Exodus

Describes how Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt and slavery, and how they receive laws from God.

Chapter 12

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

*And the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in Egypt, saying,

2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

*This month is the start of all other months; it will be the first month of the year for you.

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:

*Tell all the people of Israel, "On the 10th day of this month, each person must choose a lamb for their family, based on their family group, one lamb per family."

4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour 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.

*If there are not enough people in a family for a whole lamb, they and their neighbor can share it based on how many people are there. Each person should be counted based on how much they eat, to figure out how many people need the lamb.

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:

*Your sacrifice must be a perfect young male lamb, taken from the sheep or goats.

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.

*Keep it for fourteen days, then on the same month's evening, the entire Israel group must kill it.

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.

*They will put blood on the side posts and top post of house doors where they will eat it.

8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

*On that night, they will eat the meat cooked by fire along with unleavened bread, and they must also eat bitter herbs with it.

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.

*Don't eat it uncooked or boiled, but cook it with fire. Cook the meat including its head and legs, along with its inner organs.

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.

*Don't leave anything of it behind by morning; burn whatever is left by morning with fire.

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.

*So, you should eat it quickly while wearing a belt, shoes, and holding a walking stick. It's called the Lord's Passover.

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; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.

*Tonight, I will go through Egypt and hurt all the first children, people and animals. I will also judge all their gods. I am the LORD.

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.

*The blood on your house will protect you from the plague. When I see this blood, I won't destroy you during the punishment of Egypt.

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.

*This day is a reminder, so celebrate it as a festival for the LORD forever, passing this tradition through your family's generations.

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.

*For one week, eat only bread without yeast. On the first day, remove all yeast from your home. If someone eats yeasted bread between the first and seventh day, they will be expelled from Israel.

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.

*On the first day, there will be a special gathering, and on the seventh day, another special gathering. On these days, no regular work should be done, except for eating, which is allowed.

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.

*Observe the feast of unleavened bread because today I freed your armies from Egypt. Celebrate this day forever in your families as a permanent rule.

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.

*In the first month, on the 14th day, starting at evening, you must eat bread without yeast. Keep doing this until the 21st day, also ending at evening.

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.

*For one week, don't have any yeast in your homes. If anyone eats yeasted food, they will be removed from the Israel community, whether they are a visitor or a native.

20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.

*You must not eat any bread with yeast; everywhere you live, you should only eat bread without yeast.

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.

*Then Moses asked all the older people of Israel to choose a lamb for their families and sacrifice it for Passover.

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.

*Take some hyssop, dip it in the blood in the bowl, and put the blood on the top and side beams of your doorway. Don't leave your house through the door until morning.

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.

*For God will go through to punish the Egyptians. When he sees the blood on the top and sides of the door, God will go past the doorway and won't let the destroyer enter your homes to harm you.

24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.

*And you will follow this rule for yourself and your sons forever.

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.

*When you arrive in the land the Lord gives you, just as He promised, you must follow this practice.

26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?

*Then, when your kids ask you about this task, they will wonder what it means.

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.

*Say, "This is the Lord's Passover sacrifice. He passed over the Israeli homes in Egypt, sparing them while punishing the Egyptians, and saving ours. The people bowed their heads and worshiped."

28 And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

*The Israelite kids followed Moses and Aaron's instructions from God.

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.

*Then, at midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from Pharaoh's son who was on the throne to the firstborn of slaves in the prison, as well as all the firstborn animals.

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.

*Pharaoh and everyone in Egypt woke up at night because many people had died. No home was spared.

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.

*He called for Moses and Aaron at night and told them to leave his people and take the Israelites with them. He instructed them to serve God, just like they had promised.

32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also.

*"Also, take your sheep and cattle like you mentioned, and leave. And please, wish me well too."

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.

*The Egyptians pressured the people to quickly leave the land, as they said, "We are all going to die."

34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.

*The people carried their unrisen dough in bowls tied to their shoulders, with the dough mixing tools hidden in their clothes.

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:

*The Israelite children followed Moses' instructions and borrowed silver and gold jewelry, along with clothing, from the Egyptians.

36 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians.

*The LORD made the people liked by the Egyptians, causing them to lend whatever the people needed. As a result, the people took valuable items from the Egyptians.

37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children.

*The Israelite kids traveled from Rameses to Succoth, with around 600,000 adult males walking and many children too.

38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.

*Many different people and lots of animals joined them on their journey.

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.

*So, they made flat bread using the dough they took from Egypt. It wasn't rising because they had to leave Egypt quickly and couldn't wait. They also didn't have any food with them.

40 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.

*The time the Israeli kids spent living in Egypt was 430 years.

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.

*At the end of 430 years, on the exact same day, the LORD's army left Egypt's land.

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.

*This is a special night to remember when the Lord helped free the Israelites from Egypt. All descendants of the Israelites should celebrate this night forever.

43 And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:

*And God told Moses and Aaron, "This is the rule for the Passover meal: No one who isn't part of our people can eat it."

44 But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.

*But anyone's slave you buy with money, after you cut them, they can eat the food too.

45 A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.

*A non-local person and a paid worker cannot eat from that.

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.

*In one home, eat it; don't take any meat outside the home; and don't break any bones.

47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.

*Everyone in Israel must follow it.

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.

*If a stranger lives with you and wants to celebrate Passover with the Lord, you must circumcise all his males. After this, he can join the celebration. He will be treated like someone born in the land. No uncircumcised person can eat the meal.

49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.

*There will be one rule for native-born people and also for those who live with you temporarily.

50 Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

*So, just like the LORD instructed Moses and Aaron, all the people of Israel followed their lead.

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.

*On that very day, the LORD freed the Israelites from Egypt with the help of their armies.

read summary

Back to Chapters

Back to Books

* work in progress, there will be mistakes