וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּחֲצִ֣י הַלַּ֗יְלָה וַֽיהוָה֮ הִכָּ֣ה כָל־בְּכוֹר֮ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַיִם֒ מִבְּכֹ֤ר פַּרְעֹה֙ הַיֹּשֵׁ֣ב עַל־כִּסְא֔וֹ עַ֚ד בְּכ֣וֹר הַשְּׁבִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֖ר בְּבֵ֣ית הַבּ֑וֹר וְכֹ֖ל בְּכ֥וֹר בְּהֵמָֽה׃

It was at midnight, and the Lord smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the exalted firstborn of Pharaoh, the prince, who was sitting on his throne, to the lowliest firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and every firstborn animal.

וַיָּ֨קָם פַּרְעֹ֜ה לַ֗יְלָה ה֤וּא וְכָל־עֲבָדָיו֙ וְכָל־מִצְרַ֔יִם וַתְּהִ֛י צְעָקָ֥ה גְדֹלָ֖ה בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם כִּֽי־אֵ֣ין בַּ֔יִת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֵֽין־שָׁ֖ם מֵֽת׃

Pharaoh arose during the night, he, and all his servants, and all Egypt, and there was a great outcry in Egypt. The cries of anguish filled the land because there was no house in which there were no dead.

וַיִּקְרָא֩ לְמֹשֶׁ֨ה וּֽלְאַהֲרֹ֜ן לַ֗יְלָה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ ק֤וּמוּ צְּאוּ֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ עַמִּ֔י גַּם־אַתֶּ֖ם גַּם־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וּלְכ֛וּ עִבְד֥וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֖ה כְּדַבֶּרְכֶֽם׃

He summoned Moses and Aaron at the middle of the night and said: Rise and go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel, and go serve the Lord as you have spoken.

גַּם־צֹאנְכֶ֨ם גַּם־בְּקַרְכֶ֥ם קְח֛וּ כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּרְתֶּ֖ם וָלֵ֑כוּ וּבֵֽרַכְתֶּ֖ם גַּם־אֹתִֽי׃

Take both your flocks and your cattle, as you have spoken, and go and bless me too. I can do nothing but ask that you include me in your prayers.

וַתֶּחֱזַ֤ק מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ עַל־הָעָ֔ם לְמַהֵ֖ר לְשַׁלְּחָ֣ם מִן־הָאָ֑רֶץ כִּ֥י אָמְר֖וּ כֻּלָּ֥נוּ מֵתִֽים׃

The Egyptians urged the people, to hasten to send them forth from the land. The Egyptians realized that they had been stricken because they forced the Israelites to stay in their land. Now, in terror of death, they urged them to leave immediately. As they said: We are all dying.

וַיִּשָּׂ֥א הָעָ֛ם אֶת־בְּצֵק֖וֹ טֶ֣רֶם יֶחְמָ֑ץ מִשְׁאֲרֹתָ֛ם צְרֻרֹ֥ת בְּשִׂמְלֹתָ֖ם עַל־שִׁכְמָֽם׃

In their haste, the people carried their dough before it became leavened; their kneading bowls, in which they prepared the dough, were bound in their garments on their shoulders. They did not have time to let the dough rise, and as the kneading bowls were full of dough they could not be packed up with the rest of their belongings. Therefore, they carried those bowls separately.

וּבְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל עָשׂ֖וּ כִּדְבַ֣ר מֹשֶׁ֑ה וַֽיִּשְׁאֲלוּ֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם כְּלֵי־כֶ֛סֶף וּכְלֵ֥י זָהָ֖ב וּשְׂמָלֹֽת׃

Beforehand, the children of Israel acted in accordance with the word of Moses, and they requested silver vessels, gold vessels, and garments from Egypt.

