1 T he Lord said to Moses,

The Lord said to Moses,

2 “ 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

Sanctify (consecrate, set apart) to Me all the firstborn; whatever is first to open the womb among the Israelites, both of man and of beast, is Mine.

3 T hen 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.

And Moses said to the people, remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage and bondmen, for by strength of hand the Lord brought you out from this place; no leavened bread shall be eaten.

4 T his day you are about to go out, in the month of Abib.

This day you go forth in the month Abib.

5 A nd 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.

And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and Jebusites, which He promised and swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall keep this service in this month.

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

Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread and the seventh day shall be a feast to the Lord.

7 B read 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.

Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; no leavened bread shall be seen with you, neither shall there be leaven in all your territory.

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

You shall explain to your son on that day, This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.

9 I t 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.

It shall be as a sign to you upon your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt.

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

You shall therefore keep this ordinance at this time from year to year.

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

And when the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as He promised and swore to you and your fathers, and shall give it to you,

12 T here you must give to the Lord the first male to be born. And all the first male animals born belong to the Lord.

You shall set apart to the Lord all that first opens the womb. All the firstlings of your livestock that are males shall be the Lord’s.

13 B ut 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.

Every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem by a lamb, or if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn among your sons shall you redeem.

14 A nd 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.

And when, in time to come, your son asks you, What does this mean? You shall say to him, By strength of hand the Lord brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage and bondmen.

15 W hen 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.’

For when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and of livestock. Therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all the males that first open the womb; but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.

16 S o 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

And it shall be as a reminder upon your hand or as frontlets between your eyes, for by a strong hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.

17 W hen 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.”

When Pharaoh let the people go, God led them not by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearer; for God said, Lest the people change their purpose when they see war and return to Egypt.

18 S o 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.

But God led the people around by way of the wilderness toward the Red Sea. And the Israelites went up marshaled out of the land of Egypt.

19 M oses 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.”

And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for had strictly sworn the Israelites, saying, Surely God will be with you, and you must carry my bones away from here with you.

20 T hen they left Succoth and set up their tents at Etham, beside the desert.

They journeyed from Succoth and encamped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.

21 T he 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.

The Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.

22 T he pillar of cloud during the day and the pillar of fire during the night did not leave the people.

The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.