Exodus 13

1 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Hallow unto me every firstborn, whatever breaketh open the womb among the children of Israel, of man and of cattle: it is 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, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for with a powerful hand hath Jehovah brought you out from this; and nothing leavened shall be eaten.

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 Ye come out to-day, in the month Abib.

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

5 And it shall be when Jehovah hath brought thee into the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, which he swore to thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service 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 Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread; and in the seventh day is a feast to Jehovah.

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

7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten the seven days; and leavened bread shall not be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy borders.

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 thou shalt inform thy son in that day, saying, It is because of what Jehovah did to me when I came out of 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 shall be for a sign to thee on thy hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the law of Jehovah may be in thy mouth; for with a powerful hand hath Jehovah brought thee out 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 And thou shalt keep this ordinance at its set time from year to year.

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

11 And it shall be when Jehovah hath brought thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he hath sworn to thee and to thy fathers, and hath given it thee,

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 that thou shalt offer unto Jehovah all that breaketh open the womb, and every firstling that cometh of cattle which is thine: the males [shall be] Jehovah's.

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 And every firstling of an ass shalt thou ransom with a lamb; and if thou do not ransom it, thou shalt break its neck; and every firstborn of a man among thy sons shalt thou ransom.

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 it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say to him, With a powerful hand Jehovah brought us out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

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 And it came to pass, when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, that Jehovah slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of men and the firstborn of cattle: therefore I sacrifice to Jehovah all that breaketh open the womb — being males; and every firstborn of my children I ransom.

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 And it shall be for a sign on thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes, for with a powerful hand Jehovah brought us forth out of 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 it came to pass, when Pharaoh let the people go, that God did not lead them the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, That the people may not repent when they see conflict, and 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 And God led the people about, the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea; and the children of Israel went arrayed 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 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him; for he had made the children of Israel swear an oath, saying, God will be sure to visit you; then ye shall carry my bones with you hence.

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 they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, at the end of the wilderness.

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

21 And Jehovah went before their face by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them [in] the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; so that they could go day and night.

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 The pillar of the cloud did not remove [from] before the people by day, nor the pillar of fire by night.

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