13
Consecration of the Firstborn
1 Then the Loʀᴅ spoke to Moses, saying,
2 “
ASanctify to Me every firstborn, the first
1offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.”
3 Moses said to the people, “
ARemember this day in which you went out from Egypt, from the house of
1slavery; for
Bby
2a powerful hand the Loʀᴅ brought you out from this place.
CAnd nothing leavened shall be eaten.
4 “On this day in the
Amonth of Abib, you are about to go forth.
5 “It shall be when the Loʀᴅ
Abrings you to the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, which
BHe swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey,
Cthat you shall
1observe this rite in this month.
6 “For
Aseven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the Loʀᴅ.
7 “Unleavened bread shall be eaten throughout the seven days; and
Anothing leavened shall be seen
1among you, nor shall any leaven be seen
1among you in all your borders.
8 “
AYou shall tell your son on that day, saying, ‘It is because of what the Loʀᴅ did for me when I came out of Egypt.’
9 “And
Ait shall
1serve as a sign to you on your hand, and as a reminder
2on your forehead, that the law of the Loʀᴅ may be in your mouth; for with
Ba powerful hand the Loʀᴅ brought you out of Egypt.
10 “Therefore, you shall
Akeep this ordinance at its appointed time from
1year to year.
11 “Now when
Athe Loʀᴅ brings you to the land of the Canaanite, as
BHe swore to you and to your fathers, and gives it to you,
12 Ayou shall
1devote to the Loʀᴅ the first
2offspring of every womb, and
3the first offspring of every beast that you own; the males belong to the Loʀᴅ.
13 “But
Aevery first
1offspring of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb, but if you do not redeem
it, then you shall break its neck; and
Bevery firstborn of man among your sons you shall redeem.
14 “
AAnd it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is this?’ then you shall say to him, ‘
BWith a
1powerful hand the Loʀᴅ brought us out of Egypt, from the house of
2slavery.
15 ‘It came about, when Pharaoh was stubborn about letting us go, that the
ALoʀᴅ killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast. Therefore, I sacrifice to the Loʀᴅ the males, the first
1offspring of every womb, but every firstborn of my sons I redeem.’
16 “So
Ait shall
1serve as a sign on your hand and as
2phylacteries
3on your forehead, for with a
4powerful hand the Loʀᴅ brought us out of Egypt.”
God Leads the People
17 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, “
AThe people might change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.”
18 Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the
1Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up
Ain martial array from the land of Egypt.
19 Moses took
Athe bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the sons of Israel solemnly swear, saying, “God will surely
1take care of you, and you shall carry my bones from here with you.”
20 Then they set out from
ASuccoth and camped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness.
21 AThe Loʀᴅ 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
1travel by day and by night.
22 1He
Adid not take away the pillar of cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people.