Exodus 13

1Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2Consecrate to me every firstborn, the first to open every womb among the sons of Israel, among man and among beast; it is mine.

3Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, from the house of slavery, because Yahweh brought you out from there by a strong hand; and no leavened bread shall be eaten.”

4Today you are going out, in the month of Abib.

5And when Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you shall perform this service in this month.

6For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to Yahweh.

7Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days, and no leaven shall be seen with you, and no yeast shall be seen with you within all your territory.

8And you shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of this that Yahweh acted for me when I came out of Egypt.’

9And it shall be for you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, so that the law of Yahweh may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand Yahweh brought you out of Egypt.

10You shall keep this statute at its appointed time from year to year.

11And when Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you,

12you shall set apart to Yahweh every one that opens the womb, and every male firstborn of the livestock that you have belongs to Yahweh.

13And every firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb; and if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. And every firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.

14And when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘By a mighty hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of servants.’

15And when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Yahweh killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of beast. Therefore I sacrifice to Yahweh every male that opens the womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.

16And it shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes, for with a strong hand Yahweh brought us out from Egypt.

17When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, though it was near; for God said, “Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt.”

18So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Sea of Reeds, and the sons of Israel went up from the land of Egypt armed.

19And Moses took Joseph’s bones with him, because Joseph had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely attend to you, and you shall bring up my bones from here with you.”

20They set out from Succoth and camped at Etham, on the edge of the wilderness.

21And Yahweh was going before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them on the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day and by night.

22The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.