1 T he Lord said to Moses,

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

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 to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.”

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.

Moses said to the people, “ Remember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the Lord brought you out from this place. And nothing leavened shall be eaten.

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

On this day in the month of Abib, you are about to go forth.

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.

It shall be when the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall observe this rite 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.

For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there 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 throughout the seven days; and nothing leavened shall be seen among you, nor shall any leaven be seen among you in all your borders.

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 tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is 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.

And it shall serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder on your forehead, that the law of the Lord may be in your mouth; for with a powerful hand the Lord 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

Therefore, you shall keep this ordinance at its appointed 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.

“Now when the Lord brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as He swore to you and to your fathers, and gives 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 devote to the Lord the first offspring of every womb, and the first offspring of every beast that you own; the males belong to the Lord.

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.

But every first offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and every firstborn of man among your sons you shall 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 it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘ With a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.

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.’

It came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the Lord killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the Lord the males, the first offspring of every womb, but every 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

So it shall serve as a sign on your hand and as phylacteries on your forehead, for with a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt.” God Leads the People

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.”

Now when Pharaoh had let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was near; for God said, “ The people might change their minds 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.

Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from 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.”

Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.”

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

Then they set out from Succoth and camped in 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 was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night 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.

He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.