Exodus 13

1 And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying,

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2 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.

“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 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.

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 This day go ye out, in the month of Abib.

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

5 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.

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 on the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 in its season, from year to year.

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

11 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,

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 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.

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 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.

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 unto him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us forth out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery;

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 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.

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 upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thy eyes; that by strength of hand the Lord 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 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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 edge of the wilderness.

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

21 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:

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 He took not away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.

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