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Exodus 12:23
ESV For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians, and when he sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to enter your houses to strike you.
NIV When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.
NASB For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; but when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to strike you.
CSB When the Lord passes through to strike Egypt and sees the blood on the lintel and the two doorposts, he will pass over the door and not let the destroyer enter your houses to strike you.
NLT For the Lord will pass through the land to strike down the Egyptians. But when he sees the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe, the Lord will pass over your home. He will not permit his death angel to enter your house and strike you down.
KJV For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.
NKJV For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you.

What does Exodus 12:23 mean?

The final plague on Egypt (Exodus 7:21; 8:6, 17, 24; 9:6, 10, 24; 10:14, 23) will be the most terrible. God will kill all the firstborn (Exodus 11:4–6), including those of livestock and royalty. Israel will be spared because the Lord provides them with a means to escape judgment. This involves the use of blood taken from a sacrificed, flawless lamb (Exodus 12:5–6). Those who trust His directions will survive (Exodus 12:12–13). Here, the message clarifies that the people must remain under the protection of that symbolic blood—those who are exposed will not be safe.

In Hebrew, the word translated as "destroyer" is mashit, from the root word shachath. Related words describe what the plague of flies did to Egypt (Exodus 8:24), what the flood did to earth (Genesis 6:17), or what weakness in the face of evil does to a righteous man (Proverbs 25:26). Scripture is vague on who or what this "destroyer" of the Passover is (Hebrews 11:28). Many believe it to be an angel of some kind (Genesis 19:1, 13; Psalm 78:49; Isaiah 37:36).
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