13 The Lord spoke to Moses. 2 He said, ‘Keep every firstborn male separate and special for me. Every male who is the first to be born of his mother is mine. He is mine, whether he is man or animal.’ [ a ]
3 Moses said to the people, ‘Remember this day, the day when you came out of Egypt. You left the place where you were slaves. The Lord brought you out with his powerful authority. Remember! Do not eat anything that has yeast in it on this day. 4 Today you are leaving Egypt. It is the first month of the year, called Abib. 5 The Lord will bring you to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites and the Jebusites. God promised your ancestors that he would give that land to you. The land will give you plenty of good food and drink, enough for everyone. When the Lord brings you into that place, you must eat the Passover meal to worship God in this month every year. 6 For seven days you must eat bread without yeast in it. Then on the seventh day you must have a festival for the Lord . 7 Eat bread without yeast during those seven days. There must not be any yeast left among you, in the whole of your land.
8 On that day, you must tell your children the reason for this festival. Tell them, “We do this because of what the Lord did for us. He brought us out of Egypt.” 9 This special time will be like a mark on your hand. It will be like something that you fix between your eyes. It will be a sign that causes you to remember what happened on this day. Then you will not forget to speak about the Law of the Lord . Remember this: The Lord brought you out of Egypt with his great power. 10 Every year, at the right time you must do what I have said.
11 The Lord will bring you into the land of the Canaanites. It is the land that he promised to give to you and to your ancestors. When he gives it to you, you must do this: 12 You must give to the Lord all the firstborn males. That includes your own firstborn sons, and the male animals that are born first. They belong to the Lord . 13 When a donkey gives birth to her first male, you must give a lamb to God, instead of the donkey. If you do not do that, you must kill the donkey. You must break its neck. For any of your own firstborn sons, you must give an animal instead of your son.
14 One day, your son may ask you, “What does this mean?” Then you must say to him, “The Lord brought us out of Egypt with his powerful authority. He took us away from the place where we were slaves. 15 Pharaoh refused to let us go. But the Lord killed all the firstborn sons in the country of Egypt. He killed all the firstborn males, both people and animals. That is why I offer all the firstborn male animals as a sacrifice to the Lord . But for each of my firstborn sons, I give an animal to God instead.” 16 It will be like a mark on your hand or something that you fix between your eyes. It will be a sign that causes you to remember what happened. You will remember that the Lord used his great power to bring us out of Egypt.’
17 When Pharaoh let the people go away, God did not lead them through the country of the Philistines. This was a short way for them to go, but God did not lead them that way. God said, ‘If the people have to fight a war, they may change their minds. Then they may return to Egypt.’ 18 So God led the people round by the desert road. They went towards the Red Sea. When the Israelites came out of the country of Egypt, they were ready to fight.
19 Moses took Joseph's bones with him. Joseph had made the Israelites promise to do this. He had said, ‘One day, God will come and he will save you. Then you must carry my bones with you when you leave this place.’ [ b ]
20 The Israelites travelled from Succoth and they arrived at Etham. They put up their tents there, on the edge of the desert. 21 As they travelled, the Lord was leading them. During the day, he was there as a pillar of cloud that went in front of them. During the night, he went as a pillar of fire. This gave them light, so they could travel during the day or the night. 22 The cloud did not leave the people during the day. Nor did the fire leave them during the night. It was always in front of them.
13 Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “You must give me every male in Israel who is his mother’s first child. That means that every firstborn baby boy and every firstborn male animal will be mine.”
3 Moses said to the people, “Remember this day. You were slaves in Egypt, but on this day the Lord used his great power and made you free. You must not eat bread with yeast. 4 Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving Egypt. 5 The Lord made a special promise to your ancestors. He promised to give you the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites. After the Lord leads you to the land filled with many good things, [ a ] then you must remember this day. You must have a special day of worship on this day during the first month of every year.
6 “For seven days, you must eat only bread without yeast. On the seventh day there will be a great festival to show honor to the Lord . 7 So for seven days, you must not eat any bread made with yeast. There must be no bread with yeast any place in your land. 8 On this day you should tell your children, ‘We are having this festival because the Lord took me out of Egypt.’
9 “This festival will help you remember; it will be like a string tied on your hand. It will be like a sign before your eyes. [ b ] This festival will help you remember the Lord ’s teachings. It will help you remember that the Lord used his great power to take you out of Egypt. 10 So remember this festival every year at the right time.
11 “The Lord will lead you into the land he promised to give you. The Canaanites live there now. But God promised your ancestors that he would give you this land. When that happens, 12 you must remember to give the Lord every firstborn boy. And every male animal that is the firstborn must also be given to the Lord . 13 Every firstborn donkey can be bought back. You can offer a lamb and keep the donkey. If you don’t want to buy back the donkey like this, then you must break its neck to kill it. But every firstborn baby boy [ c ] must be bought back from the Lord.
14 “In the future, your children will ask why you do this. They will say, ‘What does all this mean?’ And you will answer, ‘The Lord used his great power to save us from Egypt. We were slaves in that place, but he led us out and brought us here. 15 In Egypt, Pharaoh was stubborn and refused to let us leave. So the Lord killed every firstborn in all the land. (The Lord killed the firstborn males—animal and human.) That is why I give every firstborn male animal to the Lord , and that is why I buy back each of my firstborn sons from him.’ 16 This is like a string tied on your hand, like a sign in front of your eyes. It helps you remember that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his great power.”
