Exodus 13

1Yahweh said to Moses,

2“Consecrate to me every firstborn. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites, whether human or animal, belongs to me.”

3Then Moses said to the people, “Remember this day on which you came out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for Yahweh brought you out of here by the strength of his hand. Nothing with yeast in it is to be eaten.

4Today, in the month of Abib, you are leaving.

5When Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, which he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, you are to keep this ceremony in this month.

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

7Unleavened bread is to be eaten throughout the seven days. Nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, and no yeast is to be seen anywhere in your territory.

8On that day you are to tell your son, ‘This is because of what Yahweh did for me when I came out of Egypt.’

9It will be a sign for you on your hand and a reminder between your eyes, so that the law of Yahweh may be on your lips. For with a strong hand Yahweh brought you out of Egypt.

10So you are to keep this statute at its appointed time year after year.

11When Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and to your ancestors, and gives it to you,

12you are to hand over to Yahweh the first offspring of every womb. Every firstborn male of your animals belongs to Yahweh.

13But you are to redeem every firstborn donkey with a lamb, and if you do not redeem it, you must break its neck. And you are to redeem every firstborn among your sons.

14In the days to come, when your son asks you, ‘What does this mean?’ you are to say to him, ‘By the strength of his hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

15When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Yahweh killed every firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of people and the firstborn of animals. That is why I sacrifice to Yahweh every male that is the first offspring of the womb, but I redeem every firstborn of my sons.’

16It will be a sign on your hand and an emblem between your eyes, for by the strength of his hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt.”

17When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by the road through the land of the Philistines, although that was shorter. For God said, “If the people face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.”

18So God led the people around by the road through the wilderness toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt ready for battle.

19Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites swear a solemn oath. He had said, “God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up with you from here.”

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

21Yahweh went ahead of them by day in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or by night.

22Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.