Exodus 12:29-15:21
New Catholic Bible
The Exodus from Egypt and the Journey to Sinai
Departure from Egypt
29 Tenth Plague: The Death of the Firstborn.[a] At midnight the Lord slew every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat upon the throne to the firstborn of the prisoners being held in dungeons, all the firstborn, both human and animal. 30 Pharaoh got up during the night along with his ministers and all the Egyptians, and a loud cry arose out of Egypt, for every house had someone who had died.
31 Permission to Depart.[b]Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron during the night and said, “Arise and leave my people, you and the children of Israel! Go and serve the Lord as you have said. 32 Take your herds and your flocks, as you have said, and leave. Bless me, too.”
33 The Egyptians urged on the people to drive them out of the land quickly, for they said, “We are all about to die.” 34 The people took their unleavened dough with them, placing their kneading bowls wrapped in their cloaks on their shoulders. 35 The children of Israel carried out Moses’ order and had the Egyptians give them objects of silver and gold and clothes. 36 The Lord had inclined the Egyptians favorably toward the people so that they gave them whatever they requested. So, they plundered the Egyptians.
37 Departure from Egypt. The children of Israel traveled from Rameses to Succoth. There were six hundred thousand men on foot, not counting children. 38 There was also a large crowd of people of mixed ancestry with them, together with large numbers of flocks and herds. 39 They baked the dough that they had carried with them from Egypt as cakes of unleavened bread for it had not been leavened. They had been hurried out of Egypt and had not had time to hesitate nor to prepare provisions for the journey.
40 The children of Israel had lived in Egypt for four hundred and thirty years. 41 At the end of four hundred and thirty years, exactly to the day, all the hosts of the Lord went up out of Egypt. 42 This was a night of vigil unto the Lord, for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. Hence, it must be a night of vigil in honor of the Lord for all the children of Israel, from one generation to the next.
43 Ordinances for the Passover.[c] The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “These are the ordinances for the Passover:
“No foreigner may eat it. 44 As for each slave bought with money, you shall circumcise him so that he may eat it. 45 The foreigner and the hired laborer cannot eat it.
46 “It must be eaten in one house. One may not carry the meat outside of the house, and none of its bones is to be broken.[d] 47 All the community of Israel shall celebrate it.
48 “If a foreigner dwells among you and wishes to celebrate the Passover of the Lord, let each man in his household be circumcised. Then let him draw near to celebrate and he will be like a native of the land. But no one who is uncircumcised can eat it. 49 The same law will be binding on the native and the foreigner who is living in your midst.”
50 All the children of Israel did just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron. 51 On that very day the Lord brought Israel out of the land of Egypt, organized according to their hosts.
Chapter 13
Sign and Memorial.[e] 1 The Lord spoke to Moses, 2 “Consecrate each firstborn to me, whatever opens the womb in Israel, whether human or animal; it belongs to me.”
3 Moses said to the people, “Remember this day on which you came out of Egypt, your place of slavery. The Lord brought you out from there with a mighty hand. Therefore, do not eat what has been leavened. 4 This day you came out is in the month of Abib. 5 When the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, that he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall celebrate this rite in this month.
6 “For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh you shall celebrate a feast in honor of the Lord. 7 For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and there shall be nothing leavened with you. There shall be no leaven in all of your territory. 8 On that day you shall teach your son: ‘This is because of what the Lord did for me when he brought me out of Egypt.’ 9 And it shall be a sign on your hand and a memorial before your eyes so that the law of the Lord may be upon your lips. With a mighty hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt.[f] 10 You shall celebrate this rite at this time every year.
11 “When the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanites, as he promised you and your fathers, and he will have given it to you as a possession, 12 you shall dedicate each firstborn from the womb to the Lord. All male firstborn of your animals belong to the Lord. 13 You shall redeem every firstborn donkey with a lamb.[g] If you do not redeem it, you shall break its neck. You shall redeem each firstborn son from among his brothers.
14 “When your son asks you, ‘What is the meaning of this,’ you shall answer, ‘With a mighty arm the Lord brought us out of the land of Egypt, our place of slavery. 15 When Pharaoh was stubborn and would not let us go, the Lord slew the firstborn in the land of Egypt, the firstborn of human and animal. Because of this I sacrifice the firstborn male from every womb to the Lord, and I redeem the firstborn of my sons.’ 16 This shall be a sign on your hand and a memorial before your eyes, to remember that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.”
