Exodus 13

1 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,

2 Sanctify unto me every firstborn that openeth the womb among the children of Israel, as well of men as of beasts: for they are all 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 forth out of Egypt, and out of the house of bondage, for with a strong hand hath the Lord brought you forth out of this place: that you eat no leavened bread.

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 This day you go forth in the month of new corn.

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

5 And when the Lord shall have brought thee into the land of the Chanaanite, and the Hethite, and the Amorrhite, and the Hevite, and the Jebusite, which he swore to thy fathers that he would give thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey, thou shalt celebrate this manner of sacred rites 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 Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread: and on the seventh day shall be the solemnity of 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 shall you eat seven days: there shall not be seen any thing leavened with thee, nor in all thy coasts.

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 thou shalt tell thy son in that day, saying: This is what the Lord did to me when I came forth 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 in thy hand, and as a memorial before thy eyes: and that the law of the Lord be always in thy mouth, for with a strong hand the Lord hath brought thee out of the land 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 Thou shalt keep this observance at the set time from days to days.

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

11 And when the Lord shall have brought thee into the land of the Chanaanite, as he swore to thee and thy fathers, and shall give it thee:

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 Thou shalt set apart all that openeth the womb for the Lord, and all that is first brought forth of thy cattle: whatsoever thou shalt have of the male sex, thou shalt consecrate 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 The firstborn of an ass thou shalt change for a sheep: and if thou do not redeem it, thou shalt kill it. And every firstborn of men thou shalt redeem with a price.

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 when thy son shall ask thee tomorrow, saying: What is this? thou shalt answer him: With a strong hand did the Lord bring us forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

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 For when Pharao was hardened, and would not let us go, the Lord slew every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of man to the firstborn of beasts: therefore I sacrifice to the Lord all that openeth the womb of the male sex, and all the firstborn of my 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 And it shall be as a sign in thy hand, and as a thing hung between thy eyes, for a remembrance: because the Lord hath brought us forth out of Egypt by a strong hand.

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 And when Pharao had sent out the people, the Lord led them not by the way of the land of the Philistines which is near: thinking lest perhaps they would repent, if they should see wars arise against them, and would return into 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 But he led them about by the way of the desert, which is by the Red Sea: and the children of Israel went up armed out of the land of Egypt.

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 Joseph’s bones with him: because he had adjured the children of Israel, saying: God shall visit you, carry out my bones from hence with you.

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 And marching from Socoth they encamped in Etham in the utmost coasts of the wilderness.

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

21 And the Lord went before them to shew the way by day in a pillar of a cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire: that he might be the guide of their journey at both times.

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 There never failed the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, before the people.

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