Exodus · Catholic Public Domain Version
Exodus 12 Catholic Public Domain Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (3)
- Esther and Daniel are the Vulgate books (Esther 1–16 with the Greek additions as chapters 10:4–16; Daniel 1–14 with the Song of the Three, Susanna and Bel). Baruch 6 is the Letter of Jeremiah.
- The translator's footnotes, cross-references, chapter summaries and book introductions in the CrossWire module are not shown.
- No imprimatur; single translator.
1 The Lord also said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt:
1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
2 “This month will be for you the beginning of the months. It will be first in the months of the year.
2 “This month shall be to you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you.
3 Speak to the entire assembly of the sons of Israel, and say to them: On the tenth day of this month, let everyone take a lamb, by their families and houses.
3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth day of this month, they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household;
4 But if the number is less than may suffice to be able to consume the lamb, he shall accept his neighbor, who has been joined with his house according to the number of souls that may suffice to be able to eat the lamb.
4 and if the household is too little for a lamb, then he and his neighbor next to his house shall take one according to the number of the souls. You shall make your count for the lamb according to what everyone can eat.
5 And it shall be a lamb without blemish, a one year old male. According to this rite, you shall also take a young goat.
5 Your lamb shall be without defect, a male a year old. You shall take it from the sheep or from the goats.
6 And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month. And the entire multitude of the sons of Israel shall immolate it toward evening.
6 You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at evening.
7 And they shall take from its blood, and place it on both the door posts and the upper threshold of the houses, in which they will consume it.
7 They shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two door posts and on the lintel, on the houses in which they shall eat it.
8 And that night they shall eat the flesh, roasted by fire, and unleavened bread with wild lettuce.
8 They shall eat the meat in that night, roasted with fire, with unleavened bread. They shall eat it with bitter herbs.
9 You shall not consume anything from it raw, nor boiled in water, but only roasted by fire. You shall devour the head with its feet and entrails.
9 Don’t eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted with fire; with its head, its legs and its inner parts.
10 Neither shall there remain anything from it until morning. If anything will have been left over, you shall burn it with fire.
10 You shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; but that which remains of it until the morning you shall burn with fire.
11 Now you shall consume it in this way: You shall gird your waist, and you shall have shoes on your feet, holding staves in your hands, and you shall consume it in haste. For it is the Passover (that is, the Crossing) of the Lord.
11 This is how you shall eat it: with your belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste: it is Yahweh’s Passover.
12 And I will cross through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man, even to cattle. And I will bring judgments against all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord.
12 For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and animal. I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt. I am Yahweh.
13 But the blood will be for you as a sign in the buildings where you will be. And I will see the blood, and I will pass over you. And the plague will not be with you to destroy, when I strike the land of Egypt.
13 The blood shall be to you for a token on the houses where you are. When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.
14 Then you shall have this day as a memorial, and you shall celebrate it as a solemnity to the Lord, in your generations, as an everlasting devotion.
14 This day shall be a memorial for you. You shall keep it as a feast to Yahweh. You shall keep it as a feast throughout your generations by an ordinance forever.
15 For seven days, you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day there shall be no leaven in your houses. Whoever will consume anything leavened, from the first day, even until the seventh day, that soul shall perish from Israel.
15 “‘Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; even the first day you shall put away yeast out of your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
16 The first day shall be holy and solemn, and the seventh day shall be venerated with the same festivity. You shall do no work in these days, except that which pertains to the eating.
16 In the first day there shall be to you a holy convocation, and in the seventh day a holy convocation; no kind of work shall be done in them, except that which every man must eat, only that may be done by you.
17 And you shall observe the feast of unleavened bread. For on this same day, I will lead your army out of the land of Egypt, and you shall keep this day, in your generations, as a perpetual ritual.
17 You shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this same day I have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance forever.
18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, toward evening, you shall consume the unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the same month, toward evening.
18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty first day of the month at evening.
19 For seven days, there shall not be found leaven in your houses. Whoever will eat leaven, his soul will perish from the assembly of Israel, as much with the newcomers as with the natives of the land.
19 There shall be no yeast found in your houses for seven days, for whoever eats that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a foreigner, or one who is born in the land.
