Exodus 12:1–13 describes God's instructions to the Israelites for the very first Passover, a pivotal moment in their deliverance from slavery in Egypt. In this passage:

• Verses 1–2: God establishes a new calendar for Israel, marking this event as the beginning of their religious year.
• Verses 3–6: Each family is to select a perfect lamb on the 10th day and care for it until the 14th day.
• Verse 7: They must put some of the lamb’s blood on the doorposts and lintels of their homes.
• Verses 8–11: The lamb is to be roasted and eaten with bitter herbs and unleavened bread—symbolizing suffering and haste.
• Verse 12: That night, God will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn, executing judgment on all Egyptian gods.
• Verse 13: The blood on the doors will be a sign; when God sees it, He will “pass over” that home, sparing it from destruction.

This passage introduces the concept of atonement through the blood, pointing ahead to Christ as the ultimate sacrificial Lamb for all humanity.