וַֽיהוָ֞ה נָתַ֨ן אֶת־חֵ֥ן הָעָ֛ם בְּעֵינֵ֥י מִצְרַ֖יִם וַיַּשְׁאִל֑וּם וַֽיְנַצְּל֖וּ אֶת־מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (פ)

The Lord granted the people favor in the eyes of Egypt, and they acceded to their request, and they stripped Egypt, taking everything they could.

וַיִּסְע֧וּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מֵרַעְמְסֵ֖ס סֻכֹּ֑תָה כְּשֵׁשׁ־מֵא֨וֹת אֶ֧לֶף רַגְלִ֛י הַגְּבָרִ֖ים לְבַ֥ד מִטָּֽף׃

The children of Israel traveled from Rameses, the place with the greatest concentration of Israelites, where the Egyptians built large cities, to a place called Sukot. The Israelites numbered some six hundred thousand men on foot, besides children, women, and the elderly.

וְגַם־עֵ֥רֶב רַ֖ב עָלָ֣ה אִתָּ֑ם וְצֹ֣אן וּבָקָ֔ר מִקְנֶ֖ה כָּבֵ֥ד מְאֹֽד׃

A mixed multitude of other peoples came up with them. Once the possibility of leaving Egypt became available, the Egyptians lost control of their borders and many others took advantage of the opportunity and joined Israel. And the Israelites took with them the flocks and cattle that they owned, very considerable livestock.

וַיֹּאפ֨וּ אֶת־הַבָּצֵ֜ק אֲשֶׁ֨ר הוֹצִ֧יאוּ מִמִּצְרַ֛יִם עֻגֹ֥ת מַצּ֖וֹת כִּ֣י לֹ֣א חָמֵ֑ץ כִּֽי־גֹרְשׁ֣וּ מִמִּצְרַ֗יִם וְלֹ֤א יָֽכְלוּ֙ לְהִתְמַהְמֵ֔הַּ וְגַם־צֵדָ֖ה לֹא־עָשׂ֥וּ לָהֶֽם׃

They baked the dough that they took out from Egypt into unleavened cakes, as it was not leavened, because they were banished from Egypt and could not linger and wait for the dough to rise. Although they knew about the exodus in advance, the events unfolded at an unexpectedly rapid pace. Moreover, they had only a limited time to prepare both the paschal lamb and the unleavened bread they ate the night before. And due to these pressing circumstances, they also did not prepare the requisite provisions of a long journey for themselves.

וּמוֹשַׁב֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָשְׁב֖וּ בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה׃

The Torah provides a historical summary: The dwelling of the children of Israel that they dwelled in Egypt was thirty years and four hundred years.

וַיְהִ֗י מִקֵּץ֙ שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָ֑ה וַיְהִ֗י בְּעֶ֙צֶם֙ הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֔ה יָֽצְא֛וּ כָּל־צִבְא֥וֹת יְהוָ֖ה מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

It was at the end of thirty years and four hundred years; it was on that very day mentioned above, the first day of Passover, that all the hosts of the Lord departed from the land of Egypt. The people who left Egypt were not a random group but a nation that would serve as the hosts of the Lord. This role will be clarified in greater detail in the account of the giving of the Torah.

לֵ֣יל שִׁמֻּרִ֥ים הוּא֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה לְהוֹצִיאָ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם הֽוּא־הַלַּ֤יְלָה הַזֶּה֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה שִׁמֻּרִ֛ים לְכָל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְדֹרֹתָֽם׃ (פ)

It is a night of vigilance of the Lord. God had waited with anticipation for this night, to bring them out of the land of Egypt; it is this night for the Lord. This is not only the night on which Israel was saved. God designated this night ahead of time and imbued it with a significance that goes beyond the events of that period. This night will become one of vigilance for all the children of Israel for their generations. Israel will always remember and celebrate this night and pass on the commemoration of these events to future generations.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֣ה וְאַהֲרֹ֔ן זֹ֖את חֻקַּ֣ת הַפָּ֑סַח כָּל־בֶּן־נֵכָ֖ר לֹא־יֹ֥אכַל בּֽוֹ׃

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: This is the statute of the paschal lamb. In addition to the practical instructions stated above, which apply only to the paschal lambs in Egypt, the following general commands relate to all paschal offerings in the future: No foreigner from another nation shall eat from it, despite the fact that a mixed multitude also left Egypt at the exodus.

