Exodus 13

1 And Yahweh spake unto Moses, saying:

Then the LORD said to Moses,

2 Hallow to me every firstborn, that which any female first beareth among the sons of Israel, among men and among beasts, —mine! it is.

“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 said unto the people—[Ye are] to remember this day, on which ye came forth out of Egypt out of the house of slaves, that with strength of hand, did Yahweh bring you forth from hence, —there shall not, therefore be eaten anything leavened.

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 To-day, are, ye, coming forth, —in the month Abib.

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

5 And it shall be, when Yahweh shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite, and the Hivite and the Jebusite, which he sware to thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, then shalt thou serve with 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, shalt thou eat unleavened cakes, —and on the seventh day, [shall be] a festival to Yahweh.

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

7 Unleavened cakes, shall be eaten for the seven days, —neither shall there be seen with thee anything leavened, nor shall there be seen with thee leaven, within any of thy bounds,

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 thou shalt tell thy son, on that day, saying, —[This is] because, of that which Yahweh did for me, when he brought me forth out of 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 shall be to thee for a sign upon thy hand and for a memorial between thine eyes, in order that the law of Yahweh may be in thy mouth, —for with a strong hand, did Yahweh bring thee forth out of 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 So shalt thou observe this statute in its appointed time, —from year to year.

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

11 And it shall be when Yahweh shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanite, as he sware to thee and to thy fathers, —and shalt give it thee,

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 thou shalt set apart whatsoever is born first, to Yahweh; and, of all firstlings of beasts which thou shalt have, the males, shall pertain to Yahweh.

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 But every firstling of an ass, shalt thou redeem with a lamb or if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck, —but every firstborn of men among thy sons, shalt thou redeem.

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 shall be when thy son shall ask thee in time to come, saying, What is this? Then shalt thou say unto him: With strength of hand, did Yahweh bring us forth out of Egypt out of the house of slaves.

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 And it came to pass when Pharaoh had shown himself too hardened to let us go, then did Yahweh slay every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of men even unto the firstborn of beasts. For this cause, am, I, sacrificing to Yahweh whatsoever is born first, of the males, and every firstborn of my sons, must I redeem.

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 shall be for a sign upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes, —that, with strength of hand, did Yahweh bring us forth 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 came to pass when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead by the land-way of the Philistines, although it was near, —for God said—Lest the people be dismayed when they see war and turn back to 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 So God took the people round the desert-way of the Red Sea, —and the sons of Israel went up armed, out of 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 took the bones of Joseph, with him, —for he had, taken an oath, of the sons of Israel saying, God will, surely visit, you, so then ye shall carry up my bones from hence 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 brake up from Succoth, —and encamped in Etham, at the edge of the desert.

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

21 Now, Yahweh, was going before them—by day, in a pillar of cloud to lead them the way, and by night, in a pillar of fire to give them light, —that they might journey day and 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 the pillar of cloud by day ceased not, nor the pillar of 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.