The Need of a Sacrifice

12:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt
saying,
12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be
the first month of the year to you.
12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying,

In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb,
according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
12:4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his
neighbor next unto his house take it according to the number of the
souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for
the lamb.
12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye
shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same
month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall
kill it in the evening.
12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side
posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall
eat it.
12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and
unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
12:9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire;
his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof.
12:10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that
which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on
your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste:
it is the LORD's passover.
12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite
all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and151
against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the
LORD.
12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where
ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the
plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land
of Egypt.
12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it
a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it
a feast by an ordinance for ever.
12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye
shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth
leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul
shall be cut off from Israel.
12:16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the
seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner
of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat,
that only may be done of you.
12:17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this
selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt:
therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an
ordinance for ever.
12:18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye
shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the
month at even.
12:19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for
whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut
off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or
born in the land.
12:20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat
unleavened bread.
12:21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them,
Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill
the passover.152
12:22 And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is
in the bason, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the
blood that is in the bason; and none of you shall go out at the door
of his house until the morning.
12:23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when
he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the
LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to
come in unto your houses to smite you.
12:24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy
sons for ever.
12:25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the
LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall
keep this service.
12:26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you,
What mean ye by this service?
12:27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD's passover, who
passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he
smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people
bowed the head and worshipped.
12:28 And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had
commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
12:29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the
firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that
sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the
dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.
12:30 And 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 there was not one dead.
12:31 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up,
and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children
of Israel; and go, serve the LORD, as ye have said.
12:32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone;
and bless me also.12:33 And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might
send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead
men.
12:34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their
kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their
shoulders.
12:35 And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and
they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of
gold, and raiment:
12:36 And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians,
so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they
spoiled the Egyptians.
12:37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth,
about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.
12:38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and
herds, even very much cattle.
12:39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought
forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were
thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared
for themselves any victual.
12:40 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt,
was four hundred and thirty years.
12:41 And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty
years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of
the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.
12:42 It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them
out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be
observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.
12:43 And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance
of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:
12:44 But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast
circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.
12:45 A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.12:46 In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of
the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone
thereof.
12:47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.
12:48 And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the
passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then
let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in
the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
12:49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger
that sojourneth among you.
12:50 Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded
Moses and Aaron, so did they.
12:51 And it came to pass the selfsame day, that the LORD did bring the
children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.