved one, a family member] dead [having died, deceased]. word study 31 Then Pharaoh summoned [called out to, invited] Moses and Aaron by [in the darkness of] night and said, “Get up [rise, stand], leave my people [nation, community], both you [as leaders] and the Israelites [descendants of Jacob]! Go [depart, journey], worship [serve, honor] the LORD [Yehovah] as you have requested [spoken, asked]. word study 32 Take your flocks [sheep and goats] and herds [domesticated cattle] as well, just as you have said [spoken, commanded], and depart [be gone, leave]! And bless [praise, honor] me also [too, even].” word study 33 And in order [with urgency, hastily] to send them out of the land [the region, territory] quickly, the Egyptians [the people of Egypt] urged [forced, pressed upon] the people [the nation, Amaw] on. “For otherwise [or they would, lest],” they said [spoke, uttered], “we are all [entirely, completely] going to die [perish, become dead men]!” word study 34 So the people [a nation, a large group] took their dough [unleavened bread-paste, before it was fermented] before it was leavened [before it had risen, became sour], carrying it on their shoulders [backs, upper body] in kneading bowls [troughs, containers for mixing] wrapped in clothing [garments, mantles]. word study 35 Furthermore, the Israelites [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] acted on Moses’ [the Israelite leader, God’s chosen servant] word and asked [requested, borrowed] the Egyptians [the people of Egypt, a neighboring nation] for articles [utensils, objects] of silver [valuable metal, wealth] and gold [precious treasure], and for clothing [garments, apparel]. word study 36 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] gave the people [a nation, the Israelites] such favor [graciousness, kindness] in the sight [eye, perception] of the Egyptians that they granted [lent, gave] their request [what they asked, desired]. In this way [thus, accordingly] they plundered [spoiled, despoiled] the Egyptians [the people of Egypt, a northeastern African country]. word study 37 The Israelites [sons of Jacob, God’s chosen people] journeyed from Rameses [city of the sun, a place of bondage] to Succoth [a place of booths, temporary dwellings] with about 600,000 men [able-bodied] on foot [as foot soldiers, traveling by land], besides [in addition to, apart from] women and children [little ones, families]. word study 38 And a mixed multitude [of diverse backgrounds, a great rabble] also went up with them, along with great droves [very much, exceeding many] of livestock [domestic animals, including flocks and herds], both flocks [sheep and goats] and herds [cattle, oxen]. word study 39 Since their dough [unleavened, without yeast] had no leaven, the people baked what they had brought out of [the land of] Egypt into unleavened loaves [flat bread]. For when they had been driven out [expelled, thrust] of Egypt, they could not delay [linger, tarry] and had not prepared any provisions [food, victuals] for themselves. word study 40 Now the duration [time, period, or sojourning] of the Israelites’ [children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] stay [dwelling, or living] in Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] was [is, or lasted] 430 [four hundred and thirty] years [a period of time, or a cycle of seasons]. word study 41 At the end [conclusion, fulfillment] of the 430 years [a period of testing and preparation], to the very day [the selfsame day, a specific point in time], all [every single one, the entire multitude] the LORD’s [Yehovah, the Lord God] divisions [hosts, armies, companies] went out [departed, emerged] of the land [territory, region] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa, a place of bondage]. word study 42 Because the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] kept a vigil [night watch, careful watching] that night [period of darkness, adversity] to bring them out [to lead them forth, to deliver] of the land [country, territory] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa], this same night [specific time of observance] is to be a vigil [time of observance, careful watching] to the LORD [the supreme God], to be observed [kept, remembered] by all [every, the entirety] the Israelites [descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] for the generations [periods of time, groups of people] to come. word study 43 And the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] said to Moses [the Israelite leader] and Aaron [the first high priest], “This [specific, unique] is the statute [ordinance, divine law] of the Passover [the Jewish festival, commemorating liberation]: No [not, none] foreigner [stranger, non-Israelite] is to eat [partake, devour] of it [the Passover meal, sacrifice]. word study 44 But any slave [servant, bondservant] who has been purchased [bought for money, acquired] may eat of it, after you have circumcised [cut off, consecrated] him [as a sign of covenant, to belong to God]. word study 45 A [foreigner, sojourner, resident alien] temporary resident [living among you] or hired [hired worker, servant] hand [paid by the day or year] shall not [under any circumstances] eat the Passover [the ceremonial meal commemorating Israel’s liberation]. word study 46 It must be eaten [in a single dwelling place] inside one house [a dwelling place, including a family home]. You are not [under no circumstances] to take any of the meat [flesh, the body or a person] outside [beyond the walls or boundary] the house, and you may not [are strictly forbidden] break [shatter or rupture] any of the bones [the substance or essence of something]. word study 47 The whole [all, entire] congregation [gathering, assembly] of Israel [the descendants of Jacob, God’s chosen people] must celebrate [keep, observe, honor] it [this festival, the Passover]. word study 48 If a foreigner [sojourner, temporary resident] resides with you and wants to celebrate the LORD’s [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] Passover [the Jewish festival, a time of remembrance], all the males [every male, including servants and guests] in the household must be circumcised [have their foreskin removed, a sign of covenant obedience]; then he may come near [approach, draw close] to celebrate it, and he shall be like a native [born in the land, a natural citizen] of the land. But no uncircumcised [without the sign of covenant obedience, still having their foreskin] man may eat of it. word study 49 The same [one, united] law [instruction, Torah] shall apply to both the native [born, homeborn] and the foreigner [sojourner, stranger] who resides [sojourns, lives] among you [in your midst].” word study 50 Then all [every single one] the Israelites [sons of Israel, descendants of Jacob] did this—they did just as [in accordance with, obeying] the LORD [Yehovah, the Lord God] had commanded [given orders to, appointed] Moses [the Israelite leader] and Aaron [the first high priest]. word study 51 And on that very day [the selfsame day, at the exact moment] the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] brought the Israelites [the children of Israel, descendants of Jacob] out of the land [the soil, the country] of Egypt [a country in northeastern Africa] by their divisions [armies, hosts, tribal groups]. word study