< Exodus 13 >

1 Then the LORD said to Moses,
And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,
2 “Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast.”
Sanctify unto me all the first-born, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
3 So Moses told the people, “Remember this day, the day you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery; for the LORD brought you out of it by the strength of His hand. And nothing leavened shall be eaten.
And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, on which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery; for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from here: and no leavened bread shall be eaten.
4 Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving.
This day go ye out, in the month of Abib.
5 And when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites—the land He swore to your fathers that He would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—you shall keep this service in this month.
And it shall be, when the Lord doth bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Emorites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he hath sworn unto thy fathers to give unto thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt perform this service in this month.
6 For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD.
Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord.
7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten during those seven days. Nothing leavened may be found among you, nor shall leaven be found anywhere within your borders.
Unleavened bread shall be eaten these seven days; and there shall not be seen with thee any leavened bread, neither shall there be seen with thee any leaven in all thy boundaries.
8 And on that day you are to explain to your son, ‘This is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.’
And thou shalt tell thy son on that day, saying, This is done for the sake of that which the Lord did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.
9 It shall be a sign for you on your hand and a reminder on your forehead that the Law of the LORD is to be on your lips. For with a mighty hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt.
And it shall be unto thee for a sign upon thy hand, and for a memorial between thy eyes, in order that the law of the Lord may be in thy mouth; for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought thee forth out of Egypt.
10 Therefore you shall keep this statute at the appointed time year after year.
And thou shalt keep this ordinance in its season, from year to year.
11 And after the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as He swore to you and your fathers,
And it shall be, when the Lord doth bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he hath sworn unto thee and to thy fathers, and giveth it to thee,
12 you are to present to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD.
That thou shalt set apart all that openeth the womb unto the Lord; and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou shalt have, the males, shall belong to the Lord.
13 You must redeem every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, you are to break its neck. And every firstborn of your sons you must redeem.
And every firstling of an ass shalt thou redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then shalt thou break its neck: and all the first-born of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.
14 In the future, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you are to tell him, ‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
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 forth out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;
15 And when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the LORD killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both of man and beast. This is why I sacrifice to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb, but I redeem all the firstborn of my sons.’
And it came to pass, when Pharaoh obstinately refused to let us go, that the Lord slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man, and the first-born of beast; therefore do I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the womb, being males; but all the first-born of my children must I redeem.
16 So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead, for with a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt.”
And it shall be for a sign upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thy eyes; that by strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt.
17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road through the land of the Philistines, though it was shorter. For God said, “If the people face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”
And it came to pass, when Pharaoh let the people go, that God did not lead them the way through the land of the Philistines, because it was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and return to Egypt.
18 So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt arrayed for battle.
But God led the people about, by the way of the wilderness to 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 because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear a solemn oath when he said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones with you from this place.”
And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him; for he had caused the children of Israel to swear, saying, God will surely visit you, and ye shall then carry up my bones away hence with you.
20 They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.
And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, at the edge of the wilderness.
21 And the LORD went before them in a pillar of cloud to guide their way by day, and in a pillar of fire to give them light by night, so that they could travel by day or night.
And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give light to them; that they might go by day and by night:
22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place before the people.
He took not away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

< Exodus 13 >