Verse King James Version Proposed Conservative Translation Analysis

1 And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, The L ORD spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt. He said:

2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. "This month will be for you the beginning of months, the first of all the months of the year." The month is Abib, or the modern Nisan, or "barley harvest." Most Jewish/Hebrew calendars in the modern day begin with Tishrei, the seventh month, since that is when the Jewish "New Year" of Rosh Hashanah falls. Confusingly, Rosh Hashanah is one of several "Jewish New Years", each in a different context. Rosh Hashanah was considered the First Day of Creation (or by other interpretations, the day Man was created). By contrast, the first day of Nisan in Biblical times would be the equivalent of January 1 in America today.

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: "Now speak to the entire congregation of Israel, and tell them this: 'In the tenth day of this month, each man is to take a lamb for the house of their fathers, one lamb per household.'"

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 the household has too few members for one lamb, then let the householder and his nearest neighbor take it, according to the count of household members; every man, according to his food budget, is to make an assessment for a 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: "'The lamb will be a flawless male yearling; it can be either an actual lamb or a goat kid.'"

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. "'You will take it in charge until the fourteenth day of this month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel will kill it between evenings.'"

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 must take some of the blood, and paint it onto the two jambs and the lintel of the houses that they eat the lamb in." The "jamb" is the upright or side member; the "lintel" is the cross member of the doorway.

8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. "'They must eat the flesh in one night, roasted by fire, and served with matzoh and bitter herbs.'" Matzoh is bread made without yeast, the "bread of haste."

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. "'You must not eat any of it either underdone or cooked with water; it must be roasted with fire, the head with the shanks and the inner parts.'"

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. "'Do not reserve any of it for the morning. Anything left over until morning you must burn thoroughly.'" Literally, "burn with fire," another Hebrew idiomatic emphatic repetition.

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. "'You must eat it with this attitude: with your waist girded, your sandals on your feet, and your walking stick in hand. You must eat it in haste. This is the L ORD 's Passover.'" Literally, "nervous haste," and Pesach, from which comes the word "Paschal."

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. "'Because I am going to pass through the land of Egypt tonight, and will strike down every firstborn individual in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. I will execute judgment against all the "gods" of Egypt. I am the L ORD .'"

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 will be a recognition sign for you on the houses where you are. When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the stroke will not fall on you to kill you, when I strike the land 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. "'You will keep this day as a memorial, and you will make this a lasting celebration to the L ORD throughout your generations. You will celebrate this by statute forever.'" Literally, "in eon," or "into the ages," as the Greeks would also say.

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 seven days you will eat matzoh. In fact, on the first day you will eradicate any yeast from your houses. Whoever eats any leavened bread, from the first day to the seventh, that person will be cut off 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. "'In the first day there will be a meeting of holiness, and in the seventh day another meeting of holiness. No form of work shall be done in those meeting days, except the work of eating itself, since every man must eat.'"

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. "'You will observe this feast of unleavened bread. On this very day I brought all your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you will observe this day for generations by statute forever.'"

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 fourteenth day, in the evening, you will eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day in the 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 those seven days no yeast is to be found in your houses. Anyone who easts anything with yeast in it, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a foreigner or a native of the land.'"

20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread. "'You will eat nothing leavened. In all your dwelling places you will eat unleavened bread.'"

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. Now Moses called for all the elders of Israel. He told them, "Draw out and select a lamb for your families, and slay the 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 a bunch of hyssop, and dip it into the blood in the basin, and touch the lintel and the two jambs with the blood in the basin. And none of you is to go out through the portal of his house 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. "The L ORD is going to pass through to strike the Egyptians. When He sees the blood on the lintel and the two jambs, the L ORD will pass over the portal, and will not allow the Destroyer to come into your houses to strike you." The "Destroyer" is a very special Messenger or angel.

24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. "You are to observe this word by statute for you 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. "And it will happen that when you enter the land that the L ORD is giving to you, the land that He spoke about, you will observe this service."

26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? "And when your children happen to ask you, 'What does this service mean to you?...'"

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. "...you are to tell them, 'This is the passover sacrifice of the L ORD , Who passed over the houses of the Sons of Israel in Egypt, when He struck the Egyptians, and rescued our households.'" The people bowed their heads and bowed themselves down.

28 And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. The Sons of Israel went away, and did everything that the L ORD had instructed Moses and Aaron to tell them.

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. And this is what happened: at midnight the L ORD struck every firstborn individual in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of the regnant Pharaoh to the firstborn of the lowliest prisoner in the House of the Pit, and every firstborn beast. "The Pit" or "The Hole" is the most common name that any inmate has ever given his prison.

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 got up in the middle of the night, both he and everyone on his staff, and all the Egyptians. A great outcry rang out in Egypt, because there was not a household to be found that did not have a dead person in it. Some have vainly speculated that the firstborn, lying as they did on beds spread on the floor, were subject to acute carbon dioxide poisoning from a volcanic vent. This explanation, of course, begs the question of why blood painted on jamb and lintel should neutralize carbon dioxide in this manner.

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 Moses and Aaron during the night, saying, "Get up, and get out from among my people, you and the Sons of Israel, and go and serve the L ORD , as you said!"

32 Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also. "And take your flocks and your herds, as you said, and go! But bless me, 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 in fact insisted on dismissing the people from the land in haste, and they all said, "We are all dying men."

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 dough before it was leavened, because their kneading troughs were bundled up in their clothes on their shoulders.

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 Sons of Israel did everything that Moses had told them to do: they borrowed articles of silver and gold, and 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 L ORD gave the people a good impression in the eyes of the Egyptians, so that they lent them everything they asked. Thus they despoiled the Egyptians. Later, the reader will see what became of all this silver, gold, and cloth.

37 And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot that were men, beside children. The Sons of Israel traveled from Rameses to Succoth. They numbered six hundred thousand infantrymen, together with children.

38 And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle. Furthermore, a mixed crowd went up with them, with flocks and herds, an exceedingly great herd of cattle.

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. They baked ember cakes with the dough that they were bringing out of Egypt, because it had not been leavened. They were practically thrown out of Egypt, and were not allowed to dally, and had not even prepared any victuals for themselves.

40 Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. The span of the sojourning of the Sons of Israel, who had lived in Egypt, was 430 years. See Galatians 3:17.

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. And it happened that at the end of the 430 years, on the very day that it came to pass, all the armies of the L ORD went out of the land of Egypt.

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 night of observance to the L ORD for bringing them out of the land of Egypt: this was the night of the L ORD for observances for all the Sons of Israel for all their generations.

43 And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof: The L ORD said to Moses and Aaron, "This is the statute of the Passover: no foreigner is to eat any of it."

44 But every man's servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof. "But if any man among you buys a slave for silver, and has him circumcised, he, too, will eat some of it."

45 A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof. "A foreigner or a hired hand is not to eat of it."

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. "It is to be eaten in one house. You are not to bring any of the flesh out of the house, or break any of its bones."

47 All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. "The whole congregation of Israel is to do this."

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. "When any stranger sojourns with you, if he wants to keep the passover of the L ORD , then every male in his household must be circumcised. Then he can draw near and keep it, and he will be regarded as a native. No uncircumcised person will eat any of it."

49 One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you. "One law will be for the native, and another to the stranger sojourning in your midst."

50 Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. All the Sons of Israel were doing as the L ORD had instructed Moses and Aaron.