13
1 The
LORD spoke to
Moses, saying,
2 “Sanctify
to me all
the firstborn,
whatever opens the
womb among the
children of Israel,
both of man
and of animal. It
is mine.”
3 Moses
said to the
people, “Remember
this day, in
which you came
out of Egypt,
out of the
house of bondage;
for by strength
of hand the
LORD brought you
out from this
place. No leavened
bread shall
be eaten.
4 Today
you go out
in the month Abib.
5 It
shall be, when
the LORD brings
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 to
give you, a land
flowing with milk
and honey, that
you shall keep
this service in
this month.
6 Seven
days you shall eat
unleavened bread,
and in the
seventh day shall
be a feast
to the LORD.
7 Unleavened
bread shall
be eaten throughout
the seven days;
and no leavened
bread shall be
seen with you.
No yeast shall
be seen with
you, within all
your borders.
8 You
shall tell your
son in that
day, saying, ‘It
is because of
that which the
LORD did for
me when I
came out of
Egypt.’
9 It
shall be for
a sign to
you on your
hand, and for
a memorial between
your eyes, that
the LORD’s law
may be in
your mouth; for
with a strong
hand the LORD
has brought you
out of Egypt.
10 You
shall therefore
keep this
ordinance in its
season from year
to year.
11 “It
shall be, when
the LORD brings
you into the land
of the Canaanite,
as he swore
to you and
to your fathers,
and will give
it to you,
12 that
you shall set
apart to the
LORD all that opens
the womb, and
every firstborn
that comes from
an animal which
you have. The
males shall be
the LORD’s.
13 Every
firstborn of a
donkey you shall
redeem with a
lamb; and if
you will not
redeem it, then
you shall break
its neck; and
you shall redeem
all the firstborn
of man among
your sons.
14 It
shall be, when
your son asks
you in time
to come, saying, ‘What
is this?’ that
you shall tell him,
‘By strength of
hand the LORD
brought us out
from Egypt, from
the house of
bondage.
15 When
Pharaoh stubbornly
refused to let
us go, the
LORD killed all
the firstborn in
the land of Egypt,
both the firstborn
of man, and
the firstborn
of livestock. Therefore
I sacrifice to
the LORD all
that opens the
womb, being males;
but all the
firstborn of my
sons I redeem.’
16 It
shall be for
a sign on your
hand, and for
symbols between
your eyes; for
by strength of
hand the LORD
brought us out
of Egypt.”
17 When
Pharaoh had let
the people go,
God didn’t lead
them by the
way of the land
of the Philistines,
although that was
near; for God said,
“Lest perhaps the
people change
their minds when
they see war,
and they return
to Egypt”;
18 but God
led the people
around by the
way of the
wilderness by the
Red Sea; and
the children of
Israel went up
armed out of
the land of Egypt.
19 Moses
took the bones
of Joseph with
him, for he
had made the
children of Israel
swear, saying, “God will
surely visit you,
and you shall
carry up my
bones away from
here with you.”
20 They took
their journey from
Succoth, and
encamped in Etham,
in the edge
of the wilderness.
21 The
LORD went before
them by day
in a pillar
of cloud, to
lead them on
their way, and
by night in
a pillar of fire,
to give them light,
that they might
go by day
and by night:
22 the
pillar of cloud
by day, and
the pillar of fire
by night, didn’t
depart from before
the people.