26 And when your sons will say to you, ‘What is the meaning of this religious observance?’
27 You shall say to them: ‘It is the victim of the crossing of the Lord, when he passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt, striking the Egyptians, and freeing our houses.’ ” And the people, bowing down, worshipped.
28 And the sons of Israel, departing, did just as the Lord had instructed Moses and Aaron.
29 Then it happened, in the middle of the night: the Lord struck down every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the captive woman who was in prison, and all the firstborn of the cattle.
30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, and all his servants, and all of Egypt. And there arose a great outcry in Egypt. For there was not a house in which no one lay dead.
31 And Pharaoh, calling Moses and Aaron in the night, said: “Rise up and go forth from among my people, you and the sons of Israel. Go, sacrifice to the Lord, just as you say.
32 Your sheep and herds take along with you, as you requested, and as you go away, bless me.”
33 And the Egyptians urged the people to go away from the land quickly, saying, “We will all die.”
34 Therefore, the people took bread dough before it was leavened. And tying it in their cloaks, they placed it on their shoulders.
35 And the sons of Israel did just as Moses had instructed. And they petitioned the Egyptians for vessels of silver and of gold, and very many garments.
36 Then the Lord granted favor to the people in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they bestowed on them. And they despoiled the Egyptians.
37 And the sons of Israel set out from Rameses to Soccoth, about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides little ones.
38 But also an innumerable mix of common people ascended with them, sheep and herds and animals of diverse kinds, exceedingly many.
39 And they baked the bread, which a little while ago they had taken out of Egypt as dough. And they made unleavened bread baked under ashes. For it was not able to be leavened, with the Egyptians compelling them to leave and not permitting them to cause any delay. Neither did they have occasion to prepare any meat.
40 Now the habitation of the sons of Israel, while they remained in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years.
41 Having been completed, on the same day all the army of the Lord departed from the land of Egypt.
42 This night is a worthy observance of the Lord, when he led them out of the land of Egypt. This all the sons of Israel must observe in their generations.
43 And the Lord said to Moses and to Aaron: “This is the religious observance of the Passover. No foreigner shall eat from it.
44 But every bought servant shall be circumcised, and so he may eat from it.
45 The newcomer and the hired hand shall not eat from it.
46 In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry its flesh outside, nor shall you break its bone.
47 The entire assembly of the sons of Israel shall do this.
48 And if any sojourner will be willing to cross over into your settlement, and to keep the Passover of the Lord, all his males shall first be circumcised, and then he shall celebrate the rite. And he shall be just like a native of the land. But if any man is not circumcised, he shall not eat from it.
49 The law shall be the same for the native born and for the settler who sojourns with you.”
50 And all the sons of Israel did just as the Lord had instructed Moses and Aaron.
51 And on the same day, the Lord led the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their companies.
1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
2 Sanctify to me every firstborn which opens the womb among the sons of Israel, as much of men as of cattle. For they are all mine.
3 And Moses said to the people: “Remember this day, on which you were taken away from Egypt and from the house of servitude. For with a strong hand the Lord has led you away from this place. Thus, you shall eat no leavened bread.
4 Today, you go forth in the month of new grain.
5 And when the Lord has brought you into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your fathers that he would give to you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you will celebrate this manner of sacred rites in this month.
6 For seven days, you shall feed on unleavened bread. And on the seventh day, it will be the solemnity of the Lord.
7 You shall consume unleavened bread for seven days. There shall not be seen anything leavened with you, nor in all your parts.
8 And you will explain to your son in that day, saying: ‘This is what the Lord did for me when I was taken away from Egypt.’
9 And it will be like a sign in your hand and like a memorial before your eyes. And so may the law of the Lord be always in your mouth. For with a strong hand, the Lord led you away from the land of Egypt.
10 You will keep this observance, at the established time, from day to day.
11 And when the Lord has brought you into the land of the Canaanite, just as he swore to you and to your fathers, and when he will give it you,
12 then you shall set aside for the Lord all that opens the womb and all that is first to go forth among your cattle. Whatever you will have of the male sex, you shall consecrate to the Lord.
13 The firstborn of a donkey you will exchange for a sheep. And if you will not redeem it, you shall put it to death. But every firstborn of man among your sons, you shall redeem with a price.
14 And when your son will question you tomorrow, saying, ‘What is this?’ you will respond, ‘With a strong hand the Lord led us away from the land of Egypt, from the house of servitude.
15 For when Pharaoh had been hardened and was unwilling to release us, the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man, even to the firstborn of beasts. For this reason, I immolate to the Lord all of the male sex that opens the womb, and all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’
16 Therefore, it will be like a sign in your hand and like something hanging between your eyes as a remembrance, because with a strong hand the Lord has led us away from Egypt.”
