Exodus 13

1 And YHWH speaks to Moses, saying,

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

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

“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.”

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;

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.

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

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

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 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.

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

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

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

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 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.’

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;

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.

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

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

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 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,

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.

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.

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.

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.

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;

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.

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;

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.’

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.”

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.”

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”;

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

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

And setting out from Soccoth, they encamped at Etham, in the most distant parts 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;

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.

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

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