² “This month is to be for you the first month,^(A) the first month of your year. ³ Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb^[a](B) for his family, one for each household.^{(C) 4} If any household is too small for a whole lamb, they must share one with their nearest neighbor, having taken into account the number of people there are. You are to determine the amount of lamb needed in accordance with what each person will eat. ⁵ The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect,^(D) and you may take them from the sheep or the goats. ⁶ Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month,^(E) when all the members of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight.^{(F) 7} Then they are to take some of the blood^(G) and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. ⁸ That same night^(H) they are to eat the meat roasted^(I) over the fire, along with bitter herbs,^(J) and bread made without yeast.^{(K) 9} Do not eat the meat raw or boiled in water, but roast it over a fire—with the head, legs and internal organs.^{(L) 10} Do not leave any of it till morning;^(M) if some is left till morning, you must burn it. ¹¹ This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste;^(N) it is the Lord’s Passover.^(O)

¹² “On that same night I will pass through^(P) Egypt and strike down^(Q) every firstborn^(R) of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods^(S) of Egypt. I am the Lord.^{(T) 13} The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over^(U) you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.^(V)

¹⁴ “This is a day you are to commemorate;^(W) for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—a lasting ordinance.^{(X) 15} For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast.^(Y) On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off^(Z) from Israel. ¹⁶ On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work^(AA) at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do.

¹⁷ “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread,^(AB) because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt.^(AC) Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.^{(AD) 18} In the first month^(AE) you are to eat bread made without yeast, from the evening of the fourteenth day until the evening of the twenty-first day. ¹⁹ For seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. And anyone, whether foreigner^(AF) or native-born, who eats anything with yeast in it must be cut off^(AG) from the community of Israel. ²⁰ Eat nothing made with yeast. Wherever you live,^(AH) you must eat unleavened bread.”^(AI)

²¹ Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover^(AJ) lamb. ²² Take a bunch of hyssop,^(AK) dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood^(AL) on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. ²³ When the Lord goes through the land to strike^(AM) down the Egyptians, he will see the blood^(AN) on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over^(AO) that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer^(AP) to enter your houses and strike you down.

²⁴ “Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance^(AQ) for you and your descendants. ²⁵ When you enter the land^(AR) that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. ²⁶ And when your children^(AS) ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ ²⁷ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover^(AT) sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’”^(AU) Then the people bowed down and worshiped.^{(AV) 28} The Israelites did just what the Lord commanded^(AW) Moses and Aaron.

²⁹ At midnight^(AX) the Lord^(AY) struck down all the firstborn^(AZ) in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock^(BA) as well. ³⁰ Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing^(BB) in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.

The Exodus

³¹ During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, “Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship^(BC) the Lord as you have requested. ³² Take your flocks and herds,^(BD) as you have said, and go. And also bless^(BE) me.”

³³ The Egyptians urged the people to hurry^(BF) and leave^(BG) the country. “For otherwise,” they said, “we will all die!”^{(BH) 34} So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs^(BI) wrapped in clothing. ³⁵ The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold^(BJ) and for clothing.^{(BK) 36} The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed^(BL) toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered^(BM) the Egyptians.

³⁷ The Israelites journeyed from Rameses^(BN) to Sukkoth.^(BO) There were about six hundred thousand men^(BP) on foot, besides women and children. ³⁸ Many other people^(BQ) went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds. ³⁹ With the dough the Israelites had brought from Egypt, they baked loaves of unleavened bread. The dough was without yeast because they had been driven out^(BR) of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.

⁴⁰ Now the length of time the Israelite people lived in Egypt^[b] was 430 years.^{(BS) 41} At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord’s divisions^(BT) left Egypt.^{(BU) 42} Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.^(BV)

Passover Restrictions

⁴³ The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the regulations for the Passover meal:^(BW)

“No foreigner^(BX) may eat it. ⁴⁴ Any slave you have bought may eat it after you have circumcised^(BY) him, ⁴⁵ but a temporary resident or a hired worker^(BZ) may not eat it.

⁴⁶ “It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones.^{(CA) 47} The whole community of Israel must celebrate it.

⁴⁸ “A foreigner residing among you who wants to celebrate the Lord’s Passover must have all the males in his household circumcised; then he may take part like one born in the land.^(CB) No uncircumcised^(CC) male may eat it. ⁴⁹ The same law applies both to the native-born and to the foreigner^(CD) residing among you.”

⁵⁰ All the Israelites did just what the Lord had commanded^(CE) Moses and Aaron. ⁵¹ And on that very day the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt^(CF) by their divisions.^(CG)

Consecration of the Firstborn

13 The Lord said to Moses, ² “Consecrate to me every firstborn male.^(CH) The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.”

³ Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt,^(CI) out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand.^(CJ) Eat nothing containing yeast.^{(CK) 4} Today, in the month of Aviv,^(CL) you are leaving. ⁵ When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites,^(CM) Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites^(CN)—the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey^(CO)—you are to observe this ceremony^(CP) in this month: ⁶ For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival^(CQ) to the Lord. ⁷ Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. ⁸ On that day tell your son,^(CR) ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ ⁹ This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand^(CS) and a reminder on your forehead^(CT) that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand.^{(CU) 10} You must keep this ordinance^(CV) at the appointed time^(CW) year after year.

