< Exodus 13 >
1 And Yahweh spake unto Moses, saying:
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.
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.
4 To-day, are, ye, coming forth, —in the month Abib.
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.
6 Seven days, shalt thou eat unleavened cakes, —and on the seventh day, [shall be] a festival to Yahweh.
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,
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.
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.
10 So shalt thou observe this statute in its appointed time, —from year to 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,
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
20 And they brake up from Succoth, —and encamped in Etham, at the edge of the desert.
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:
22 the pillar of cloud by day ceased not, nor the pillar of fire by night, —from before the people.