1 ¶ And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

The Lord said to Moses,

2 S anctify unto me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and of beast; for 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 unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery; for the LORD has brought you out of here with a strong hand; therefore, ye shall not eat with leaven.

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 T his day ye came out in the month Abib.

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

5 A nd when the LORD shall have brought 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 do 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 T hou shalt eat without leaven for seven days, and the seventh day shall be a feast unto the LORD.

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

7 B read without leaven shall be eaten the seven days; and nothing leavened shall be seen with thee, neither shall there be any leaven 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 tell thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when he brought me 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 unto thee upon thy hand and for a memorial before thine eyes, that the LORD’s law may be in thy mouth; for with a strong hand the LORD has 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 T hou shalt, therefore, keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.

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

11 ¶ And it shall be when the LORD shall have brought thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall have given it to 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 set apart unto the LORD all that opens the womb and in the same manner every firstborn that opens the wombs of thy animals; the males shall be the LORD’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 firstborn of an ass thou shalt ransom with a lamb; and if thou wilt not ransom it, then thou shalt cut off its head; and in the same manner thou shalt ransom all the human firstborn among thy sons.

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 asks thee in time to come, saying, What is this? Thou shalt say unto him, With a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery;

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 was hardening himself to not let us go that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt from the human firstborn to the firstborn of the beast; therefore, I sacrifice to the LORD every male that opens the womb, and I ransom every firstborn of my sons.

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 token upon thy hand, and for a memorial before thine eyes: That the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a strong hand.

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 ¶ And it came to pass when Pharaoh had let the people go that God did not lead them through 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;

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 b ut God led the people round about through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea. And the sons of Israel went up armed 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 also took the bones of Joseph with him, who had made the sons of Israel swear, saying, God will surely visit you; and ye shall carry up my bones away from here with you.

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 in the edge of the wilderness.

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

21 A nd the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them in the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light that they might walk by day and by 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 H e never took away the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people.

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