וְכָל־עֶ֥בֶד אִ֖ישׁ מִקְנַת־כָּ֑סֶף וּמַלְתָּ֣ה אֹת֔וֹ אָ֖ז יֹ֥אכַל בּֽוֹ׃

Any man’s slave, purchased with silver: You shall circumcise him, then he shall eat from it. Only the circumcised may partake of the paschal offering. The Sages debate whether the last clause of this verse is referring to the slaves themselves or to their master, who also may not eat from the offering if a male of his household is uncircumcised.

תּוֹשָׁ֥ב וְשָׂכִ֖יר לֹא־יֹ֥אכַל־בּֽוֹ׃

A resident alien, a non-Jew who lives among you, and a gentile hired laborer shall not eat from it, even though they are considered part of the household.

בְּבַ֤יִת אֶחָד֙ יֵאָכֵ֔ל לֹא־תוֹצִ֧יא מִן־הַבַּ֛יִת מִן־הַבָּשָׂ֖ר ח֑וּצָה וְעֶ֖צֶם לֹ֥א תִשְׁבְּרוּ־בֽוֹ׃

It, the paschal lamb, shall be eaten in one house; you shall not remove any of the meat from the house to the outside. It is entirely consecrated as an offering and must be eaten in a designated space. And you shall not break a bone of it, as you must consume it in the manner of kings.

כָּל־עֲדַ֥ת יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל יַעֲשׂ֥וּ אֹתֽוֹ׃

The entire congregation of Israel shall do it.

וְכִֽי־יָג֨וּר אִתְּךָ֜ גֵּ֗ר וְעָ֣שָׂה פֶסַח֮ לַיהוָה֒ הִמּ֧וֹל ל֣וֹ כָל־זָכָ֗ר וְאָז֙ יִקְרַ֣ב לַעֲשֹׂת֔וֹ וְהָיָ֖ה כְּאֶזְרַ֣ח הָאָ֑רֶץ וְכָל־עָרֵ֖ל לֹֽא־יֹ֥אכַל בּֽוֹ׃

When a stranger resides with you, not a temporary resident or a hired hand, but someone who wishes to convert and join the nation of Israel and worship God, and he performs the paschal offering to the Lord, before he may do so, one must circumcise every male of his. One of the necessary conditions of conversion is that all the male members of the household who wish to convert must enter into the covenant of circumcision. And then he shall approach to perform it, to offer the paschal lamb, and he shall be like a native of the land; but all uncircumcised persons shall not eat from it, including one who was born an Israelite but is not circumcised.

תּוֹרָ֣ה אַחַ֔ת יִהְיֶ֖ה לָֽאֶזְרָ֑ח וְלַגֵּ֖ר הַגָּ֥ר בְּתוֹכְכֶֽם׃

In this matter, there shall be one law for the native and for the stranger who resides among you.

וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֖וּ כָּל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כַּאֲשֶׁ֨ר צִוָּ֧ה יְהוָ֛ה אֶת־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאֶֽת־אַהֲרֹ֖ן כֵּ֥ן עָשֽׂוּ׃ (ס)

The children of Israel did as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. They followed his instructions precisely on the night of the redemption, when they partook of the paschal lamb.

וַיְהִ֕י בְּעֶ֖צֶם הַיּ֣וֹם הַזֶּ֑ה הוֹצִ֨יא יְהוָ֜ה אֶת־בְּנֵ֧י יִשְׂרָאֵ֛ל מֵאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם עַל־צִבְאֹתָֽם׃ (פ)

It was on that very day, following the night when they ate the paschal lamb, that the Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts.