Exodus 13

1 And YHWH speaks to Moses, saying,

Then the LORD said to Moses,

2 “Sanctify to Me every firstborn, opening any womb among the sons of Israel, among man and among beast; it [is] Mine.”

“Consecrate to Me every firstborn male. The firstborn from every womb among the Israelites belongs to Me, both of man and beast.”

3 And Moses says to the people, “Remember this day [in] which you have gone out from Egypt, from the house of servants, for by strength of hand YHWH has brought you out from this, and anything fermented is not eaten;

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.

4 you are going out today, in the month of Abib.

Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving.

5 And it has been, when YHWH brings you to the land of the Canaanite, and of the Hittite, and of the Amorite, and of the Hivite, and of the Jebusite, which He has sworn to your fathers to give to you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you have done this service in this month.

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.

6 Seven days you eat unleavened things, and in the seventh day [is] a celebration to YHWH;

For seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD.

7 unleavened things are eaten the seven days, and anything fermented is not seen with you; indeed, leaven is not seen with you in all your border.

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.

8 And you have declared to your son in that day, saying, [It is] because of what YHWH did to me, in my going out from Egypt,

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.’

9 and it has been to you for a sign on your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, so that the Law of YHWH is in your mouth, for by a strong hand YHWH has brought you out from Egypt;

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.

10 and you have kept this statute at its appointed time from days to days.

Therefore you shall keep this statute at the appointed time year after year.

11 And it has been, when YHWH brings you to the land of the Canaanite as He has sworn to you and to your fathers, and has given it to you,

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,

12 that you have caused everyone opening a womb to pass over to YHWH, and every firstling—the increase of beasts which you have: the males [are] YHWH’s.

you are to present to the LORD the firstborn male of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the LORD.

13 And every firstling of a donkey you ransom with a lamb, and if you do not ransom [it], then you have beheaded it; and you ransom every firstborn of man among your sons.

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.

14 And it has been, when your son asks you hereafter, saying, What [is] this? That you have said to him, By strength of hand YHWH has brought us out from Egypt, from a house of servants;

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.

15 indeed, it comes to pass, when Pharaoh has been pained to send us away, that YHWH slays every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man even to the firstborn of beast; therefore I am sacrificing to YHWH all opening a womb who [are] males, and I ransom every firstborn of my sons;

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.’

16 and it has been for a token on your hand, and for frontlets between your eyes, for by strength of hand YHWH has brought us out of Egypt.”

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.”

17 And it comes to pass in Pharaoh’s sending the people away, that God has not led them the way of the land of the Philistines, for it [is] near; for God said, “Lest the people sigh in their seeing war, and have turned back toward Egypt”;

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.”

18 and God turns around the people the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea, and the sons of Israel have gone up by fifties from the land of Egypt.

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.

19 And Moses takes the bones of Joseph with him, for he certainly caused the sons of Israel to swear, saying, “God certainly inspects you, and you have brought up my bones from this [place] with you.”

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.”

20 And they journey from Succoth, and encamp in Etham at the extremity of the wilderness,

They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.

21 and YHWH is going before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them in the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give light to them, to go by day and by night;

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.

22 He does not remove the pillar of the cloud by day, and the pillar of the fire by night, [from] before the people.

Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place before the people.