Exodus 13

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2 “Sanctify to me every firstborn which opens the womb among the sons of Israel, as much of men as of cattle. For they are all mine.”

“Set apart to me all the firstborn, every firstborn male among the Israelites, both of people and animals. The firstborn belongs to me.”

3 And Moses said to the people: “Remember this day, on which you were taken away from Egypt and from the house of servitude. For with a strong hand the Lord has led you away from this place. Thus, you shall eat no leavened bread.

Moses said to the people, “Call this day to mind, the day on which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by Yahweh's strong hand he brought you out from this place. No bread with yeast may be eaten.

4 Today, you go forth in the month of new grain.

You are going out of Egypt on this day, in the month of Aviv.

5 And when the Lord has brought 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 that he would give to you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you will celebrate this manner of sacred rites in this month.

When Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and the Jebusites, the land that he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—then you must observe this act of worship in this month.

6 For seven days, you shall feed on unleavened bread. And on the seventh day, it will be the solemnity of the Lord.

For seven days you must eat bread without yeast; on the seventh day there will be a feast to honor Yahweh.

7 You shall consume unleavened bread for seven days. There shall not be seen anything leavened with you, nor in all your parts.

Bread without yeast must be eaten throughout the seven days; no bread with yeast may be seen among you. No yeast may be seen with you within any of your borders.

8 And you will explain to your son in that day, saying: ‘This is what the Lord did for me when I was taken away from Egypt.’

On that day you are to say to your children, 'This is because of what Yahweh did for me when I came out of Egypt.'

9 And it will be like a sign in your hand and like a memorial before your eyes. And so may the law of the Lord be always in your mouth. For with a strong hand, the Lord led you away from the land of Egypt.

This will be a reminder for you on your hand, and a reminder on your forehead. This is so the law of Yahweh may be in your mouth, for with a strong hand Yahweh brought you out of Egypt.

10 You will keep this observance, at the established time, from day to day.

Therefore you must keep this law at its appointed time from year to year.

11 And when the Lord has brought you into the land of the Canaanite, just as he swore to you and to your fathers, and when he will give it you,

When Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and to your ancestors to do, and when he gives the land to you,

12 then you shall set aside for the Lord all that opens the womb and all that is first to go forth among your cattle. Whatever you will have of the male sex, you shall consecrate to the Lord.

you must set apart to Yahweh the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn offspring of your animals that are males, will belong to Yahweh.

13 The firstborn of a donkey you will exchange for a sheep. And if you will not redeem it, you shall put it to death. But every firstborn of man among your sons, you shall redeem with a price.

Every firstborn of a donkey you must buy back with a lamb. If you do not buy it back, then you must break its neck. But each of your firstborn males among all your sons—you must buy them back.

14 And when your son will question you tomorrow, saying, ‘What is this?’ you will respond, ‘With a strong hand the Lord led us away from the land of Egypt, from the house of servitude.

When your son asks you later, 'What does this mean?' then you are to tell him, 'It was by a strong hand that Yahweh brought us out from Egypt, from the house of slavery.

15 For when Pharaoh had been hardened and was unwilling to release us, the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man, even to the firstborn of beasts. For this reason, I immolate to the Lord all of the male sex that opens the womb, and all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’

When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Yahweh killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of people and the firstborn of animals. That is why I sacrifice to Yahweh the firstborn male of every animal, and why I buy back the firstborn of my sons.'

16 Therefore, it will be like a sign in your hand and like something hanging between your eyes as a remembrance, because with a strong hand the Lord has led us away from Egypt.”

This will become a reminder on your hands, and a reminder on your forehead, for it was by a strong hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt.”

17 And so, when Pharaoh had sent the people away, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, which is nearby, considering that perhaps they might relapse, if they saw wars rise up against them, and then they might return to Egypt.

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that land was nearby. For God said, “Perhaps the people will change their minds when they experience war and will then return to Egypt.”

18 But he led them around by the way of the desert, which is next to the Red Sea. And so the sons of Israel ascended, armed, out of the land of Egypt.

So God led the people around through the wilderness to the Sea of Reeds. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt armed for battle.

19 Also, Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, because he had sworn to the sons of Israel, saying: “God will visit you. Carry my bones away from here with you.”

Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear and said, “God will surely rescue you, and you must carry away my bones with you.”

20 And setting out from Soccoth, they encamped at Etham, in the most distant parts of the wilderness.

The Israelites journeyed from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.

21 Now the Lord preceded them to show them the way, by day with a pillar of cloud, and by night with a pillar of fire, so that he might be the leader of their journey at both times.

Yahweh went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them on the way. By night he went in a pillar of fire to give them light. In this way they could travel by day and by night.

22 These never failed: a pillar of cloud by day, and a pillar of fire by night, in the sight of the people.

Yahweh did not take away from before the people the daytime pillar of cloud or the nighttime pillar of fire.