The Lord Went before Them.[h]17 When Pharaoh let the people leave, God did not guide them on the road through the land of the Philistines, even though it was shorter, for God thought, “Otherwise the people, seeing they would have to fight, may change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 God guided the people along the desert road toward the Red Sea. The children of Israel, well armed, left the land of Egypt.
19 Moses took the bones of Joseph along with him, for Joseph had solemnly sworn the children of Israel, saying, “Surely God will come to visit you, and when he does you must carry away my bones.”
20 They left Succoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the desert. 21 The Lord went before them as a pillar of cloud during the day to guide them on their way, and as a column of fire during the night to give them light, so that they could travel day and night. 22 During the day the pillar of cloud never disappeared from the sight of the people, nor did the column of fire during the night.
Chapter 14
“I Will Display My Glory against Pharaoh.”[i] 1 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Order the children of Israel to turn around and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon. You shall camp in front of it by the sea. 3 Pharaoh will think that the children of Israel are wandering through the land because the desert has blocked them in. 4 I shall harden the heart of Pharaoh, and he will follow them. I will display my glory against Pharaoh and all his army, so that the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” This is what they did.
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, the heart of Pharaoh and his ministers was turned against the people. They said, “What have we done in letting Israel leave so that they will no longer serve us?” 6 He prepared his chariot and took his soldiers with him.
7 Pharaoh took six hundred choice chariots and all the other chariots of Egypt with warriors on each of them. 8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, who then pursued the children of Israel while they were marching away in triumph. 9 The Egyptians followed and caught up with them while they were camped near the sea. All the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army were near Pi-hahiroth, before Baal-zephon.
10 When Pharaoh approached, the children of Israel looked up and saw that the Egyptians were marching after them. The children of Israel were terrified and called upon the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Why did you bring us out to the desert to die? Was it because there were not enough graves in Egypt? What have you done bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Did we not tell you in Egypt, ‘Let us stay here and serve the Egyptians?’ It is better for us to serve than for us to die in the desert?”
13 Moses answered, “Do not be afraid. Be strong, and you will see the salvation that the Lord will work for you today, for you will never again see the Egyptians that you see today. 14 The Lord will battle for you. Be calm!”
15 The Children of Israel Cross the Red Sea.[j] The Lord said to Moses, “Why do they cry out to me? Order the children of Israel to set out again. 16 You are to lift up your staff, stretch out your hand over the sea, and divide it so that the children of Israel may pass through the midst of the sea on dry land. 17 I will harden the heart of the Egyptians so that they will enter after them. I will display my glory against Pharaoh and all his army, against his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I display my glory against Pharaoh, against his chariots and his horsemen.”
19 The angel of God, who had gone in front of Israel’s camp, now moved and went in back of them. The pillar of cloud also moved from their front to their back. 20 They were, therefore, between the camps of the Egyptians and the children of Israel. The cloud was dark for the former group, while it lit up the night for the other. Thus, one group could not approach the other throughout the night.
21 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. During the night the Lord caused the sea to move back with a strong east wind, producing dry ground. The waters split in two. 22 The children of Israel entered the sea on dry land, while the waters formed a wall on their right and their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued them with all the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen. They entered after them in the midst of the sea. 24 Just before dawn the Lord of the column of fire and cloud looked upon the camp of the Egyptians and threw them into confusion. 25 He clogged the wheels of their chariots so that they could hardly move. The Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the children of Israel for the Lord is fighting with them against the Egyptians.”
26 The Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea. The waters will flow back upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots and their horsemen.”
27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea. At dawn the sea flowed back to its normal depth. While the Egyptians were fleeing right into it, the Lord overthrew them in the midst of the sea. 28 The waters flowed back and covered the chariots and the horsemen of the whole army of Pharaoh. Not a single one of those who had entered the sea to follow the children of Israel escaped.
29 The children of Israel had walked in the midst of the sea on dry land, the water forming walls on the right and the left. 30 On that day the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shores of the sea. 31 Israel saw the mighty hand that the Lord had extended against Egypt. The people feared the Lord and believed in him and in his servant Moses.
Chapter 15
The Song of Moses and Miriam.[k] 1 Moses and the children of Israel therefore sang this song to the Lord:
“I will sing in honor of the Lord, for he is gloriously triumphant,
horse and horseman he has cast into the sea.
2 My strength and my song is the Lord,
for he has saved me.
He is my God, and I wish to praise him,
the God of my father, and I wish to exalt him.
