1 A nd Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

The Lord said to Moses,

2 H allow unto me every firstborn, whatever breaketh open the womb among the children of Israel, of man and of cattle: it is mine.

“Set apart to Me every first-born male. The first-born male among the people of Israel, and the first-born male animal are Mine.” Special Supper of Bread without Yeast

3 A nd Moses said to the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for with a powerful hand hath Jehovah brought you out from this; and nothing leavened shall be eaten.

Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the land where you were made to stay and work. For the Lord brought you out of this place by a powerful hand. No bread made with yeast will be eaten.

4 Y e come out to-day, in the month Abib.

This day you are about to go out, in the month of Abib.

5 A nd it shall be when Jehovah hath brought thee into the land of the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Amorite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, which he swore to thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month.

And the Lord will bring you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, which He promised to your fathers to give you. It is a land flowing with milk and honey. There you will do this act of worship in this month.

6 S even days shalt thou eat unleavened bread; and in the seventh day is a feast to Jehovah.

For seven days you will eat bread without yeast. On the seventh day there will be a special supper to the Lord.

7 U nleavened bread shall be eaten the seven days; and leavened bread shall not be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy borders.

Bread without yeast will be eaten for seven days. Nothing made with yeast will be seen among you. No yeast will be seen among you in all your country.

8 A nd thou shalt inform thy son in that day, saying, It is because of what Jehovah did to me when I came out of Egypt.

You will say to your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.’

9 A nd it shall be for a sign to thee on thy hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the law of Jehovah may be in thy mouth; for with a powerful hand hath Jehovah brought thee out of Egypt.

It will be a special mark on your hand and on your forehead to make people remember, that the Law of the Lord is to be in your mouth. For the Lord brought you out of Egypt with a powerful hand.

10 A nd thou shalt keep this ordinance at its set time from year to year.

So you must keep this Law at the time given for it from year to year. The First-Born

11 A nd it shall be when Jehovah hath brought thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he hath sworn to thee and to thy fathers, and hath given it thee,

“The Lord will bring you to the land of the Canaanite. He will give it to you as He promised you and your fathers.

12 t hat thou shalt offer unto Jehovah all that breaketh open the womb, and every firstling that cometh of cattle which is thine: the males Jehovah's.

There you must give to the Lord the first male to be born. And all the first male animals born belong to the Lord.

13 A nd every firstling of an ass shalt thou ransom with a lamb; and if thou do not ransom it, thou shalt break its neck; and every firstborn of a man among thy sons shalt thou ransom.

But you may buy every first-born donkey by giving a lamb for it. But if you do not buy it, then you must break its neck. You must buy with a gift of money every first-born male among your sons.

14 A nd it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say to him, With a powerful hand Jehovah brought us out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

And when the time comes when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ then say to him, ‘With a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the land where we were servants.

15 A nd it came to pass, when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, that Jehovah slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of men and the firstborn of cattle: therefore I sacrifice to Jehovah all that breaketh open the womb—being males; and every firstborn of my children I ransom.

When Pharaoh would not let us go, the Lord killed every first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man and of animal. So I give to the Lord every first male animal to be born. But I buy with a gift of money every first-born of my sons.’

16 A nd it shall be for a sign on thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes, for with a powerful hand Jehovah brought us forth out of Egypt.

So it will be like a special mark on your hand and on your forehead. For the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a powerful hand.” Cloud by Day and Fire by Night

17 A nd it came to pass, when Pharaoh let the people go, that God did not lead them the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, That the people may not repent when they see conflict, and return to Egypt.

When Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even when that was nearer. For God said, “The people may change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.”

18 A nd God led the people about, the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea; and the children of Israel went arrayed out of the land of Egypt.

So God led the people through the desert to get to the Red Sea. The people of Israel went out of the land of Egypt ready for war.

19 A nd Moses took the bones of Joseph with him; for he had made the children of Israel swear an oath, saying, God will be sure to visit you; then ye shall carry my bones with you hence.

Moses took the bones of Joseph with him because Joseph had made the people of Israel promise. He had said, “For sure God will keep you and you will carry my bones with you from here.”

20 A nd they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham, at the end of the wilderness.

Then they left Succoth and set up their tents at Etham, beside the desert.

21 A nd Jehovah went before their face by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; so that they could go day and night.

The Lord went before them, in a pillar of cloud during the day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire during the night to give them light. So they could travel day and night.

22 T he pillar of the cloud did not remove before the people by day, nor the pillar of fire by night.

The pillar of cloud during the day and the pillar of fire during the night did not leave the people.