Exodus 13

1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

The Lord told Moses,

2 "Set apart to me all the firstborn. Whatever is first from the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of animal; it is mine."

“Every firstborn male is to be dedicated to me. The firstborn from every Israelite family belongs to me, and also every firstborn animal.”

3 And Moses said to the people, "Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for with a mighty hand the LORD brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.

So Moses told the people, “Remember this is the day you left Egypt, the land of your slavery, for the Lord led you out of it by his amazing power. (Nothing with yeast in it shall be eaten.)

4 On this day, in the month of Abib, you are going out.

Today you are on your way, this day in the month of Abib.

5 And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hethite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you must keep this ceremony in this month.

The Lord is going to take you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites, the land he promised your forefathers he would give you, a land flowing with milk and honey. So you are to observe this ceremony in this month.

6 Six days you are to eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day is a feast to the LORD.

For seven days you are to only eat bread without yeast, and on the seventh day hold a religious festival to honor the Lord.

7 Unleavened bread is to be eaten throughout the seven days. Nothing leavened is to be seen among you, nor is any leaven to be seen among you in all your territory.

Only bread without yeast is to be eaten during those seven days. You are not to have any yeast, in fact there is to be no yeast in any place where you live.

8 And you are to tell your son on that day, saying, 'It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.'

On that day tell your children, ‘This is because of what the Lord did for me when I left Egypt.’

9 And it shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a reminder between your eyes, so that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth, for with a mighty hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt.

When you celebrate this ceremony it will be like a sign on your hand and a reminder between your eyes that this teaching of the Lord should be spoken about regularly. For the Lord led you out of Egypt with his great power.

10 Therefore you are to keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.

That's why you are to observe this ceremony at the proper time every year.

11 "And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you,

Once the Lord takes you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised you and your forefathers,

12 that you are to set apart to the LORD everything that is first from the womb. Every firstborn male animal belongs to the LORD.

you are to present to the Lord all firstborn males, human or animal. The firstborn males of your livestock all belong to the Lord.

13 Every firstborn of a donkey you are to redeem with a lamb, but if you will not redeem it, then you must break its neck. And every firstborn of man among your sons you must redeem.

You must buy back every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you don't do so, you have to break its neck. You must buy back every firstborn of your sons.

14 And it shall be, when your son asks you in the future, saying, 'What is this?' then you are to tell him, 'With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of slavery.

When in the future your children come to you and ask, ‘Why is this ceremony important to you?’ you are to tell them, ‘The Lord led us out of Egypt, the land of our slavery, by his amazing power.

15 And it happened, when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, that the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of people and the firstborn of animals. This is why I am sacrificing to the LORD any male that is first from the womb of an animal, but all my firstborn sons I redeem.'

Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us leave, so the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both human and animal. That's the reason why I sacrifice to the Lord the firstborn male of every animal, and I buy back all the firstborn of my sons.’

16 So it will be as a sign on your hand and at the front of a headband around your forehead, for with a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt."

In this way it will be like a sign on your hand and a reminder between your eyes, for the Lord led us out of Egypt by his amazing power.”

17 Then it came to pass when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearby, for God said, "Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt."

When Pharaoh let the Israelites leave, God did not lead them along the road through the land of the Philistines, even though that was a shorter way. For God said, “If they are forced to fight, they might change their minds and go back to Egypt.”

18 So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up from the land of Egypt prepared for battle.

So God led the people by the longer way through the desert towards the Red Sea. When the Israelites left the land of Egypt they were like an army ready 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 surely attend to you, and you are to carry my bones up with you from this place."

Moses carried Joseph's bones with him because Joseph had made the sons of Israel swear a solemn promise, saying, “God will definitely take care of you, and then you must take my bones with you when you leave here.”

20 Then they set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.

They traveled on from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the desert.

21 And God went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them on their way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day and by night.

The Lord went ahead of them as a pillar of cloud to show them the way during the day, and as a pillar of fire to provide them with light at night. Like this they could travel by day or night.

22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire at night from in front of the people.

The pillar of cloud during the day and the pillar of fire at night were always in front of the people.