Exodus 13

1 Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

2 “Set apart to me all the firstborn, every firstborn male among the Israelites, both of people and animals. The firstborn belongs to me.”

'Sanctify unto Me all the first-born, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast, it is Mine.'

3 Moses said to the people, “Call this day to mind, the day on which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by Yahweh's strong hand he brought you out from this place. No bread with yeast may be eaten.

And Moses said unto the people: 'Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place; there shall no leavened bread be eaten.

4 You are going out of Egypt on this day, in the month of Aviv.

This day ye go forth in the month Abib.

5 When Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and the Jebusites, the land that he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—then you must observe this act of worship in this month.

And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which He swore unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month.

6 For seven days you must eat bread without yeast; on the seventh day there will be a feast to honor Yahweh.

Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.

7 Bread without yeast must be eaten throughout the seven days; no bread with yeast may be seen among you. No yeast may be seen with you within any of your borders.

Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee, in all thy borders.

8 On that day you are to say to your children, 'This is because of what Yahweh did for me when I came out of Egypt.'

And thou shalt tell thy son in that day, saying: It is because of that which the LORD did for me when I came forth out of Egypt.

9 This will be a reminder for you on your hand, and a reminder on your forehead. This is so the law of Yahweh may be in your mouth, for with a strong hand Yahweh brought you out of Egypt.

And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thy hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the law of the LORD may be in thy mouth; for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.

10 Therefore you must keep this law at its appointed time from year to year.

Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.

11 When Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and to your ancestors to do, and when he gives the land to you,

And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanite, as He swore unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee,

12 you must set apart to Yahweh the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn offspring of your animals that are males, will belong to Yahweh.

that thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the womb; every firstling that is a male, which thou hast coming of a beast, shall be the LORD'S.

13 Every firstborn of a donkey you must buy back with a lamb. If you do not buy it back, then you must break its neck. But each of your firstborn males among all your sons—you must buy them back.

And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck; and all the first-born of man among thy sons shalt thou redeem.

14 When your son asks you later, 'What does this mean?' then you are to tell him, 'It was by a strong hand that Yahweh brought us out from Egypt, from the house of slavery.

And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying: What is this? that thou shalt say unto him: By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage;

15 When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Yahweh killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of people and the firstborn of animals. That is why I sacrifice to Yahweh the firstborn male of every animal, and why I buy back the firstborn of my sons.'

and it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man, and the first-born of beast; therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the womb, being males; but all the first-born of my sons I redeem.

16 This will become a reminder on your hands, and a reminder on your forehead, for it was by a strong hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt.”

And it shall be for a sign upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes; for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.'

17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that land was nearby. For God said, “Perhaps the people will change their minds when they experience war and will then return to Egypt.”

And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said: 'Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt.'

18 So God led the people around through the wilderness to the Sea of Reeds. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt armed for battle.

But God led the people about, by the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea; and the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt.

19 Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear and said, “God will surely rescue you, and you must carry away my bones with you.”

And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him; for he had straitly sworn the children of Israel, saying: 'God will surely remember you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.'

20 The Israelites journeyed from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.

And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness.

21 Yahweh went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them on the way. By night he went in a pillar of fire to give them light. In this way they could travel by day and by night.

And the LORD went 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 go by day and by night:

22 Yahweh did not take away from before the people the daytime pillar of cloud or the nighttime pillar of fire.

the pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night, departed not from before the people.