Study Desk

Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and told them, "This time I have sinned. The Lord is right, and I and my people are wrong.

Moses answered, "All of our people, young and old, will go. And we will take our sons and daughters, and our sheep and cattle with us. We will all go because the Lord 's festival is for all of us."

The men can go worship the Lord . That is what you asked for in the beginning. But all of your people cannot go." Then Pharaoh sent Moses and Aaron away.

Pharaoh quickly called for Moses and Aaron. Pharaoh said, "I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you.

Now, forgive me for my sins this time. Ask the Lord to remove this ‘death' from me."

So Moses raised his hand into the air and a cloud of darkness covered Egypt. The darkness stayed in Egypt for three days.

None of the people could see each other, and no one got up to go any place for three days. But there was light in all the places where the Israelites lived.

Again Pharaoh called for Moses. He said, "Go and worship the Lord ! You can take your children with you. But you must leave your sheep and cattle here."

Moses said, "No, we will take them all. In fact, you will give us offerings and sacrifices for us to use in worshiping the Lord our God.

"This month will be the first month of the year for you.

This command is for the whole community of Israel: On the tenth day of this month each man must get one lamb for the people in his house.

If there are not enough people in his house to eat a whole lamb, then he should invite some of his neighbors to share the meal. There must be enough lamb for everyone to eat.

"You will always remember tonight—it will be a special festival for you. Your descendants will honor the Lord with this festival forever.

For this festival you will eat bread made without yeast for seven days. On the first day, you will remove all the yeast from your houses. No one should eat any yeast for the full seven days of this festival. Anyone who eats yeast must be separated from the rest of Israel.

There will be holy assemblies on the first day and the last day of the festival. You must not do any work on these days. The only work you can do is preparing the food for your meals.

For seven days, there must not be any yeast in your houses. Anyone, either a citizen of Israel or a foreigner living among you, who eats yeast at this time must be separated from the rest of Israel.

So Moses called all the elders together and told them, "Get the lambs for your families. Kill the lambs for the Passover.

You must remember this command. This law is for you and your descendants forever.

So that night Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said to them, "Get up and leave my people. You and your people can do as you say. Go and worship the Lord .

Take all of your sheep and cattle with you, just as you said you would. Go! And say a blessing for me too."