12:27. You shall say to them: It is the victim of the pa.s.sage of the Lord, when he pa.s.sed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, striking the Egyptians, and saving our houses. And the people bowing themselves, adored.

12:28. And the children of Israel going forth, did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.

12:29. And it came to pa.s.s at midnight, the Lord slew every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharao, who sat on his throne, unto the firstborn of the captive woman that was in the prison, and all the firstborn of cattle.

12:30. And Pharao arose in the night, and all his servants, and all Egypt: and there arose a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house wherein there lay not one dead.

12:31. And Pharao calling Moses and Aaron, in the night, said: Arise and go forth from among my people, you and the children of Israel: go, sacrifice to the Lord as you say.

12:32. Your sheep and herds take along with you, as you demanded, and departing bless me.

12:33. And the Egyptians pressed the people to go forth out of the land speedily, saying: We shall all die.

12:34. The people therefore took dough before it was leavened; and tying it in their cloaks, put it on their shoulders.

12:35. And the children of Israel did as Moses had commanded: and they asked of the Egyptians vessels of silver and gold, and very much raiment.

12:36. And the Lord gave favour to the people in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them: and they stripped the Egyptians.

12:37. And the children of Israel set forward from Ramesse to Socoth, being about six hundred thousand men on foot, beside children.

12:38. And a mixed mult.i.tude, without number, went up also with them, sheep and herds, and beasts of divers kinds, exceeding many.

12:39. And they baked the meal, which a little before they had brought out of Egypt in dough: and they made hearth cakes unleavened: for it could not be leavened, the Egyptians pressing them to depart, and not suffering them to make any stay; neither did they think of preparing any meat.

12:40. And the abode of the children of Israel that they made in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.

12:41. Which being expired, the same day all the army of the Lord went forth out of the land of Egypt.

12:42. This is the observable night of the Lord, when he brought them forth out of the land of Egypt: this night all the children of Israel must observe in their generations.

12:43. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron: This is the service of the Phase; no foreigner shall eat of it.

12:44. But every bought servant shall be circ.u.mcised, and so shall eat.

12:45. The stranger and the hireling shall not eat thereof.

12:46. In one house shall it be eaten, neither shall you carry forth of the flesh thereof out of the house, neither shall you break a bone thereof.

12:47. All the a.s.sembly of the children of Israel shall keep it.

12:48. And if any stranger be willing to dwell among you, and to keep the Phase of the Lord, all his males shall first be circ.u.mcised, and then shall he celebrate it according to the manner: and he shall be as he that is born in the land: but if any man be uncirc.u.mcised, he shall not eat thereof.

12:49. The same law shall be to him that is born in the land, and to the proselyte that sojourneth with you.

12:50. And all the children of Israel did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron.

12:51. And the same day the Lord brought forth the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their companies.

Exodus Chapter 13

The paschal solemnity is to be observed; and the firstborn are to be consecrated to G.o.d. The people are conducted through the desert by a pillar of fire in the night, and a cloud in the day.

13:1. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

13:2. Sanctify unto me every firstborn that openeth the womb among the children of Israel, as well of men as of beasts: for they are all mine.

Sanctify unto me every firstborn... Sanctification in this place means that the firstborn males of the Hebrews should be deputed to the ministry in the divine worship; and the firstborn of beasts to be given for a sacrifice.

13:3. And Moses said to the people: Remember this day in which you came forth out of Egypt, and out of the house of bondage, for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought you forth out of this place: that you eat no leavened bread.

13:4. This day you go forth in the month of new corn.

13:5. And when the Lord shall have brought thee into the land of the Chanaanite, and the Hethite, and the Amorrhite, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to thy fathers that he would give thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey, thou shalt celebrate this manner of sacred rites in this month.

13:6. Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be the solemnity of the Lord.

13:7. Unleavened bread shall you eat seven days: there shall not be seen any thing leavened with thee, nor in all thy coasts.

13:8. And thou shalt tell thy son in that day, saying: This is what the Lord did to me when I came forth out of Egypt.

13:9. And it shall be as a sign in thy hand, and as a memorial before thy eyes; and that the law of the Lord be always in thy mouth, for with a strong hand the Lord hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt.

13:10. Thou shalt keep this observance at the set time from days to days.

13:11. And when the Lord shall have brought thee into the land of the Chanaanite, as he swore to thee and thy fathers, and shall give it thee:

13:12. Thou shalt set apart all that openeth the womb for the Lord, and all that is first brought forth of thy cattle: whatsoever thou shalt have of the male s.e.x, thou shalt consecrate to the Lord.

13:13. The firstborn of an a.s.s thou shalt change for a sheep: and if thou do not redeem it, thou shalt kill it. And every firstborn of men thou shalt redeem with a price.

13:14. And when thy son shall ask thee to morrow, saying: What is this?

thou shalt answer him: With a strong hand did the Lord bring us forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

13:15. For when Pharao was hardened, and would not let us go, the Lord slew every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of beasts: therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the womb of the male s.e.x, and all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.

13:16. And it shall be as a sign in thy hand, and as a thing hung between thy eyes, for a remembrance: because the Lord hath brought us forth out of Egypt by a strong hand.

13:17. And when Pharao had sent out the people, the Lord led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines, which is near; thinking lest perhaps they would repent, if they should see wars arise against them, and would return into Egypt.

13:18: But he led them about by the way of the desert, which is by the Red Sea: and the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt.

13:19. And Moses took Joseph's bones with him: because he had adjured the children of Israel, saying: G.o.d shall visit you, carry out my bones from hence with you.

13:20. And marching from Socoth, they encamped in Etham, in the utmost coasts of the wilderness.

13:21. And the Lord went before them to shew the way, by day in a pillar of a cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire; that he might be the guide of their journey at both times.