20 You shall not consume any leaven. In all your dwelling places, you shall eat unleavened bread.”
20 You shall eat nothing leavened. In all your habitations you shall eat unleavened bread.’”
21 Then Moses called all the elders of the sons of Israel, and he said to them: “Go, taking an animal by your families, and sacrifice the Passover.
21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said to them, “Draw out, and take lambs according to your families, and kill the Passover.
22 And dip a little bundle of hyssop in the blood which is at the entrance, and sprinkle the upper threshold with it, and both of the door posts. Let none of you go out of the door of his house until morning.
22 You shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two door posts with the blood that is in the basin. None of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.
23 For the Lord will cross through, striking the Egyptians. And when he will see the blood on the upper threshold, and on both the door posts, he will pass over the door of the house and not permit the Striker to enter into your houses or to do harm.
23 For Yahweh will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood on the lintel, and on the two door posts, Yahweh will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to strike you.
24 You shall keep this word as a law for you and for your sons, forever.
24 You shall observe this thing for an ordinance to you and to your sons forever.
25 And when you have entered into the land that the Lord will give to you, just as he has promised, you shall observe these ceremonies.
25 It shall happen when you have come to the land which Yahweh will give you, as he has promised, that you shall keep this service.
26 And when your sons will say to you, ‘What is the meaning of this religious observance?’
26 It will happen, when your children ask you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’
27 You shall say to them: ‘It is the victim of the crossing of the Lord, when he passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt, striking the Egyptians, and freeing our houses.’ ” And the people, bowing down, worshipped.
27 that you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of Yahweh’s Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians, and spared our houses.’” The people bowed their heads and worshiped.
28 And the sons of Israel, departing, did just as the Lord had instructed Moses and Aaron.
28 The children of Israel went and did so; as Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
29 Then it happened, in the middle of the night: the Lord struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the captive woman who was in prison, and all the firstborn of the cattle.
29 At midnight, Yahweh struck 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 livestock.
30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, and all his servants, and all of Egypt. And there arose a great outcry in Egypt. For there was not a house in which no one lay dead.
30 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.
31 And Pharaoh, calling Moses and Aaron in the night, said: “Rise up and go forth from among my people, you and the sons of Israel. Go, sacrifice to the Lord, just as you say.
31 He called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, “Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel; and go, serve Yahweh, as you have said!
32 Your sheep and herds take along with you, as you requested, and as you go away, bless me.”
32 Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also!”
33 And the Egyptians urged the people to go away from the land quickly, saying, “We will all die.”
33 The Egyptians were urgent with the people, to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, “We are all dead men.”
34 Therefore, the people took bread dough before it was leavened. And tying it in their cloaks, they placed it on their shoulders.
34 The people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs being bound up in their clothes on their shoulders.
35 And the sons of Israel did just as Moses had instructed. And they petitioned the Egyptians for vessels of silver and of gold, and very many garments.
35 The children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they asked of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing.
36 Then the Lord granted favor to the people in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they bestowed on them. And they despoiled the Egyptians.
36 Yahweh gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. They plundered the Egyptians.
37 And the sons of Israel set out from Rameses to Soccoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides little ones.
37 The children of Israel traveled from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot who were men, in addition to children.
38 But also an innumerable mix of common people ascended with them, sheep and herds and animals of diverse kinds, exceedingly many.
38 A mixed multitude went up also with them, with flocks, herds, and even very much livestock.
39 And they baked the bread, which a little while ago they had taken out of Egypt as dough. And they made unleavened bread baked under ashes. For it was not able to be leavened, with the Egyptians compelling them to leave and not permitting them to cause any delay. Neither did they have occasion to prepare any meat.
39 They baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought out of Egypt; for it wasn’t leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt, and couldn’t wait, and they had not prepared any food for themselves.
40 Now the habitation of the sons of Israel, while they remained in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.
40 Now the time that the children of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred thirty years.
41 Having been completed, on the same day all the army of the Lord departed from the land of Egypt.
41 At the end of four hundred thirty years, to the day, all of Yahweh’s armies went out from the land of Egypt.
42 This night is a worthy observance of the Lord, when he led them out of the land of Egypt. This all the sons of Israel must observe in their generations.