17 Pharaoh made the people leave Egypt. God did not let the people take the road leading to the land of the Philistines. That road by the Mediterranean Sea is the shortest way, but God said, “If the people go that way they will have to fight. Then they might change their minds and go back to Egypt.” 18 So God led them another way through the desert by the Red Sea. [ d ] The Israelites were dressed for war when they left Egypt.
19 Moses carried the bones of Joseph with him. Before Joseph died, he made the Israelites promise to do this for him. He said, “When God saves you, remember to carry my bones with you out of Egypt.”
20 The Israelites left Succoth and camped at Etham. Etham was near the desert. 21 The Lord led the way. During the day, he used a tall cloud to lead the people. And during the night, he used a tall column of fire to lead the way. This fire gave them light so that they could also travel at night. 22 The cloud was always with them during the day, and the column of fire was always with them at night.
13 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
3 And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.
4 This day came ye out in the month Abib.
5 And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month.
6 Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord .
7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.
8 And thou shalt shew thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the Lord did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.
9 And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the Lord 's law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee out of Egypt.
10 Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.
11 And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee,
12 That thou shalt set apart unto the Lord all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the Lord 's.
13 And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.
14 And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:
15 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the Lord slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.
16 And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt.
17 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt:
18 But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea: and the children of Israel went up harnessed out of the land of Egypt.
19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him: for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.
20 And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.
21 And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night:
22 He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.
13 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “ ( A ) Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the firstborn of every womb among the sons of Israel, among people and animals alike ; it belongs to Me.”
3 And Moses said to the people, “ ( B ) Remember this day in which you departed from Egypt, from the house of [ a ] slavery; for ( C ) by [ b ] a powerful hand the Lord brought you out from this place. ( D ) And nothing with yeast shall be eaten. 4 On this day in the ( E ) month of Abib, you are about to go out from here . 5 And it shall be when the Lord ( F ) brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which ( G ) He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, ( H ) that you shall [ c ] perform this rite in this month. 6 For ( I ) seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Lord . 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and ( J ) nothing with yeast shall [ d ] be seen among you, nor shall any dough with yeast [ e ] be seen among you in all your borders. 8 And ( K ) you shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘ It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 And ( L ) it shall [ f ] serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder [ g ] on your forehead, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for with ( M ) a powerful hand the Lord brought you out of Egypt. 10 Therefore, you shall ( N ) keep this ordinance at its appointed time from [ h ] year to year.
11 “Now when ( O ) the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as ( P ) He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 ( Q ) you shall [ i ] devote to the Lord every firstborn of a womb, and every firstborn offspring of an animal that you own; the males belong to the Lord . 13 But ( R ) every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it , then you shall break its neck; and ( S ) every [ j ] firstborn among your sons you shall redeem. 14 ( T ) And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘ ( U ) With [ k ] a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of [ l ] slavery. 15 And it came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the ( V ) Lord put to death every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human firstborns to animal firstborns. Therefore, I sacrifice to the Lord the males, every firstborn of a womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’ 16 So ( W ) it shall [ m ] serve as a sign on your hand and as [ n ] phylacteries [ o ] on your forehead, for with [ p ] a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.”
17 Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “ ( X ) The people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” 18 Therefore God led the people around by way of the wilderness to the [ q ] Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up ( Y ) in battle formation from the land of Egypt. 19 And Moses took ( Z ) the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will certainly [ r ] take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.” 20 Then they set out from ( AA ) Succoth and camped in Etham, on the edge of the wilderness. 21 And ( AB ) the Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, so that they might [ s ] travel by day and by night. 22 [ t ] He ( AC ) did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from the presence of the people.
13 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Consecrate to me every firstborn male. ( A ) The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.”
3 Then Moses said to the people, “Commemorate this day, the day you came out of Egypt, ( B ) out of the land of slavery, because the Lord brought you out of it with a mighty hand. ( C ) Eat nothing containing yeast. ( D ) 4 Today, in the month of Aviv, ( E ) you are leaving. 5 When the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, ( F ) Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites ( G ) —the land he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey ( H ) —you are to observe this ceremony ( I ) in this month: 6 For seven days eat bread made without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival ( J ) to the Lord . 7 Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. 8 On that day tell your son, ( K ) ‘I do this because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’ 9 This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand ( L ) and a reminder on your forehead ( M ) that this law of the Lord is to be on your lips. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with his mighty hand. ( N ) 10 You must keep this ordinance ( O ) at the appointed time ( P ) year after year.
11 “After the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites ( Q ) and gives it to you, as he promised on oath ( R ) to you and your ancestors, ( S ) 12 you are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord . ( T ) 13 Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, ( U ) but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. ( V ) Redeem ( W ) every firstborn among your sons. ( X )
14 “In days to come, when your son ( Y ) asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ say to him, ‘With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. ( Z ) 15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.’ ( AA ) 16 And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead ( AB ) that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand.”
17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” ( AC ) 18 So God led ( AD ) the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. [ a ] The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle. ( AE )
19 Moses took the bones of Joseph ( AF ) with him because Joseph had made the Israelites swear an oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from this place.” [ b ] ( AG )
20 After leaving Sukkoth ( AH ) they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. ( AI ) 21 By day the Lord went ahead ( AJ ) of them in a pillar of cloud ( AK ) to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left ( AL ) its place in front of the people.