17 And so, when Pharaoh had sent the people away, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, which is nearby, considering that perhaps they might relapse, if they saw wars rise up against them, and then they might return to Egypt.
18 But he led them around by the way of the desert, which is next to the Red Sea. And so the sons of Israel ascended, armed, out of the land of Egypt.
19 Also, Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, because he had sworn to the sons of Israel, saying: “God will visit you. Carry my bones away from here with you.”
20 And setting out from Soccoth, they encamped at Etham, in the most distant parts of the wilderness.
21 Now the Lord preceded them to show them the way, by day with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire, so that he might be the leader of their journey at both times.
22 These never failed: a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night, in the sight of the people.
&
1 Be consoled, be consoled, O my people! says your God.
2 Speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and call out to her! For her malice has reached its end. Her iniquity has been forgiven. She has received double for all her sins from the hand of the Lord.
3 The voice of one crying out in the desert: “Prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight the paths of our God, in a solitary place.
4 Every valley will be exalted, and every mountain and hill will be brought low. And the crooked will be straightened, and the uneven will become level ways.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed. And all flesh together will see that the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
6 The voice of one saying, “Cry out!” And I said, “What should I cry out?” “All flesh is grass, and all its glory is like the flower of the field.
7 The grass has dried up, and the flower has fallen. For the Spirit of the Lord has blown over it. Truly, the people are like grass.
8 The grass has dried up, and the flower has fallen. But the Word of our Lord remains for eternity.”
9 You who evangelize Zion, climb a high mountain! You who evangelize Jerusalem, lift up your voice with strength! Lift it up! Do not be afraid! Say to the cities of Judah: “Behold, your God!”
10 Behold, the Lord God will arrive in strength, and his arm will rule. Behold, his reward is with him, and his work is before him.
11 He will pasture his flock like a shepherd. He will gather together the lambs with his arm, and he will lift them up to his bosom, and he himself will carry the very young.
12 Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and who has weighed the heavens with his palm? Who has suspended the mass of the earth with three fingers, and who has weighed the mountains on a balance and the hills on a scale?
13 Who has assisted the Spirit of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor and has revealed things to him?
14 With whom has he consulted? And who has instructed him, and taught him the path of justice, and guided him to knowledge, and revealed the way of understanding to him?
15 Behold, the nations are like a drop of water in a bucket, and they are considered as the smallest grain on a balance. Behold, the islands are like a little dust.
16 And Lebanon will not be sufficient to start a fire, and its animals will not be sufficient for a burnt offering.
17 All the nations in his sight are as if they did not exist, and they are considered by him as if they were nothingness and emptiness.
18 Therefore, to whom would you liken God? Or with what image would you replace him?
19 Should the workman cast a statue? Or has the goldsmith formed it with gold, or the silversmith with plates of silver?
20 He has chosen strong wood that will not decay. The skillful artisan seeks a way to set up an idol that cannot be moved.
1 Unto the end. A psalm for David.
2 In thy strength, O Lord, the king shall joy; and in thy salvation he shall rejoice exceedingly.
3 Thou hast given him his heart’s desire: and hast not withholden from him the will of his lips.
4 For thou hast prevented him with blessings of sweetness: thou hast set on his head a crown of precious stones.
5 He asked life of thee: and thou hast given him length of days for ever and ever.
16 then those who are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains.
17 And whoever is on the roof, let him not descend to take anything from his house.
18 And whoever is in the field, let him not turn back to take his tunic.
19 So then, woe to those who are pregnant or nursing in those days.
20 But pray that your flight may not be in winter, or on the Sabbath.
21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until the present, and such as will not be.
22 And unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days shall be shortened.
23 Then if anyone will have said to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘he is there,’ do not be willing to believe it.
24 For there will arise false Christs and false prophets. And they will produce great signs and wonders, so much so as to lead into error even the elect (if this could be).
25 Behold, I have warned you beforehand.
26 Therefore, if they will have said to you, ‘Behold, he is in the desert,’ do not choose to go out, or, ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not be willing to believe it.
27 For just as lightning goes out from the east, and appears even in the west, so shall it be also at the advent of the Son of man.
28 Wherever the body shall be, there also will the eagles be gathered together.
29 And immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 And then the sign of the Son of man shall appear in heaven. And then all tribes of the earth shall mourn. And they shall see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven, with great power and majesty.
31 And he shall send out his Angels with a trumpet and a great voice. And they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the heights of the heavens, even to their furthest limits.
32 So, from the fig tree learn a parable. When its branch has now become tender and the leaves have sprung forth, you know that summer is near.
33 So also, when you will have seen all these things, know that it is near, even at the threshold.
34 Amen I say to you, that this lineage shall not pass away, until all these things have been done.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36 But concerning that day and hour, no one knows, not even the Angels of the heavens, but only the Father.
37 And just as in the days of Noah, so also will be the advent of the Son of man.
