EXODUS 13

Then Yehowah spoke to Moses, and said, 2 Sanctify all the firstborn to me, whatever opens the womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and of beast; it is mine.

3 And Moses said to the people, Remember this day on which you came out of Egypt, from the home of slavery; for Yehowah brought you out of there by a strong hand; and nothing leavened shall be eaten. 4 You are going out today, in the month of Abib. 5 And when Yehowah 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 observe this practice in this month. 6 For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to Yehowah. 7 Unleavened bread shall be eaten for seven days; and nothing leavened shall be seen with you, nor shall any leaven be seen with you throughout your land. 8 And you shall tell your son on that day, and say, This is because of what Yehowah did for me when I came out of Egypt. 8 And it shall be for you as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, so that the law of Yehowah may be in your mouth; for Yehowah has brought you out of Egypt with a strong hand. 10 And you shall observe this statute at the appointed time from year to year.

11 And when Yehowah brings you into the land of the Canaanites, as he swore to you and your fathers, and gives it to you, 12 then you shall make over to Yehowah all that opens the womb; and all the firstborn of your animals, being males, shall be for Yehowah. 13 And each firstborn of an ass you shall redeem with a lamb; but if you do not redeem it you must break its neck. And you shall redeem all the firstborn of men among your sons. 14 And when in time to come your son asks you, and says, What is this? you shall say to him, By a strong hand Yehowah brought us out of Egypt, from the home of slavery; 15 for when Pharaoh hardened himself against sending us away, Yehowah killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of animals. Therefore I sacrifice to Yehowah all the males that open the womb; but I redeem all the firstborn of my sons; 16 so it shall be as a sign on your hand and as frontlets between your eyes; for by a strong hand Yehowah brought us out of Egypt.

17 Now when Pharaoh sent the people away, God did not lead them by the highway to the land of the Philistines, though it was near; for God said, Perhaps the people will change their minds when they see war, and will return to Egypt. 18 But God led the people around by the road in the desert towards the Sea of Reeds; and the sons of Israel went up out of the land of Egypt ready for battle. 19 And Moses took Joseph's bones with him; for Joseph had taken an oath from the sons of Israel, and had said, God will surely visit you; then you shall carry up my bones with you from here. 20 And they set out from Succoth; and they camped at Etham, at the edge of the desert. 21 And Yehowah went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them along the road, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and by night. 22 The pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night did not depart from before the people.