¹⁵ “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread;^(A) for seven days eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv,^(B) for in that month you came out of Egypt.

“No one is to appear before me empty-handed.^(C)

¹⁸ “Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread.^(A) For seven days eat bread made without yeast,^(B) as I commanded you. Do this at the appointed time in the month of Aviv,^(C) for in that month you came out of Egypt.

⁵ The Lord’s Passover^(A) begins at twilight on the fourteenth day of the first month.^{(B) 6} On the fifteenth day of that month the Lord’s Festival of Unleavened Bread^(C) begins; for seven days^(D) you must eat bread made without yeast. ⁷ On the first day hold a sacred assembly^(E) and do no regular work. ⁸ For seven days present a food offering to the Lord.^(F) And on the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.’”

The Passover^(A)

¹⁶ “‘On the fourteenth day of the first month the Lord’s Passover^(B) is to be held. ¹⁷ On the fifteenth day of this month there is to be a festival; for seven days^(C) eat bread made without yeast.^{(D) 18} On the first day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.^{(E) 19} Present to the Lord a food offering^(F) consisting of a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram and seven male lambs a year old, all without defect.^{(G) 20} With each bull offer a grain offering of three-tenths of an ephah^(H) of the finest flour mixed with oil; with the ram, two-tenths;^{(I) 21} and with each of the seven lambs, one-tenth.^{(J) 22} Include one male goat as a sin offering^(K) to make atonement for you.^{(L) 23} Offer these in addition to the regular morning burnt offering. ²⁴ In this way present the food offering every day for seven days as an aroma pleasing to the Lord;^(M) it is to be offered in addition to the regular burnt offering and its drink offering. ²⁵ On the seventh day hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work.

¹⁰ On the evening of the fourteenth day of the month,^(A) while camped at Gilgal on the plains of Jericho, the Israelites celebrated the Passover.^{(B) 11} The day after the Passover, that very day, they ate some of the produce of the land:^(C) unleavened bread^(D) and roasted grain.^{(E) 12} The manna stopped the day after^[a] they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate the produce of Canaan.^(F)

²¹ The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passover^(A) to the Lord your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.”^{(B) 22} Neither in the days of the judges who led Israel nor in the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah had any such Passover been observed. ²³ But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the Lord in Jerusalem.^(C)

Hezekiah Celebrates the Passover

30 Hezekiah sent word to all Israel^(A) and Judah and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh,^(B) inviting them to come to the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover^(C) to the Lord, the God of Israel. ² The king and his officials and the whole assembly in Jerusalem decided to celebrate^(D) the Passover in the second month. ³ They had not been able to celebrate it at the regular time because not enough priests had consecrated^(E) themselves and the people had not assembled in Jerusalem. ⁴ The plan seemed right both to the king and to the whole assembly. ⁵ They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan,^(F) calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written.

⁶ At the king’s command, couriers went throughout Israel and Judah with letters from the king and from his officials, which read:

¹⁰ The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but people scorned and ridiculed^(O) them. ¹¹ Nevertheless, some from Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled^(P) themselves and went to Jerusalem.^{(Q) 12} Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity^(R) of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the Lord.

¹³ A very large crowd of people assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread^(S) in the second month. ¹⁴ They removed the altars^(T) in Jerusalem and cleared away the incense altars and threw them into the Kidron Valley.^(U)

¹⁵ They slaughtered the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month. The priests and the Levites were ashamed and consecrated^(V) themselves and brought burnt offerings to the temple of the Lord. ¹⁶ Then they took up their regular positions^(W) as prescribed in the Law of Moses the man of God. The priests splashed against the altar the blood handed to them by the Levites. ¹⁷ Since many in the crowd had not consecrated themselves, the Levites had to kill^(X) the Passover lambs for all those who were not ceremonially clean and could not consecrate their lambs^[a] to the Lord. ¹⁸ Although most of the many people who came from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun had not purified themselves,^(Y) yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone ¹⁹ who sets their heart on seeking God—the Lord, the God of their ancestors—even if they are not clean according to the rules of the sanctuary.” ²⁰ And the Lord heard^(Z) Hezekiah and healed^(AA) the people.^(AB)

²¹ The Israelites who were present in Jerusalem celebrated the Festival of Unleavened Bread^(AC) for seven days with great rejoicing, while the Levites and priests praised the Lord every day with resounding instruments dedicated to the Lord.^[b]

²² Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites, who showed good understanding of the service of the Lord. For the seven days they ate their assigned portion and offered fellowship offerings and praised^[c] the Lord, the God of their ancestors.

²³ The whole assembly then agreed to celebrate^(AD) the festival seven more days; so for another seven days they celebrated joyfully. ²⁴ Hezekiah king of Judah provided^(AE) a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep and goats for the assembly, and the officials provided them with a thousand bulls and ten thousand sheep and goats. A great number of priests consecrated themselves. ²⁵ The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites and all who had assembled from Israel^(AF), including the foreigners who had come from Israel and also those who resided in Judah. ²⁶ There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon^(AG) son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. ²⁷ The priests and the Levites stood to bless^(AH) the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place.