Exodus 13

1 Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2 "Set apart to me all the firstborn. Whatever is first from the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of animal; it is mine."

“Set apart to me all the firstborn, every firstborn male among the Israelites, both of people and animals. The firstborn belongs to me.”

3 And Moses said to the people, "Remember this day in which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for with a mighty hand the LORD brought you out from this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten.

Moses said to the people, “Call this day to mind, the day on which you came out from Egypt, out of the house of slavery, for by Yahweh's strong hand he brought you out from this place. No bread with yeast may be eaten.

4 On this day, in the month of Abib, you are going out.

You are going out of Egypt on this day, in the month of Aviv.

5 And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanite, and the Hethite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you must keep this ceremony in this month.

When Yahweh brings you into the land of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites, and the Jebusites, the land that he swore to your ancestors to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey—then you must observe this act of worship in this month.

6 Six days you are to eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day is a feast to the LORD.

For seven days you must eat bread without yeast; on the seventh day there will be a feast to honor Yahweh.

7 Unleavened bread is to be eaten throughout the seven days. Nothing leavened is to be seen among you, nor is any leaven to be seen among you in all your territory.

Bread without yeast must be eaten throughout the seven days; no bread with yeast may be seen among you. No yeast may be seen with you within any of your borders.

8 And you are to tell your son on that day, saying, 'It is because of what the LORD did for me when I came out of Egypt.'

On that day you are to say to your children, 'This is because of what Yahweh did for me when I came out of Egypt.'

9 And it shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a reminder between your eyes, so that the law of the LORD may be in your mouth, for with a mighty hand the LORD brought you out of Egypt.

This will be a reminder for you on your hand, and a reminder on your forehead. This is so the law of Yahweh may be in your mouth, for with a strong hand Yahweh brought you out of Egypt.

10 Therefore you are to keep this ordinance at its appointed time from year to year.

Therefore you must keep this law at its appointed time from year to year.

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

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

12 that you are to set apart to the LORD everything that is first from the womb. Every firstborn male animal belongs to the LORD.

you must set apart to Yahweh the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn offspring of your animals that are males, will belong to Yahweh.

13 Every firstborn of a donkey you are to redeem with a lamb, but if you will not redeem it, then you must break its neck. And every firstborn of man among your sons you must redeem.

Every firstborn of a donkey you must buy back with a lamb. If you do not buy it back, then you must break its neck. But each of your firstborn males among all your sons—you must buy them back.

14 And it shall be, when your son asks you in the future, saying, 'What is this?' then you are to tell him, 'With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of slavery.

When your son asks you later, 'What does this mean?' then you are to tell him, 'It was by a strong hand that Yahweh brought us out from Egypt, from the house of slavery.

15 And it happened, when Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, that the LORD killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of people and the firstborn of animals. This is why I am sacrificing to the LORD any male that is first from the womb of an animal, but all my firstborn sons I redeem.'

When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, Yahweh killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of people and the firstborn of animals. That is why I sacrifice to Yahweh the firstborn male of every animal, and why I buy back the firstborn of my sons.'

16 So it will be as a sign on your hand and at the front of a headband around your forehead, for with a mighty hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt."

This will become a reminder on your hands, and a reminder on your forehead, for it was by a strong hand Yahweh brought us out of Egypt.”

17 Then it came to pass when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was nearby, for God said, "Lest the people change their minds when they see war and return to Egypt."

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that land was nearby. For God said, “Perhaps the people will change their minds when they experience war and will then return to Egypt.”

18 So God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up from the land of Egypt prepared for battle.

So God led the people around through the wilderness to the Sea of Reeds. The Israelites went up out of the land of Egypt armed for battle.

19 And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had made the children of Israel swear an oath, saying, "God will surely attend to you, and you are to carry my bones up with you from this place."

Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for Joseph had made the Israelites solemnly swear and said, “God will surely rescue you, and you must carry away my bones with you.”

20 Then they set out from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.

The Israelites journeyed from Succoth and camped at Etham on the edge of the wilderness.

21 And God 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, so that they could travel by day and by night.

Yahweh went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead them on the way. By night he went in a pillar of fire to give them light. In this way they could travel by day and by night.

22 He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire at night from in front of the people.

Yahweh did not take away from before the people the daytime pillar of cloud or the nighttime pillar of fire.