3 “The Lord is a warrior,
Lord is his name.
4 He has cast Pharaoh’s chariots and his army into the sea.
His choice troops were drowned in the Red Sea.
5 The depths covered them
and they sank like a stone.
6 “Your right hand, O Lord, is glorious in its power.
Your right hand, O Lord, has destroyed the enemy.
7 With the greatness of your majesty you have overthrown those who rose up against you.
You sent forth your anger and it devoured them like straw.
8 At the breath of your nostrils, the waters piled up.
The flood waters piled up and stood like a mound;
the deep waters congealed in the midst of the sea.
9 “The enemy had said, ‘I will pursue and overtake them.
I will divide the spoil, and my passion will be satisfied on them.
I will draw my sword, and my hand will destroy them.’
10 You blew your wind, and the sea covered them.
Like lead they sank in the mighty waters.
11 “Who is like you among the gods, O Lord?
Who is like you, majestic in holiness,
awesome in praise, doing wonders?
12 You extended your right hand
and the earth swallowed them.
13 “In your mercy you guided the people you had redeemed.
You guided them with strength to your holy dwelling.
14 The people will hear and be afraid.
Anguish will seize the inhabitants of Philistia.
15 The leaders of Edom tremble,
the mighty ones of Moab are gripped with fear,
all the inhabitants of Canaan melt away.
16 Fear and terror fall upon them.
The greatness of your arm makes them still as stone,
until your people have passed over, O Lord,
until your people whom you have acquired have passed over.
17 You will bring them in and plant them
on the mountain of your inheritance,
in the place that you have prepared for your dwelling, O Lord,
the sanctuary that your own hands have founded.
18 The Lord reigns forever and ever.”
19 When the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back upon them, while the children of Israel walked through the midst of the sea on dry ground. 20 Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand, and all the other women came out after her playing their tambourines and dancing. 21 Miriam led them in the refrain:
“Sing to the Lord for he is wondrously triumphant;
horse and horsemen he has cast into the sea.”
Footnotes
- Exodus 12:29 This time Egypt cannot remain indifferent to the misfortune that has come upon it.
- Exodus 12:31 This is the memorable night during which the Lord kept watch in order to deliver his people from slavery. With a view to magnifying the divine intervention, Israelite piety obviously exaggerated the numbers involved; historical fact has been transformed into liturgical story. For Christians, the Easter vigil will sing of the deliverance brought by Christ.
- Exodus 12:43 The traditional ritual (vv. 1-14) is supplemented by further arrangements that suppose the Hebrews to be already settled in Canaan.
- Exodus 12:46 This detail of the rite is fulfilled in Jesus: Jn 19:36.
- Exodus 13:1 The practice of offering the firstborn to God and of eating unleavened bread soon provided Israel with an opportunity of passing on to later generations the religious lesson learned from the events: namely, that what God did in the beginning he continues to do for his people.
- Exodus 13:9 Sign and memorial were understood in a material way. See Deut 6:8; 11:18; Mt 23:5 on the phylacteries worn on forehead or arm.
- Exodus 13:13 A donkey could not be offered in sacrifice (see Ex 34:19-20).
- Exodus 13:16 As he had promised, God led his people along the road of freedom. The account also seeks to explain why Israel had to journey for so many years in the desert. They do not follow the way of the sea, parallel to the road leading through Sile (modern El Qantara), along which there were wells and Egyptian forts; instead they travel the caravan route through the Sinai.
- Exodus 14:1 As the Master of history, the Lord makes use of even his enemies to accomplish his plan of salvation.
- Exodus 14:15 At last, the chosen people throw off their bondage by traversing the waters on dry feet thanks to God who fights for them. Israel could do no less than acknowledge its liberator. God wrests his people from the imminent catastrophe. Tradition seized upon this event and multiplied and exaggerated its details in order to magnify a feat that gave glory to God. History has become epic.
- Exodus 15:1 Although this hymn is here put into the mouth of the leader, it shows the extent to which the biblical poets were determined to magnify the wonders that accompanied the crossing of the Red Sea (see Ps 106:9; Wis 19:6-9). The refrain attributed to Miriam, Moses’ sister (Ex 15:21), may be regarded as the seed out of which the poem grew; it was later expanded (vv. 4-5, 8) and subsequently completed, for the song also in fact extols the journey to the Promised Land (vv. 13-16) and the building of the Temple (v. 17), both of which were other signs of God’s merciful presence in the midst of his people.
