A reading from the book of Exodus.

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt,

This month shall stand at the head of your calendar.

You shall reckon it the first month of the year.

Tell the whole community of Israel,

on the 10th of this month, every one of your families must

procure for itself a lamb, one apiece for each household.

If a family is too small for a whole lamb, it shall join the nearest household in procuring

one and share in the lamb in proportion to the number of persons who partake of it.

The lamb must be a year old male and without blemish.

You may take it from either the sheep or the goats.

You shall keep it until the 14th day of the month,

and then, with the whole assembly of of Israel present it shall be slaughtered

during the evening twilight they shall take some of its blood and apply it to the two

doorsteps and the lintel of every house in which they partake of the lamb that same

night they shall eat its roasted flesh with unleavened

bread and bitter herbs. This is how you are to eat it. With your loins girt, sandals on your feet,

and your staff in hand. You shall eat it like those who are in flight. It is the Passover of the Lord.

For on this same night I will go through Egypt,

striking down every firstborn of the land,

both man and beast,

and executing judgment on all the gods of Egypt.

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