1 Y ahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

The Lord said to Moses,

2 “ Sanctify to me all the firstborn, whatever opens the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of animal. 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 M oses said to the people, “Remember this day, in which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand Yahweh brought you out from this place. No leavened bread 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 T oday you go out in the month Abib.

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

5 I t shall be, when Yahweh shall bring you into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall 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 you shall eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to Yahweh.

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 throughout the seven days; and no leavened bread shall be seen with you. No yeast shall be seen with you, within all your 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 Y ou shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘It is because of that which Yahweh did for 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 I t shall be for a sign to you on your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes, that Yahweh’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand Yahweh has brought you 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 Y ou shall 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 “ It shall be, when Yahweh shall bring you into the land of the Canaanite, as he swore to you and to your fathers, and shall give it you,

“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 you shall set apart to Yahweh all that opens the womb, and every firstborn which you have that comes from an animal. The males shall be Yahweh’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 E very firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you will not redeem it, then you shall break its neck; and you shall redeem all the firstborn of man among your 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 I t shall be, when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ that you shall tell him, ‘By strength of hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt, from 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 W hen Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Yahweh killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of animal. Therefore I sacrifice to Yahweh all that opens the womb, being males; but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem.’

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 I t shall be for a sign on your hand, and for symbols between your eyes: for by strength of hand Yahweh brought us 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 W hen Pharaoh had let the people go, God didn’t lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds 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 around by the way of the wilderness by the Red Sea; and the children 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 M oses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the children of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you 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 T hey 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 Y ahweh went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, to lead them on their way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light, that they might go 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 t he pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night, didn’t depart from before the people.

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