42 It is a night to be much observed to Yahweh for bringing them out from the land of Egypt. This is that night of Yahweh, to be much observed by all the children of Israel throughout their generations.
43 And the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron: “This is the religious observance of the Passover. No foreigner shall eat from it.
43 Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover. No foreigner shall eat of it,
44 But every bought servant shall be circumcised, and so he may eat from it.
44 but every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then shall he eat of it.
45 The newcomer and the hired hand shall not eat from it.
45 A foreigner and a hired servant shall not eat of it.
46 In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry its flesh outside, nor shall you break its bone.
46 It must be eaten in one house. You shall not carry any of the meat outside of the house. Do not break any of its bones.
47 The entire assembly of the sons of Israel shall do this.
47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.
48 And if any sojourner will be willing to cross over into your settlement, and to keep the Passover of the Lord, all his males shall first be circumcised, and then he shall celebrate the rite. And he shall be just like a native of the land. But if any man is not circumcised, he shall not eat from it.
48 When a stranger lives as a foreigner with you, and would like to keep the Passover to Yahweh, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it. He shall be as one who is born in the land; but no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.
49 The law shall be the same for the native born and for the settler who sojourns with you.”
49 One law shall be to him who is born at home, and to the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you.”
50 And all the sons of Israel did just as the Lord had instructed Moses and Aaron.
50 All the children of Israel did so. As Yahweh commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
51 And on the same day, the Lord led the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their companies.
51 That same day, Yahweh brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Aaron
Moses' brother and spokesman, Israel's first high priest.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 4–40; Leviticus 8–10
Moses
Drawn from the Nile, he led Israel out of Egypt and received God's Law.
Cited in the guide: Exodus 2–Deuteronomy 34
Cross references (48)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 2 Exodus 13:4; Deuteronomy 16:1; Exodus 34:18; Exodus 23:15; Leviticus 23:5
- 3 Leviticus 1:2; Leviticus 5:6; John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Exodus 4:30
- 5 Hebrews 9:13–14; 1 Peter 1:18–19; Malachi 1:14; Malachi 1:7–8; Deuteronomy 17:1
- 6 Leviticus 23:5; Numbers 28:16; 2 Chronicles 30:15–18; Numbers 9:11; Exodus 12:18
- 7 Hebrews 11:28; Exodus 12:22–23; Hebrews 9:22; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 10:14
- 8 Exodus 34:25; Deuteronomy 16:7; Deuteronomy 16:3–4; 1 Corinthians 5:6–8; John 6:52–57
- 9 Exodus 12:8; Deuteronomy 16:7; Lamentations 1:13
- 10 Exodus 23:18; Exodus 34:25; Leviticus 22:30; Exodus 29:34; Deuteronomy 16:4–5
- 11 Exodus 12:27; Ephesians 6:15; 1 Peter 1:13; 1 Corinthians 5:7; Leviticus 23:5
- 12 Numbers 33:4; Psalm 82:6; Exodus 12:23; Zephaniah 2:11; Psalm 82:1
- 13 Hebrews 11:28; Exodus 12:23; 1 John 1:7; Genesis 17:11; Joshua 2:12
- 14 2 Kings 23:21; Exodus 12:17; Exodus 12:24; Exodus 13:9–10; 1 Corinthians 5:7–8
- 15 Genesis 17:14; Deuteronomy 16:3; Exodus 34:18; Exodus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:8
- 16 Numbers 28:18; Leviticus 23:7–8; Numbers 28:25; Exodus 16:23; Exodus 35:2–3
- 17 Exodus 13:3; Exodus 7:5; Exodus 13:8; Exodus 12:41; Numbers 20:16
- 18 Exodus 12:15; Leviticus 23:5–8; Numbers 28:16–25; Exodus 12:1–2
- 19 Exodus 12:15; Deuteronomy 16:3; Exodus 23:15; Exodus 12:48; Exodus 34:18
- 21 Exodus 12:3; 2 Kings 23:21; Mark 14:12–16; Joshua 5:10; Ezra 6:20
- 22 Hebrews 11:28; Psalm 51:7; Exodus 12:7; Numbers 19:18; Hebrews 9:14
- 23 Revelation 7:3; Revelation 9:4; Hebrews 11:28; Exodus 12:12–13; 1 Corinthians 10:10
- 24 Exodus 12:14; Genesis 17:8–10
- 25 Exodus 3:17; Exodus 3:8; Psalm 105:44–45; Deuteronomy 4:5; Deuteronomy 12:8–9
- 26 Exodus 13:14–15; Deuteronomy 32:7; Psalm 145:4; Psalm 78:3–6; Joshua 4:21–24
- 27 Exodus 4:31; Exodus 12:11; Exodus 12:23; 1 Corinthians 5:7; 1 Chronicles 29:20
- 28 Hebrews 11:28
- 29 Psalm 78:51; Exodus 4:23; Psalm 105:36; Psalm 135:8; Psalm 136:10
- 30 Exodus 11:6; Amos 5:17; James 2:13; Matthew 25:6; Proverbs 21:13
- 31 Exodus 6:1; Exodus 10:9; Exodus 3:19–20; Exodus 8:8; Psalm 105:38
- 32 Exodus 10:26; Genesis 27:34; Genesis 27:38; Exodus 10:9; Exodus 9:28
- 33 Psalm 105:38; Exodus 11:1; Genesis 20:3; Numbers 17:12–13
- 34 Exodus 8:3
- 35 Exodus 3:21–22; Exodus 11:2–3; Psalm 105:37; Genesis 15:14
- 36 Genesis 15:14; Acts 7:10; Exodus 11:3; Exodus 3:21–22; Psalm 105:37
- 37 Numbers 1:46; Exodus 38:26; Numbers 33:5; Numbers 33:3; Numbers 11:21
- 38 Numbers 11:4; Zechariah 8:23
- 39 Exodus 6:1; Exodus 11:1; Exodus 12:31–33
- 40 Genesis 15:13; Acts 7:6; Acts 13:17; Genesis 12:1–3; Galatians 3:16–17
- 41 Habakkuk 2:3; John 7:8; Exodus 7:4; Acts 1:7; Joshua 5:14
- 42 Exodus 12:14; Deuteronomy 16:1–6; Exodus 13:10
- 43 Exodus 12:48; Numbers 9:14; Exodus 12:11; Leviticus 22:10; Ephesians 2:12
- 44 Genesis 17:12–13; Genesis 17:23
- 45 Leviticus 22:10; Ephesians 2:12
- 46 John 19:36; Numbers 9:12; John 19:33; Ephesians 2:19–22; Psalm 34:20
- 47 Exodus 12:6; Numbers 9:13; Exodus 12:3
- 48 Numbers 9:14; Colossians 3:11; Numbers 15:15–16; Galatians 3:28; Ezekiel 47:22
- 49 Numbers 15:15–16; Numbers 15:29; Numbers 9:14; Leviticus 24:22; Galatians 3:28
- 50 Matthew 7:24–25; Exodus 6:26; Matthew 28:20; John 15:14; Exodus 7:4
- 51 Exodus 12:41; Exodus 6:26
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
… fact that from one man, Abraham, in not much more than four hundred years, the numbers of the Hebrew race so increased, that in the exodus of that people from Egypt there are recorded to have been six hundred thousand men capable of bearing arms, and this over and above the Idumæans, who, though not numbered with Israel's descendants, were …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… for the aliens' sake, to increase the number of the proselytes; and for manifestation of God's power, if haply their enemies having taken them captives, fancied they prevailed, because their own gods were mighty: like as in Egypt, out of which no small "mixed multitude" went up; and, after that, in Babylon, what befell touching the furnace and the dreams.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Let them remember, then, that those who celebrated the passover at that time in type and shadow, when they were ordered to mark their door-posts with the blood of the lamb, used hyssop to mark them with. Now this is a meek and lowly herb, and yet nothing is stronger and more penetrating than its roots; that being rooted and …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)
… He Himself, in the very act of giving the law of the Sabbath, did even therein darkly signify that He will have them refrain from the evil works only, by the saying, "Ye must do no work, except what shall be done for your life." And in the temple too all went on, and with more diligence and double toil.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
… a sheep to the slaughter, that by His blood sprinkled on our doorposts, that is, by the sign of His cross marked on our foreheads, we may be delivered from the perdition awaiting this world, as Israel from the bondage and destruction of the Egyptians; and a most salutary transit we make when we pass over from the devil to …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888)